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After two wins in the first three games of their 2021-22 campaign, the Knicks had already given their fans plenty to get excited over concerning their season outlook.
Julius Randle looks like he’s out to prove last season as no fluke. Evan Fournier is proving his mettle as a premier wing player. The supporting cast has looked solid, capable of helping to lift this team to a second consecutive playoff berth.
As it turns out, even New York’s opponents are giving Knicks fans something to cheer about.
The Knicks cruised to a 112-99 win over the 76ers on Tuesday night, moving to 3-1 while halting a 15-game losing streak to Philadelphia. Knicks fans were not exactly subtle about their excitement.
In fact, with under five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and the Knicks leading by 17, fans at Madison Square Garden took the opportunity to troll the Sixers. Chants of “Where’s Ben Simmons?” filled the arena.
On the injury report, Simmons has been listed as out because of “personal reasons.”
He’ll likely continue to have that designation next to his name as the rift between him and the Sixers persists.
Knicks Flashing Their Physicality
It’s clear that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau has his team playing with a certain edge that has been absent from New York teams prior to his arrival at Madison Square Garden.
Just ask Doc Rivers.
“It was the Knicks,” the Sixers coach said after his team’s loss on Tuesday, per Sixers Wire. “It was just physicality.”
Sixers star Joel Embiid agreed.
“[Knicks] were more physical than us,” Embiid said. “They got whatever they wanted.”
In their 13-point win, the Knicks shot 47.1 percent from the floor and 43.2 percent from 3-point range, while Philadelphia shot 43.9 percent and 29.3 percent, respectively.
“Clearly they’re a better offensive team because they have more shot makers. They have more playmakers,” Rivers said. “That’s one thing about Kemba and Fournier. They’re not just scorers. They’re playmakers and the more playmakers you can add to a team, the better. We didn’t have any playmakers tonight.”
Knicks Ready for Bulls
The Knicks are 3-1. The Bulls are 4-0. For the first time in a long time, the matchup is must-see television. Chicago will host Thursday nights meeting between the two.
“Ah man, it’s unbelievable,” Knicks guard Kemba Walker said, per the New York Post. “It’s unbelievable. Those guys are playing very, very well. And, you know, it’s gonna be a dogfight, for sure.”
On top of the marquee matchup, the game will be “Joakim Noah Night” at United Center. The Bulls honor will Noah, who retired last March after a 13-year NBA career that included two years with the Knicks.
“I’m thrilled for him. He’s a special guy, had an incredible career,” Thibodeau said of Noah, whom he coached with the Bulls from 2010-15. “The beauty of his game was his effort, his heart, making two, three, four, five efforts on a play. And that’s special. And then his passing is incredible. I’ve always felt that how a player passes tells you how he sees the game. If you cut and you were open, you got the ball.”
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