RJ Barrett and Julius Randle have rediscovered the form that helped bring the Knicks to the knockout stages last season, helping the team to a third straight win, beating the Hawks in Atlanta, 117-108.
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Randle and Barrett combined for 50 points, with Barrett finishing with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, Randle added 24 points and 9 assists as the Knicks won for the fifth time in the last six games. This is their most.
With the win, the Knicks equaled their longest winning streak of the season (three) which they have done on two other occasions this season.
They moved into 22-21 for the season (back in the knockout seed group). This is the first time the Knicks have stayed above .500 since November 30 when they were October 11th. They are 8-3 starting at Christmas and 5-1 since New Year.
“It is certainly very good. That’s what we’re working on,” Barrett said after the game. “We had a tough month but now it’s starting to pick up again. It’s exciting to be a part of it. “
Barrett has now scored 30 or more points in three of his last six games, marking a return to shooting form for the 6-foot-6. By comparison, he’s scored at least 30. points just three times in his first 158 NBA games.
It was only in early December that Barrett, who had just returned from a hiatus in health and safety protocols, experienced a slump. After the Knicks were beaten, 113-99, by the injured Denver Nuggets, where Barrett scored just 13 points on a 38 percent shot and a dismal 1/7 clip from outside the arc, the coach Tom Thibodeau backs Canadians out of their slump.
“I strongly believe in [Barrett] Thibodeau said. “When you go on the pitch, he is sick, and for me, you get to the rhythm of work. Last year, he hit it off when he started coming in every night to shoot. So there is no concept that sometimes you (workout in the gym at night) you have to do it all the time. So get back to the gym, come back to do your swing. Shoot as many triples, and you’ll start earning more. ”
Given how fantastic Barrett and Randle were up to the end of the game, coach Thibodeau would be encouraged to continue feeding them and playing with confidence.
Randle, in particular, hopes the horror period of the season will be behind him. Before the Hawks game, Randle delivered near-career low numbers. His score per game is the lowest since the 2017-18 season. His 41.4% scoring rate is a career low. His assists (4.9 per game) are down from last season (6.0 per game) and he is hitting the highest career average (3.5 per game) .
Through 36 games this season, Barrett is averaging 16.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game, while Randle has 19.1 points, 10.1 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. made over 41 games this season.
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