Jayesh Pagar
The New York Knicks put up a hard fight against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but in the end, it was not enough. Final score: Thunder 111, Knicks 100.
Jalen Brunson gave everything he had with 32 points, and Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns each chipped in 15. But two things buried New York, and both need to be fixed before the playoffs start.
The Free Throw Gap Was Impossible to Overcome
Here is a number that tells the whole story: Oklahoma City shot 38 free throws. The Knicks shot just 17. That is a 21-attempt difference. In a game decided by 11 points, that gap alone could have flipped the result.
The Knicks rank 20th in the entire NBA in free-throw attempts per game, and Sunday night was a painful reminder of what that costs you against elite teams. While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams kept drawing fouls and getting easy points at the line, the Knicks were forced to grind out tough shots every single possession.
Even Coach Mike Brown admitted the team made it worse on themselves. “They shot 38 free throws. Were all of them legit? I don’t know. Some of them were because we reached,” Brown said after the game, as per James Edwards of The Athletic.
He also added that OKC’s gamesmanship is “off the charts,” but stressed the Knicks have to stop helping them out. Until New York gets more disciplined on defense and more aggressive in attacking the basket on offense, this free-throw problem will keep haunting them.
Miles McBride’s Injury Clouds an Already Tough Stretch
The other big story from the game started as a feel-good moment and ended with everyone holding their breath. Miles McBride made his return after missing nearly two months following sports hernia surgery. He looked great right away; his very first defensive play was a block on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s jumper. Coach Brown even put him in with the starters, showing just how much New York trusts him as an on-ball defender.
Then, in the third quarter, McBride came down from a loose ball, grimacing. He walked slowly to the bench and eventually headed to the back.
By the end of the game, he was listed as doubtful to return and is still being evaluated. “It’s tough. He worked his tail off to be back,” Brown said.
With the playoffs right around the corner and the Knicks having now lost four straight games to winning teams, losing McBride again, who is one of their best pick-and-roll defenders, would be a massive blow to this team’s depth heading into the postseason.
Related: NY Knicks Legend Drops a Brutal Truth About Giannis Antetokounmpo TradeÂ
