PG: iHart in Monster Mode as Knicks Clinch Playoff Intensity Road Game

[Jeff Van Gully]

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

Buzz you're being too positive... I don't like it. Blink twice is NYKMentality has you tied up while he posts on your account.

GreenArrow bundled me into a van and took me to NYKMentality's Lair of Positivity!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Send help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIFY

[mpharris36]

Everyone will talk about Brunsons 42 pts and rightfully so but I want to point out his defense. He was all over the place. 4 steals and a block and his effort on that end was awesome all night.

I thought that was pretty noticable to get that level of commitment from your best player.

[MrDollarBills]

Several of these scores are against multiple defenders.

Superstar isn't a word to throw around lightly, but Jalen Brunson is definitely proving his case.

[3toheadmelo]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

having a PG that is top 5 in scoring is crazy. i never thought i would witness this in my lifetime

[3toheadmelo]

i remember when we first got dsj and he put up 18 pts and 5 assists against fox i was so happy. if you told me a couple years later we would have a different pg that put up 42 on fox's head i would think you were lying like a mf we are so grateful man

[Capn'O]

Spoiler:

Spo is gonna have problems with us.
This isn't even close to last year's team

Please tell Spo he can suck our dick

Spo is rdy

Let's chill with that stuff. Particularly the gif.

[knicks94]

Is it safe to say that OG would be a top 10 player if he had Latrell Sprewell's offensive ability? I would say yes.

[Capn'O]

Somebody on the GB said it best. If Bogs and Burks win us a quarter here and there in the playoffs it's a good trade. Healthy, we don't rely on them but they can help.

[Deeeez Knicks]

Somebody on the GB said it best. If Bogs and Burks win us a quarter here and there in the playoffs it's a good trade. Healthy, we don't rely on them but they can help.

It hasnt looked good so far but if they can get it together and help in the playoffs is how it’ll be more judged. I do wonder if Burks will even make the playoff rotation if everyone is healthy.

[cgmw]

Everyone will talk about Brunsons 42 pts and rightfully so but I want to point out his defense. He was all over the place. 4 steals and a block and his effort on that end was awesome all night.

I thought that was pretty noticable to get that level of commitment from your best player.

What his assist (low) and turnover (high) numbers tell me is that.. and people will hate this… a lot of the credit goes to Thibs for creating a system for Brunson to thrive as an iso scorer. Donte is slumping and the other 3 players think of themselves primarily as defenders/hustle players.

That kind of role simplicity is Thibs’ trademark, and I’m telling anyone who’ll listen that this team will be unstoppable for regular season games when Randle comes back because we’ll have 2 primary iso scorers and 3 primary hustle/defenders on the court for 40 mpg.

With Randle back, Brunson will score a little less but his assists will go way up and his turnovers way down. The only real questions are 1) health for playoffs and 2) will Randle show up for playoffs or will be retreat into his mental midget head that whithers under bright lights?

With the Herculean effort this team is showing right now, it’s hard to imagine Randle loafing it when he returns. I expect full effort for once.

[aggo]

Alec Burks and Bojan played themselves into the playoff rotation

[Reign23]

that was some quality win against a good team on the road.
JB for All NBA!

[Hes_On_Fire]

Somebody on the GB said it best. If Bogs and Burks win us a quarter here and there in the playoffs it's a good trade. Healthy, we don't rely on them but they can help.

It hasnt looked good so far but if they can get it together and help in the playoffs is how it’ll be more judged. I do wonder if Burks will even make the playoff rotation if everyone is healthy.

I know they don’t play the same positions but I would give all of Burks minutes to Precious in the playoffs. Precious hustles, plays great defense and even passes pretty well. He’s a great role player to have and he can defend multiple positions. He’s earned the right to play.

[Im Coming Home]

Everyone will talk about Brunsons 42 pts and rightfully so but I want to point out his defense. He was all over the place. 4 steals and a block and his effort on that end was awesome all night.

I thought that was pretty noticable to get that level of commitment from your best player.

Agreed, I noticed it a lot last night, he played great defense.

[aggo]

Thibs loves his vets

As long as Burks and bojan help the team like tonight into the end of the season, this won’t abandon them in the playoffs. That’s not how he works.

I bet you precious is the guy that gets cut from the rotation unless Mitch can’t come back.


Thibs was already lineup testing. Brunson w bojan and ddv/burks at each corner.

[Context]

Morning Knick family...

Glad I caught last nights game. What a game! The chosen one is one of the best players in this league
this year and I think that will never change.

