If there were fans, the faithful of Jardim would have spent Martin Luther King Jr.’s day chanting “Defense”.
The defensive momentum of Sunday’s rout in Boston was carried over to MLK Day, with the Knicks defeating Magic in a 91-84 win at the Garden matinee, without fans.
The Knicks were also unable to shoot – not even free throws – as the day turned into a brick party. And Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau relished this ugly victory straight from the 90s – when he was here last. The Knicks resisted, despite breaking a 14 point lead early in the fourth period.
“I love to win, therefore, low score, high score, average score, it doesn’t matter,” said Thibodeau. “I just want to win. Whatever we have to do to find a way to win, to improve every day, I want to play our best in the end. “
With RJ Barrett’s powerful performance (22 points, 10 rebounds, four assists) and more defensive discipline, the Knicks won their first victories on consecutive days in three years.
Breaking a drought of 40 consecutive sets without a sweep is proof of the Knicks’ preparation under Thibodeau. The Knicks’ two-game winning streak increased their record to 7-8. In a schedule of 72 games, they are at a pace of 33.6 wins, exceeding the expectations of the pre-season.
“They showed a lot of resistance, ” said Thibodeau. “I knew it would be a challenge for us – consecutive, early start. We played with the lead for most of the game. So we took the opportunity to start the fourth quarter. Having the ability to take a punch, keep fighting and find a way to win is a big part of this league. I loved the resistance we showed along the way. ”
No team finished with more than 40 percent of shots. The Knicks, who had lost five in a row before this straight, hit 35.6 percent; Orlando 33.7. The Knicks won despite their bad kicks from 3 points (5 of 27).
“Two big wins for us,” said Julius Randle. “It could have been three – Cleveland [game on Friday, a 106-103 loss], but we kind of let that slip away. But they are two big wins in two extremely difficult consecutive matches. This is too hard. I think it’s the first time in my career that I’ve done this. It was extremely difficult.
“But we won the game with our fight, passion, how we play altruistically for each other and just fight in defense. We return to our principles. Our defense is what won us the game today. I am proud of everyone. ”
The Knicks overcame Randle’s rare day of rest (5 of 19) to post an important victory before setting out on a four-game trip across the West Coast.
Randle hit a clutch driving layup that put the Knicks ahead 83-81 with 56 seconds remaining. And he still managed to score 21 points and 17 rebounds by hitting 8 of 12 from the line.
“I couldn’t throw a rock in the ocean, my God,” said Randle.
Barrett made the main defensive move by hitting a pass from Aaron Gordon with 40 seconds left. Reggie Bullock took the lost ball and Barrett finished off with a quick attack basket for an 85-81 lead. The Garden would have gone mad.
The Knicks kept the Magic (6-8) with a paltry 13 points in the first quarter before Orlando woke up in the fourth before falling on his sixth straight. Magic, full of injuries, is without Evan Fournier, Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac, among others.
Newcomer Cole Anthony, a Manhattan product in his first game against the Knicks, hit just 2 out of 12 – both got 3 points.
In the meantime, the Knicks got a good game from point guard. Holder Elfrid Payton, a former Orlando playmaker, finished with 12 points – including a rare dunk in a slippery stroke across the track – and four assists.
“I think we took a big step today,” said Payton.
Meanwhile, the Knicks’ reserve guard Immanuel Quickley continued as an attacking stroke by accumulating 11 points in 11 minutes in the first half, hitting his usual range of floats. But he didn’t score in the second half when Orlando fired.
Despite returning from Boston on Sunday night, the Knicks were on the Garden court at 10 am Monday to conduct a shooting session.
“We are finding ways to win and that is the important part,” said Randle. “One thing we know we can trust is our defense every night and our recovery. ”