Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Oklahoma City Thunder 1/8/2021 7:30 [Game #9]

rady

Administrator
Staff member

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(3-4) -- (5-3)

VenueTVTIME
Madison Square Garden, New York, NYMSG7:30 PM EST



Probable starters:

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Injury Report

Oklahoma City ThunderNew York Knicks
Trevor Ariza - Personal reasons (OUT)Kevin Knox II - Sore left knee (PROB)
Ty Jerome - Ankle sprain (OUT)Reggie Bullock - Sore left knee (PROB)
Aleksej Pokusevski - Concussion (Day-2-day)Nerlens Noel - Sprained left ankle & sore left knee (QUEST)
-Obi Toppin - Sore right calf (OUT)
-Frank Ntilikina - Sprained right knee (OUT)
-Alec Burks - sprained left ankle (OUT)


Game Preview

Ten players will be on the court at all times Friday night when the New York Knicks host the Oklahoma City Thunder.

But if Wednesday night is any indication, the contest could turn into a one-on-one duel between the Knicks' Austin Rivers and the Thunder's Darius Bazley.

Both teams are looking to build off their exciting Wednesday wins.

The Knicks trailed by 18 points in the second quarter before coming back to beat the visiting Utah Jazz, 112-100. George Hill hit a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left to give the Thunder a 111-110 win over the host New Orleans Pelicans.

While the Knicks never trailed in the fourth quarter, the finishing kick was delivered by Rivers, who scored 14 straight points for New York to put away the win. Rivers broke a 96-96 tie by sinking a 3-pointer with 4:16 left before adding a driving layup 33 seconds later and a trio of 3-pointers.

It was the second time in the last three games Rivers delivered in dramatic fourth-quarter fashion for the Knicks. Against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, he hit a 3-pointer to put New York ahead for good with 3:23 left and added a key insurance layup in the final minute of a 106-102 win.

"I love this stage," said Rivers, who was acquired from the Houston Rockets in November. "I know every player says that when they come here, but I really do. I thrive on it. You have to be OK with missing a shot, making the wrong play. If you have the ball in your hands at the end of the game, you can't worry about the makes and misses. You have to trust yourself and live with the outcome."

While Hill delivered the winning points on Wednesday, the Thunder likely would not have been in position to earn the road victory without Bazley. He scored all the points in an 11-0 run by Oklahoma City that turned a 59-54 halftime deficit into a 65-59 lead in just 117 seconds.

It was almost literally a one-man show by Bazley, who began the run with a 3-pointer and an old-fashioned three-point play. He added another 3-pointer and a 17-foot jumper off his own defensive rebound.

"He's done that recently where he's gone on these little flurries and gotten into a nice rhythm," first-year Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Bazley, who had 15 points and five rebounds in the third and finished the game with 20 points and 12 rebounds. "He's still learning. He's smoothing his game out. He's learning how to become a consistent player."

The Knicks have won three straight and five of their last six games.

Oklahoma City won the only meeting last season, a 126-103 decision in New York on March 6.

--Field Level Media

(STATS / cbssports.com)
 

mafra

Legend
I?m so pumped for tonight?s game.... Typically, given our history, this is a major trap letdown game, as 5-1 record last 6 quickly morphs into a 6 game losing streak...

However, I have a feeling this is going to be a wire-to-wire win and another example that the tide is turning at MsG!

I have to admit, I?ll be disappointed with a loss. I?m at the point where I want to flip both 2021 first rounders for Doncic or Boomer! Just kidding...

But, still, we should identify the next star that may be available and go get them
Now! We have the ammo...but, this only is true if we are a 20-13 type club... and, tonight is a win we need to collect. Keep the mojo flowing.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
End of 1st Qtr. Knicks 24 - OKC 15
Thanks for the Game-Thread Rady .... OKC looks strange without Adam & Westbrook
 

Kiyaman

Legend
OKC went on a 8-0 run to start the 2nd qtr. over our bench players plus Barrett.
Noel and Knox look useless in the paint area .. 26 - 23 Knicks
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Take Barrett out of the game 16 straight minute at the start of the game .. com'on Thibs, he's not gonna get any better
 

