RJ Barrett becomes all these Knicks stand for

However, as this Knicks season rolls around and ends, there’s no denying that what Tom Thibodeau has done is stabilize the ship.

His ship did not have a captain on Thursday night.

Until RJ Barrett took the wheel and steered him to port.

Took the wheel at a time when Julius Randle was hampered with a barking thigh and cruising through unexpected stormy seas to lead the Knicks to a heartwarming fourth-quarter comeback and a 106-102 win over the Wizards.

He passed Bradley Beal for a and-1 who tied the game at 91. He faltered. He inspired. He refused to lose.

When the time to win came, it was like Barrett was back at Duke’s.

Once Barrett refused to lose, all of the Knicks did.

He had help – mainly Alec Burks (27 points off the bench, 15 in the fourth quarter) and Taj Gibson (diving for loose balls, staring at screens, forced to play the entire fourth quarter with Nerlens Noel set in the difference).

Thibodeau is aiming for a 48-minute team one day. Until he gets one, it’s good to have an ascending Knick like RJ Barrett as a building block.

Barrett’s resilience that night embodied what these Thibodeau Knicks are. He fouled Garrison Mathews by shooting a 3 early in the first quarter. He couldn’t buy a basket.

But he found a way. He moved at the end of the following third trimester. a tracking layout.

“I was trying to pump up the team, pumped myself up,” Barrett said. “We had to fight, I knew we could have this victory, we all believed in it.”

Thibodeau, baby!

“You could see his confidence growing,” said Thibodeau. “He learns every day. The ground game has really developed, he starts playing, he sees the game. Finishing much better. The way he was able to stick to it and keep moving forward.

Barrett’s leadership and Mamba mentality when it mattered were not lost on Randle.

“Her mental toughness to be able to stay with her and make big plays down the line says a lot about her growth and development,” he said.

Barrett did it all – 24 points on 7 of 22 shots, 10 rebounds, five assists.

“I didn’t necessarily have things to do,” said Randle, “but for RJ the escalation was huge.”

For too long the Knicks haven’t shown up for this one.

They looked more like the David Fizdale Knicks.

The Wizards played like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The Knicks played like it was Game 7 of the preseason.

A reckless disregard for basketball, matador defense, and silly, uninspired play.

It was bad enough when Russell Westbrook whipped a pass under the basket for a three-point play from Raul Neto in the second quarter. Thibodeau shook his head in disgust. When Neto missed the free throw on the back ledge, the ball came back to him for a layup because no one blocked him.

The Knicks missed their first eight 3s before Immanuel Brinkley lost one in the second quarter. They finished the halftime 1 for 14. Randle, often in a doubles team, was handed over to his teammates. Who referred to the defenders of sorcerers. There were two clock violations.

Then RJ Barrett arrived. When asked about Randle, he said, “We’re just holding him back for him.”

RJ Barrett knows he should be doing most of the detention.

“I love this team,” Thibodeau said before the game.

RJ Barrett reminded him why he was doing it.