Knicks shift focus to showdown with Nets after big win in Atlanta

The Knicks acquired a measure of revenge, even when a regular-season recreation in late November doesn’t pay again a one-sided playoff defeat. However they nonetheless went into State Farm Area and broke the Atlanta Hawks’ seven-game profitable streak Saturday with a shorthanded however hard-working victory.

It offered a lift to the Knicks after the humbling loss to the red-hot Phoenix Suns an evening earlier at Madison Sq. Backyard, however they acknowledged that it means one thing only for a day with extra assessments to come back — and lots of inquiries to reply.

The Knicks’ gauntlet of video games in opposition to among the finest groups within the NBA resumes Tuesday in Brooklyn in opposition to the Nets, who’ve their very own payback to account for after the Suns continued on to Barclays Middle and dominated them, too. However the Knicks weren’t going to place an excessive amount of into this one night time in Brooklyn, not more than they placed on the win in Atlanta.

“Clearly, we have now a tricky schedule forward,” Evan Fournier mentioned. “I feel everyone knows that. I’m new right here so I don’t know the way a lot of an element Nets versus Knicks is, I suppose I’m going to seek out out. I feel we must always method each recreation prefer it’s the identical. We wish to win each recreation, we wish to compete each recreation. It doesn’t matter who’s in entrance of us. It’s good for the followers. Let’s say that.”

Fournier was a part of the Celtics squad that was knocked out of the playoffs by Brooklyn final season.

“They have been actually good,” he mentioned. “Kyrie [Irving] was taking part in. I imply, let’s be sincere — if Kyrie and James Harden don’t get injured they in all probability win all of it. To allow them to be extraordinarily good.”

The Knicks acquired the win in Atlanta by doing what they did so many instances final season, battling tougher and longer than the opposition and carrying down Trae Younger after he appeared unstoppable for 3 quarters. And so they acquired a stellar efficiency from Alec Burks as he was inserted into the beginning lineup with Derrick Rose nursing his sprained proper ankle and Kemba Walker taking a relaxation day.

The efficiency was sufficient to boost the query, may the Knicks be higher proper now with Burks within the beginning lineup and Walker taking part in with the second unit? Walker has struggled by means of a lot of the season since becoming a member of the Knicks as a free agent and the awkward match has left the Knicks in a gap most nights with the second unit outplaying the starters. Possibly most necessary, Julius Randle has not been the identical power he was final season with the addition of Walker and Fournier within the beginning lineup.

“There’s all the time selections to be made,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned. “So we’re all the time going to do what’s finest for the staff.”

However Thibodeau has a historical past of being hesitant to make a change courting to his days in Chicago and clearly final season when he caught with Elfrid Payton as a starter till lastly shifting within the playoffs.

Requested if there was a time that he was an everyday starter Burks struggled to recall and mentioned, “A bit of bit, however that was years in the past.” He began 5 video games for the Knicks final season and has by no means began extra video games in a season than he has come off the bench.

“I feel, as a staff, we’re an excellent staff with lots of depth,” Burks mentioned. “So I feel anyone can step up at any time, one by means of 15. It was simply my night time tonight.”

Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent practically three many years protecting the Knicks and the NBA, together with nearly each sports activities staff within the New York metropolitan space.