The most impressive shots in RJ Barrett’s 46-point repertoire last night were two he didn’t take. In the final minute of the New York Knicks’ 115-100 loss to the Miami Heat, Barrett had multiple opportunities to get free shots at a couple of makes and a half-dollar. Get thee behind me, Ricky Davis! Barrett kept his honor.
The cynics among us will point out that athletes performing public displays of “It’s more than a paycheck!” is the low-hanging fruit of Q-rating. Fair. But RJ’s 30-point first half was more than a lone diamond of light in an otherwise obsidian night.