Knicks run through Memphis Grizzlies in slaughter at MSG
Knicks beatdown Morant and company 143-106 and Thibs, oh Thibs!
It was about two weeks ago when the Knicks couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag in the third quarter, and many, myself especially, wanted to see the coach go. The starters were exhausted, and Thibs stubbornly did not use his bench. It was believed they could beat a lower-tiered team, but one of the top four in the league? No.
I believe that Leon Rose and William Wesley sat down with Tom Thibodeau and read him the Riot Act…again. Since those early January nightmares (yeah, nightmares), the Knicks have won four straight. And for two consecutive games, they scored 143.
Knicks 143, Grizzlies 106
Ja Morant couldn’t get one of his windmill dunks or any dunk at all. That was for Precious. Precious Achiuwa was showing off in the Garden last night. Miles “Deuce” McBride lost his mind, forgot he was 6’1” and dunked, then stared them down like he was Iron Man! The Knicks’ bench combined for 52…yes, 52 points. McBride and Achiuwa each had 14 points, with Achiuwa boasting a 66.7% from the field.
The Knicks scored 82 points in the second half. The starters did good, too. Mikal Bridges led the way with 28 points, five rebounds, and a lot of dancing, and the Garden danced with him. The All-Star starters combined for 44 points, with Kat having his usual double-double with 11 rebounds.
This game wasn’t about what they scored. It was about HOW they scored it. Thibs had pieces of his second unit go in, in the first quarter! They played more minutes than they have all season. You can applaud…I’ll wait. The coach deserves some applause…he listened. I don’t know who said it or did it. He could have been visited by three ghosts Sunday night. Whatever. McBride and Achiuwa both played over 20 minutes. It was great that all the bench guards were on point and not just with scoring…
Ja Morant had ten points and a minus 41—it looked like this -41! The Grizzlies are second in the West. That would mean they are one of the top four teams. The Knicks finally looked like the team they had been constructed to be. Dominant. The defense was stellar. They caused the Grizzlies to make 26 turnovers and got 36 points off those turnovers…they won by 37 points. The Knicks stole the ball 20 times and had those bear cubs on skates. The third quarter of doom was back, and the Garden…those in the World’s Most Famous Arena enjoyed a game that’s been missing for far too long… It was a game that had you on your feet or the edge of your seat in a living room in Georgia.
Miss Tee…
The year 1975 was a fascinating time. The City was still on a basketball high because the New York Knicks were a team coming off two championships in the last five seasons. They were still considered to be a domineering team in the league. Of course, Red Holzman was still their coach. The Knicks' most exciting aspect was not the team as a whole but the backcourt duo of Walt “Clyde” Frazier and Earl “the Pearl” Monroe.
I couldn’t believe the Knicks had gotten Monroe. How could they, and what would that mean for Clyde and Dick Barnett? The thought of losing either was too much for my teenage heart. That man was our rival, and he couldn’t be trusted. But everyone else and I who doubted that two ball-dominant players could coexist were wrong. Not only did they coexist, but they also brought the last championship the Garden had seen. And they were the last two Knicks to start in the All-Star game - together. The East was victorious and Clyde took home the MVP trophy.
Today, it’s the Bodega Kat and Big Body Brunson. And they deserve it. Last season, the coaches sent Brunson and Randle, even though Randle was injured. And that was the first time two Knicks had gone since Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.
The Knicks are an incredible team, and they are showing the incredible things they are capable of. Now, guys, let’s keep it going…
Here are all the stats you’ll need. Check out George; he has the stats and the highlights and go “around the KnicksVerse……”
Until next time…
Good to see the bench getting meaningful minutes early in the last two games. The energy levels of the whole team are sky high the last two games. It’s not a coincidence that these last two games have been preceded by multiple days of rest or practice. I hope the first part of the season of heavy starter minutes was to generate chemistry and endurance for the second half and playoff games. The willingness to change gears and now develop the same characteristics for the bench now is encouraging.