Knicks Notes: Recreation 2 Collapse, Cities, Alvarado, Robinson, Brunson, Brown, Anunoby

Karl-Anthony Cities was the Knicks’ second-leading scorer in Recreation 2 of their first-round collection towards Atlanta. Cities completed with 18 factors however he was primarily a non-factor through the fourth quarter of their 107-106 loss, Zach Braziller of the New York Submit notes.

Cities tried simply two factors throughout these 12 minutes because the Knicks squandered a 12-point lead. He scored 25 factors and dished out 4 assists within the Recreation 1 victory.

“The chance simply didn’t come round capturing,” he stated after Monday’s loss. “However on the finish of the day, I belief everyone on this locker room to shoot the ball. The alternatives weren’t accessible for me within the fourth and it was effective.”

Jalen Brunson dominated the ball throughout a lot of that span when New York scored simply 15 factors.

“We might’ve flowed higher, for certain. We might’ve carried out that,” Cities stated. “However on the finish of the day, I’ve to observe the tape. While you’re so into the sport, it’s exhausting to provide an incredible evaluation about it.”

Right here’s extra on the Knicks:

• Jose Alvarado was a shiny spot within the loss, in response to Braziller. The reserve guard supplied three assists, two rebounds and pesky protection in his nine-minute stint. Mitchell Robinson was additionally a shiny spot, in Braziller’s view. The massive man notched 13 factors, seven rebounds, a steal and a block in 18 minutes.
• Lay the blame for the late collapse on coach Mike Brown, Brunson and OG Anunoby, Stefan Bondy of the New York Submit opines. Brown mismanaged his timeouts, Brunson obtained lit up by CJ McCollum and Anunoby dedicated a vital turnover and missed two late free throws.
• James Edwards III of The Athletic blames the loss largely on Brown, not just for the timeout points however for his rotations. Brunson and Cities had been each on the bench when the fourth quarter began and Atlanta made its run. Brown stood by that call. “We’ve performed that lineup fairly a bit on the finish of the season,” Brown stated. “That lineup’s been fairly good. We weren’t good tonight and we turned the ball over a number of too many instances throughout that interval. However we had alternatives the place our starters had been in, and we had been up eight to 10 [points] and Atlanta closed it. So I wouldn’t simply say that particular lineup prompted it.”