If the Knicks plan to make a serious and upward move in the Eastern Conference standings, Friday night’s game started a favorable series of home games to do so.
And their furious return in a 133-129 victory over the Grizzlies in a dark garden might just serve as the springboard.
Leading scorers Julius Randle and RJ Barrett were mostly invisible for three quarters, but the duel combined 23 points in the fourth quarter and overtime when the Knicks raged furiously from a late 13-point hole. The completed return enabled coach Tom Thibodeau’s team to win the first of a series of 11 matches in which they play nine times in front of the home fans.
“I thought our fight was great. The perseverance, ”said Thibodeau. “And in the end, we let things go our way.”
Randle first scored his first field goal until there were 3:16 left in the third quarter, but he finished with 15 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his fifth triple season.
Barrett scored just five points through three quarters, but he scored the rest of the fifteen, including a match-fix late in the regulation and a thriving three-pointer with 1:15 remaining time.
He missed the last shot against the Heat and the Timberwolves last month, causing Minnesota Guard Anthony Edwards to play after the game.
“It always comes back. “We’ve played our butts the last few games, and we could get one, ‘Barrett said. ‘It feels good to know we’re doing the right thing and keep working, and it’s going to pay off. … Hopefully we build from this. ‘
Alec Burks scored nine of his 19 points in the overtime, Immanuel Quickley finished with 20 points and Derrick Rose added 19 points off the bench for the Knicks (26-27), who have lost five of their previous six games – three with two points or less – to fall to the eighth play-off position in the East.
With the top six teams in each conference automatically qualifying for the post-season game – and seventh to tenth place subject to play scenarios – the Knicks will play another important game against the 11 Raptors on Sunday gain.
“We really needed it. This is the way to break out of that small slump, ”Randle said. ‘Guys got up. This is how we had to get out of it. ”
Barrett did not say a word when asked before the game whether he was watching the two players taken in front of him in the draft – former teammate Zion Williamson of the Pelicans and Ja Morant of the Grizzlies (who finished with 36 points has).
“My game speaks for itself,” Barrett said. “I mean, you can look at our numbers, you can look at our team’s success. It does not matter, as long as player keeps getting better, I will be happy. ”
While Barrett and Randle combined for just six points through two quarters, Rose finished the first half with 13 in 16 minutes to keep the Knicks at halftime within 60-51.
Jonas Valanciunas and Morant combined 10 points in a 16-7 run to push Memphis’ lead back to 13 (84-71) halfway through the third quarter.
But the Knicks’ second unit offered another comeback bid, with an Obi Toppin lobster and a Quickley three-pointer pulling them back within seven to the final period. Toppin (eight points) added another setback early in the fourth game.
Randle’s three-point game lured the Knicks to 112-109 with 61 seconds left before Barrett equalized with three free throws with 37 rebounds on the clock.
One free-kick from Morant and Valanciunas put Memphis up two at the last minute, but Barrett drove to the left and caught up with a short runner for the equalizer with 8.8 seconds left to force overtime.
“The thing with Julius and RJ, they are very confident, they will not get confused if things do not go their way,” Thibodeau said. “As long as they shoot the ball well, they will keep going and find a way.”