If you’re reading this, Mitchell Robinson just grabbed another offensive rebound.
That’s the story of Saturday’s game, where the New York Knicks outlasted the Philadelphia 76ers, 112-109.
Sure, the referees tried to steal the show down the stretch, where the final minutes of the fourth seemed longer than an extended cut of The Godfather.
But in the end, ball don’t lie. And when the basketball gods called the ball to the stand for testimony, they had it swear on the hands of Robinson.
The box score is crediting Karl-Anthony Towns with just one assist, but his foul trouble against Joel Embiid was the gift that kept on giving for the Knicks.
Because in his absence, Mike Brown let Robinson loose, and the longest tenured New Yorker left it all on the floor in Philadelphia. He finished with six points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 27 minutes.
But it’s the last number that’s arguably most important. Robinson hadn’t seen that much playing time since Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers last May.
The results speak for themselves.
According to Pivot Fade, the Knicks outscored the 76ers by 15 points in 23 minutes with Robinson on the floor and Towns on the bench. New York posted a 127.3 offensive rating and an iron-gauntlet 92.1 defensive rating.
That’s the highlight reel from a win New York desperately needed; the referees didn’t want to let the guys play down the stretch, but when they did, Robinson bested one of the league’s most enigmatic “superstars.”
But of course, from all 48 minutes of tape, there’s more to discuss.
Mikal Bridges…the weakest link?
For all you can say about Towns–and you can say A LOT–at least his performance in Philly can be attributed (in part) to foul trouble.
But for Mikal Bridges, who logged 29 minutes and was benched down the stretch, his mistakes were all his own, and everyone served witness.
He finished with nine points, four assists, and three rebounds against the 76ers, on three-for-16 shooting from the floor and one-for-nine shooting from deep.
Bridges has looked out of sync for the majority of the Knicks’ poor stretch post-NBA Cup. Every lowlight of his offensive game was on display on Saturday; his aversion to contact, his shot selection, and he lost the ball twice on costly turnovers.
New York is no stranger to Bridges’ erratic shooting stretches, but Brown is. And he responded in kind against the 76ers, sitting the $24 million wing in crunch time.
Along the same lines of Robinson’s impressive playing time, Bridges’ 29 minutes are his lowest recorded mark in a non-blowout since November.
Whatever isn’t working for him, it’s got to be addressed. Whether that’s Bridges looking in the mirror or his head coach installing one in his locker at Madison Square Garden; he’s got to rediscover the guy who single-handedly won two playoff games on the road over the reigning champs.
Jalen Brunson puts on his coaching cap instead of the cape
Robinson was the most impactful player on the floor between two teams on Saturday.
But don’t get it twisted, Jalen Brunson was still the premier talent. Even in a game where Embiid scored 28 in one half, the Knicks’ captain was the top talent on display at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Brunson finished the game with 31 points, six assists, five rebounds, and only five free-throw attempts! For anyone who’s still guarding a soap box somewhere “disgusted” with his “foul baiting,” this game wasn’t for you.
His fourth quarter was uncharacteristic–just one point on a made free throw in seven minutes of action–but he guided New York through a sloppy fourth quarter in a way we hadn’t yet seen, after a dicey back and forth between the teams and officials.
Brunson’s cerebral strength, not his physical talents, took centerstage at key moments in Philadelphia. The guard signaled to his coach to challenge a missed call. Brown obliged, and New York won both the challenge and possession in crunch time.
There’s been much said about the Knicks’ head coach and his management of the personalities in his locker room. But if he sticks by Brunson, who was here before him and should be here after, too, fans can take a raincheck on the protests.
Mike Brown and the Knicks will look to turn back-to-back wins into a winning streak on Tuesday, when they host the Sacramento Kings for a 7:30 p.m. EST tip-off.
