This is why it’s OK to get excited about these Knicks.
It really is, your heart will not be broken.
Yes, Kristaps Porzingis owned the cheers with his spectacular highlight-reel performance in a 100-88 victory over the Bucks on Sunday night at the Garden, but it was Carmelo Anthony who reached the next level.
Anthony has changed his game for the better and maybe it’s more than just being willing to pass the ball — he is now taking charge of his talent and commanding the night patrol.
Anthony has been a star for a long time, he now is becoming a complete player.
Anthony finished just shy of a triple-double with 24 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. He continues to be in sync with Porzingis, so much so that when he was asked how exciting the future could be, Anthony smiled and said: “Well, it gets me excited about Tuesday against Boston.
“Yeah, I glance at the future because the way he is playing but it’s hard for me to look that far ahead. I’m in the now. I have a pretty good feeling of what he can be in the future, but we’re in the now.’’
That is a good place to be with the adjustments being made by Anthony.
He did not allow the defense to dictate what he could do, he took charge, he established early on that he was going to drive to the basket, he was the aggressor and was the one taking shots in the paint.
By the end of the night, he worked his way inside-out, the way the game is supposed to be played. He found open teammates, he hit open shots, he rebounded. His game has never been more complete as a Knick than it is now.
Explaining his approach, Anthony said: “I’m trying to attack to stay away from the double-team.’’
That is an adjustment he had to make.
There is trust.
“That all comes from Melo,’’ said Porzingis (15 points, five blocks). “He’s trusting us that we’re going to make the right play and that gives the whole team trust and confidence.’’
Flash back to Friday night when Anthony made the last-second pass to an open Jose Calderon in the corner in San Antonio. Calderon missed the 3-pointer and the Knicks lost, 100-99.
Anthony had given up the ball — quite frankly because he had nowhere to go.
“There’s times for me to go out there and get it,’’ Anthony said, “and there’s times to let somebody else go out and get it.’’
On Sunday night, he decided early to take the game to the defenders and that opened up a whole new world for the Knicks — they don’t have to be perfect. They led by 10 at the half and blew it open in the third quarter, taking care of an inferior opponent the way they should at home.
Keep this up and the Knicks will find their way to the playoffs. They went into the game in 10th place in the East.
Asked about the possibility of making the playoffs, Derek Fisher said, “I think for us it’s really about finding a way to perfect our process. If we can get to a point where we are the best of who we are, we’re capable of it for sure.
“Until we are there,’’ Fisher added, “I don’t think we can use a bunch of different terms or reasons why we should or shouldn’t or could, we just have to one day at a time stay focused on becoming great, doing what the great playoff teams do — defend, move the ball, sacrifice, be disciplined. If you are doing those things, then you get to where you are trying to go.’’
If the Knicks continue to progress like they did Sunday night, if the Amazing Porzingis continues to soar and the Complete Anthony continues to change his game for the better — for his team — and more Knicks get involved in the fun, yes, the Knicks will make the playoffs and will be a dangerous team.
There is trust. There is hope.