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2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Celtics (In-Season Tournament Runner-up Stage Opener, which is oddlly a thing)

Man, the quirks of the NBA In-Season Tournament sure are, well, you know, quirky!

The Knicks have to go to Boston for an extra game against the Celtics because both teams lost in the knockout stage of the In-Season Tournament.

How fun.

In any event, this is a chance for the Knicks to make a huge statement against one of the best teams in the East. The Pacers kicked Boston’s ass in the Tournament, so it’s not like these Celtics are unbeatable (granted, now Porzingis is back after missing four games. KP miss time? That’s unpossible!), so the Knicks really need to win this bad boy to a quiet their narrative this season.

Singing out in glee on the way to 53!

Let’s go, Knicks!

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Game Thread

2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Bucks (In-Season Tournament Knockout Stage Opener, which is totally a thing)

After a seven week hiatus, the Knicks head to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks in the start (for them) of the NBA’s knockout stage in their In-Season Tournament.

This Tournament is perfect for the Knicks, because they try to win every single game, while other teams don’t, and I think that this will give them a big advantage tonight, and moving forward.

We already have seen a big upset, and the Knicks are good enough that it’s not even really that big of an upset.

So I’m thinking that the Knicks move on. They might just win this whole damn thing!

Let’s go, Knicks!

Winning is the key, all the way to 53!

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2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Raptors (December Opener, which is technically a thing)

The Knicks head to the Great North to take on those devious intellectual property stealers, the Toronto Raptors, who are having a very odd season to start off this year at 9-10.

They’re not garbage, but they’re not good, they’re just sort of “there.” I expect Masai to make some sort of decision one way or the other on this team soon. Blow it up or retool or something.

Boy, OG would make such a perfect fit on this Knicks team.

Randle is dealing with knee inflammation, which, well, is not something you like hearing about an NBA player period, let alone the Knicks’ only power forward. I am confident that they can win, though, with Hart at the 4 tonight, if that’s what it comes down to. Long term, though, knee inflammation is certainly a worrisome thing.

Read some Ptolemy on the way to 53!

Let’s go, Knicks!

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2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Pistons (November Closer Opener, which is definitely not a thing)

After the Knicks were able to beat up on the shitty Hornets, they get another delightful treat, as they get to host the even worse Detroit Pistons tonight.

The Pistons are just a total mess, but at least they’re paying Monty Williams gazillions of dollars to coach this mess!

This better be an easy win.

In a big country, we go to 53!

Let’s go, Knicks!

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2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Hornets (In-Season Tournament Finale Opener, kind of a thing)

The Knicks host the shitty Hornets, who are playing without their best player, in the final game of the group stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament. If the Knicks win by enough points, they’ll lock in a Wild Card spot in the In-Season Tournament. The ironic thing about that, of course, is that it means that the Knicks will have to face better teams in the next round of the tournament than if they just missed out on the second round.

But hey, it’s always nice to win things, I guess.

In any event, as noted, the Hornets suck and LaMelo Ball is out (he just barely avoided re-breaking the ankle he broke last year, and, well, come on, that is very ominous for his career, right?), so this better be an easy Knick win.

You and me, on the way to 53!

Let’s go, Knicks!

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The Athletic: Immanuel Quickley, Jalen Brunson are building chemistry, and Knicks need it to continue

From Fred Katz:

How Brunson and Quickley move together could determine Quickley’s future, and thus the Knicks’ fate, too.

The fourth-year guard will become a restricted free agent next summer after he and the team failed to agree on an extension heading into this season. And part of the reason negotiations weren’t close was because of Quickley’s role. The Knicks know Quickley can ball, but they also acknowledge him as a sixth man, less because of talent and more because of Brunson’s presence.

As long as another small guard is soaking up 36 minutes a night — and especially if he’s doing it at an All-Star level, as Brunson does — Quickley is bound for the bench. The Knicks can’t pay starter money to someone who is blocked from ever rising to that role.

