Knicks Notes: Dissecting Devin Booker's game-winning shot, two looming issues vs. the Suns and evaluating early-season results

If you’re reading this, you probably saw Devin Booker’s game-winning fadeaway 3 with 1.7 seconds left in the Knicks’ 116-113 loss to the Suns. You probably have some thoughts on it. Maybe you didn’t like the way RJ Barrett played Booker. Maybe you thought Julius Randle could have given him less space on the shot. Or maybe you thought Booker hit a tough shot against a solid defense.

That’s where Tom Thibodeau landed.

"Got the ball out of his hands. He chased it and got it back," Thibodeau said shortly after the final buzzer on Sunday. It was challenged pretty good."

Thibodeau’s players seemed to agree with his assessment.

Randle felt that he was "right there" on the closeout.

He seemed surprised when a reporter asked him if it was tough to close out Booker on the shot.

"He just made a great shot," Randle said. "Fading out of bounds, 3-pointer over two people. You got to tap him on the butt and say, 'Great shot,' and he made a great shot. Ain’t really much you can do about it."

The last shot hurt, but the bigger issue for the Knicks on Sunday was their subpar play on defense. Really, it was an issue all weekend. They were a step slow in the first half against Phoenix on Sunday. Against Miami on Friday, they struggled in the third quarter. Of course, New York rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat Miami. The Knicks couldn’t come all the way back on Sunday, losing to a Suns team without Bradley Beal (back) or Kevin Durant (foot).

"Our initial defense was OK and then second and third effort (was) not there," Thibodeau said. "(We) let them pass the ball out of the double team easily. And then slow, a step behind. You can’t give people confidence. And then after a guy hits one he shouldn’t get a second, third and fourth one"

Another issue that hurt the Knicks this weekend? Rebounding.

Offensive rebounding has been a strength for New York. But not in their last two games. On Sunday, the Suns were plus-five on the offensive glass. Miami was a plus-four on Friday.

"We can’t let that happen," Isaiah Hartenstein said. "That’s not anything the coaches can help with. That’s us doing a better job of not being outworked."

The Knicks are 9-7, navigating a tough early schedule. They have Charlotte and Detroit at home this week. Then a home-and-home with the Raptors (8-9) before they start a road trip in Utah (5-11). So New York has a chance to gain some ground in the conference over the next two weeks.

"(There’s) a lot of room for improvement," Josh Hart said when asked to assess his team. "I think that’s what we gotta focus on. Just continuing to improve, continuing to get better. I don’t think anyone’s satisfied with 9-7 or the position we’re in now. Obviously, it’s a tough schedule but there’s definitely games that we could have won, should have won. Now we’ve just got to focus on Charlotte."