Knicks Win the Battle But…

MSG Network and the Knicks did an excellent job celebrating the 25th anniversary of Clyde and Breen.

Final Score: Knicks 123 - Grizzlies 113
Record: 33-18 (19-6 at home)

It was a joyous night at the Garden. 

The Knicks were cruising, up 25+ points early in the fourth quarter, and the mood was festive, as fans inside the arena and those watching from home were celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mike Breen and Walt "Clyde" Frazier's first broadcast on the MSG Network.

However, the shorthanded Grizzlies got hot from downtown, cutting the lead to 20 with eight minutes left in regulation. This resulted in head coach Tom Thibodeau re-inserting Jalen Brunson and Isaiah Hartenstein into the game. Then, a few minutes later, with 5:31 left on the clock, the Garden gasped when Brunson crumbled to the court, grabbing his right ankle after being fouled by G.G. Jackson. 

Brunson was able to walk back to the locker room under his own power, but the air had been sucked out of the building. A few minutes later, Josh Hart appeared to tweak his knee but stayed in the contest.

Memphis continued to get stops and remained red hot from behind the arc, eventually slicing the deficit to four, 113-109, with two minutes left. Fortunately for New York, Donte DiVincenzo stopped the bleeding and carried the club home, burying a clutch pull-up three-pointer to extend the lead to seven. He'd score five more points over the final 90 seconds to ice the victory.

Still, the first thing on everybody's mind after the game was the stability of Brunson's right ankle.

The Knicks did not provide a medical update after the game, and as I compose this post this morning, we still don't have much clarity, but the early indications seem encouraging. 

Asked about the injury postgame, DiVincenzo replied, "Playing with him for so long, and knowing him, I said, 'Are you good?' and he said, 'I'm good.' I don't worry about Jalen at all. He's one of the toughest guys in the league. I'm not worried." 

Several reporters on the scene noted that Brunson left the arena without the aid of crutches or a boot. Still, while he wasn't limping, he was purportedly "walking gingerly." 

As always, we'll wait until we have some semblance of an official update before speculating on whether Brunson will suit up Thursday vs. Dallas or if he'll be shelved for a few days. The Knicks have four more games on the schedule before they can limp into the much-needed All-Star break. 

While Tuesday's victory certainly wasn't as smooth and easy as the team hoped, the Knicks still won for the 10th time in their past 11 games and improved to a league-best 16-3 in 2024.

As DiVincenzo noted, "It's better to learn from a win than a loss."

And Mr. DiVincenzo is the primary reason New York left MSG with the win. He poured in a game-high 32 points while also racking up five rebounds, five assists, three steals, one block, and four 3-pointers in 40 minutes. DDV was also efficient, shooting 12-of-18 from the floor, 4-of-9 from deep, and 4-of-5 from the charity stripe. 

DiVincenzo's emergence as a primary offensive option with OG Anunoby and Julius Randle sidelined has been astonishing. Over New York's past five games, DDV is averaging 27.8 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists (vs. just 1.0 turnovers), 5.6 made three-pointers, and 1.8 steals, while shooting over 39% from downtown and 82% from the free-throw line. 

He's just the second player in Knicks franchise history to knock down at least four three-pointers in five straight games.  

Per Basketball Reference, DiVincenzo is the first and only Knicks to tally more than 25 treys, more than 20 assists, more than 20 boards and more than five steals over a five-game stretch. 

Dating back to the end of December (a 20-game span), he is tied with some guy named Steph Curry for the most made three-pointers in the NBA. 

DDV's four-year, $50 million pact looks better and better by the day. 

Incredibly, one could argue that over the past two offseasons, DiVincenzo is the best free-agent SG value contract, Brunson is the best free-agent PG value contract, and iHart is the best free-agent C value contract. 

Props to Leon Rose and company. 

Other Takeaways and Knicks Notes:

🏀 Speaking of Hartenstein, the big guy finished with 17 points (just two shy of his career-high), eight boards, three assists, two steals and three blocks, while shooting 7-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the stripe. His all-around production and consistency have been incredible this season. 

🏀 And speaking of shrewd moves by Rose and the Knicks front office, Precious Achiuwa continues to exceed expectations. He racked up 17 points (8-of-13 FGs), five boards, three assists, three steals, one block and one made three-pointer on Wednesday. Over his last four games, Achiuwa has averaged 14.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks in nearly 43 minutes a night. 

🏀 In addition to Randle, OG and Grimes being sidelined, Jericho Sims was ruled out due to an illness… Encouragingly, Tom Thibodeau told reporters that Mitchell Robinson is expected to begin on-court activities after the All-Star break.

🏀 Tuesday was New York's final game before the trade deadline, and there seems to be surprisingly little substantive chatter around the league right now. On his podcast released yesterday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said he is getting the sense there is not much going on. Bobby Marks claimed he's never seen things so slow. We'll see if one domino falls, leading to a deluge of activity. 

