Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Beyond the Back Page: Anatomy of a Knicks miracle

Anyone lucky enough to catch the Knicks' improbable win over the Sixers knows they likely won't see that again.
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by Zach Braziller

If you didn't see how the Knicks stunned the NBA with their final-minute-comeback Game 2 win over the Sixers Monday night at the Garden, we've got you covered. Also: The vibes aren't quite so happy around a Yankees club struggling to hit again. The Jets tried to change their outlook with a trade that was long overdue. And speaking of outlooks, things haven't looked this bright for Rutgers basketball in a long time.

How the Knicks stole a win from the Sixers and left everyone wondering how it happened

It isn't often you see a team score eight points in 21 seconds. It's even rarer when it happens in a playoff game, with less than a minute left, against a team that has lost fewer than 10 games with its MVP-worthy superstar in the lineup.

But anyone lucky enough to catch the final minute of the Knicks' improbable, jaw-dropping, what-the-blank-just-happened 104-101 win over the Sixers in Monday's Game 2 at MSG knows what they saw they likely won't see again.

For everyone still trying to process the hoops miracle, let's dig into how the Knicks stole a game TNT's broadcasters were all but assuming was going Philly's way, until it didn't.

47.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: Kyle Lowry, who tortured the Knicks all night with his quick hands and Zelig-like appearances to keep Sixers possessions alive when all seemed lost, misses the second of two free throws. 76ers 101, Knicks 96

27.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: Jalen Brunson, blitzed and bumped into another subpar shooting night (8-of-29) — which the Knicks probably need to solve if they hope to continue their winning ways in Philadelphia — loses the ball, only for Donte DiVincenzo to come out of a scrum in the paint and fire a pass to Brunson in the left corner. Brunson gets a kind bounce from the rim and makes the shot. 76ers 101, Knicks 99

Jalen Brunson hits a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter of Game 2 vs. the Sixers.
X/@NBA

16.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: After almost single-handedly willing the Sixers into the lead with 15 fourth-quarter points, Tyrese Maxey, hounded by Brunson and Josh Hart into jumping to catch Lowry's inbounds pass under the basket, tries to dribble to the sideline. Seemingly expecting a whistle that didn't come, Maxey tries to pass through the legs of Hart, who instead grabs the ball and gets it to a nearby DiVincenzo. Sixers coach Nick Nurse claims after the game that his attempts to call timeout before Lowry's inbounds play were ignored by officials. 76ers 101, Knicks 99

15.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: DiVincenzo misses a 24-foot try from the left wing. Isaiah Hartenstein muscles his way through a sea of Sixers under the basket for the offensive rebound and passes the ball to OG Anunoby on the right block. 76ers 101, Knicks 99

13.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: Anunoby finds an uncovered DiVincenzo near the top of the 3-point arc and passes the Knicks' leading single-season 3-point shooter the ball. DiVincenzo knocks down the shot from 25 feet. Knicks 102, Sixers 101

Donte DiVincenzo hits a 3-pointer late in Game 3 vs. the Sixers.
X/@NBAonTNT

13 seconds left, 4th quarter: Maxey catches a pass in the Philly backcourt from Nic Batum, who inbounds the ball near the Knicks bench. Maxey races up the floor and gets past the Knicks defense for what looks like a score-turning layup. Trailed by Hartenstein, who attempts to block Maxey from behind, Maxey caroms the attempt too hard off the backboard. Anunoby collects the rebound. Knicks 102, Sixers 101

6.1 seconds left, 4th quarter: Fouled by Tobias Harris after grabbing Maxey's miss, Anunoby makes two free throws, leaving the Sixers, out of timeouts, one final chance to send the game to overtime. Knicks 104, Sixers 101

 0.0 seconds left, 4th quarter: Maxey brings the ball upcourt only to find Hartenstein in his way at the top of the 3-point arc. Maxey passes to Joel Embiid, who had gamely played 34 minutes on a knee that still seems to be slowing the Philly big man down. Embiid launches a deep try over Anunoby from the right wing only to draw the back of the rim. Final: Knicks 104, Sixers 101

We're not exactly sure how these two teams will top that sort of drama, but miss Thursday night at your own peril.

— Paul Forrester

Today's back page

The back cover of the New York Post on April 23, 2024
New York Post

No offense, but...

It's too early to panic. Not when the Yankees are sporting a 15-8 record. Not when they have the third-best winning percentage (.652) in the American League.

It's a 162-game marathon of a season. Every team goes through peaks and valleys.

But it is fair to be concerned with the state of the offense.

Getting shut down over three games by the run-prevention-focused Rays is one thing, though they are 23rd in ERA. But the A's? That's certainly unexpected. Oakland entered their four-game series in The Bronx having lost five of six, and were just swept out of Cleveland by the Guardians, allowing 7.3 runs per game in that series.

