Knicks defeated by the Celtics but RJ Barrett shines

The latest defeat came in Boston on Wednesday night, where New York failed to maintain a lead in the fourth quarter and struggled with the clutch again.

If you’re a Knick fan desperate to see the club trigger a seven-season playoff drought, these past 10 days have been your worst nightmare.

New York dropped several winnable games in this stretch and showed most of the weaknesses on its roster.

But if you’re a Knick fan who thinks the club is playing for house money this season and is only looking for improvements from some of the young players, this 1-5 stretch had a different feel.

That’s because RJ Barrett, the club’s number 3 pick in the 2019 draft, performed incredibly well.

Entering Wednesday’s game in Boston, Barrett had shot 50% from over the arc in his last five games. Then he went 6 out of 6 out of three against the Celtics, recording one of the best shooting performances of his young career.

Coach Tom Thibodeau cites Barrett’s work ethic as a factor in his strong shot of late.

“When we were home, he usually comes every night to shoot and get extra footage. He really worked hard to improve a shot and I think he felt very comfortable behind the line,” said Barrett’s Thibodeau. “… I am very pleased with his overall progress of him and I think he will continue to grow.”