The Knicks‘ benching was terrible in Game 4, though the absence of Immanuel Quickley played a huge part in that inept effort. Quickley appears to be on course to miss Game 5 as well, severely hampering the Knicks’ chances of extending the series, but the likes of Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein have left a lot to be desired with their more recent performances.
Of course, it’s not like Tom Thibodeau wants to rely much on his bench; but in the crucial minutes where Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle must rest, the Knicks bench must step up the tempo and, to their credit, they have shown throughout the 2022-23 season that they can perform at a much better level than they have the ‘I showed recently.