A day or two can change the mood.
THE New York Knicks appeared on the defensive earlier this week, deploying a fly swatter to push back to the bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. On Thursday, someone handed them a sword.
OG Anunoby practiced again, returning to five-on-five drills and simply waiting for clearance from team doctors before he could return for a game. In a victory against the Magic of Orlando the next day, Isaiah Hartenstein moved like he did before tendinopathy took over his Achilles. Jalen Brunson scored as often as one would expect from an All-Star guard, and oh, the knee bruise that looked so nasty less than a week ago wasn’t enough to prevent playing for more than one match. Precious Achiuwa was bombing the boards and swatting away every shot near him. Josh Hart gave a strange impression of Josh Hart. The Knicks defended like a force.
Friday, they defeated the Magic 98-74the fewest points allowed by a team in the NBA this season and the first time the Knicks have held an opponent to less than 75 since April 2012. The Knicks had lost their first three games of the season against Orlando, who entered the night a half-game better in the Eastern Conference . This victory allows New York (37-26), which hopes to avoid the Play-In Tournament, to return to fourth place.
But forget the outcome – even if it mattered, for all the obvious reasons. Instead, focus on the circumstances of victory.
Just five days after limping off the field in Cleveland, Brunson didn’t just play. He looked like his old self, scoring 26 points in just 29 minutes. And on the other side, it felt like one of the world’s most intimidating defenders had already returned; Anunoby’s spirit was everywhere.
After missing just one game with a knee injury, Jalen Brunson returned Friday against the Magic and scored 26 points. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The entirely idealized version of the Knicks, the one fans got a glimpse of on Jan. 14-2 but haven’t encountered since, is closer to reforming.
Anunoby’s rehabilitation is going as planned. He underwent surgery to remove a bone fragment from his right elbow in early February. Because the operation was routine, just a cleaning, he was expected to see doctors again three weeks after the operation and then be cleared to participate in field activities. Soon after, he would be ready to leave.
Now he’s on schedule, he’s going back to contact drills.
All Thibodeau is waiting for is a message from the team doctors that the backbone of his defense is ready. If he returns in the next few days, New York will have time to reinstall him. The playoffs are over a month away.
The Knicks have a few home games coming up against the Philadelphia 76erswhich are no longer as intimidating as before, considering Tyrese MaxeyThe status remains uncertain with the All-Star guard stuck in concussion protocols. Reigning MVP Joel Embiid is recovering from a knee injury. An otherwise difficult trip to the West Coast then begins with a cookie: an encounter with the inexperienced. Portland Trail Blazers.
That’s three winnable games, especially if Anunoby participates in one or two of them. All of a sudden, a burst of light shines in the Knicks practice room.
There is hope when Thibodeau says Anunoby was running around in practice without restrictions. There is hope to look Julius Randle, who is rehabbing a dislocated shoulder, sweats before games, running through shooting and ball-handling drills at full speed. There’s hope in the way the defense stifled the Magic, even if Orlando isn’t the scariest offensive team. It’s not 1997 anymore. Allowing 74 points in three quarters, let alone four, is impressive.
There’s hope in the way Hartenstein moved, especially when he nailed a dunk that could have been an Orlando All-Star. Paolo Banchero. Hartenstein has mostly played through the Achilles tendinopathy that has been plaguing him, but especially over the past month, he hasn’t looked the same.
The Knicks didn’t have the best defense in the league in January just because Anunoby was there, although the NBA All-Defensive stalwart was the main reason why. It was also because of Hartenstein, who had walled up the painting. His rejection of Banchero – this type of snub was commonplace in January.
On Friday, a team that understood the moment showed up.
The Knicks were reeling, losing eight of their last 11 games. They had just given up a winnable match against the Atlanta Falcons a night where they slammed too many sweaters open. After two days of rest, they approached Friday’s match with a different tone.
A few minutes into the game, Brunson stopped to launch a 3-pointer near the logo. He let her in. These are not the actions of someone whose knee is bothering them. And it wasn’t the type of shot the Knicks were hitting during the game. 116-100 loss to Atlanta.
Thibodeau also coached differently.
The old Detroit Pistons were not as imperative for Friday’s rotation. Alex Burks, who has struggled since joining the Knicks in February, did not enter the game until the second quarter. He played for five minutes, was substituted and never returned. Thibodeau opted for an eight-man rotation in the second half. Bojan Bogdanovic played for only 12 minutes in total.
This is a trend to watch, especially once Anunoby re-enters the starting lineup and Randle returns after that.
Has Miles “Deuce” McBride officially overtaken Burks in the pecking order? Does that mean zero playing time for Burks, who the Knicks acquired hoping he would stabilize the offense behind Brunson? Does Bogdanović only have around fifteen minutes? Would it be less than that if Achiuwa attacked teams like he did the Magic, bringing down 14 boards, blocking five shots and somehow inserting himself into just about any play involving a loose ball?
These are first world problems, implying that the Knicks have too many good players. Organizations strive to solve these types of problems.
For the first time in a long time, the Knicks looked like one of those teams. It’s amazing how much just 48 hours can change the mood.
(Top photo by Josh Hart: Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
