Stephen A. Smith excited Knicks DESTROY Raptors 145-101 to take East’s No. 3 seed; Brunson 29-Pts

Stephen A. Smith excited Knicks DESTROY Raptors 145-101 to take East’s No. 3 seed; Brunson 29-Pts

Eastern Conference the Cavs lost to Charlotte tonight the magic lost the Warriors the Bucks were idle so the Knicks are two games out of second and now in third all alone a half game in front of the fourth place Cavs great to have you with us from our Delta MSG

Studios Bill pedo along with alen Han and Wally zerak the theme has been consistent here get in front of these teams that you’re supposed to beat get out early and make it easy oh it’s fun to watch this team is in some Rhythm just blowing teams off the floor they

Did this on the road too I understand at home the way they blew out the Detroit Pistons but to go out on the road just be in complete work mode be professionals get a huge lead in that first quarter move the ball the way they did Tom thibo always talks about play

The right way this is what you do to teams when you play the right way and you’re playing against teams that are not playing the right way you just blow them off the floor on their home floor just a very impressive Victory that’s what this team’s done all season is take

Care of business I mean we know what they do against teams with a losing record they beat them and and there something that Josh Hart talked about in the previous game when you you this is the stretch we’ve talked about how important these four games were one more

To go against teams with a losing record they play the Spurs in San Antonio on Friday and Josh har said with teams like this and he’s been on him he said I was in Portland we were like this too if you let if a team let you stay in the game

And all of a sudden you made it competitive but if you’re getting blown out in that first quarter then you just know put that team away and then keep him at Bay and that’s exactly what the Knicks did another night get off to a big start and then hold out hold off the

Opponent to get the win guys the Knicks now are 26 and2 against under 500 teams they’re 16 games above 500 for the first time since the 12 13 season Mitchell Robinson came back we came in today not knowing for sure if he was going to play he did play played 12 minutes eight

Points two blocks two rebounds what do you think it’s a huge story for this Knicks team getting him back into the lineup he’ll obviously just on a minut restriction he’ll work his way back into Rhythm but he looked great you see what a dominating Force he is out there I

Mean no easy baskets at The Rim as the Raptors learned today you know doing a good job rolling to the basket you know not quite in the same fluidity form that he was in at the beginning of the season but he’s attacking the basket with vengeance he’s had time to work on his

Free throws there’s a nice recovery and a nice finish and look at his body he was the biggest strongest most impactful big out there he is a Difference Maker with his size and his Mobility to go with it so when you add this to the roster that’s already playing

Outstanding basketball it takes you from here to here especially in a playoff scenario and it’s great to see him moving and back in the lineup and smiling again too that’s having him back you see he and Isaiah hartstein when they met at the scores table when he

Came in the game hardstein give him a hug because he was happy for him you’re so right about the size thing I mean it’s noticeable when he’s on the floor he just he makes this team bigger that’s what they certainly are going to need and now he’s got he’s got this game in

Now 10 games left for him to get himself find that Rhythm the ability to catch the basketball while moving and also the conditioning game conditioning while will tell you is a lot different than when you’re running up and down the court in practice so he’s going to need

That time but it’s great to see him back because he will be a Difference Maker for this team guys how about Duce McBride he made six threes in the first quarter that ties a Nicks franchise record for most threes made in a first quarter finished with nine it looked

Like he was going to bypass Dante dant chenzo one game after Devon chenzo made the single game record for most threes made 29 Points for mcbright to tie a career high how about his scoring wall are you surprised consistently now double figures and a handful of games

Here of L’s gone over 25 points well he’s established what a great shooter he is at the NBA level he’s put in the work to become an outstanding over 40% three-point shooter so now when he gets volume looks with the fiveman unit that he’s out there on the floor with that’s

When you maximized his shooting ability you put him him out there with a great point guard and Jaylen Brunson who can find them also a great point forward and Josh who just made that pass and then it just opens up his game and unlocks his game to the fullest I mean another

29-point effort he had multiple 26-point efforts he locked up Steph Curry a couple weeks ago with his opportunity to play with great players he has just been completely on fire he’s been unlocked he’s not afraid to shoot if you leave him open in rotations he’s going to make

The defense pay and oh by the way he’s an elite perimeter Defender I mean this type of performance he could have gone for 11 if this was a little bit closer game in my opinion I just think when you’re blowing a team out you’re kind of

Just like let’s just get the wind get out of here not get injured it was an impressive performance you know what else too he had seven assists in this game one turnover like he does not turn the ball over that’s something consistently about him and let me just

State for the record when I talked to him about the braid and over his eye and how do you see it and when we had a good laugh out of it you notice that he now has the headband he changed up the hairstyle I have nothing to do with that

Now right he still shot the basketball really well but this just shows you a guy who has And he as you heard him talk to the guys he has put in the work he trusts his work and when he comes into the game he shoots with confidence and more importantly the coaching staff

Believes in him when you have that and you know your head coach trusts you and believes in you you’re going to go out there and play free and that’s what he’s been doing and he has developed himself into a player that can come off the

Bench and be an impact player and also a player that can start because he next to Brunson actually does fit because of how much he is a a catch and shoot shooter that spaces the floor which opens it up for Jaylen Brunson Nicks is a team and

Coming up we’ll talk about this more specifically 22 made threes franchise records 24 when we come back Monica mcnut and her conversation about the state of women’s sports as we celebrate women’s empowerment month we’ll also have the guys at the W wall and here from Nicks coach to diido Knicks right

Now all alone in third in the east as they blow out the Raptors big one that is the return of Mitchell Robinson he played 1226 so didn’t just ease him into the game got you eight points but it was really more the presence that we’re going to show

