SAN ANTONIO, Texas – At least for one night, RJ Barrett and the Knicks got their groove back.
New York set the nets ablaze Tuesday against the Spurs, burying 18 of its 38 3-pointers in an emphatic 121-109 victory. It snapped a three-game losing streak and represented the Knicks’ first win in San Antonio in nearly eight years.
Barrett, who had been mired in a deep shooting slump, scored 32 points while knocking down 7 of his 8 treys. It was his highest point total since October, occurring just three days after coach Tom Thibodeau said Barrett needs to recover his work ethic from last season by practicing nightly in the gym.
Julius Randle was more of a facilitator Tuesday while taking just 12 shots and scoring 15 points. He picked his spots and was efficient while recording eight assists with just one turnover.
The Knicks trotted out a different lineup with Nerlens Noel at center replacing Mitchell Robinson, who moved the bench and thrived with the second unit. The 23-year-old was more active and assertive, notching a double-double with 14 rebounds and 11 assists. He survived a nasty spill in the third quarter after being undercut by Spurs center Drew Eubanks.
Noel was less effective in the starting role, however, scoring just two points. Noel logged 26 minutes to Robinson’s 22. They were New York’s only centers Tuesday.
The Knicks also beat San Antonio on the glass, securing 17 offensive boards and 10 more rebounds overall. They pulled away in the third quarter, led by as many as 16, and never looked back.
It was New York’s perfect opener to a manageable three-game road trip – all against losing teams – with the Pacers (10-16) on deck Wednesday.
The Spurs (8-15) are in a rebuilding phase, led by a young and relatively nondescript core like Keldon Johnson, Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. They were playing on the second night of a back-to-back following Monday’s loss in Phoenix, and also lost of their top players – Johnson – to an ankle injury in the second quarter.
Johnson, who won an Olympic gold medal this year with Team USA, hobbled off the court and never returned. White led the Pacers with 26 points.
OLYMPIC DREAMS
Tom Thibodeau clearly wouldn’t mind being the next Team USA coach, but he understands it’s not up to him.
“You don’t throw your hat in the ring,” he said. “They have the ring.”
Gregg Popovich left the job vacant after winning the Olympic gold medal in Japan, and ESPN reported the preference is to hire a replacement with previous USA Basketball experience.
Thibodeau was an assistant at the 2016 Olympics and 2014 World Cup. Other potential candidates include Phoenix’s Monty Williams, Golden State’s Steve Kerr and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra.
“There are a lot of guys up here that would be fantastic and (Thibodeau’s) one of them,” Popovich said Tuesday. “I think that experience is great and the people that they’re looking at, they’re all great candidates and I think everybody is going to be happy with the final selection for sure.”
The next big competition for Team USA is the FIBA World Cup in 2023, which is hosted by Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Then the 2024 Olympics in France.
“I enjoyed my experience and I’m sure there are a number of great candidates that they have,” Thibodeau said. “So, anyone that has an opportunity to do it, I would strongly suggest they do it. I’m sure Pop enjoyed it. I thought he did a great job, because it was probably the most challenging time for us in terms of getting guys to play, the short turnaround, all the things. The way they pulled through that was pretty remarkable.”
