Knicks flop against Minnesota Timberwolves 134-140: Trap Game

The New York Knicks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 134-140. Julius Randle dropped 57 points, but it was not enough to get the win.

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The New York Knicks fell for a trap game, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves 134 to 140. The T-Wolves played without their two best players, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, but still started the game by making their first eight attempts. New York’s defenders were so lackadaisical; it was as if they expected the T-Wolves to roll over. Instead, Taurean Prince shot 8/8 from three while every other Minnesota starter shot 50 percent or better from the field.

However, the Knicks didn’t give up. Julius Randle looked unstoppable for most of the night, setting a career-high and a franchise record for points scored in a single quarter. Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett had moments, as did the second unit. The Knicks led by as many as 5 points in the fourth, but their defense let them down again. New York failed to execute in crunch time and never got the stops to seal a win after a poor start.

Let’s check out the performances to see how New York squandered a chance at another win.

New York’s starters fumble away Randle’s career night

Jalen Brunson: 23 PTS (9/18 FG, 1/3 3PT, 4/4 FT), 10 AST, 2 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 37 mins

While Jalen Brunson’s numbers look strong, his performance fell to the median. He scored well in patches but went cold in crunch time. His playmaking was impressive, but Julius Randle’s exceptional shooting aided his 10 assists. While Brunson produced, I’d argue that he was good rather than great for a change.

Brunson’s real issues showed up on the defensive end. Minnesota played with a lot of size and targeted Brunson consistently. The T-Wolves’ shortest wing was 6’6″, meaning that Brunson was mismatched whenever he switched off Mike Conley. That extra size also made screens challenging to navigate, especially with Rudy Gobert as the primary screener.

It seems wild to criticize a player off a 20-point double-double. But this performance falls short of his season norms thanks to poor defense and late-game execution. Wally mentioned that Brunson may still be getting his legs back from the break he took. Brunson receives a 3 out of 5 for becoming the target on defense.

Quentin Grimes: 3 PTS (1/1 FG, 1/1 3PT), 2 AST, 2 REB in 21 mins

Quentin Grimes got a raw deal. The Knicks’ offense rolled with Julius Randle leading the way, which meant fewer attempts for Grimes. I can’t point to shooting numbers to argue that Grimes needed more looks, but team turnovers are my proof instead. Knicks players drove into Gobert, then got trapped by Wolves wings. Grimes could have shot more than once if players had looked for the kick out sooner.

But Grimes could’ve been more aggressive. Instead, he looked to facilitate more than attack. He grabbed a couple of boards and quickly sent the ball up the court, and his typical quick moves into the paint ended in passes. Those are opportunities to be assertive, especially when no one else is getting him the ball.

So, Grimes was never horrendous. He was just quiet. That’s good enough for a 1.5 out of 5 but not more.

RJ Barrett: 13 PTS (4/8 FG, 2/3 3PT, 3/5 FT), 3 AST, 2 REB, 4 TO in 27 mins

It felt like RJ Barrett was poised for another big night. He started the matchup with a pair of solid drives and a three, demonstrating his crips and clean reads. But Barrett fell into old bad habits as he stopped finding seams, began to pull back, and was indecisive.

When Barrett couldn’t get a shot off, he’d reset the play or turn the ball over instead. To make matters worse, he forced the issue in transition for more turnovers and a couple of badly missed attempts. 

RJ finished with as many turnovers as field goals. And even though his scoring was decent with good efficiency, I can’t give him more than a 2 out of 5 because most of the production came in an early burst.

Julius Randle: 57 PTS (19/29 FG, 8/14 3PT, 11/13 FT), 1 AST, 4 REB, 1 STL, 4 TO in 37 mins

New York had no business making this game close, but Julius Randle wouldn’t go away. Randle put the team on his back by knocking down shot after shot. And with just enough help from teammates, New York was able to hang close. But even when his teammates cooled off, Randle continued his nuclear performance with a Steph Curry-esque third quarter — he scored 26 points, including 4 threes and two step-back jumpers.

All of Randle’s energy went to scoring rather than rebounds or assists, which was acceptable. He wasn’t in the middle to chase many rebounds, and with such a hot hand, he had no business passing. Yet, his 29 attempts left him hunched over in the third quarter and laboring through the fourth.

As the game wore on in the second half, Randle’s defense gradually worsened as fatigue settled in. Suddenly, Kyle “Slow-Mo” Anderson was beating Julius to the hoop. Slow-Mo even out-hustled Randle to secure a crucial rebound in the final 26 seconds while down by 3. Yet, even after saying all that, I’d be crazy not to give Randle a 5 out of 5 for 57 points on 65m percent from the field.

Mitchell Robinson: 0 PTS (0/1 FG), 9 REB, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 2 TO in 28 mins

Mitchell Robinson’s game could be described as okay. He kept Gobert off the glass, which was the most critical assignment. But he never got away from Gobert to score and had turnovers thanks to failing to secure the ball in traffic (his hands cost him a couple of possessions).

