The Knicks led Cleveland by 13 points with 4:30 to go in the third quarter on Monday night — they were at home — elite teams find a way to close these games out.
The Knicks didn’t play like an elite team late in Monday’s game.
They shot 10-for-28 in the final 16 minutes of the game. They allowed Darius Garland to go off for 15 points in the fourth quarter. And they let a winnable game slip away.
Part of the issue? They didn’t talk enough when things got tight in the fourth quarter.
“It’s early for us (in season) but I think we have to communicate to each other a little better. I think when they were making their (run) we just stayed a little silent,” Mikal Bridges said. “It’s tough. I think we all know it’s just a run, so we will be ok. But sometimes you have to vocalize to each other and listen. ‘Are we good?’ And talk to each other on the court when things happen. I think we got a little quiet. And they felt that and they kind of got a little loud and a little momentum. But…it’s early.”
It’s reasonable to look at Monday’s game and see a Knicks team still getting accustomed to one another.
Karl-Anthony Towns took just eight shots. That probably won’t happen often this season.
Jalen Brunson shot 8-for-24. That also probably won’t happen often this season.
So in the best-case scenario, Monday’s loss was a learning experience for the Knicks, but it did highlight some issues that need to be sorted out.
One is the Knicks’ volume of threes. New York took eight more shots than Cleveland on Monday but attempted eight fewer three pointers than the Cavs. Compared to the rest of the league, the Knicks haven’t attempted many threes so far. It’s worth noting because perimeter shooting has been a point of emphasis for the group.
“We have to generate more (threes). Sometimes it’s a byproduct of deep-paint decisions,(making) the read,” Tom Thibodeau said. “Obviously you want as many layups as you can get. If there’s two on you, spread it out. And then everyone has to – you can’t just stare at the ball, you have to stare at the whole court…you’ve got to read the man in front of you, what’s he doing so we don’t get guys drifting up on each other.”
It was glaring to see Towns take just two 3-point attempts in 30-plus minutes.
When asked after the game about the Cavs’ defense and Towns’ shot attempts, Brunson put the onus on himself.
“It’s on us. It’s on me as a teammate…to make sure we’re all on the same page, making sure everyone’s eating. I’ve got to be better when it comes to that,” Brunson said.