But former Yankees prospect JP Sears and two relievers limited the home team to three hits in a 2-0 loss Monday that was marked by Aaron Boone's bizarre ejection, continuing the club's offensive malaise. It was fitting that fire-balling closer Mason Miller ended Oakland's win by striking out Aaron Judge.

Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees reacts after he strikes out swinging during the 9th inning. The Oakland Athletics defeat the New York Yankees 2-0.
Aaron Judge's hitting woes are one of many reasons the Yankees have been shut out four times already this season.
Jason Szenes for the NY Post

The 2022 MVP has been a mess this year, sporting a woeful .174/.308/.337 slash line. He struck out twice Monday and has whiffed 18 times in his past eight games. He's gone 30 at-bats without an extra base-hit and has just three hits in that span.

The team's offensive shortcomings have become impossible to ignore over this homestand. In four games, the Yankees have scored 10 runs, and nine of them came in two innings.

In Friday night's win, two Rays errors directly led to a five-run seventh. On Sunday, Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash stayed with starter Aaron Civale too long, helping the Yankees pile up four runs in the fifth. Outside of those two innings, they have managed one run over 34 frames.

The Yankees now have been shut out four times in their first 23 games for just the eighth time in franchise history (and fourth time since the dead-ball era), according to baseball historian Katie Sharp. They are 18th in baseball in OPS, 20th in batting average and 21st in slugging percentage, and all those stats are trending downward after the fast start.

There are a number of issues even beyond Judge. Anthony Rizzo and Gleyber Torres aren't producing, offering one home run and 10 RBIs between the two. Anthony Volpe has cooled off after a strong start. And the catching tandem of Jose Trevino and Austin Wells hasn't done much.

As The Post's Joel Sherman wrote on Saturday, the offense looks awfully similar to 2023, except in the role of Judge is Juan Soto, who is the lone Yankee with an extra-base hit over the past four games (a homer and a double).

The back cover of the New York Post for early editions on April 24, 2024
Early editions of The Post showed Aaron Boone's cartoonish ejection from the Yankees' matinee loss on the back page.
New York Post

Eventually, Judge will hit. You have to think Rizzo and Torres will as well. Maybe, once he returns from his right foot injury, DJ LeMahieu can provide a spark. Boone could use him at first base against lefties if Rizzo continues to struggle and Oswaldo Cabrera continues to excel at third.

It might be worth a shot. After the past four days, the Yankees should be willing to consider a fair amount of tinkering with this slumbering offense.

Bustin' out

Zach Wilson is officially a Jets bust.

Just the latest quarterback hopeful who flopped with Gang Green, joining a long list of first-round picks who were unable to meet expectations, along with Sam Darnold, Mark Sanchez and Richard Todd, among others.

Zach Wilson holds a jersey onstage after being drafted second by the New York Jets during round one of the 2021 NFL Draft at the Great Lakes Science Center on April 29, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio.
Three years after drafting Zach Wilson No. 2 overall, the Jets traded the QB to the Broncos for a sixth-round pick and some salary relief.
Getty Images

The Jets used the second overall pick on Wilson in 2021 and he never came close to establishing himself as an answer. He was repeatedly benched, and finally was traded Monday to the Broncos for pennies on the dollar.

It's part of a pick swap — the Jets traded a seventh-rounder in this draft and acquired a sixth-rounder — and the Broncos will pick up $2.75 million of Wilson's $5.5 million salary for 2024.

This wasn't all on Wilson — general manager Joe Douglas was unable to build a sturdy offensive line in front of him — but he never performed well, either.

Wilson was supposed to be the backup a year ago after the trade for Aaron Rodgers before Rodgers' season-ending injury in Week 1 gave Wilson his job back. But the results remained the same.

Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) is tackles by Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris (48) during the third quarter against the Houston Texans in East Rutherford, NJ.
Wilson leaves the Jets having been sacked 113 times in 34 games.
Bill Kostroun for the NY Post

Wilson finishes his Jets career with 23 touchdown passes, 25 interceptions and a 57.0 completion percentage in parts of three seasons.

They never sniffed the playoffs despite having a strong defense the past two seasons, and now Wilson is starting over in Denver and the Jets are desperately hoping Rodgers can stay healthy.

The scoreboard

Hurricanes 5, Islanders 3 (trail series 2-0): What an excruciating collapse for the Islanders, who were up 3-0 and still were clinging to a 3-2 lead inside the final three minutes. Sebastian Aho tied it, and Jordan Martinook beat Semyon Varlamov for the winner. After getting goals from Kyle Palmieri, Bo Horvat and Anders Lee, the Islanders managed just three shots on net in the last 35 minutes. As beat writer Ethan Sears said: "Pretty hard to avoid the conclusion that this game was an ass-kicking disguised as a comeback." Game 3 is Thursday, back on Long Island.