Mitch was good on defense. Opposing players didn’t do much damage at the rim. Nevertheless, Mitch couldn’t do anything about Minnesota’s lights-out shooting. He protected the paint, but it didn’t make much difference.

Robinson gets a 2 out of 5 for providing some help but not enough.

The Knicks’ second unit plays well until crunch time

Immanuel Quickley: 19 PTS (6/16 FG, 2/7 3PT, 5/5 FT), 3 AST, 1 REB, 1 STL, 2 TO in 28 mins

Immanuel Quickley played well for three quarters. He entered the first quarter and gave a much-needed boost of energy, and his scoring helped accentuate Randle’s strong third quarter as well.

However, when the fourth quarter came around, Quickley’s performance got shaky. IQ is usually clutch, or at least makes up for it with strong defense. That couldn’t be further from what happened in this game. Quickley rushed shots, missed open looks, and played porous defense that included fouling Mike Conley for the go-ahead three free-throws.

It’s hard to get too down on 19 points off the bench, but IQ’s performance is similar to Brunson’s. They both faded late in the game and gave up points due to poor defense. That leaves IQ at a 2.5 out of 5 for his impact falling off at the end.

Josh Hart: 10 PTS (5/7 FG), 4 AST, 5 REB, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO in 31 mins

I don’t believe any of Josh Hart’s field goals came in half-court. He continually made coast-to-coast breaks for the basket that led to scores, and two of those transition attacks came in the fourth quarter to help New York claim its only leads of the night. He also chipped in offensive boards that turned into quick assists.

Still, Hart’s defensive game fell relatively short. His effort led to steals and a block, but the Wolves’ size caused issues. The former Blazer got hung up on screens repeatedly, leaving opposing shooters open to fire away. It’s rare to see Josh Hart miss a rotation, but some screens knocked him out of plays entirely.

I’d still rate Hart as one of New York’s most important contributors. He provided timely scoring and some playmaking in each half. His defense wasn’t great, but he was better than most teammates. He gets a 2.5 out of 5 for the night.

Obi Toppin: 4 PTS (2/2 FG), 1 REB in 11 mins

Obi Toppin barely played in the second half as Tom Thibodeau rode the hot hand of Randle. It’s difficult to argue with that decision, though Toppin did run the floor effectively in his first-half minutes. Obi has to find more ways to impact the game than scoring to earn enough minutes for an impact score.

Isaiah Hartenstein: 5 PTS (2/3 FG, 1/1 FT), 3 AST, 8 REB, 1 TO in 20 mins

Isaiah Hartenstein made some big plays. He attacked the lane for an and-one dunk in the fourth and tipped out an offensive rebound for three. And earlier in the game, Hartenstein threw some beautiful passes, including a full-court “touchdown” pass to Josh Hart. On top of that, Big Hart kept Gobert at bay by battling on the boards.

But I think Hartenstein’s limitations showed up late in the fourth quarter. He doesn’t have the gravity that Mitch posses as the roll man, so the pick and roll became easier for Minnesota to stop. That left Brunson in crowds of defenders, limiting New York’s closing actions and options. So, Hartenstein earns a 2.5 out of 5.

Trust backfires for Tom Thibodeau this time

Tom Thibodeau sticks with his guys through thick and thin. That may have proven costly because Immanuel Quickley and Jalen Brunson struggled mightily in the fourth quarter. There is plenty of room to make the case that Quentin Grimes’ floor spacing and defense could have helped in place of either guy, particularly IQ. In addition, RJ Barrett’s size may have also helped against a T-Wolves lineup boasting three forwards and a center. 

That group was a problem for New York’s defense from the opening tip. Regardless, Thibs never came up with anything to respond to the massive Minnesota line-up and stuck to the typical rotation and scheme. My biggest fear for Thibodeau in the post-season is a lack of adjustments; this game restored some of those concerns. Thibodeau gets a 1.5 out of 5 for letting the Knicks’ lousy defenders off the hook when he preaches accountability.

Closing Thoughts

This loss was beyond frustrating. We went from chasing a new Garden scoring record to watching New York throw a game away. The refs didn’t help, and Randle’s late techicnal only exacerbated the pain. 

But I like to take a hopeful tone, considering it’s hard to maintain winning streaks. The longest current winning streak in the league is three, and New York was chasing four in a row last night. Players get tired, teams have off days, opponents have hot nights, and sometimes it all comes together for a gut punch of a loss.

The real question: How do the Knicks respond? They’ll play the Miami Heat next, with a chance to seal their position in the top six. There won’t be any excuses for another letdown. The team has slipped defensively and in the clutch recently, and they’ll need to sharpen back up for any success in the playoffs. So let’s take a vibe-check in Miami and see what direction New York is moving.

Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP’s interview with songwriter and rapper, Skyzoo!