It’s led to questions about what’s next for Quickley. Could he receive a massive contract offer next summer, forcing the Knicks either to bring him back for a larger price tag than they want or to let him walk for nothing? Could New York flip him to another team before February’s trade deadline?

Quickley is a young, scrappy guard who many around the league believe could break out if he were handed a starting role. Include him with Evan Fournier’s expensive salary, maybe throw in a first-round pick or two, and the Knicks could bring back an impact player to help them at another position. After all, they’re already loaded with guards under 6 foot 6.

I would hate to see them trade Quickley, and to be frank, what is even the move to be made out there for Quickley? The issue is that the type of guy the Knicks would want back for Quickley is essentially “Quickley, but taller,” and, well, if you had Quickley, but taller, you wouldn’t trade him for Quickley, right?

Just play Quickley more, and see what happens. Give him more than 30 minutes a game, for crying out loud! He’s currently sixth in the team in minutes played per game, behind Josh Hart and every non-Grimes starter. Pump up Quickley’s minutes!

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Game Thread

2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Suns (Would Have Been Home for Durant If He Wasn’t Such a Coward Opener, which is a thing)

The Knicks host the Phoenix Suns in a game against Kevin Durant, the guy who totally was coming to the Knicks a few years back and then backed out after he got injured, and then has constantly lied about how he was never actually coming here. Come on, dude, let’s be real here.

The Knicks are coming off an outstanding comeback victory over the Miami Heat, so let’s hope that they also kick the Suns’ ass tonight. Really show the rest of the league that the Knicks are a menace to deal with!

You know it’s gotta be, all the way to 53!

Let’s go, Knicks!

(As an aside, I actually don’t know for sure if I guessed 53 offhand. I’m pretty sure I did, but maybe I said 52? I don’t feel like checking).

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Game Thread

2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks vs. Heat (Black Friday Opener, kind of a thing)

The Knicks host the Miami Heat in the next game of the amazing NBA In-Season Tournament, which everyone adores (in all seriousness, I don’t even have a problem with it, per se, it’s just kind of silly) with their first chance to avenge their loss against the Heat in the NBA Playoffs.

The Knicks are well positioned to do just that, as Coach Spoelstra is doing wonders with a walking injured roster of a team that is already down a number of contributors because it thought it was acquiring Dame Lillard and they never actually replaced important players like Gabe Vincent and Max Strus.

So hopefully the Knicks can take care of this ragtag Heat team and write their ticket to Las Vegas on Tuesday (or maybe lose a tiebreaker so they don’t have to play the better teams of the tournament? That’d be cool with me, too).

Let’s go, Knicks! Together we will be on the road to 53!

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Game Thread

2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Timberwolves (Knicks Road Trip Ender Opener, particularly not a thing)

The Knicks close out their very successful road trip with the second hardest team they’ve faced on this stretch, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who have had a strong start to the season, coming into this game with a 4-1 road trip themselves and a 9-3 record overall.

The Knicks are going to have a hard time having their rebounding advantage over the many towers the Timberwolves have, but hopefully the Knicks’ outside shooting continues to be hot like these last few games, with newly minted Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Jalen Brunson, especially on fire from long distance.

The Knicks’ new GM would like to beat his old team, and the Knicks’ coach would also probably love to beat his old team, so hopefully the Knicks can pull this out and make that very smart 53-win prediction look LOW!

Let’s go, Knicks!

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Game Thread

2023-24 Game Thread: Knicks @ Hornets (Knicks Two Road Wins in a Row Opener, also not a thing)

The Knicks go for their third straight road win in a row against the shitty Hornets.

The Hornets are not nearly as bad as the Wizards, but they’re not good, either, but the Knicks might be without RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes tonight. But hey, that’s why they have such a deep team, so they have guys to slide into those spots! Having a deep roster doesn’t necessarily help all that much in June, but it sure as fuck is hugely helpful in November!

7-5 would be a nice pace for my 53 wins prediction, so let’s get that shit done!

Let’s go, Knicks!!