Knicks attempt to shake off their Backyard blahs vs. the 76ers on Christmas Day

The World’s Most Well-known Area hasn’t been so nice for its tenants.

For a second straight season, the Knicks are worse at house and it’s changing into tough to chalk it as much as coincidence. Their newest defeat Friday night time grew to become the newest and most blatant instance — they misplaced to Bulls at Madison Sq. Backyard inside per week of beating them twice in Chicago.

Heading into their MSG Christmas showdown in opposition to the Sixers, the Knicks are 8-9 at house and 10-6 on the highway. It’s the worst ratio within the NBA, and follows final season’s second-worst ratio of three fewer wins at house (solely the Brooklyn Nets, who had Kyrie Irving completely on the highway due to his vaccination refusal, had been worse). The NBA, it ought to be famous, produces the best house benefit in main American skilled sports activities.

RJ Barrett repeated the frequent excuse Friday — which was uttered by Jalen Brunson earlier — that opponents are merely extra motivated to play at MSG

“Should you had been a staff coming into the Backyard, I’m certain you’d be fired as much as play,” Barrett mentioned. “So, we all know we’re gonna get groups’ finest pictures, and we simply gotta be able to go. We gotta be mentally prepared from the beginning of the sport to not allow them to get that confidence.”

If that’s true, it’s robust to know why the prior Knicks groups didn’t have this drawback. Between the 1999-00 and 2019-20 seasons, they gained 32% of their highway video games and almost 50% of their house video games. That was roughly the NBA’s common ratio throughout that span.

Nonetheless, current proof suggests Barrett and Brunson could possibly be on to one thing. With out the followers and their noise, the environment and attract of the Backyard is misplaced. And when followers had been absent through the pandemic 2020-21 season, the Knicks had been implausible at house at 25-11 — approach higher than their 16-20 highway mark.

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Tom Thibodeau cited the schedule and alluded to metropolitan visitors as a problem. It’s value noting that Barrett has been extra environment friendly at house this season, whereas Brunson and particularly Julius Randle have shot a lot worse.

The explanations for a homecourt benefit are usually four-fold: Journey is exhausting for the guests; Referees are inclined to favor the house groups; Followers increase their house staff; Gamers are extra snug on their very own courtroom.

“Generally there’s nothing you are able to do. Generally, it’s the way in which the schedule unfolds,” Thibodeau mentioned. “You possibly can be at a relaxation drawback. There could possibly be early begins. A variety of issues. So that you wish to management all of the issues which you could. Now there are some logistical challenges for us as properly. Should you’re in an L.A., a Chicago, a New York, you’re coping with various things. Brooklyn — similar factor. That’s a part of life. Simply be able to play. That’s the massive factor.”

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The elephant within the room is the apply facility, which is positioned subsequent to the Regeneron headquarters in Tarrytown. It’s about 30 miles from Madison Sq. Backyard and an hour commute by automotive, relying on the visitors. The Knicks typically maintain a morning shootaround on the facility earlier than gathering at MSG for a recreation a couple of hours later, negating the comfort benefit as a result of most of the gamers dwell in White Plains to be near the power.

There have been instances the Knicks gamers stayed in a Manhattan resort the night time earlier than a house recreation, somewhat than sleep at house.

Whatever the purpose, the Knicks should play half their video games at MSG they usually should be higher.

“We’re in video games, we simply have to shut higher at house,” Brunson mentioned.