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Game 1 between the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks was an absolute thriller. Madison Square Garden was goosebump worthy with 15,000 fans packed in to watch the Knicks back in the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
It was the Hawks who got the final say, though, winning on a Trae Young floater with 0.9 seconds left to take a 107-105 win. The Knicks will now be behind the 8-ball entering Game 2, trailing the series 1-0. Despite the gutting loss in Game 1, here are two reasons why the Knicks need to not panic going forward in this series.
1. Julius Randle isn't going to go 6-23 from the field again
Julius Randle certainly had a game to forget in Game 1. The puzzling part was at times he was getting the looks that he has feasted on all season long and they just wouldn't drop. Perhaps the nerves of 15,000 at Madison Square Garden had to do with that. Regardless, don't expect Randle to keep shooting that poorly from the field.
The part that makes Knicks fans feel optimistic is that even though Randle went 6-23, even though Reggie Bullock went 1-5 from 3 and even though RJ Barrett 1-6 from 3, it still took a game-winner with less than a second left for the Knicks to lose.
Randle needs to take charge in Game 2. If the Knicks want a chance to win this series, he will have to be the best player on the floor for large durations of the game, both squads factored in. Trae Young was a magician in Game 1 for Atlanta, but has a lot of talent around him. Randle needs to be top-tier moving ahead in this series.
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2. Tom Thibodeau is great at making adjustments
Two things stood out like a sore thumb in Game 1 that will haunt Knicks fans.
One, Young got to the rim whenever he wanted and made one runner after another after another. He only attempted three 3-pointers on the night and instead facilitated for his teammates and got to the rim himself. The Knicks seemingly had no answer at times for Atlanta's pick-and-roll game. Expect that to heavily change in Game 2. Tom Thibodeau is known for making the correct adjustments during a series and even during a game, but it just didn't happen on Sunday.
Secondly, the Elfrid Payton thing needs to end. While Thibodeau did have a quick leash on the starting point guard in Game 1, the eight minutes Payton did play were completely worthless. He went 0-3 from the field and had plenty of difficulty sticking with Young on the defensive end. Thibodeau didn't waste time yanking Payton off the court, and now he needs to yank him out of the rotation. If he can't give you anything defensively when he's already a liability on offense, it isn't going to cut it.
If Game 1 was any indicator as to how this series will unravel, it will not be for the faint of heart. The Knicks and Hawks seem destined to have a long series that comes down to the wire. New York finds themselves behind 1-0, but don't need to panic just yet.