Giants 5, Mets 2: Despite getting just four hits from a sleepy offense, the Mets managed to bring the tying run to the plate in the ninth. Jose Quintana took the loss as the Mets (12-10) dropped consecutive games for the first time since their 0-5 start.

Renewed hostilities

The Rangers look to take a 2-0 series lead when their first-round playoff series with the Capitals resumes Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.

The Post's Larry Brooks has seen his fair share of Rangers postseason duels, and as he writes in his Inside the Rangers newsletter hitting inboxes a bit later Tuesday morning (sign up here), this one is dishing up reminders of showdowns from a few years back:

Game 1 was choppy and chippy, and that's the way this Rangers series with the Capitals is probably going to continue to the end.

Sixty minutes in and it kind of reminds me of the first-round series against the Penguins in 2015, when the Presidents' Trophy-winning Blueshirts won in five games, each victory coming by the score of 2-1.

Braden Schneider #4 of the New York Rangers gets the stick up on Tom Wilson #43 of the Washington Capitals during the third period in Game One of the First Round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 21, 2024 in New York City.
Braden Schneider gets up close and personal with Capitals enforcer Tom Wilson during the Rangers' 4-1 win in Game 1.
Getty Images

There was little open ice in that Penguins series in which the Rangers won both Games 4 and 5 in overtime, Kevin Hayes getting the winner in Game 4 in Pittsburgh before Carl Hagelin got the Game 5 series winner at the Garden. It was a grind and became more of one after the Rangers dropped a 4-3 Game 2 at home.

But that Rangers club, a mature one that had experienced nine rounds the previous three tournaments, stayed the course. And for that, in Round 2, the Blueshirts got the Caps in what became perhaps the most compelling of the 12 series in which the 2012-15 clubs played.

Knights in shining armor

As we wait for St. John's and Seton Hall to fill out their rosters via moves in the transfer portal, Rutgers has a sizable lead when it comes to the most intriguing men's college basketball program in the area next season.

Sunday night, the Scarlet Knights made headlines when prized commit Dylan Harper took over the Jordan Brand Classic at Barclays Center.

West guard Dylan Harper dunks on a fast break during the second quarter of the McDonald's All-American boys' basketball game Tuesday, April 2, 2024, in Houston.
Rutgers reecruit Dylan Harper impressed at the Jordan Brand Classic, dropping 30 points, including four straight 3-pointers.
Getty Images

The brother of former Rutgers star Ron Harper Jr. and son of five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, Dylan put on a show against the nation's best prospects, pouring in 30 points en route to co-MVP honors of the showcase.

At one point, the talented 6-foot-6 guard, the five-star recruit out of Don Bosco Prep (N.J.), hit 3-pointers on four consecutive possessions.

But Harper is only one reason for optimism in Piscataway.

He will be joined by fellow top-five prospect Ace Bailey, a 6-foot-8 wing who some experts actually are higher on than Harper.

And coach Steve Pikiell has done a nice job in the transfer portal, bringing in experienced veterans to surround Harper and Bailey. Transfers Zach Martini (Princeton), Jordan Derkack (Merrimack) and Tyson Acuff (Eastern Michigan) have committed to join the program. Acuff was the nation's eighth-leading scorer this past season, Derkack was the NEC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and Martini was a key part of a 24-win team at Princeton that won the Ivy League regular-season crown.

McDonalds All American West guard Ace Bailey (4) drives to the basket during the 2024 McDonald's All American Boys Game on April 2, 2024 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
Ace Bailey is part of a Rutgers freshman class that may push the Scarlet Knights into the top 25.
Getty Images

Rutgers still has a major hole in the middle following the departure of standout center Cliff Omoruyi, but Pikiell has to feel good about where his roster is right now.

There will be incredible preseason hype at Rutgers and a likely top-25 ranking.

What we're reading 👀

🏈 The Giants "better be prepared for the maelstrom" that would come with drafting a quarterback near the top of the first round to supplant incumbent Daniel Jones, writes The Post's Paul Schwartz.

⚾ Read umpire Hunter Wendelstedt's side of the story in the Aaron Boone ejection. It's ... something.

🏀 The Lakers blew a 20-point to the Nuggets in Game 2, and LeBron took out his frustration on the NBA replay center.

⛳ Scottie Scheffler wins again, ho hum.

🏈 Guess Andy Reid isn't going anywhere.

💉 The Olympics are just three months away, and now there's a Chinese doping scandal simmering.

STAY IN THE GAME

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