Knicks looking for more from Duke basketball star after stunning dunk

The New York Knicks are looking for more from a former Duke basketball standout. 

The last time RJ Barrett had stepped on a basketball court in a postseason game, he was donning a Duke basketball uniform as the Blue Devils fell to the Michigan State Spartans in the Elite Eight.

Now, he’s taking the floor at Madison Square Garden with the New York Knicks, who are in the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Barrett had an incredible highlight-reel dunk, which electrified 15,000 people in Madison Square Garden, but other than his poster, he struggled under the pressure of his first playoff game.

In the 107-105 victory for the Atlanta Hawks, RJ Barrett finished with just 14 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 1-of-6 from 3-point range in addition to 11 rebounds and one assist.

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In the regular season against the Hawks, three victories in as many games for the Knicks, Barrett posted 21.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 47.1-percent shooting and 37.5-percent shooting from 3-point territory.

New York also saw star Julius Randle struggle in his first playoff game while the Hawks’ young superstar, Trae Young, rose to the occasion in his first postseason action, hitting the game-winning shot with 0.9 seconds left.

Duke basketball standout knows he will be more comfortable in Game 2

The capacity crowd in Madison Square Garden was like nothing anyone has seen in over a year as the Knicks faithful had the historic building rocking, and it was even a shock to the home team.

New York only had approximately 2,000 fans for a majority of the season, but COVID-19 distancing restrictions had lessened in The Garden with vaccinated sections.

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Following the loss, Barrett said that the crowd was better than he even expected.

The former Blue Devil had a chance to seal things up for the Knicks, but after missing on a steal attempt, Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic hit a corner 3-pointer to tie the game with less than a minute to play.

Game 2 between the Knicks and the Hawks is scheduled for Wednesday, May 26 at 7:30pm EST at Madison Square Garden (TNT).