Knicks’ 118-116 Game 3 grading will win the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.
Jalen Brunson: B+
He wasn’t shot well, but he played smart winning basketball as a point guard and took over nine assists in one turnover and clutch time.
Send hostile crowds in Detroit – reciting fanatics all night in Branson – must have felt sweet.
The Town of Karl Anthony: a
I’ve gone from passive in Game 2 to aggressive in Game 3 – from House Cat to Alley Cat.
He led all the scorers, attacked Tobias Harris and pushed Detroit Center’s Paul Reid in a small brawl to make the fight come early.
Mikal Bridge: A-
Overall it’s solid and efficient, and does what the Knicks need from role players.
His best playoff performance as Nick helped him forget to miss those clutch shots in Game 2.
og anunoby: a-
Cade Cunningham scored two fewer points than Cade Cunningham. This is a huge plus for the Knicks against the pistons.
Another powerful two-way from New York’s top defender. Only Gripe doesn’t have too many open shots.
Josh Hart: b
He played the role of the Energy Man and Connector, earning 11 boards and 9 assists.
The Knicks got what they needed from Hart while relying on others for shotmaking.
Bench: D+
There’s a rebound from Mitchell Robinson, but that comes from the sanctuary that scored a total of nine points. A big night from the starter.
Tom Thibodeau: B+
There is no lineup or rotation adjustments, but the Knicks moved the ball, handled Detroit’s physicality better, and involved the town of Karl Anthony.
All of these are major concerns after Game 2, and the Knicks were aggressively adjusted, so the coach deserves credit.
