Getty RJ Barrett #9 of the New York Knicks celebrates late in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4.
It was not a coincidence that resurgent New York Knicks starting wing RJ Barrett answered “Wednesday,” April 19, to a reporter when asked when he realized he was feeling better with his shot following his bounced-back Game 3 performance in their NBA playoff first-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
It was the day Stephen A. Smith went on a rant on his show “First Take” and suggested that Barrett should be benched for the rest of the series after combining to shoot 6-of-25 in the series’ first two games in Cleveland.
ESPN Stephen A Smith on RJ Barrett: “He might need to sit down for this series”
On Game 3: “Wait till they roll up in the Garden…New York Knicks got this. Friday night. Cleveland, no chance“
One week after Smith’s ranting, Barrett indirectly told reporters that it fueled him.
“That’s the only thing I saw,” said Barrett adding that he tried to get off the grid to tune out the noise on social media.
Barrett responded to Smith’s criticisms with 45 points on 17-of-30 shots in the next two games, including a playoff career-high 26 points in Game 4 as the Knicks took a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
RJ Barrett has been staying off of social media during the playoffs, with the only take he saw coming from Stephen A. Smith earlier in the series:
“He’s going to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, good or bad. I didn’t hear anything he said after Game 3 or 4.”
Barrett was aggressive from the start of Game 3, dropping 10 points in the first quarter. He finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting on top of eight rebounds and three assists in the Knicks’ 20-point win.
In Game 4, he book ended his best postseason stretch with 10 fourth-quarter points, including a floater in the final 48.5 seconds serving as the dagger.
“He’s going to talk about whatever he wants to talk about, good or bad. I didn’t hear anything he said after Game 3 or 4,” Barrett said.
Barrett didn’t hear when Smith made a 360-degree turnaround following the Knicks’ Game 4 win.
“I love everybody,” said a teary-eyed Smith on ESPN’s NBA postgame show. “I love RJ Barrett for showing up again. I love Jalen Brunson for showing up again. I love the Knicks’ defense for holding Donovan Mitchell to two points in the second half on 1-for-9 shooting. And I love Tom Thibodeau for benching Julius Randle because that’s what needed to happen.”
Stephen A. Smith Calls out Julius Randle
Smith’s rants shifted from Barrett to Randle, who was no longer in the locker room when reporters were allowed to enter and do postgame interviews following his fourth-quarter benching.
“For Tom Thibodeau to bench him was a big deal because that is due, and for Julius Randle to walk out and not talk to the media after that, bro I ain’t say you are, but that move right there was weak,” Smith said on the April 24 episode of the First Take. “They won the game. You cannot do that. That’s really weird.”
Randle was held to a series-low seven points on 3-of-10 shooting in Game 4. Since returning from an ankle injury, Randle is averaging 14.8 points on 32.3% shooting in the playoffs, a far cry from his career-high 25.1 points on 45.9% shooting in the regular season.
Julius Randle Breaks Silence Over 4th Quarter Benching
Randle finally broke his silence after Tuesday’s practice and appeared to be in good spirits, but he added he and Tom Thibodeau did not discuss the benching.
“It was [Tom Thibodeau’s] decision,” Randle said via Newsday’s Barbara Paker when asked if he was upset about his fourth-quarter benching in Game 4. “At the end of the day, I just want to win. You know I’m a competitor and want to be out there, but like I said, it’s Thibs’ decision.”