If the Knicks' first Thunder test came down to collapse, this one was a failure. Bombardment. And some drastic ones too.
The Knicks never regained a 14-point lead over the Thunder, or even a lead of more than four points. There was a maximum difference of 30 points. They only scored 43 points in the first 24 minutes, the second fewest in the first half of the season, but were booed when they returned to the locker room. They were booed in the tunnel after the 126-101 loss. Fans began filling the Garden midway through the fourth quarter.
They had a chance to show off again against the top teams in the Western Conference, but fell short against the Knicks. Mikal Bridges missed all nine shots. The Knicks tied their season low for the second time this week with just four 3-pointers. The Thunder, who entered the night with the best defensive rating in the NBA, shut down offensive possessions and forced the Knicks to shoot just 38.5 percent from the field. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (39 points) looked like an MVP candidate. However, the Knicks appeared to be in the conversation with Isiah Joe, who was averaging 8.1 points as of Friday, scoring 31 points.
The Knicks remain an embarrassment after winning nine straight games, and losing four of their last five games has begun to halt their progress. It all started on Jan. 10 at Paycom Center, where the Knicks built a 14-point lead in their first matchup against the Thunder before faltering in the second half. They were legitimate favorites on the road and were in a position to face an opponent they wanted to clash with in mid-June to get away with a win.
But a week later, the opposite became true. It took more than four minutes for the Knicks to make their first field goal against a strong Thunder defense. They scored just 17 points in the first quarter and shot 31.8 percent from the field in the first 12 minutes, making just one 3-pointer. And all the while, Gilgeous-Alexander flashed the offensive instincts that dot his MVP resume.
Isaiah Hartenstein, who returned to the Garden after signing an $87 million contract in free agency, blocked Karl-Anthony Towns early in the first quarter and had six points, nine rebounds, six assists, two blocks, and two steals. Recorded. To some degree, it served as a reminder of the Knicks' past center depth (which Hartenstein called “luxurious” before the game). they no longer have. But on Friday, none of that mattered.
It got ugly too. After the Thunder missed a 3-pointer, Aaron Wiggins dove and made a put-back shot with the Knicks within reach. Then, as the shot clock expired near the end of the first quarter, Joe made a deep three from the Chase logo and watched the resulting broken possession go into the net. And after Jalen Brunson hit a free throw late in the first half, the Knicks were slow to get on the floor and Kason Wallace sat in the corner — wide open, a far-positioned defender for a closeout. There wasn't one — and the score fell 3-3. Booing immediately ensues.
Tom Thibodeau's defense gave up 70 points in the first half on Oklahoma City's 60 percent shooting, and Oklahoma City's offense didn't have the firepower needed to respond. At one point during the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander tried to drive baseline against Towns, went high for the shot anyway, and hit a baseline jumper as it faded out of bounds. Then, after picking Brunson's pocket and feeding Joe in transition for an easy dunk, Hartenstein's steal allowed Gilgeous-Alexander to feed Jaylen Williams for a layup.
Twice in the past eight days, the Knicks have looked at the measuring stick. litmus paper. There was a chance to show that the nine-game winning streak wasn't a fluke, that the Thunder weren't such a difficult challenge, that they could survive a rough three-point losing streak, an ugly four-game losing streak, or even a lingering hole. With the trade deadline a month away, this is the roster — the backup center, Hartenstein's replacement, the most obvious player.
But the Knicks weren't able to negate those concerns. Instead, they were greeted with repeated boos, which further incited them.
