Friday Morning Bathroom Break (3-19-21)
This Day in Music (3-19-1976)
Paul Kossoff, guitar player in Free, dies at age 25 after suffering a pulmonary embolism during a flight.
After an inspiring, yet frustrating string of tough-luck losses to the likes of the Nets and 76ers, the Knicks got back in the winners column Thursday night in a 94-93 win over the Orlando Magic. Though a one-point win over a team the Knicks “should,” beat is hardly reason for excitement, the very fact that there are teams the Knicks should beat at this stage of their development is an encouraging sign to say the least. The point man for the Knicks success was once again Julius Randle, who accumulated a staggering 17 assists to go along with 18 points and 10 rebounds in another triple-double effort. Perhaps almost inconceivable at the start of the season, Randle is continuing to transform himself into a star, and based on box scores like last night’s, a star that even bigger and brighter stars may want to play alongside. Still, it cannot be denied that the Knicks have something of a scoring problem. While it’s great to have such a solid team-effort that five players score double figures, there’s reason to be concerned about your team getting paced by 21 points from Alec Burks in a game where you struggle to beat a Magic team on the verge of losing their ninth consecutive game. The Knicks remain among the league leaders in intangibles and qualities that go beyond the box score, but in order to provide more consistent results on said box scores, the front office must find a way to put more top-tier talent on the floor. Coach Tom Thibodeau has done tremendous work teaching this team how to play some of the league’s best defense, but it is unrealistic to assume he can teach players how to score at elite levels. Knicks fans have fallen in love with their high-effort, underdog team, but love should not also make fans blind to the reality that this team still badly lacks a true center of gravity.
For the first time since March 7 of last year, Nassau Coliseum was the barn-upon-the-hill for Islanders fans as season ticket holders were allowed into the building. For the first time in the abbreviated 2021 season, the Islanders lost a game in regulation at the Coliseum, falling to the Flyers 4-3. After falling behind 3-0 to a Philly team that clearly had a point to prove after being demolished by the Rangers Wednesday night, the Islanders valiantly battled back in the third period to draw even thanks in large part to three assists from Isles’ defender Nick Leddy. First feeding Michael Del Colle and Sebastian Aho for their first goals of the season, Leddy then found Oliver Wahlstrom at 14:27 of the third period to send the small, but passionate Islanders crowd into a frenzy. The ecstasy was short-lived, however, as just over three minutes later Oskar Lindblom beat Semyon Varlamov for the game’s deciding goal and his second on the night. Now losers of two straight after winning their previous nine, the Islanders face some hard questions for the first time this year. While it still stands to reason that team president and GM Lou Lamoriello will seek reinforcements ahead of the April 12th trade deadline, it may be prudent on the part of the Islanders to act sooner rather than later. Not only would this type of early-bird special trade give the Islanders an opportunity to set the market, but in a season where every game is essentially a four-point game, the Islanders cannot allow the cushion of their winning streak cause complacency towards recent struggles. As their opponents last night (and for the next two, as well) can attest, even a small slump in form can knock a team out of the race in a 56-game sprint.
While the NFL hot stove has cooled some after a fiery first 48 hours for the NY franchises, Thursday proved fortuitous for Joe Douglas and the Jets. Though the results of the day did not necessarily live up to the sexy headlines of rumored interest in star wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, the Jets lived up to expectations that the franchise would be looking to take advantage of soft markets for talented players. First, the Jets made an addition at WR, but not for any added JuJu, at least not yet. Instead, Douglas elected to bring on former Jaguars receiver Keelan Cole on a one-year deal. Cole, though not the star some Jets fans were hoping for, adds legitimate depth to a receiving corp that badly needs it, even in the wake of the prudent addition of Corey Davis. Though they tried their best, hopefully this signals to all Jets fans that the days of Chris Hogan and expired Demaryius Thomas are in the rearview mirror…The Jets also made an addition to Robert Saleh’s defense, inking defensive back Lamarcus Joyner to a one-year deal. Joyner, who struggled last year at slot corner with the Raiders after excelling at safety for the Rams, offers the Jets a legitimate running-mate for Marcus Maye while last year’s third round pick Ashtyn Davis continues to come into his own. The Jets remain razor-thin in the defensive backfield, with a stable of corners still needed in order to properly deploy the relentless defense Saleh will implenent.