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It’s common in college basketball for one team to simply out-class another, to be on another level. It’s rare in the NBA. If New York’s 110-89 loss to the Boston Celtics tonight contained nothing of value for Knick fans, the utter lack of competitive quality was nearly novel. Boston was quicker up and down the floor, quicker jumping off the floor, quicker thinking. It was like a game of chess where one player only had pawns and knights and the other was all bishops and rooks. It was like this:
The Celtics were up double-digits in the opening quarter and 21 at the half. The O’Jays (Jaylen and Jayson) were balling.
Damn. pic.twitter.com/tkFpfvGdTf
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) October 24, 2017
Tatum was laying the smacketh downeth.
Jayson Tatum is milly rocking all over the Knicks and there's nothing they can do to stop him.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 25, 2017
He's actually not stopping, guys.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 25, 2017
Guys.
— Kristian Winfield (@Krisplashed) October 25, 2017
Meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. missed 16 of their first 17 shots. Willy Hernangomez saw some minutes, finally, though long after Jarrett Jack did. Damyean Dotson didn’t play in a wire-to-wire blowout till it was 44 minutes over, ‘cuz that’s cool. On multiple occasions, Knick wings forgot how wide the court is and caught passes while standing out of bounds. MSG Network was reduced to having Rebecca Haarlow asking Frank Ntilikina about his NYC billboard, which was a weird look with his team down 20 and his summer league, preseason and regular season games played tally still stuck on the loneliest number. Frank did provide the only potentially positive moment of the night.
On MSG broadcast, Frank Ntilikina says he is ankle is feeling “a lot better” and he thinks that he will be back “in the next couple days.”
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) October 25, 2017
In their last loss to Detroit, the Knicks had no answer for the Pistons’ pick-and-roll. The Schrodinger’s Box of tanking NBA teams means at a given moment in time, the Knicks are simultaneously unable to stop the pick-and-roll or run it.
Celtics playing really smart, aggressive defense. They know that the Knicks don't have anyone who can run PnR or PnP effectively.
— Drew Steele (@ScooterToots) October 25, 2017
Then it got worse, ‘cuz Knicks.
THJ pissed that teammates not looking for him when he's open. Lee pissed that THJ didn't look for HIM when he was open. #team #knicks
— Sara Peters (@3fromthe7) October 25, 2017
They were jawing at each other again at the next time-out. https://t.co/A6iOfJJrOi
— Sara Peters (@3fromthe7) October 25, 2017
Recap on its way. Take a look at the sky tonight, starchildren. Remember your roots.