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Charles Barkley gets brutally honest on Knicks’ major Game 5 mistake

Originally posted on ClutchPoints | By Jay Postrado | Last updated 5/1/24

It was supposed to be a night of celebration for New York Knicks fans. Jalen Brunson popped off while the rest of the squad put up serviceable numbers. Heading into the clutch, they had the lead over the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, Tyrese Maxey happened. Not just once and in regulation but he also iced the game in overtime. Charles Barkley outlined that there should be some concern given that this collapse could be traced from a single play, via NBA on TNT.

“I foul 100% of the time [in that situation]. It’s just a bonehead play in my opinion. I want the lead and the ball, the two most important things in a basketball game,” the former Most Valuable Player declared.

Charles Barkley may just have a strong point here. Had the Knicks decided to foul and blitz the ball, they would not have allowed Tyrese Maxey to shoot it from way out. Moreover, if they were also blessed with a little bit of luck due to the aggressiveness, the ball would not have landed in the streaky scorer’s hands at all.

A costly inaction

Apr 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) during overtime in game 5 of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

There was no instruction to foul the 76ers’ star guard at all. It was evident when Miles McBride practically covered Tyrese Maxey while he sprinted towards half-court. There, the foul could have occurred before he entered his shooting range. The screen from Joel Embiid also prevented any primary defender from getting close to Maxey. It effectively created space that made any decision to foul late already.

Whether it was a deliberate choice by the Knicks not to foul or a player just could not get their hands on the 76ers player, Coach Tom Thibodeau chose to be cryptic when asked about the late-game situation.

“We could have, but we’ll leave it at that,” was all the Knicks head honcho could say.

These lapses in judgment need to be fixed if the Knicks want to close out in the next game. Will they be able to sharpen their minds and make the calculated decisions to avoid a win-or-go-home Game 7?

Knicks get buried in the garden

Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) is fouled by Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Everything was going very smoothly for Jalen Brunson’s Knicks in the early part of this matchup. They had the upper hand with a 49 to 43 scoreline heading into halftime. The first quarter was not the best but they managed to salvage it. Then, the second half started and buckets were just super hard to come by.

The Knicks only managed to knock down 27.8% of their three-pointers in this game. This is dwarfed by the fact that the 76ers’ outside shots saw the bottom of the net 38.5% of the time. Their big men also just could not handle the 76ers’ players down low when battling for boards. They only grabbed 40 rebounds which was not a lot compared to their opponents’ 46.

Not being able to create an infectious offense also killed the Knicks. With the exception of Jalen Brunson, no one else from the squad notched 20 points in a must-win game. So, this meant that the ball stuck around to one person a lot of the time. The biggest piece of evidence was the fact that the Knicks only got 19 assists in this game.

There is a lot to learn and adjust for this squad just like what Charles Barkley said. Will they be able to close it out in the next game?

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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