{"id":224684,"date":"2021-04-12T08:06:14","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T05:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/knicks-may-have-sealed-postseason-berth\/"},"modified":"2021-04-12T08:06:14","modified_gmt":"2021-04-12T05:06:14","slug":"knicks-may-have-sealed-postseason-berth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/knicks-may-have-sealed-postseason-berth\/","title":{"rendered":"#Knicks may have sealed postseason berth"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Knicks may have sealed postseason berth<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

\n

The famous Garden pinwheeled ceiling sprung a leak as rain pounded the roof Sunday night, causing a 14-minute delay.<\/p>\n

And for an uncharacteristicly long segment of the second half, the Knicks defense sprung a leak, too. After going up by 18 points early in the third quarter, the Knicks couldn\u2019t do a thing right as the Raptors put together a 40-15 run, taking a five-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n

But this is the new Knicks, in a new era. Before they could choke the game<\/a> away, they rose up late and survived a brutal and ugly 102-96 decision over Toronto to break a nine-game losing streak against the Raptors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe found a way at the end,\u2019\u2019 Tom Thibodeau said. \u201cI like we have the mental toughness to work our way through it and pull it out in the end. But I think we\u2019re capable of playing better than we did today.\u201d<\/p>\n

More importantly, the Knicks probably sealed a spot in the play-in tournament. They moved six games in front of the Raptors, who are in 11th place. The top 10 teams will either qualify for the play-in or for a playoff berth.<\/p>\n

The Knicks couldn\u2019t have done any worse offensively in the second half, at one juncture missing 15 of 17 shots, flummoxed by the Toronto zone. There was no teamwork, nor flow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a tendency when you go through that \u2014 we have guys who want to do what\u2019s best for the team \u2014 but you have to do it collectively and not get out of it by yourself,\u2019\u2019 Thibodeau said. \u201cIf you go too much one-on-one, it will hurt you.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

But when you play enough defense \u2014 as the Knicks have done all season \u2014 you can win any contest. The Lakers might find that out Monday when they pay their lone visit.<\/p>\n

Center Nerlens Noel recorded four blocks. Reggie Bullock had three steals. RJ Barrett banged in another big 3 and Julius Randle hit clutch free throws in the final seconds to get the Knicks back to .500.<\/p>\n

This should have been a lot easier but the Knicks aren\u2019t built for easy. Barrett said he was still \u201cexcited\u2019\u2019 with the win no matter how it looked.<\/p>\n

\"Tom
Tom Thibodeau<\/figcaption>
Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019ve learned, being in the NBA,\u2019\u2019 Barrett said, \u201cis it\u2019s a long game. Anything can happ<\/a>en.\u201d<\/p>\n

Toronto\u2019s first possession of the night was snuffed by Bullock, who intercepted a pass and glided in for a layup. The last possession of the first quarter ended with Bullock double-teaming Pascal Siakam, ripping the ball away and going in for another layup.<\/p>\n

The first quarter ended Knicks 24, Raptors 16. Toronto wasn\u2019t in Cleveland anymore. The night before the Raptors had rung up 47 first-quarter points.<\/p>\n

Welcome to Tom Thibodeau\u2019s Garden of Defense.<\/p>\n

By halftime, the Knicks led 56-42. The Raptors shot 31 percent. The Knicks were making a statement \u2014 even though it got a little muddied in the rain in the second half.<\/p>\n

Sunday was the third anniversary of Thibodeau\u2019s Timberwolves breaking a 14-year playoff drought.<\/p>\n

Ironically, the Wolves\u2019 star rookie and No. 1-overall pick Anthony Edwards probably wouldn\u2019t mind playing for Thibodeau judging from his comments Friday about the Knicks\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n

Edwards, the favorite for rookie of the year, was asked how the Wolves can become a better defensive team.<\/p>\n

Unsolicited, he sounded like a sage in citing Thibodeau\u2019s Knicks, flooding them with praise. The defensive statistics show the major progression but it\u2019s more significant to hear Edwards \u2014 with no preconceived biases \u2014 laud the Knicks the way he did.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you give effort, you got great defense,\u2019\u2019 Edwards said. \u201cIf you watch New York night in and night out, they don\u2019t have great single defenders. Whatever their defensive game plan is, that\u2019s great. They play great defense as a team at all times. I love watching them play defense. I feel they\u2019re the best defensive team in the league. They play hard. They take you out of your stuff and pressure you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even during the Knicks\u2019 recent 1-5 slide, nobody faulted their defense. In those five losses, the Knicks allowed just 102 points per game.<\/p>\n

Thibodeau may never win one of those NBA coach-of-the-month awards, but it\u2019s not like March winner Nate McMillan of red-hot Atlanta is getting referenced on \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d \u2014 as Thibodeau was this weekend. To be fair, SNL cast members have been fixtures on celebrity row across the years, but this wasn\u2019t payback.<\/p>\n

During a parody rap song, called \u201cWeird Little Flute,\u201d Kid Cudi and Pete Davidson versed: \u201cLearning can be difficult \u2026 So I practice hard like Thibodeau \u2026 And the only time that I get real high \u2026 Is when I play my piccolo.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

Utah\u2019s Quin Snyder is not getting that SNL love anytime soon.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe pushes me every single day,\u2019\u2019 Knicks rookie Obi Toppin said before the game. \u201cHe challenges me every single day to be better, not just offensively but definitely defensively.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n

It would be shocking for the Knicks to collapse now and fall out the play-in tournament and into 11th place.<\/p>\n

Because their style is built all on defense (they allow the least points in the league at 104.5 per game), it\u2019s not a club prone to a massive slide.<\/p>\n

There were major concerns regarding their offensive prowess in the second half and Alec Burks\u2019 late turnover with a two-point lead could\u2019ve been egregious if not for Siakam\u2019s ensuing double-dribble. A little luck. A lot of defense.<\/p>\n

Thibodeau looked to be agitated for much of the evening but did crack one smile when talking about the rain delay.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought it was baseball,\u2019\u2019 he said.\n <\/p><\/div>\n

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Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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