New York Basketball Teams Playoff Bound?

 

By the time you are reading this article, both New York basketball teams would be participating in the playoffs if the postseason started tonight. Fans know it’s early and anything can happen as the season continues. It’s a far cry from the last time both the Knicks and the Nets made the playoffs in the same year. That was in 2004 when they faced each other in the first round. It was no contest as the then New Jersey Nets swept the Knicks in four games. The Nets would make the playoffs 7 more times after that. It would take 6 more years before New York got back to the postseason, going three straight years but have not been back since 2013. 

 

Both teams played Monday night with the Knicks hosting the Atlanta Hawks (on a three games losing streak) at Madison Square Garden while Brooklyn was out west for the second of a five-game west coast swing. The Nets were coming off a win against the Golden State Warriors the previous Saturday night as it was the return of Kevin Durant who spent three years with the Warriors. Due to the Covid19 health and safety protocol, Durant had missed the previous three games. Rusty at first, Durant finished with 20 points, 6 assist and 5 rebounds in the 134-117 rout. Meanwhile, New York was looking to extend their winning streak to three games after taking out the Houston Rockets last Saturday night (121-99) led by Julius Randle’s 22 points and Immanuel Quickley coming off the bench with 22 of his own.

 

 

New York did just that as Randle showed why he could represent the organization when the NBA holds their All-Star gala in Atlanta in March. Randle finished his night connecting on 7-3 pointers that led to his 44-point night. His second highest scoring performance of his career. Said Randle after, “I just feel like my game is at a level that it hasn’t been at before. Mentally, I’m at a level that I haven’t been at before.” 

Randle did have help as the team overcame a 7-point deficit (81-74) as the Hawks would not go away. Guard RJ Barrett added 21 points and Quickley continued his stellar play off the bench chipping in 16-points. Still, the game was in the balance as Atlanta cut the lead to 1 (101-100) with more than 8 minutes to go. The Knicks would close out the game going on a 22-12 run for the 123-112 win. 

First year head coach and long time Knicks assistant coach Tom Thibideau who built his reputation as a defensive guru, said he would not lobby other coaches on behalf of Randle getting selected to the All-Star game. Said Thibideau, “I think his game speaks for itself. When it comes down to the end and you’re selecting, oftentimes guys are pretty much equal and are deserving. Then you go to the next criteria: impact on winning. I’m hopeful that people recognize what he’s doing for this team and he will be recognized. He’s having a terrific season for us.”

There are plenty of games left before the All-Star roster will be set. Randle’s play should land him a spot representing his organization.

When Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant decided to take their talents to Brooklyn, the Nets had visions of at least getting to the Eastern Conference Finals. The team had to wait at least a year while Durant rehabbed his Achilles tendon injury. Halfway through the season last year, Irving has season ending shoulder surgery and the league came to an abrupt halt due to the pandemic. When the season did resume, Irving decided to not play. The Nets did make the playoffs, getting eliminated in the first round. Meanwhile, Durant healed and was on the floor when this season began. The organization made a head scratching decision hiring Steve Nash who had no previous coaching experience on any level. Not only did Nash have to deal with his roster, the club was embroiled in the James Harden saga as he told his team (Houston Rockets) he wanted out and named the Nets as the team of is preference. The blockbuster deal was completed January 14th in a 3-team deal that cost Brooklyn center Jarrett Allen, forward Tauren Prince and guard Chris LeVert along with multiple future draft choices. The NBA world held their collective breaths to see how the new “Big Three” would mesh.

Because of injuries to Durant and his aforementioned Covid19 protocol and Irving sitting out games for personal reasons, Harden has been on the floor for 7 games. Durant and Irving playing in five of those games. The last game took place Monday night with Durant sitting out with a balky hamstring. The Sacramento Kings hosted Brooklyn Monday night and got a close-up look at the offensive fire power of the man they call “The Beard” alongside of Irving.

In trashing the Kings, Harden finished the night with a triple-double. 29 points, 13 rebounds and 14 assists. Irving was on fire finishing with 40 points as he nailed 9 3-pointers on 11 attempts. Brooklyn scored 74 first half points, led by as many as 28 points as the team connected on 27-3 pointers. All this while Durant watched.

“It’s hard to look past 27 threes”, said Nash after the game. “That’s the kind of offensive output we’re capable of.” As impressed as Harden was with the overall scoring, he was just as impressed with the team defense. “I keep preaching defense,” he began. “It’s something we need to get better at, keep improving on. Offensively, we’re going to have nights like this.”

When New York basketball fans wake up Thursday morning they will see both the Nets and Knicks would be in the playoffs if the postseason tournament began tonight. The Nets were expected to go deep and this was before adding the scoring machine in Harden. The Knicks had postseason hopes with their gritty new head coach and budding young talents. It is a long overdue drought as both teams are looking to participate in the playoffs in the same year for the first time in 2004.