Shorthanded Knicks forced to 'run their own race' facing Cavaliers, Celtics
Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau yells on the court during the first half of an NBA game against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Credit: AP/Pamela Smith
CLEVELAND — Outside the Knicks’ organization, it was understandable that fans — and yes, media — pointed to Friday night’s game against the Cavaliers at Rocket Arena as a measuring stick for the Knicks, a chance to pit themselves against the best team in the Eastern Conference.
And for the Cavaliers, it certainly was a chance to prove themselves — not just against one of the better teams in the NBA but against the team that they still see as the one that embarrassed them in the postseason two years ago, outmuscling them and demonstrating that they had a ways to go before becoming the contender they are now.
But the Knicks again found themselves missing pieces. Josh Hart was out for a second straight game, with little clarity about why he suddenly has been sidelined by a knee problem after a week off for the All-Star break. Mitchell Robinson still has not made his season debut. And they traveled to Cleveland for the second night of a back-to-back after an overtime win over Chicago in which four players logged more than 40 minutes.
So what exactly would this game mean? And the same question could be posed for Sunday afternoon’s game in Boston. Entering Friday, the Knicks had gone 0-3 against the Cavaliers and Celtics.
“I mean, everyone has to run their own race,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They’ve been building for a while. They’re having a terrific season. They’re strong on both sides of the ball. Then we have to run our own race. It’s what you do day after day. At the end, how well are you playing, how healthy are you? You look forward to that challenge as well.”
Hart did not accompany the Knicks to Cleveland but could join them in Boston. They did have OG Anunoby back in the lineup Friday after he sat out the previous six games, a period stretching 20 days since he suffered a right foot sprain against the Lakers. But it still was less than the full squad the Cavs were bringing into the game, along with a chip on their shoulder.
“They remember,” Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. “I’m sure our players remember. They talk about it. It’s one of those kind of challenges you’ve got to get over. It’s not a playoff game tonight, but this is a team that took you out. How are you gonna perform against them? How you gonna be ready for them?”
“It’s going to be a great matchup,” Cavaliers guard Darius Garland told reporters after Thursday’s win in Brooklyn. “Of course, everyone is thinking about the playoff series that we had with them. But we’re two totally different teams. The Rocket is going to be rockin’.”
The Cavaliers definitely are different from the team the Knicks knocked out two years ago, but the Knicks are different, too — maybe not the physical force they were at that time, when they dominated the glass and paint against the Cavs to knock them out in five games.
The Knicks, especially now that they are playing shorthanded, have relied on huge minutes from their core pieces. Cleveland has only three players averaging at least 30 minutes, none of whom has averaged as many minutes as the Knicks’ five most-used players.
“I think every team is different,” Thibodeau said. “If you have young guys or if your depth is different, you do that. I think you always begin with the end in mind — what are you going to need in the end? There are different schools of thoughts on that. They’re running their race, we’re going to run our race and every team is different. So there’s a lot of different ways to do it — what fits your team best? And along with that, you have to win games as you go along.
“Whatever the strengths of the club are, you want to give your team the best chance to win. So at the end of the day, it’s OK, are we an offensive team, a defensive team, we got to be strong on both sides, and can your guys handle minutes?
“There’s different minutes in the course of the game. If you look at Jalen [Brunson] and [Karl-Anthony Towns], their minutes are what other main players are. The wings are different. OG is at 36. Mikal [Bridges] is the highest and Josh is high as well. Both of those guys can handle minutes and they want the minutes. If they can handle the minutes, give it to them. If they can’t, cut it back.”
HOW TO WATCH THE GAMES
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Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