Sac wanted that win badly and we took the win. When two teams want to put it all on the floor- records and player ranks/ reputations go out the window. This was a game where a team makes a statement to the league.
I posted this on the first page last night but here is a close up. This picture to me is a symbol of how much of a winner Brunson is...
it's also very funny and I didnt know he was this coldblooded too

Read on Twitter

?s=20

[stuporman]

Thoughts:
The team: Everyone but Brunson struggled to shoot but to see them gut out a win defensively against one of the best offensive teams, a western conference playoff team and on the road is very impressive.

Brunson: What more can be said? The guy is a leader, a winner and does everything he can to help the team. He is actually a really good defender, even with his physical limitations, he is just so smart on both ends of the court. We had 'the dunk' now we have 'the point'

iHart: What a competitor, defended Sabonis so well and finally starting to look healthy again. I don't know why people have to pit Knicks players against each other, he and Mitch are good friends and I'm glad the Knicks have both of them no matter whoever winds up starter and back up, it's better to have both.

OG: I see he had a different sleeve on his arm and I wonder if it may take a little bit to adjust to the feel of it on there, the pressure it places can help his elbow stay stable but it may change the way his form feels shooting. All through the game his defensive presence was felt but his crunch time defense was another level. The guy's impact goes way beyond the stat box.

Detroit boys: All game and even into the 4th quarter they were still looking clumsy and sluggish but somehow hit some shots at the end which were huge. So they get flowers...not the expensive ones delivered to the door, they get the cheap roadside vendor ones that you get last minute and don't really smell all that good.

The other Nova boys: Rough game shooting but did some other things to contribute to winning.

Precious: Quiet offensively but did an ok job on Sabonis, wasn't completely outclassed, made him work for anything he got so it's pretty good for a bench player on an all-star type. It will be nice once the Knicks have Mitch back to have another type of defensive game changer off the bench to wreak havoc. In the playoffs, having quality depth and different looks to throw at teams will help.

Deuce: Again, quiet offensively but still solid, quality mins to spell Brunson. He's a bench role player so some nights he's just going to be a mins eater but fortunately he brings the defensive intensity even when he's not scoring.

Thibs: Balls of steel to stick with Bogs and Burks when they weren't really giving him any reason all game to trust them yet he let them stay until a few mins left in the game to hit a few big shots. If they miss those shots and the Knicks lose I say he had brains of mush sticking with them but alas, they hit them.

[cgmw]

Thibs loves his vets

As long as Burks and bojan help the team like tonight into the end of the season, this won’t abandon them in the playoffs. That’s not how he works.

I bet you precious is the guy that gets cut from the rotation unless Mitch can’t come back.


Thibs was already lineup testing. Brunson w bojan and ddv/burks at each corner.

I agree it will be Precious, and this board will flip its collective sh*t when AB checks into his first playoff game. With healthy Mitch, there’s no Q to me (see what I did there?) that Precious is dropped. I’m just wondering if Deuce sees even 5 mpg for playoffs.

[NYKinMIA]

Best Knick guard since Clyde.

Best Knick team since the mid 90s (sorry Alan and Spree)

Absolutely most entertaining team since mid 90s, if you add up identity, tenacity, talent, cohesion and play style, depth. League style of play also a factor

Then you have the great subtext story, where Knicks gamble on Brunson being an emerging player and win huge, where he's a Knick kid grown up returning, to play for a defensive culture establishing coach, also a returning story, being part of the Riley\JVG tree.

TLDR - This team and this era is awesome

who is you and what have you done with buzz?!

[TrueWarrior]

Bojan and Alec were supposed to help with scoring like this, with or without Julius. They needed to keep the boat floating more than they have done. Bojan has averaged 20 ppg the last bunch of seasons and Alec has been one of the better bench bucket getters. They have failed so far, but did well in this one.

Right now we dont have a reliable 2nd option obviously. OG, Donte, and Josh are not that.

Donte’s inferno has frozen over. OG is still getting his feet wet and he’s a 3rd option at best. Josh is a hustle guy who gets points every once in a while. Deuce isn’t consistent yet and doesnt play big minutes. Precious and Isaiah are mostly defenders who can score off junk baskets.

Without Julius, or some of these other guys stepping up more often, we’re asking Jalen to score an efficient 35+ to have a chance. He’s a beastman no doubt, but that’s asking a lot. I’ll take the wins and enjoy the moment though.

Happy St. Patty’s Knick fam.