4 Takeaways From Knicks vs. Cavs Game 2

On Tuesday night, the Knicks lost 90-107 in Game 2 and now the series is tied 1-1 going back to New York. It’s shocking to see the Knicks manage to even reach 90 points after the Cavs put that team in handcuffs all game long.

1. Fuck Jarrett Allen

With just over 2 minutes left in a game in which the Cavaliers had dominated and were up 20, Julius Randle had a wide-open fastbreak dunk. Except Jarrett Allen decided to murder him for absolutely no reason.

THIS RANDLE DUNK 😳

Jarrett Allen was called for a flagrant 1 pic.twitter.com/8Osbh6ayXR

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 19, 2023

Everyone and their mothers jumped off the top rope to tell me that Coach Thibs is at fault for potentially injuring Randle because Randle should not have been in that game so late with the score out of hand.

It’s insane to not blame, ya know, the guy who tried to block a dunk from behind and then intentionally prevent him from landing safely on his feet. You can see Allen extend his hips forcing Randle to fly into the stands.

I mean look at this shit.

Where is Randle supposed to land but on his neck with this ‘hustle play’? I don’t think it’s ‘dirty’, it’s just stupid. Don’t make this about Thibs and his rotations or whatever.

It’s the playoffs. We’re not doing load management or any of that shit anymore. Starters can play the final couple minutes of games regardless of the score. Why aren’t any of these people saying anything about JB Bickerstaff keeping Jarrett Allen in the game as well?

The truth is, this is a dangerous ass play and if Draymond Green or Dillon Brooks committed that same play then people would be screaming for suspensions and guys who have no idea what grass feels like would be talking about ‘assault’ and wanting the police to drag them out of the arena like Stone Cold Steve Austin.

2. RJ Barrett can’t start for this team

Patience is a virtue and blah blah but man, RJ sure does suck at basketball.

It’s fascinating to watch Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland maneuver so smoothly when they iso. Quick dribbles and changes of direction. Looking up to see how the defense is reacting and looking for passes while they drive.

And then you have RJ, who starts his iso by backing up to halfcourt and then slowly dribbles to his left which always fails so he needs a screen every time which is fine but then he ends up slowly turning the corner against the new defender switched onto him which is often a big man who either forces him to chuck up and terrible looking shotput at the backboard or they just simply swat that shit to the concession stands.

Exhibit A:

Darius Garland lock down defense on RJ Barrett pic.twitter.com/nZmSs7yztS

— x – Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) April 19, 2023

He can’t stand at the perimeter as he’s currently shooting 1-for-8 from 3 this series. And he consistently ball watches on defense which allows the player he’s defending to cut to the basket or flair out for an open 3 while RJ stands there watching like he’s a fan with the best seats in the arena.

If Cleveland’s defense continues to be this brutal for the rest of the series then I genuinely believe Evan Fournier should be out there to start games. Fournier is an equally bad defender and a far superior shooter. Even if he only plays the beginning of the first and third quarters and Miles McBride plays the bench minutes, the Knicks just can’t win with RJ Barrett on the court.

3. Cleveland’s crying worked

After Game 1, the Cavaliers went on a targeted media campaign to cry about how physical the Knicks were playing and how unfair it was and wah wah wah. And all the crying worked as the refs allowed the Cavaliers to turn Game 2 into an after-school slap box.

Jalen Brunson got CRUSHED by this Jarrett Allen screen 😳 pic.twitter.com/pipr3GMvbJ

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 19, 2023

Have I said fuck Jarrett Allen yet?

I also want to quickly say that I don’t mind the Cavs being more physical. It’s the playoffs. If you truly care about winning then you’ll do everything in your power to make that happen. This isn’t a Knicks fan crying. It just sucks that the refs listened to a team complaining and then acquiesced to their demands. Squeaky wheel gets the grease, I reckon.

4. The Knicks need Immanuel Quickley

This is the first time this entire season IQ has played six consecutive quarters without making a single FG

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) April 19, 2023

Immanuel Quickley has disappeared. Last night he reached 12 points in what was essentially garbage time but that was coming off a 2-point Game 1. He is supposed to be a spark off the bench that ignites this team both offensively and defensively but instead, he’s turned into a guy who is afraid of the bright lights and can’t make an open bucket in a hostile environment.

I think he’ll be fine when the games move to Madison Square Garden. Every year in the playoffs, role players play better at home compared to on the road so I expect to see the same old IQ in Game 3.

Honestly, same thing for Quentin Grimes. His main skill on offense is his quick decision making and he’s clearly second-guessing every move before he makes it.

Grimes and Quickley are crucial for this team to succeed otherwise, the Knicks turn into the Julius Randle show where he tries to back down a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, doesn’t move him an inch and then throws it into the front row or dribbles off his own feet.

Knicks in 5.

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