Knicks Takeaways from Saturday's 104-103 loss to the Pacers, including a potential game-tying free throw miss

Knicks played hard in Mike Miller's coaching debut

12/8/2019, 2:56 AM
0 seconds of 1 minute, 40 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
01:40
01:40
More Videos
09:08
Tom Thibodeau and Josh Hart on Mitchell Robinson's big game in Knicks win over 76ers
02:43
Ian Begley reacts to the Knicks' 124-105 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers | SportsNite
42:04
Jalen Brunson update, Delon Wright's impact, and early Knicks playoff preview | The Putback
01:15
Ian Begley provides injury update on Jalen Brunson after Knicks win against 76ers
09:14
Aaron Boone, Carlos Rodon and Anthony Volpe on Zac Gallen's dominant performance in Yankees' loss
10:54
Francisco Lindor and Carlos Mendoza on Lindor's two errors, Kodai Senga evaluates start in Mets' loss
05:15
Aaron Boone and Jasson Dominguez react to Yankees' 7-5 loss to Diamondbacks
33:47
Geno Auriemma on Paige Bueckers' dedication, Sarah Strong's skill level, loss to South Carolina in 2022 title game
18:12
Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong and Kaitlyn Chen on UConn preparing for National Championship game
15:18
Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong and Geno Auriemma comment on UConn's dominant win over UCLA in Final Four
Close
 

The Knicks fought valiantly, but a last-second free throw miss saw the team fall to the Pacers 104-103 on Saturday. >> Box Score

Five things to know from Saturday's game

1) In Mike Miller's debut as the team's interim coach, the Knicks came out of the gates playing well. Marcus Morris and RJ Barrett each scored an early four points, leading to a 14-7 Knicks' lead midway through the quarter. Miller said before the game that he wanted to see more ball movement, and that was the case early on. The Pacers fought back though, led by TJ Warren (25 points)and Domantis Sabonis (19 points).

Early in the fourth quarter, the Pacers pushed their lead to 92-81, but the Knicks didn't let the game get out of hand. New York went on a 14-4 run, spurred on by Elfrid Payton, to get back within one point. Later, the scored stayed put at 104-100 for a long stretch, until Morris hit a floater to bring the Knicks within two points with under two to go.

In the closing seconds, trailing by two, the Knicks came up with a loose ball and Julius Randle was fouled with 0.1 seconds left down by two. Randle knocked down the first, but he missed the second, and the Knicks walked away with the loss. 

 

2) Randle appeared to be much more aggressive in the early going, attacking the basket in the first half. At the break, Randle was tied for the team lead with 12 points, while adding three rebounds and an assist. He finished the game with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and three assists.

3) Mitchell Robinson looks to be getting more comfortable in his role coming off the bench. The Knicks once again elected to start Taj Gibson at center, but Robinson brought his typical energy off the bench. In the first half alone, Robinson contributed 12 points to go along with four rebounds. He ended the game with 14 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks.

4) After allowing Denver to hit a staggering 21-of-39 three-point attempts in their last game, the Knicks' defense of the three-point line had nowhere to go but up, but the Pacers nonetheless had a lot of success from beyond the arc, hitting 12-of-28 threes (42.9 percent).

5) Morris led the Knicks in scoring on the night with 25 points, shooting 9-of-17 from the floor. Randle, Robinson, Barrett (12 points), and Damyean Dotson (10 points) all scored in double digits.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will be back in action on Tuesday night, as they begin a west coast swing against Carmelo Anthony and the Portland Trail Blazers at 10PM.

Popular in the Community