New York Knicks split back-to-back games against Philadelphia and Cleveland: Still not over the hump

The Knicks started the back-to-back with a dominant victory over the 76ers. They took an early double-digit lead and rolled into halftime. Philly briefly cut the lead to five in the second half, but OG Anunoby brought down the hammer to close them out.

The offense continued to roll at the beginning of the Cavs game. OG Anunoby led the way as New York opened a double-digit lead. But the Cavs made runs to keep things within reach and broke away once tired legs set in for the Knicks. 

Given the difficult circumstances, there’s room for optimism, but it’s tough to argue with anyone who says “same ole Knicks” about another blowout loss to Cleveland. Let’s take a closer look at the performances.

Notable Performances

The wings run out of steam

OG Anunoby: 

Vs. Philadelphia: 27 PTS (7/16 FG, 2/9 3PT, 11/13 FT), 5 REB, 2 STL, 6 TO in 33 mins

Vs. Cleveland: 23 PTS (9/17 FG, 5/8 3PT), 6 AST, 6 REB, 1 TO in 34 mins

The ascendance of OG Anunoby continued against Philadelphia. His jumper wasn’t in form, but he dominated anyway by slashing to rack with unstoppable force. Philly’s only answer for OG was to foul him, and even that often failed to deter him.

Anunoby looked poised for an even bigger game with 19 points in the first half against the Cavs. But OG got into foul trouble in the third quarter and never regained his momentum. Regardless, he was New York’s best player on both nights.

Mikal Bridges:

Vs. Philadelphia: 14 PTS (6/16 FG, 2/6 3PT), 4 AST, 2 REB, 2 TO in 36 mins

Vs. Cleveland: 8 PTS (3/6 FG, 0/1 3PT, 2/2 FT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 36 mins

After a brutal start to the game, Mikal Bridges turned up his offense in the second half. He knocked down jumpers when the rest of the team slipped into a lull and helped keep the Sixers from gaining momentum.

Bridges nearly vanished while guarded by Evan Mobley of the Cavs. That’s a tough matchup, but the five-pick acquisition was too quick to differ rather than attack during the team’s offensive lulls. His offense was toothless, and he didn’t have answers for Donovan Mitchell on the other end.

Splitting the good and bad

Josh Hart:

Vs. Philadelphia: 9 PTS (4/7 FG, 1/1 FT), 6 AST, 4 REB, 2 STL, 1 TO in 32 mins

Vs. Cleveland: 19 PTS (8/19 FG, 3/9 3PT), 4 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 3 TO in 37 mins

While it wasn’t Josh Hart’s best performance against Philadelphia, he contributed to the win in a number of ways. Hart’s transition offense got things going, including a buzzer-beater to end the half. His playmaking kept the team from stagnating.

Hart injected energy into New York’s first half against Cleveland. I was happy to see him shoot open looks instead of turning them down. He continued to make plays in the second half, but they weren’t as frequent. It’s an understandable slowdown, given the workload.

Landry Shamet:

Vs. Philadelphia: 20 PTS (7/12 FG, 6/11 3PT), 1 AST, 2 REB, 1 TO in 33 mins

Vs. Cleveland: 5 PTS (2/7 FG, 1/5 3PT), 2 REB in 26 mins

We finally see Landry Shamet live up to the reports from his workouts and practice with the Knicks. He played his best game of the season against the Sixers, hitting threes from all over the court. He and Tyler Kolek had an ESP-type connection as they linked up for open shot after open shot.

Shamet looked different on the second night. The Cavs didn’t give him easy looks. While he took five three-pointers, many came off the dribble or off-balance on the run. I’m more disappointed that Shamet didn’t provide anything else to compensate for poor shooting.

One chance each for the big men

Mitchell Robinson:

Vs. Philadelphia: 14 PTS (5/9 FG, 4/4 FT), 14 REB, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 1 TO in 21 mins

Vs. Cleveland: DNP

Mitchell Robinson’s start was the best feature of the game against Philadelphia. He overmatched rookie Adem Bona for a double-double that featured vintage Block Ness Monster action.

Mitch snatched offensive boards, dunked everything around the rim, and denied shots on the opposite end. Best of all, Mitch knocked down all four of his free throws and moved around the floor as fluidly as we’ve seen since his return.

Mitch rested for the Cavs game, and his interior presence was sorely missed.

Karl-Anthony Towns: 

Vs. Philadelphia: DNP

Vs. Cleveland: 25 PTS (9/16 FG, 1/3 3PT, 6/7 FT), 1 AST, 13 REB, 7 TO in 34 mins

Despite scoring 25 points against the Cavs, Karl-Anthony Towns’ offense was disappointing when New York needed him. Towns didn’t shoot enough to space the floor for others, and he frequently turned the ball over trying to drive. While he looked quicker off the dribble, his game also felt more one-dimensional than usual.

KAT didn’t play against Philadelphia, so he had fresh legs to give 13 rebounds along with his scoring. The mobility and legs didn’t translate to good defense. Cleveland targeted him in the pick-and-roll.

More Notes

• Dare I say, “Delon Wright has a case for taking backup minutes from Cam Payne?” Wright’s defense was impressive, and while he didn’t push the offense, he was steady enough to let the leaders attack freely.

• Tyler Kolek’s ability to hit players in advantageous situations shined against the Sixers. But he didn’t get as much going against Cleveland’s pressure defense.

• Precious Achiuwa had a brutal night against Philly, prompting Clyde to wonder aloud why he was shooting left-handed shots. He bounced back nicely with 13 and 6 against the Cavs, but his shot selection was still shaky.

Closing Thoughts

I’ve got a bone to pick with the schedule designers for this NBA season. What are the Knicks doing playing three back-to-back sets in the final 10 games of the season? The Knicks have a stacked injury report, but these sets are begging for more worn-down players to get hurt.

New York showed enough early on against Cleveland to provide some hope that they’re ready to get after the league's upper echelons. But their legs faded, and we fell right back to the same pattern as every other game against contenders this season.

It’s put up or shut up when the playoffs come around. I think the Knicks are closer to contention than people might imagine. But I won’t argue with anyone discouraged by the loss. 

The Hawks are next, with playoff-seeding implications. I’ll see you then, Knicks fam!