The Knicks, if you recall, fumbled two games like this in the opening round. They had an overmatched opponent in a tight game, and they either couldn’t hit a shot or couldn’t stop Atlanta’s CJ McCollum.
The rest of that series against the Hawks was a cakewalk. The Knicks walked all over ’em, as they should have. But it would’ve been nice to see the Knicks rediscover their clutch identity — forged over the last three years through playoff rounds — because you know it’ll be necessary to reach James Dolan’s goals.
If nothing else, the Knicks’ advantage under Tom Thibodeau was this: with the game in doubt, Jalen Brunson was the great equalizer. Arguably the game’s best finisher.
So even as the Knicks struggled to hit outside shots Wednesday — and even as OG Anunoby was off the court dealing with an injury that could seriously hamper New York’s postseason dreams — the Knicks won Wednesday because they were better when it mattered most. They were better because of Brunson, who shot 3-for-4 with eight points in the final nine minutes.
