New York will wrap up the road trip after a self-inflicted loss in Houston—and the Knicks know it.
Everybody across the NBA took Election Day off after all 30 teams played on Monday, but basketball is back today with the New York Knicks playing one final road game in an arena one mile away from Magic City.
The Knicks, in case you missed it, are coming off a 109-97 disastrous loss to the Rockets in a game in which they literally fell for Houston’s trap.
Allow Coach Thibs and other Knickerbockers to explain it themselves.
Tom Thibodeau
On the importance of defense and rebounding in games like Monday’s:
“When you’re not shooting well, you want to count on your defense and your rebounding.
“I like that we fought back. I thought the third quarter, our defense was really good. And then I thought the big play was Josh’s foul. It looked like a clean steal to me.
“Sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn’t.”
On what makes OG Anunoby an special defender:
“The size, quickness, anticipation, thinking ahead, the versatility, where the league has gone, the ability to play size…
“Because of his strength, combined with his speed and athleticism, he’s very disruptive on the back side.
“It’s important for every player to understand what their strengths are, and he came into the league with that. Experience has also taught him a lot.
“Long wings—there’s a premium on that in our league.”
OG Anunoby
On thinking one move ahead on defense to navigate screens:
“It’s really getting into the ball before the screen comes. When (my teammates) communicate before the screen is set, I know where it’s coming from. It’s easier to get through. When you’re disconnected (from the ballhandler), it’s a lot harder.”
On roaming on defense even if those moves are not schemed:
“Knowing personnel, knowing the plays they’re going to run, and then just communication from everyone—if I might not know something, I’m hoping someone says something, and then I’m able to make something happen.”
On defending in a deeper drop coverage:
“I have to make sure to chase over the screens and stay connected. I have to always get a rearview contest if (KAT) is in a deep drop and always be ready to veer to the big man if he commits.”
Josh Hart
On the need for more movement in offense and navigating switching defenses:
“Yeah, felt like games like this we can’t just try to consistently chase the mismatch. We’ve got to get more movement into it. Even when we got the mismatch we wanted it was very stagnant.
“And then we’re just going against a loaded defense. Then it’s tough to offensive rebound, tough to do stuff like that.
“I think we were decent. We probably complained a little bit too much, let that take us out of the game. We’ve just got to learn from it and build off of it.”
On over-targeting mismatches:
“I think sometimes we had like, (Dillon) Brooks is on KAT, and we’re trying to find that. We’re trying to get (Alperen) Sengun into the action. We’re doing that so much, KAT’s catching the ball 12 feet but he turns and they have everybody in the paint converging and it’s not as much of a mismatch as we would like.
“But when we’re able to kind of get the ball moving, forcing them to make reads and get into their weak side of the court and think defensively, that’s when you open up the slips, the mistakes and you’re able to capitalize on it.
“Offensively, we have to be more decisive, more in tune with the game. Teams see that they’re going to think that’s the blueprint.”
Jalen Brunson
On the need for improvement in switching offense:
“We need to be better with our switching offense. That’s just plain and simple.
“We need to be better.”
On responding to poor shooting nights like Monday’s:
“Yeah, we can’t say, ‘Shots weren’t falling and that’s why we lost.’ We need to be able to win games when shots aren’t falling.
“I think we fought a good amount, just not enough. We needed to play harder.
“The first half, they outrebounded us and had a step on us. We needed to play harder from that aspect. I think we closed out the second quarter well to an extent. That’s how we need to play all the time.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
On learning from each game:
“I mean there’s always something to learn every game. I don’t think there’s a time we aren’t learning, especially in the playoffs. Obviously we’ve got to get there.
“You wish you could learn all these things and find ways to win. But obviously it’s an expensive lesson we went through [Monday].
“We’re a team that’s growing and we’re going to continue to grow until the last horn. Good film to watch early in the season.”
On having to learn and be prepared to face different defensive strategies:
“I’ve seen a lot of defenses in my career, so I’m just going to be prepared for whatever the defense and the opponent’s game plan is.”