Knicks playoff chase hampered by Backyard struggles

The Knicks’ house is turning into The World’s Most Notorious Enviornment.

Madison Sq. Backyard, essentially the most prestigious venue within the NBA, has remodeled into the Knicks’ home of horrors. Their newest house defeat, an time beyond regulation loss Monday to the Raptors, dropped them to 11-12 on the Backyard this season.

Of the 20 groups in place getting into Tuesday for the NBA play-in event or postseason, the Knicks had been the lone membership that was beneath .500 at house.

“It’s irritating. Clearly we need to win at house,” Jalen Brunson stated after his 26 factors had been wasted Monday. “Now we have top-of-the-line fan bases on this planet, however that is clearly a historic place to play, so all people’s coming right here with their finest foot ahead.”

Such has been the standard rationalization: Opposing groups don’t want a second cup of espresso to stand up for video games within the Backyard. Stars don’t need to sit when New York is watching. The identical rationale was expressed final season, when the Knicks went 17-24 on the Backyard and missed the postseason.

However final season was a misplaced season throughout. The 2022-23 Knicks have been glorious on the highway, the place they’re 14-8, and so they can battle for home-court benefit within the first spherical. For the reason that 1976-77 merger, solely seven groups have certified for the postseason with a shedding mark at house, together with the 2021-22 Nets, who had been the seventh seed and doubtless require an asterisk as a result of Kyrie Irving was barred from enjoying at Barclays Heart for many of the season.

When the Knicks host the Wizards on Wednesday, they start the sport because the sixth seed within the Jap Convention and flirting with a weird historic anomaly. No group because the NBA-ABA merger has had a shedding document at house and completed within the prime six in its convention.

“I feel for us, we simply received to concentrate on the little issues,” Brunson stated earlier than addressing the issues as a complete. “A whole lot of these losses include one or two possessions, marginal losses. Now we have to be 1 p.c, 2 p.c higher.”

He’s proper. The Knicks have outscored their opponents at house by a median margin of 115.5-112.5. The edges have been friendlier on the Backyard, the place they’re capturing 40.3 p.c versus 39.4 p.c on the highway, however the further bucket or two has not been the distinction in sufficient video games.

Eleven of the Knicks’ video games on the Backyard have been determined by seven or fewer factors. The Knicks have misplaced eight of these video games.

Included are crushing losses to the Bucks, Bulls, Hawks and Path Blazers in video games through which the Knicks held large or late leads. Getting into Tuesday, the Knicks had been the third-worst group within the NBA within the second halves of house video games, having been outscored by 72 factors. Solely the pitiful Rockets and Spurs, with a mixed 23 wins, had been worse on their very own house courts within the third and fourth quarters.

Shut video games proceed going the fallacious approach, which possible has influenced coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotations. On Monday, Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett, on the again finish of a back-to-back, performed a mixed 134 minutes. Thibodeau’s further reliance on his finest gamers didn’t swing the sport, and the coach appeared suspicious the officiating may need.

“It was exhausting to inform what a foul was,” Thibodeau stated after the Raptors took 41 free throws, six greater than the Knicks.

When even the officiating just isn’t going your approach, the house cooking has gone stale.

After the Knicks face off with the below-average Wizards, there won’t be many alternatives to fatten up their house document. Of the following 10 video games on the Backyard, just one can be in opposition to a group that entered Tuesday exterior of the playoffs: LeBron James’ Lakers. The Cavaliers, Warmth, Clippers, 76ers, Jazz, Nets (twice), Pelicans and Celtics won’t be intimidated once they enter the locale so many name “the mecca.”

“I’m involved about every thing, so I have a look at every thing,” Thibodeau stated final month, when requested if he was involved about his group’s struggles at house.

There may be loads to take a look at.