In tonight’s preseason contest, the New York Knicks rested most of their starting five ahead of a back-to-back. Deuce McBride, Donte DiVincenzo, Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson, and Jericho Sims took the floor as New York’s starters during their 110–123 preseason loss to the Boston Celtics.
In this meeting, the Celtics put their projected starting five out on the court. The Knicks may have been resting their starters, but they are a deep squad with one of the best guard rotations in the NBA.
Duds: The Knicks’ bench seemed out-matched
The majority of the Knicks’ bench unit was up against the projected starting five for the Boston Celtics. A lack of execution on the defensive end, as well as untimely turnover, led to an offensive barrage from the Celtics.
Boston made nine threes in the first quarter and 16 threes in the first half. The backcourt of McBride and Divincenzo had a tough outing, shooting a combined 30% from the floor. Head coach Tom Thibodeau will hope to see his backcourt shoot with more efficiency during the regular season.
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Studs: A fast start to the first quarter
The Knicks came out with a great pace leading early in the first quarter. Donte DiVincenzo got the game started with a deep wing three. Quentin Grimes looked more aggressive than usual without the other starters on the floor; Grimes scored ten points in the first half.
Studs: The frontcourt came to play
The second quarter saw much more from the Knicks front court. The always-active Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein create multiple second chances on the boards.
Studs: Tough defense pulled through in the second half
The second half saw stellar defense from the New York Knicks. A 27-point lead was cut to ten with excellent defensive execution and scoring In transition. Led by Quentin Grimes, the blue and orange held the Celtics’ starters to 3/12 shooting the first nine minutes of the half. Grimes had a team-high 22 points through three quarters.
Opening night can’t come soon enough
The fourth quarter saw a much-unexpected playing field. The Knicks were down 12, and Boston elected to keep Porzingis in the game. Emphasizing the threat the Knicks are come the regular season. New York is one of the deepest teams in the league, and allowing any momentum would mean disaster for the Celtics.
The Knicks, missing most starters, shot 18 threes and had seven players in double figures scoring. Opening night will be a phenomenal contest.