It was the most amazing comeback that ended in a loss maybe ever. The Knicks were getting blown out by the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on a Wednesday night — trailing by 24 points, 70-46, midway through the 3rd quarter, and down 22 points with 50 seconds left in the 3rd quarter when they launched their maniacal, amazing comeback.
1. Reserves to the Frenetic Rescue
The Knicks second team of Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Alec Burks, and Taj Gibson started the end of the 3rd and played the 4th with frenetic defense.
Quickley was in everyone’s pants. Burks and Rose too. Toppin was everywhere. Taj Gibson completely took out the Giannis Antetokounmpo — at one point blocking his shot inside, and then suffocating him on an attempted shot in the lane that caused the Greek Freak to hoist up a brick.
LOCKDOWN TAJ 🔒 pic.twitter.com/m1cIJd1vuk
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 11, 2021
On offense, Burks hit two 3’s and a deuce; Rose hit a 3, Quickley hit a 3, and Toppin was everywhere — tipping home shots, blocking shots and taking it home for drives against the half court.
It's this entire Obi sequence for us. pic.twitter.com/vAEI7OY97E
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 11, 2021
Quickley hit a 3 with 5:06 left to tie the game 89-89.
IQ FROM DEEP. HE'S CONFIDENT. pic.twitter.com/1aCR4hCQZB
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) November 11, 2021
Madison Square Garden and Knicks Twitter was in pandemonium.
2. Connaughton & Allen Ruin Everyone’s Evening
And then… Pat Connaughton hit a 3 from the corner. And then he hit another 3 from the corner next time down. And then he hit another 3 from the corner next time down.
And then Grayson Allen hit two 3’s from the corner and it was game over.
In between the Connaughton 3’s there was a controversial foul call reversal that went against the Knicks where Antetokounmpo was called for fouling Obi Toppin on a drive, but the foul call was overturned and Milwaukee won the jump ball — which resulted in the 2nd of Connaughton’s 3’s.
3. Quickley & Toppin Shine
One thing that could not be taken away by the loss was the Terrific with a capital T play of 2nd-year players Quickley and Toppin.
Quickley can shoot we know but it was his Defense and penetrating and passing game that shone.
O-BI
O-BI
O-BI pic.twitter.com/t67NOPue2d— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 11, 2021
And Toppin is starting to look like a splendid #8 pick and future star-caliber player.
Toppin finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds in 21 minutes on 5-9 shooting (0-1 from 3) and 4-4 from the free throw line for a +14.
On a mission in transition.
LET'S. GO. pic.twitter.com/4vFLnKOuke
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 11, 2021
Quickley had 18 points on 6-12 shooting (3-5 from 3, 4-4 in free throws), 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a +16 in 27 minutes.
Rose had 22 points on 8-15 (6-8 from 3) and a +10 in 30 minutes. Rose’s 3-point shooting has raised his game to another level — made him so much more dangerous.
D Rose, D Rose, D Rose, D Rose
D Rose, D Rose, D Rose, D Rose
D Rose, D Rose, D Rose, D Rose
D Rose, D Rose, D Rose, D Rose pic.twitter.com/k3Kt3hnTt4— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) November 11, 2021
Burks had 14 points on 5-10 shooting (4-7 from 3) and a +10.
Gibson didn’t score but played massive Defense.
4. Starters Were Blown Out
The +/- numbers for the starters were horrific. “They didn’t play well,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “We have to figure it out. Right now we’re playing better on the road then we are at home; we have to figure that out.”
Julius Randle had 16 points (on 6-15 shooting) and a -26; RJ Barrett had was having a decent game — 9 points on 3-8 sho0ting (1-3 from 3) — but was a -28 in 21 minutes.
Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker both combined again for a horrific shooting night. Fournier was 1-5 (0-3 from 3) and Walker 1-7 (0-3 from 3). Both had a -22 in 18 minutes each.
The game started out as a Bobby Portis revenge night — he had over 20 points in the first half. Then in the 3rd quarter it turned into a Milwaukee Bucks revenge game — revenge for getting blown out by the Knicks in Milwaukee last Friday night, November 6th — until the Knicks launched their comeback.
“The Rebounding was a problem,” said coach Tom Thibodeau afterwards. “That was probably the biggest thing. We played them 5 games ago. You knew they were going to come in with an intensity. We outrebounded them in the game in Milwaukee, pretty badly. And in this one, they outrebounded us. That’s really the story of the game. They hit some 3’s. They played well. You have to give them credit. We have to play better.”
The two teams have had wild swings in the 2 games played against each other — Milwaukee was blowing out the Knicks in Milwaukee (leading by 21), then the Knicks came back and blew them out (leading by 21, winning by 15).
Despite the loss it shows the Knicks can certainly play with the defending champion Bucks (although Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez missed both games).
Etcetera
- The Knicks are now 7-5 and when asked if the starting unit needed about 20 games to jell, Thibodeau said, “You know what they say, when it’s 10 games you say you need 20, when you get to 20 you say you need 30, when you get to 30 you say you need 40 — so it’s a bunch of bullshit.”
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