It would have been a beautiful ending to a four-match losing streak. Rookie keeper Emmanuel Quickley was weaving an electrical performance. RJ Barrett was playing like a bull. Julius Randall once again looks like an all-star superstar.
But that all fell on Friday in Cleveland, where the Knicks lost for the fifth time in a row in a shocking 106–103 loss to the Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage Arena.
The late goat in the game was Barrett, who made two laps in the 1:19 final, but the Cavaliers are credited with Andre Drummond, a native of Westchester County, and former Nick Damian Dotson for extending the Knicks’ woes, dropping to 5. 8.
Drummond, who will be a free agent this summer, tested well in crushing the Knicks with 33 points and 23 rebounds. Dotson landed the knockout hits with seven points in the last 2:40.
The D&D show ruined an impressive performance for Quickley, who scored 23 points from the bench and made 3 of 7 three-pointers.
“It’s a tough game especially because we played really hard,” said Barrett, who emerged from a recession with 20 points on a 7-to-12 shot. “It’s now over. We have to learn from these little mistakes, go ahead and try to win. I think we’re trying. We put in action, we fight as much as we can. I think we’ll be fine.”
Barrett’s twists were killers.
First, Barrett sank in despair 20 feet before the shot clock went off to bring the Knicks inside 98-97 with a 1:33 left. He then lost control while dribbling, turning the ball to the left in a 1:19 ratio.
“I tried to get behind my back and Drummond kicked the ball,” Barrett said. “I’ll know next time [have] You should give a better play. Leave it on me. “
Barrett’s foul caused an apparent foul on Dotson, who fired two free throws. The Cavaliers retained control, leading Dotson to throw the ball. With 2:40 left, Dotson hit a big triple-pointer above Quickley to give the Cavs a five-point lead.
With the Knicks down four, Barrett was stripped again 20 seconds before the match with Cleveland ended.
“In terms of transformations, it was expensive,” said Coach Tom Tibudo. “It’s late, it’s the fourth quarter of the game, and we have to understand that part of the match is a lot different. The intensity is different, the way the administration is done is different, so I think a big part of learning is trial and error. So we hope we learn from it.”
Barrett, who made 2 of 4 three-pointers after entering the game in a terrible landing from behind the arc, realizes that he will ultimately be judged by his late-match performance if he were to become a superstar.
“In the NBA, the fourth quarter is very intense. Energy, everything is getting better, and every acquisition really matters.” I learned that in the NBA. ”
Drummond gutted Mitchell Robinson who had injured his ankle. The Cavaliers’ big man scored 20 points and 14 rebounds in the first half. Seven of his followers were on the attack glass.
The Mount Vernon native may be on the move after this season, and the Knicks will have a lot of space. The Cavaliers may be willing to let the former Connecticut star go now that they have hunted former Nets player Jarrett Allen in James Harden’s four-team deal.
Drummond was cool – he even went 13 to 19 from the free throw line. Thibodeau attempted to attack him with Knicks with 3 with 30 seconds remaining, hoping he would miss both hits.
“It is a profession [46] “ A percent of free throwing games, so at this point you’re just trying to create something that you think will give you an advantage, so it just doesn’t work, ” Tibudo said.
It didn’t work, although the Knicks made it a dramatic 16-0 breakout eliminating a 12-point delay. Quickley helped lead another charge, as did Randall, who fired 28 points with six assists.
Backup Center Nerlens Noel achieved six blocks, but it appears that Robinson was not right and was minus 19. Drummond made his way against a player in Robinson who may or may not receive a contract extension.
Quickley was stunned when he knocked off the bench, blasting 12 points in 11 minutes with two assists in the first half. Quickley shot 5 to 8 off the field, making two 3-point shots in the first half.
Quickley, picked in the 25th round of the first round in November, found creases in the Cavaliers’ defense and the Knicks had a five-point lead playing mostly with “Quickley Quintet” who killed the Cavaliers in the pre-season. The only difference in the youth squad of five was Reggie Bullock at Barrett’s place.
In one fine moment, promoter Obi Tobin, in his second match after a three-week absence due to calf strain, stole a pass and fed Quickley with three pointers.
In the next possession, Quikley spun an in-house and raised lob alley for Mitchell Robinson and 43-39 lead things.
Robinson couldn’t compete with Drummond’s muscle, and was then injured. Robinson fell awkwardly after he missed a retreat. Coach Tom Thibaudeau allowed him to wander up and down the field in search of possessions before pulling out the youthful position, and he went into the locker room. Robinson injured his ankle between halves and was knocked out for the third quarter, looking less than 100 percent.
