Knicks coach Tom Thibauto was eager to see his team respond to the same Pistons Club again – just like they did in a playoff series.
After a 99-91 defeat to the Pistons at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, he was disappointed again Sunday as the Knicks worked early, faded late and did not look closely with the playoff team.
After a pre-season debut on Friday, the Knicks have only played better in a quarter and have seen some of their key young players.
“We had a good leg of basketball,” Thibodo said. “After the first game, we had 35, 36 minutes of good basketball. So we retreated. ” ‘
Rookie lottery pick Obi Tobin hit the ground running in his second game, and Knicks’ defense was not nearly as strong as that of Thibodo’s Knicks debut.
Tobin, along with Kevin Knox and Dennis Smith Jr. shot 3-for-20, while pistons coach Duan Casey made changes to the zone 2-3, daring to shoot the Knicks from 3. Knicks 8-to-33-point land from 3 (56-to-13 for two games).
“I like the situation we went through because you play on the same team,” Thibodo said. “Usually, you win a game against an opponent and play them again based on the experiences of the playoff basketball, and that team comes to an edge. I felt it was going to happen. It did. At the beginning of the game I felt like we were back. The beginning of the game really got us into a hole. ” ‘
Thibodo had the same starting lineup and the unit floated them in the second half. But the Knicks ’bench was terrible, and the Knicks scored 16 points in the final.
He came from the top pine to get only four points in a 1-to-9 shooting – including a 6-to-6 for 3.
“I don’t know if he was less active,” Thibodo said. “When the ball does not go in for you, it appears so. There are ups and downs in a season. There are a lot of players who can measure everything, how dangerous it is for them. You can not do it in this league. Some nights you shoot the ball better than others. When you do not shoot it well. You have to have the understanding that you can play well by doing other things. “
Alec Burkes (15 points) started small again and led a rally in the third quarter before the Knicks took the lead before folding in the fourth quarter. The Knicks set the wrong tone by allowing 31 points in the first quarter and trailing by 15 in the second period.
“They came out a little harder than us, played a little harder. That’s all,” said Burkes, who signed Nix ‘Best Free Agent.
RJ Barrett had a strong evening (25 points, 10-on-17) but blew a change set with 4:30 left after Julius Randle stole.
The Knicks showed many good signs in keeping Detroit at 84 points on Friday, but did not show the same snow.
This is a kilometer night for the 2018 Lottery Big Knox (6-for-1, two airballs). Reserve center Mitchell Robinson picked up five fouls in his first 11 minutes. Smith, a backup point guard, showed little ability to organize the offense and shot 1-for-5.
“Some good and bad tonight,” Thibaut Smith said of the game. “He was not on the ground at the start of the game, and that’s what set the tone. [In] In the second quarter, we swallowed and didn’t make good plays. ” ‘
After 10 at half time, the Knicks played with more spirit to start the second half, their defense and shooting outside.
“At the beginning of the game they played harder than us,” Barrett said.
Barrett pumped in 11 points in the third quarter, and Burkes added nine in making three 3-pointers.
The Knicks marched to take a three-point lead, leveling after three-quarters 75, but the young bench could not keep up the pace.
The Knicks’ defense was much lower than Friday’s big win. Blake Griffin, who was in second, drilled a wide-open 3-pointer, and Derrick Rose and Delon Wright dropped for easy lay-ins.
But tonight, the culprit was charged.