New look Knicks show more positive signs in win over Rockets

There were some instances that just captured your imagination and ran with it. Reminiscent of the Knicks in their championship days, with Willis Reed in possession of the ball during a well-coordinated team play. It’s incredible moments like this that fans remember the most, and there were certainly moments similar to this during the last game on Wednesday. There were instances where all five Knicks had a touch of the ball, with the sequence culminating in a three-pointer and the Garden erupting in cheer. Such plays, where the ball efficiently circulates in such a lively attack, leaving opponents lagging, are indeed a delight to witness. They were plenty of these moments throughout the night for the Knicks to secure their second consecutive win at the Garden, scoring 116-100. Player performances were impressive, with Brunson scoring 31 points and 13 assists, Randle scoring 35 points and Hartenstein scoring 10 points, 20 rebounds and five blocks. "We had the resilience to win," said Brunson. "They continued launching assaults, but we kept our nerve and managed to pull through."

Despite their recent success, it is important for the Knicks and their supporters to not get overexcited about their progress since their trade with the Raptors. While this optimism is bubbling, it is prudent to remember that one of the team’s secret weapons during their more successful periods was their impressive second unit, thanks mainly to Immanuel Quickley. He had the ability to lift the entire team when coming off the bench, particularly in tandem with Josh Hart and RJ Barrett. However, Quickley, alongside Barrett, was in Memphis last night, leading the Raptors to victory over the Grizzles.

The first five were indeed impressive during the last game, but parallelly, the second unit was not as strong, causing their initial lead to dwindle. Thibodeau applied a new strategy, using Randle as backup who used to perform at the start of the game. Although the idea was clever, it did not yield desired results against the Bulls. However, Thibodeau acknowledged the situation and was determined to try and establish a rhythm for the second team.

Even with the concerns, the overall sentiment following the last game was positive, with the New York team having had a good night and responding well to the trade. The new amalgamation now sets its sight for the upcoming game against the Sixers in Philly this Friday night. So far, it seems all is well.