Game thread: New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks 6:00 2/9/2020 [Game #54]

[mafra]

Knicks steal ball and MRob lays it in for the lead.... but refs somehow grant a timeout to ATL even tho nobody called it. By the time ATL HC motions for TO NYK already stole the ball.

Huge swing.

Hunter then drains a 3....

Game set match

Refs screwed Knicks since third quarter.... but, really, EP lost this game end of first OT.

[mafra]

136-133 and EP chucks a 3. Not good for a 20% shooter. Brick. Game over.

[htr10]

Great 4th quarter comeback ruined by a catastrophic minute to end the 1st OT. Hawks were done fooling around in the 2nd OT.

[mafra]

Hunter better than RJ tonight.... and by a large margin.

We played yesterday and travelled (ATL was off and home)....

Knicks had no biz winning but rallied to tie it. They blew it in first OT bc they thought they win yo 7 with 100 seconds left.

Any dream to catch OrL just died. Oh well.

[Kiyaman]

Knicks came out STRONG in OT going on a 10-2 run .... Knicks 126 - Hawks 120 .. 1 min remain

I miss the first 3 quarters of this up and down game vs Hawks .. I also miss Dotson & Morris in the rotation.
Why didnt Payton SLOW down the tempo of the game when we had a 8 pt lead in the first OT ???
When are Miller gonna create a defensive lineup to prevent the ball from going into a scoring opponent hands?
I would've been more satisfied if we double Trae Young on every inbound pass ....

[htr10]

Hunter better than RJ tonight.... and by a large margin.

We played yesterday and travelled (ATL was off and home)....

Knicks had no biz winning but rallied to tie it. They blew it in first OT bc they thought they win yo 7 with 100 seconds left.

Any dream to catch OrL just died. Oh well.

I’m not sure. I think multiple teams ahead of us are going to decide they’d rather have a lottery pick than the 8th seed and 4 straight games of getting destroyed by the Bucks. I think we are a long shot, but still very much in the running for the 8th seed if we actually are going to play better than we had been playing before this last stretch.

[tiger0330]

Exciting game which I missed, you have to think Mook would have made a difference in the outcome.

He’s gone at this point but the guys aren’t making excuses about losing their best player, just giving it 100% on both ends, is all you can ask.

Credit Bullock and Ellington for giving us the shooting they were brought in for and Payton is way better than I expected with that inability to hit a 3.

Screw tanking in a poor draft talent year and the advantage diminished with the new lottery structure, let the guys play hard for the new mgmt. to see if we want to keep anyone around next season instead of tanking for a higher lottery pick.

[mafra]

Yes! The goal should be 30 wins.

[mafra]

Mitchell Robinson sensational as his Knicks prophecy is coming true
By Marc Berman

February 9, 2020 | 11:49pm


ATLANTA — The Hawks just obtained Clint Capela in a trade-deadline deal. While he is still injured, “The Next Capela” dominated the court at State Farm Arena Sunday despite the Knicks’ 140-135 double-overtime heartbreaker to the Hawks.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson was sensational — a massive force at the rim on both ends, notching 15 points with 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals.

When Robinson was drafted in the second round in 2018, former Knicks coach David Fizdale said Robinson had Capela potential. It looks like he might have more than that and it’s a shame he was left out of the Rising Stars All-Star Game for rookies and sophomores.

“I don’t really watch him,’’ Robinson said of Capela. “We do the same thing. He’s all right, but I think I’m better on defense.’’


Robinson owed his spectacular showing to his mentor Taj Gibson, who told him before the two-game road trip he needed to be more fiery.

“Taj talked to me to play with a little more force,’’ Robinson said. “I kind of did that in Detroit and I brought it down to Atlanta with me. I played even harder tonight even with the back-to-back being tired. I had to push through.’’

This wasn’t even about Robinson’s alley-oops. Any pass thrown to him near the basket, he muscled in for a dunk.

“He was great,’’ Julius Randle said. “He was great. Doing what Mitchell does. That’s what makes him special, defending the rim, getting offensive rebounds, running the floor, creating extra possessions. He was amazing.”

One of his best plays was nullified controversially in the fourth quarter when he ripped the ball from D’Andre Hunter underneath and dunked it. (Officials ruled a timeout was called from the bench before Robinson stole it).

“How can they call a timeout?’’ Robinson said. “It was crazy. The ball was already in my hands. It was already through the net.”

After the game, ex-Knick shot-blocker extraordinaire Dikembe Mutombo walked by the locker room and said, “There’s no shot-blockers in the league anymore.’’ When a reporter asked Robinson about Mutombo, he said, “Yeah, he’s good.’’

“[Robinson] was outstanding,’’ Knicks interim coach Mike Miller said. “His offensive numbers look good but his defense, the way he impacted the game, what he did along that backline was terrific.’’

[Kiyaman]

EP rushed a layup on a break (that wasn’t there). Up 8 with under 3 to go... slow it down.

Miller showing that we should’ve been an 8th seed type team but Fiz was clueless.

Randle leading the way. Bullock and Ellington filling the MM void. Frank and EP running the Point.

Good stuff!

WOW! Knicks got the ball holding a 8 pt lead having 1 minute left in the game, and Payton leadership CHOKES rushing shots, and Randle-Handle crunch-time CHOKE went into effect, and coach Miller CHOKE big-time on NOT coaching a 60 second pressure defense, and holding the ball on offense till the final 4 seconds on the shot clock. Choke! Ckoke! Choke!

Coach Miller & Payton had NO defensive-plan of keeping the ball out of the 6.1 PG Trae Young hands who scored 48 points on the Knicks last night !!!