In the closing minute Monday afternoon, when the game appeared to be slipping away from the Knicks, RJ Barrett got a hand in the passing lane, deflecting a pass from Aaron Gordon, and when Reggie Bullock tossed it ahead to him, he navigated his way to a fast-break layup that put the game safely in hand for the Knicks.
In his second season, Barrett has still struggled in some areas — three-point shooting remains a problem and he was 0-for-3 Monday. But he also had 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the 91-84 win over the Magic, and spearheaded a defensive effort from the Knicks that has limited the opposition to 75 and 84 points in back-to-back games.