One, two, three, 4, 5 3-pointers.
It was a primary time period for the ages for the lightning rod Nets guard Cam Thomasand a hellish opening interval for a Knicks staff that earned a 124-122 victory over its Cross-Bridge rival however continues to be working to shore up its defensive processes after a notable pair of franchise-altering offseason strikes.
The Knicks traded 5 first-round picks to the Nets for Mikal Bridges, then despatched Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota for Karl-Anthony Cities.
They spent the beginning of the season constructing a defensive identification round Bridges because the staff’s de facto defender on the level of assault.
And in Brooklyn, the purpose of assault is Thomas, the previous Kyrie Irving backup who scored 43 factors on 16-of-22 capturing from the sphere and 7-of-10 capturing from deep, albeit in a dropping effort in opposition to the Knicks on Friday . .
Thomas scored 19 factors within the first quarter alone and made all 5 of his 3-point makes an attempt within the first half.
His efficiency highlighted perimeter protection as a obligatory space of enchancment for a Knicks staff that desires to compete with the Boston Celtics for an opportunity to win an NBA title this season.
The difficulties date again to the season opener in Boston and have remained fixed all through the Knicks’ begin to the season:
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Jayson Tatum scored 37 factors in 24-point win over the Celtics
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Tyrese Haliburton acquired a ton of open appears to be like in Recreation 2, however missed all of them (0-of-8 capturing) in a 25-point Knicks win.
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Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell mixed for 59 factors on practically 60 p.c capturing within the third sport of the season.
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Tyler Herro scored 34 factors and made eight 3s
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Haliburton made 35 and 15 in Pacers’ win at Indiana
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And the backcourt mixture of Zach LaVine and Coby White mixed for 54 factors of their win over the Knicks on Wednesday.
Add to that the efficiency of Thomas — who continuously spliced the Knicks’ protection to complete on the rim or discovered open appears to be like past the arc — and there is a clear tendency for Tom Thibodeau’s staff to have some struggled to protect perimeter scorers although the roster was constructed in a approach that lent itself to engaging in this feat.
Thibodeau addressed Bridges’ struggles earlier than the sport in opposition to the star ahead’s former staff on Friday, calling them extra of a staff defensive battle than one thing Bridges is coping with on his personal.
“It’s troublesome as a result of there are 5 of us doing issues. A number of occasions if somebody will get marked, possibly somebody’s not in house, somebody’s not studying the ball accurately. So there are loads of variables that come into play,” Thibodeau defined. “It isn’t like baseball the place there is a batter and a pitcher and you’ll say, ‘OK, that is a strikeout. It is a success’, and even that, typically it is a line drive and it is an out. However I feel there are issues that we will measure. There are some issues we do nicely defensively, however there are some issues we have to enhance on.
“He guards loads of level guards and that kind of factor. When evaluating pick-and-roll protection, is the communication appropriate? Is the large man’s physique place appropriate? Is the hull appropriate? Are we closing the hole accurately? There are loads of issues that come into play. We have now to get higher at loads of issues.
The Knicks have been with out Cities (left knee contusion) and Miles McBride (sickness), whereas Jalen Brunson (proper ankle sprain) and Cameron Payne (left hamstring pressure) have been listed as possible and performed by way of their accidents.
Brunson completed with a team-high 37 factors and seven assists on 12-of-20 capturing from the sphere — together with three game-winners within the fourth — and Bridges added 22 factors on 4-of-7 capturing from downtown. OG Anunoby scored 25 factors on 10-of-17 capturing from the sphere, and the Knicks climbed again to .500 with a 6-6 file.
The Nets missed beginning and backup facilities Nic Claxton (again process) and Day’Ron Sharpe (hamstring pressure), however Ben Simmons began at heart and completed with 4 factors, 5 assists and seven rebounds in 25 minutes of motion.
The Knicks constructed a 21-point lead, however the Nets slowly chipped away within the ultimate interval and pushed when Anunoby fouled out with 4:15 left within the fourth and the Knicks have been up seven.
The Nets took a 122-121 lead on a Dennis Schröder three with six seconds left in regulation, however Brunson responded with a go-ahead three, and Bridges blocked a last-second effort from Schroder to ship the sport into time beyond regulation.
The Knicks host the Nets as soon as once more in one other NBA Cup sport on Sunday, then host the Washington Wizards within the back-to-back earlier than embarking on a five-game West Coast highway journey.
It is clear they should work on some areas of their protection, however a win is a win, and the Knicks will take them as they arrive.
