NBA Playoffs: 3 best performances from all of Wednesday’s Game 2s

Best Wednesday performances in the NBA playoffs, No. 1 Derrick Rose

Special Consideration: ATL: Trae Young (Cannot win performance of the night if your team does not win, but good lord was he impressive.)

I feel shocked that in 2021 I’m writing a piece that features Derrick Rose having the best performance in a playoff game for the Knicks of all teams but here we go! I fully expected the newly named Most Improved Player from the 2021 season in Julius Randle to have the performance of a lifetime given his struggles in Game 1. Especially with the damage he did against Atlanta in the regular season.

Unfortunately for Randle, it was more of the same. To sum it up quickly, he struggled with his shot. Randle went for 15 points which is way below his season average of 24, and shot 5-16 from the field, including 0-6 in the first half.

As I mentioned before, Randle struggled in Game 1 as well. In a close contest, Alec Burks was the one who stepped and had his playoff moment, putting in 27 points and sending the Garden into a frenzy. Credit to Randle for impacting the game in other ways as he did grab 12 rebounds and made the “dagger” basket off of a euro step that essentially put the game away.

In Game 2, it was Rose who took the reins and decided to have his playoff moment. Knick fans will remember this game as the “Derrick Rose Game”. Similar to when Kelly Olynyk had the most random 26-point outburst in a Game 7 against the Wizards in the conference semifinals a few years back. The stakes tonight were less, but the unlikely hero factor of it is reminiscent of that moment from Olynyk.

Rose set the city on fire and evened up this first round series 1-1 with his 26 points, four rebounds, and four assists in the Knicks 101-92 win over the Hawks. Rose threw it back to his 2011 MVP run in his performance tonight. With the athletic finishes at the rim, his ability to stop on a dime and hit a floater in the paint, and then the jump shot was working for Rose too in the 3rd quarter especially. That 3rd quarter was a quarter to remember for every Knick player it seemed as they outscored Atlanta 32-18.

Tuesday night, I said Joe Harris was the most consistent player for the Nets in their Game 2 win against Boston. Rose was the same thing for the Knicks Wednesday night, consistent, tough, and clutch.

The Knicks were willed to 101-92 victory that was nothing short of a rock fight as both teams shot under 40 percent from the field. A grind it out playoff win is the first for the Knicks since those critically acclaimed Carmelo Anthony led Knicks team in 2013. It’s great for the league when the Knicks are relevant and playing well; what a game.

Games 3-4 will be in Atlanta, with the series tied, it really is anyone’s series at this time.