Game Thread | Knicks playoff series Game #2 | Knicks @ Cavs | April 18, 2023 | 7:30 TNT

[bigfoot5415]

It’s hilarious that NYC media and fans actually believe that Mecca crap.

I was actually a sixth grader in Monmouth County when MSG hosted Frazier - Ali I. That was a world class event. Knicks - not so much.

The legacy of MSG has nothing to do with basketball IMO. Tons of great history, almost nothing to do with the Knicks. When the NBA blew up from a marketing standpoint, the Knicks happened to be doing well. To upsell the match ups, they added the completely unwarranted legacy narrative. That carried over to multiple generations of players.

When in all reality, the biggest moments all came from an opposing player.

Fuck NY. It's a shit hole. Only New Yorkers and people from war torn countries think its the greatest city on Earth.

 

[Cement]

Doesn't sound like Okoro is getting a lot of minutes in the near future.

 

[-Akronite-]

Bickerstaff pulled the right strings. No Wade, no Rubio, barely any Okoro. He went with the unit that should be the best on paper; DG, Mitchell, Mobley, Allen, and LeVert, with Cedi and Green off the bench. A seven-man unit.

Great move. The five main guys played 35-40 minutes while Cedi and Green played 23 and 20. Perfect.

They also had Garland do most of the ball-handling while Mitchell played off the ball. That worked really well. Donovan only took 11 shots. LeVert came up huge with 24 points and a +23 in 40 minutes. The Core Four plus LeVert were all +15 to +29. Green and Osman were -2 and -9 but that was good enough.

The level of physicality and intensity was much higher. The Cavs battled on the defensive glass and held the Knicks to 36.7%. The defense and physicality was night and day from Game 1.

I wonder if Josh Hart, who was doubtful, is 100%. In 27 minutes he was a -29, scoring just 5 points with 4 rebounds after a 27/10 line in Game 1. The biggest difference from Game 1 was Hart disappeared and LeVert was awesome instead of the other way around.

So now that the Cavs know who their personnel grouping will be and how they want to play the question is whether they can win one at the Garden.

Obviously it's only 2 games in, but JB has a shot to really make people eat crow in here. And that's what playoff basketball is really all about.

Garland was obviously a new player tonight, but the swing in bench scoring was massive.

 

[DCTribefan]

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Start the unit that started the second half and bring in Cedi and Green. Seven man rotation. Okoro missed a couple of weeks with the knee injury and I don't know if he's 100%.

Wouldn't "if it ain't broke don't fix it" really mean starting Okoro but yanking him quickly if he struggles?

I just worry about that seven man rotation, because if any other those seven aren't "on", we don't have any backstop. I'd keep starting Okoro in the hopes he comes around, while having a quick hook if he doesn't.

If he does come around, we're more dangerous and flexible. And if he doesn't...that's why you yank him early. Tonight he had 2 fouls in 2 minutes so it was an easy call.

 

[J_J]

1st ever JYD playoff game : phenomenal game by Garland on both ends.

 

[Dr No]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Start the unit that started the second half and bring in Cedi and Green. Seven man rotation. Okoro missed a couple of weeks with the knee injury and I don't know if he's 100%.

It will be interesting to see how the Knicks will game plan after this. We went a direction we literally haven’t gone all year and they obviously struggled against it. But with 3 days to game plan, Thibs will have something for that lineup.

 

[bob2the2nd]

Doesn't sound like Okoro is getting a lot of minutes in the near future.

Okoro is coming back from injury and is probably still injured(bone bruises take months to heal). Have to assume it's still impacting him.

 

[Jscc]

Wouldn't "if it ain't broke don't fix it" really mean starting Okoro but yanking him quickly if he struggles?

I just worry about that seven man rotation, because if any other those seven aren't "on", we don't have any backstop. I'd keep starting Okoro in the hopes he comes around, while having a quick hook if he doesn't.

If he does come around, we're more dangerous and flexible. And if he doesn't...that's why you yank him early. Tonight he had 2 fouls in 2 minutes so it was an easy call.

I was thinking this, but if he's going to foul like that, Wade may be the better option.

 

[KilgoreTrout]

The Knicks can lick my balls.

A message I can get behind!

 

[Jscc]

1st ever JYD playoff game : phenomenal game by Garland on both ends.

That thing is huge. Probably about 100k in that.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Fuck NY. It's a shit hole. Only New Yorkers and people from war torn countries think its the greatest city on Earth.

Statue of Liberty smack is absolutely savage.

 

[The Oi]

Doesn't sound like Okoro is getting a lot of minutes in the near future.

Okoro rn:

 

[buzzdog]

FINALLY!!! This team does what we've always suspected and hoped they'd do in a meaningful game. Growth and a huge step forward. Now to repeat tonight's performance 3 more times, after NY adjusts, and on a hostile floor.

 

[Dr No]

I was thinking this, but if he's going to foul like that, Wade may be the better option.

We saw tonight with Danny Green, the impact of even the threat of a shooter makes. Wade gets treated similarly (whether he should is irrelevant) and is a far better defender and rebounder. I still think he could be helpful. Now that’s he’s seen the intensity, I bet he’d be better. It’s not like our other first time playoff participants were great in the first game.