It seemed like the New York Knicks were on their way to another disastrous defeat, but the bench stepped up in the second half to beat the Detroit Pistons, 94-85 on Wednesday night.
Alec Burks, who played in the second unit, led the Knicks with a season-high 34 points. Other guys like Immanuel Quickley and Taj Gibson also made huge contributions off the bench. The Knicks had an anemic production from the starters, with Julius Randle and Kemba Walker only scoring five and two points, respectively.
After the win, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau stressed how thrilled he was with the performance of his bench, particularly Burks and Gibson (via ESPN).
“Just digging down and making play after play. That's what I love about those veterans. Alec and Taj are true pros.”
While Thibodeau's remarks might seem straightforward, it's interesting to note that the gruff-voiced tactician didn't exactly heap the same level of praise on Walker when he was on a hot streak. In fact, it felt like Thibodeau brushed off the efforts of the Knicks guard, who he previously buried on the bench. It's also worth noting that Thibodeau chose Burks to replace Walker as a starter.
Walker, who has shown class throughout his difficult situation and was recently named Eastern Conference Player of the Week, had a listless night against the Pistons. It won't be a surprise if he gets stashed in the backburner by Thibodeau once again. What's clear though is that the Knicks need to fix their act quickly.
Follow Us
Subscribe