Kiyaman

Legend
26 - 28 OKC .. Knicks called a time-out, I hope to take Barrett out of the game .. 6 more minute before halftime.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Great Barrett's on the bench and the Knicks regain the lead 31-28
.
My Bad Barrett's still in the game 19 straight minute of playingtime .. CRAZY !!!
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Half-Time Knicks 42 - OKC 41
Barrett played all of the first half as if his lost performance has potential or leadership.
The Knicks were supposed to have a 10 or more pt lead at half-time ..
MitchRob were suppose to take 10 or more shots (instead of 4) in the first half over the small-ball OKC.
Instead Barrett takes 10 shots for 11 pts, and Payton takes 9 shots for 8 pts.
The Knicks has 11 ast, and 5 of those ast goes to Randle's 10 minute of playingtime hitting MitchRob.
 

Broadway

All Star
Not a good night offensively...we are out of sorts and have zero flow

One more qrt to get the act together
 

mafra

Legend
What a disappointment... Some awful, disinterested play down the stretch in the 4th. Wow

Well, when you don?t have shooting, any game you play is potentially a loss. And, folks, we don?t have shooting....
 

Broadway

All Star
What a disappointment... Some awful, disinterested play down the stretch in the 4th. Wow

Well, when you don?t have shooting, any game you play is potentially a loss. And, folks, we don?t have shooting....

If we don?t build up some value in players we want to part with, I doubt we find it via trade

Our roster is obviously flawed, we play hard but we have deficiencies
 

mafra

Legend
If we don?t build up some value in players we want to part with, I doubt we find it via trade

Our roster is obviously flawed, we play hard but we have deficiencies

Yea, I can buy into a new and improved Randle and I can buy into the value Burks and Rivers provide... but, if EP is a starter you ain?t good. If he starts 72 games, he?s a liability in 62 of them.

We aren?t goi anywhere this year anyway... even if we make playoffs, we are out in 5 games.

This year all about getting this ship headed in the right direction. This loss isn?t bad, unless it turns into a 2-7 run.
 

mafra

Legend
Down 9 and RJ pulls up at top of key for a jumper. Awful. Drive it for a better shot or move ball to find a 3! There?s only 2 minutes left.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
86-75 OKC .. Four min remain in game ..
Knicks being beat by OKC team-ball passing ...
I'm Ready to Trade Payton, Barrett, and Knox for one Gilgeous-Alexander, who plays their positions a 100% better than them !!!
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Well, tonight Home game at MSG was a pure UGLY Knicks loss .. WHY?
The OKC Thunders are a small-ball lottery team in the 2020-21 season, that had no problem showing how ugly the Knicks performance could be in the 2nd half of a game.
Yes! Tonight Knicks performance must be confronted head-on.

Payton & Rivers 30 minute performance played like BUMS tonight on both sides of the court, they couldn't hit a 10 or 15 ft jumper tonight, and their defense was a joke.
And Barrett's 45 min of playing-time was a JOKE to the Knicks organization tonight shooting 7-21 for 19 pts (5 pts in garbage time), all of the OKC guards showed how weak and vulnerable Barrett is on the defensive-end of the court.
Plus Randle's individual performance in the 2nd half of the game took away any signs of the Knicks playing team-ball. Hero-Ball loss !!!
 

mafra

Legend
We came into game 5-1 last 6... OKC came in 3-1 on their current road trip.

OKC won a wire to wire contest, in which the NYK never even really threatened to take control of the game.

Knicks only beat Utah bc they played Nets the night before. Maybe the players started to feel like they accomplished something and they could easily beat a supposedly talent-deficient lottery bound OKC. Well, they thumped us soundly and all that goodwill going 5-1 just slipped out the window.

After the ATL win, I asked for 3-2 stretch during this 5 game span (with 4 at MsG). They are now 1-1.... let?s see what happened next 3 games (DEN, @CHa, Nets).
 

mafra

Legend
I get the Kings and Trailblazers and GSW as my local teams. I?ve watched several games of this Halliburton kid... he is good, and we would be a better team with him out there... reminds me of Alan Houston.
 

KNICKS MOB

Benchwarmer
I get the Kings and Trailblazers and GSW as my local teams. I’ve watched several games of this Halliburton kid... he is good, and we would be a better team with him out there... reminds me of Alan Houston.

Alan Houston sucked on defense
 
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