As for the Knicks, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post is reporting it's becoming "increasingly likely" that New York will hold onto Quentin Grimes past the deadline. Bondy notes that the "Mavs showed interest, but their package was quickly turned down by the Knicks" and that New York may prefer to part with Grimes in the summer.

Per Fred Katz of The Athletic, "based on the way New York has operated, it would be shocking if it dealt Evan Fournier for an upcoming free agent. The Knicks want that new player to be under contract for next season, ensuring that they could include him in a larger trade for a star four or five months from now." However, Katz mentions that the Knicks and Raptors have discussed a deal involving Bruce Brown. Those discussions have not included Grimes; instead, they have centered around Fournier and draft compensation.

The Athletic's James Edwards III has reported that the Pistons are "leaning toward keeping" Alec Burks.

The Knicks "had previously checked in on some big men on the market," but due to Precious Achiuwa's impressive play over the past few weeks, New York "has recently cooled on the idea of acquiring a backup big," according to SNY's Ian Begley. 

Potential trade target Malcolm Brogdon was ruled out of Portland's game vs. Denver on Sunday night due to a right knee contusion. And, per Mark Stein's Substack, Brogdon "has been openly lobbying the Trail Blazers to keep him beyond Thursday's trade deadline." Woj reported earlier this week, "There's no sense that (Brogdon) is getting moved. They're not engaged on him."

Personally, I firmly believe the Knicks should make a strong push to bring in reinforcements over the next 48 hours. This team has the potential to make a long, deep run in the playoffs this year. That's something that can't be taken for granted. A player like Brogdon would improve New York's rotation and their chances of advancing in the postseason and provide much-needed depth behind Brunson over the next two months.

If the Knicks fail to make a trade, there are some intriguing names that could be available after the deadline via buyouts, such as Kyle Lowry, Joe Harris, Gordon Hayward, Monte Morris, Patty Mills, and Davis Bertans.

🏀 Knicks forward Jacob Toppin will reportedly participate in this year's Slam Dunk Contest, according to Chris Haynes of TNT Sports. He is expected to be joined by defending champion Mac McClung, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Jaylen Brown.

🏀 For those who may have missed it, MSG Network and the Knicks did an excellent job celebrating the 25th anniversary of Clyde and Breen. 

Prior to tip-off, Brunson and Josh Hart gifted both legends jerseys to commemorate the silver anniversary of their first broadcast together. 

Breen also shared a photo that he hung up in the basement of his house in Yonkers more than 50 years ago - which is still in the same exact spot (his mom still lives in the house).

I LOVED seeing Clyde and Breen get their flowers. No one is more deserving. Not only have they been the best broadcast duo in the NBA for more than two decades, but they are incredibly humble and gracious human beings. 

This is what Breen said to Clyde as he was wrapping up the broadcast:

"When you first started here, we all loved you for who you were; you were this great player. But after getting to sit next to you and to work with you, we love you for who you are."

🏀 I am fortunate enough to be able to personally confirm that Mr. Breen is as incredibly kind as everyone says.

A quick story: I was in the Knicks press room a few years ago when Mike walked over and introduced himself to me (as if I didn't know he was Mike Breen!!). He then proceeded to tell me he appreciated/respected my work and that the MSG broadcast team had occasionally used data and stuff I had written to prepare for games.

Not only did Mike Breen know who I was, but he had actually read something I had written!!!

I will always consider that one of my proudest professional moments. It absolutely meant the world to me, as a kid born and raised in Baldwin who grew up listening to Breen call games.

I still get chills thinking about it. 

🏀 One last note from the broadcast. Bill Bradley joined the fellas during the second quarter, and the trio touched upon several topics. Near the end of their convection, Breen asked Dollar Bill if he had a message of hope for the incredibly divided country we live in today:

Bradley responded brilliantly and beautifully: "I think the country could learn a lot from what made the Knicks teams successful so many years ago. Take responsibility for yourself. Respect your fellow human beings. Disagree with him honestly, openly and civilly. Enjoy their humanity. And never look down on people you don't understand."

🏀 Up Next: The Knicks host the Mavs on Thursday (7:30 tip)

Dallas has won two straight, beating the shorthanded Sixers over the weekend and crushing the Nets in Brooklyn last night. The main storyline leading up to Thursday's game will be whether or not Brunson can play against his former club. 

If Brunson is ruled out, it would be wise for the Knicks to punt this game. Rest Hart, DDV, iHart etc., for the night, giving them some much-needed rest. Start Ryan Arcidiacono and Evan Fournier in the backcourt. Give Jacob Toppin and Charlie Brown Jr. all the minutes they can handle. 

The game is nationally televised, which may put pressure on New York to refrain from engaging in any form of load management. We shall see.