James Harden by no means bought an opportunity to bounce a lot on the Knicks’ grave when he was in Brooklyn, however he appeared to take nice enjoyment of doing so in a Sixers’ jersey in Sunday’s Backyard matinee.
The Knicks’ season has was a practice wreck as Harden and heart Joel Embiid did no matter they needed earlier than a big contingent of Sixers followers that chanted “MVP” when the celebrity heart was on the free-throw line.
The dynamic new pair attached on the quick break typically as Embiid completed with 37 factors and Harden 29 factors and 16 assists because the Sixers rolled, 125-109. Harden could possibly be seen celebrating with vigor after a few of Embiid’s hoops off his dishes.
“It felt like have been in Philly,” Harden mentioned.
It additionally felt just like the Knicks’ season is useless. They performed an 11-turnover first half, rallied, then folded per regular halfway by way of the fourth quarter, outscored 19-4 to shut.
Afterward Evan Fournier made some damning statements.
“I really feel like generally we’re taking a look at one another, second-guessing what play we’re going to run, who we’re going to go to,” mentioned Fournier, a vivid spot with 24 factors. “What's he going to do? We've got no expectations proper now from one another as a result of we've got no rhythm and no confidence within the fourth quarter. So once more, so long as we don’t repair that as gamers, issues aren't going to alter.”
The Knicks battled for some time as backup level guard Immanuel Quickley led a second-half surge that gave them a one-point lead early within the fourth earlier than they flamed out. Quickley completed with 21 factors on 5 of 13 taking pictures and was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line.
It was the Knicks’ fifth straight loss and they're 3-15 of their previous 18. In falling 11 video games below .500 at 25-36, the Knicks are taking a look at a demise march to their eighth lottery look in 9 years.
“We simply bought to determine it out,” Mitchell Robinson mentioned. “We’ve been speaking. If one thing is working for us, return to the identical factor. However each time we've got modifications. We bought to search out out what works for us and stick with it.”
Robinson and Jericho Sims every fouled out making an attempt to cease Embiid. (The Knicks are shifting to a developmental motion and Thibodeau didn’t play Taj Gibson or Nerlens Noel, who was out there however not 100% due to plantar fasciitis.)
Embiid tried 27 free throws and Robinson took possession.
“I ought to’ve recognized it from final time to come back in additional aggressive, particularly on the Backyard,” he mentioned. “That is the MVP, proper? I ought to’ve been extra targeted and able to play. He did what he needed to do and I ought to’ve performed higher.”
Off his 46-point evening Friday in a loss to the Warmth, RJ Barrett tried to do an excessive amount of early. He completed with 24 factors and 4 turnovers, taking pictures simply 9 of twenty-two, 6 of 10 on free throws. Julius Randle had one other off day (16 factors, 4 of 13).
A Randle missed 3 halfway by way of the fourth led to a picture-perfect quick break as Harden led Embiid for a monstrous slam. The sport plan to cease Harden-Embiid didn’t work and so they get one other likelihood Wednesday at Philadelphia.
Thibodeau admitted the sport was known as shut (fouls) and that seemingly benefitted the Sixers.
“When you've got two dynamic gamers like that, it places quite a lot of strain on you,” Thibodeau mentioned. “For those who’re producing velocity and there’s contact — some video games it’s marginal contact it’s not a foul. Another video games, it's. That’s the place you've got modify.”
The Knicks fell behind 75-64 with 8:08 left within the third after Randle’s go was intercepted by Matisse Thybulle, who fed Tyrese Maxey for a fast-break layup.
However the Knicks scratched and clawed — with Quickley the highest pest — and trailed simply 91-89 after three. After Barrett drove in for a layup, Quickley stole the inbounds, dribbled to the 3-point line and nailed it to deliver the Knicks with one level with 1:16 left within the third. However there have been few Knicks highlights thereafter.
“The fourth quarter is totally different,” Fournier mentioned. “That’s the time to essentially execute our greatest stuff and go to our greatest gamers. Yeah man, it’s irritating, as a result of we're not far in any respect. We ought to be profitable these video games. it’s irritating. Very irritating.”
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