Knicks have lost Julius Randle, but must find ways to win with postseason on horizon
Knicks guard Donte DiVincenzo (0) goes to the basket in front of Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic (5) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Miami. Credit: AP/Lynne Sladky
The Knicks might be somewhat reeling from finally realizing Julius Randle’s status being out the rest of the year. But there’s still more punches coming while fighting for playoff positioning.
Starting Thursday night with the Kings, all but one of the Knicks’ final seven games are against playoff or play-in tournament teams. All seven carry equal weight trying to navigate the double worry of a high seed and avoiding the play-in tournament.
The Knicks are fifth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Magic and 2 1/2 games behind the Bucks for the No. 2 seed. On the other side, they’re two games ahead of the Pacers for seventh place and the first play-in spot.
Such is the delicate dance before them as they enter Thursday on a three-game losing streak. Not that the Knicks are worried because they’ve always taken a short-term view instead of over-analyzing the standings.
“You can't get too far ahead,” Isaiah Hartenstein said. “I think it's been big for us going day by day. I think that's kind of what helped us actually.”
Randle’s injury makes it harder, but the Knicks have thrived in difficult conditions all season. Doing it again the remainder of the regular season should be second nature.
But losing to the Heat Tuesday reminds how precarious each game is. The Heat are two games back of the Knicks and could gain ground Thursday hosting the 76ers.
It doesn’t help that the Heat are making their usual late-season surge, winning four of their last five. That’s why the Knicks can’t just rely on Jalen Brunson’s leadership and playmaking alone to carry them.
Donte DiVincenzo has played meaningful basketball in April two of the last three seasons. Besides his three-point prowess, this is why the Knicks signed him last summer. They need him to remain that reliable scorer/shooter he’s been as he’s scored 20 points in four of the last six games.
He’s also made at least four threes in seven of the last eight games. It’s critical for DiVincenzo to maintain his play if the Knicks want to help their positioning.
Deuce McBride has been a great story this season, especially since joining the starting lineup on March 18. His 24 points against the Heat Tuesday suggest he won’t fold in meaningful games. Yet he’ll be judged how he looks not just against the Kings Thursday but on Sunday at the Bucks or next Thursday at the Celtics.
Josh Hart has averaged 42.2 minutes since the All-Star break but he’s also been valuable doing a bit of everything. The miles are adding up and the burden is greater without Randle but it’s a challenge
“At this point, you just have to try to fight through the fatigue, fight through the injuries,” Hart said. “Everyone is feeling something.”
The Knicks’ recent slide is disheartening as the Heat are pushing and the Magic are on a three-game winning streak. Fans are right to worry if it’s a bad omen with Randle out and OG Anunoby only playing three games since Jan. 28.
The next two weeks will see if they’re right. As for the Knicks, this is their time to show they’ve built a mentally tough team.
They’ve thrived on great performances from McBride, DiVincenzo and Hart to support Brunson, who has been a superstar all season but showed signs of fatigue Tuesday in Miami shooting 5-for-18 with five turnovers.
That’s why it’s all the more important that the Knicks not only need Brunson to be at his best but everyone else around him. With Randle done for the year, it’s the only way to ensure a strong seed instead of a slip into the play-in.
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