You here which is his defense and his just ability to protect the rim and that can lead to good things Wally yeah he’s just an eraser and good Mobility on this play freeze it there now here comes Mitchell Robinson he had to move over there to get that block and then notice

Again left hand loves getting him with the left hand if he would have went over with the right hand wouldn’t have gotten it but he gets over there quickly gets the block and what does that lead to keeps it in bounds gets the rebound kicks it out here to dece McBride We’re

Off to the Races now freeze it here defense is all scrambled right here someone’s trying to pick the ball up here nobody’s out here on buam bogdanovich Mitchell Robinson’s running down the lane trying to get that offensive rebound or that dunk you kick it out to Buon five-point swing because

Mitch blocks a layup or a dunk on the other end and boam bogdanovich knocks down the three that’s what Mitchell Robinson brings to the table he brings that Left Hand Shop blocker just erasing Mistakes by the defense sometimes in the nick guards and it leads to easy buckets

On the other end let also mention you said bonovich she had 18 points in this game knocked down some threes as well so it’s good to see him yes find a rhythm and it’s easy to find a rhythm when you have that kind of transition oh I

Speaking of transition Now we move to some other stuff we talked about one Center let’s talk about the other Isaiah hartenstein and what he can also bring for you and this is a really nice heart-to-heart pick and role play yeah and this is a tough play to scout

Against and to defend and this this is why the Knicks put up 145 points so Isaiah Haren Stein’s like I can’t get it to Brunson so I’ll throw it to Har now freeze it there now here here’s the defense set up but the fact that Isaiah hartenstein runs into a screen so

Quickly his Defender is too far back here and that is not enough room he’s in he’s in no man’s land right here so he can’t show to stop Josh from turning the corner and then when hartenstein has a running start to the basket hartenstein Gets behind him and I always say

Whenever that big guy gets behind this opponent here then that’s the time to throw it up and over and he’s going to have a head start to the rim to flush it right over Kelly o Linux head that’s a great job by Josh Hart in a secondary break situation just reading the defense

And saying hey I can run the pick and roll get it to Isaiah hartenstein little heart-to-heart love nothing but money for the Knicks yes 15 points for hartstein how about 10 assists for Josh Hart in this game as well didn’t get the triple double but he did get double

Figures in assists okay the biggest story Duce McBride 29 Points he’s just have himself a night and he started out this game was on fire in that first quarter yes it was amazing how he is just so quick with his release from three-point range and we’ll show one

Right here yeah this was his ninth three ninth three of the game precious AA doing a great job dries freeze it now I don’t know what kind of defense this is honestly I mean this guy already has eight threes and you’re leaving him that wide open Raptors hello like what is

Going on here but anyway way precious aoua does a good job drawing that double team Duce McBride is really good at relocating and moving away from the rotating defense kicks it over to the corner why don’t you have a hand up here like just run them off the screen hands

Up yell scream something 93 for Duce McBride doesn’t want a foul I understand that that’s a good job of not giving him a four-point play at least but that is awesome awesome shooting by Duce McBride great pass by precious auua and just an outstanding performance overall well by

The New York Knicks 145 points yeah 80 again 80 points at the half 145 they had season highs all over the board including the 22 made threes 50% from three-point range by the way a great night for the Knicks how does Tom Tibido feel about the performance we’ll get his

Thoughts right now presented by Chase question 145 points season High 37 assists what do you like about the way the team performed on the offense just you know I thought created shots for each other created advantages is trusted the pass we got into a good Rhythm uh

And then I thought our defense picked up in the second half rebounding was good we had a number of guys you know step up and play well it’s was good to have Mitch out there again thought precious gave us really good minutes and you know Duce got us started with you know his

Aggressiveness and uh that was huge and then uh you know Isaiah we had everyone played well good first uh take taste for Mitch out there yeah yeah yeah yeah yep so it’s each day he’s gotten better uh we you know you never know what to

Expect um but it was a it’s a good Baseline for us and uh like the way he moved uh it’ll get better and better each day that’s the plan two like two two St Sprint well we’ll see I mean we just going you know we didn’t know what

To to expect so um but his conditioning was pretty good go um yeah question not not related to the game if you allow me uh this this team is known for for its resilience uh when it comes to to play uh when it comes to play against that who supposed

To be better in the playoffs if you look at the standings like the Cavaliers last year uh how do you make the players believe I’m I’m sorry believe yeah I believe in the that they can they can they can win against an opponent that is

Supposed to be to be better well I think the big thing is you want to have the belief it starts with belief that you can win and where does the belief come come uh come from and it it’s from your preparation and the demonstrated ability

To win and we always feel that if we defend and we rebound and we keep our turnovers down no matter where we are no matter who we have if we do th those three things it’ll put us in position to win so and we we understood when we had

Injuries to Julius and OG and and Mitchell you’re not going to replace those guys individually but we can do it collectively as a team and so that’s e an enemy has been defeated shut down come on an enemy has been defeated let the darkness EMB have defeated an enemy an ally has been

Defeated you have been defeated fore inescapable an ally has been defeated yieldit an enemy has been defeated come ultimate victory for e for e something delicious This Way Comes swarm like First Blood an enemy has been defeated an ally has been defeated you have defeated an enemy

Stand down escap an enemy has been defeated Blow No Escape out of nowhere tling BL No Escape you have defeated an enemy you Escape an ally has been defeated ultimate shut down an enemy has been defeated for M be

Stephen A. Smith excited Knicks DESTROY Raptors 145-101 to take East’s No. 3 seed; Brunson 29-Pts