A surprisingly poor performance against the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening did not sit well with the New York Knicks, as they watched back the film and tried to forget immediately.
Having annihilated Orlando just two days prior, the Knicks felt embarrassed after giving up 29 points to Cole Anthony and allowing veteran sharpshooter Terrence Ross to post 22 in the 4th quarter to gift his team a late lead.
However, the Knicks didn’t let that performance get them down, as they bounced back and took down one of the league’s powerhouse teams, the Philadelphia 76ers. Holding them to under 100 points for the first time this year, the Knicks showcased stellar defense and quality offensive capabilities, led by point guard Kemba Walker.
But power forward Julius Randle gave some insight into just how serious he took the loss to Orlando, using that emotion as fuel against Philly.
“I was sick man, I ain’t go to sleep until like 4 o’clock. I was sick, everybody else was sick we let that slip”
Veteran point guard Derrick Rose sung a similar song, detailing how the team must forget and move on:
By the end of film, it’s out [of] your mind. You know how these games come right back-to-back, so you gotta have amnesia and try to execute the game plan for tomorrow’s game.”
The Knicks currently sit 3–1 on the season and are preparing to take on the Chicago Bulls on Thursday evening at 8 PM. The Bulls are 4–0 on the season, with a 55% chance at emerging victorious, according to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index.
The thing about Chicago is that they have a stellar starting five but minimal depth, so if the Knicks can tire them out and force their bench to play significant minutes, they will have a great shot at winning. We have to imagine the defeat to Orlando sparked the team from within, allowing them to see their vulnerabilities and clog them with strengths.
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