CLEVELAND — RJ Barrett had done his best to tune out the outside noise. He was staying off social media. Not letting the criticism find his ears or his eyes.
But after Game 2, he couldn’t help it.
During his postgame interview, he could hear the television sets in the background, and there was ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith ripping into him after a forgettable performance.
Barrett insisted it didn’t bother him.
He’s heard doubters for years — going back all the way to his days as a top-ranked high school prospect.
“People didn’t like me my whole life,” he said, “so I didn’t really care.”
Over the last three games, he quieted the criticism, producing on the big stage.
Wednesday night, he was one of the key figures in the Knicks’ 106-95 closeout victory over the Cavaliers, producing 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting, four rebounds and four assists after shining in the Knicks’ two wins at the Garden over the weekend.
He had arguably the biggest two baskets of Game 4, five straight points early in the fourth quarter to jump-start a 15-6 run that gave the Knicks the lead for good.
Now, they are on to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the first time in a decade.
“It’s amazing, it’s special,” said Barrett, one of the longest-tenured Knicks. “It’s an honor. But we worked for it. Been working for it, something we’ve tried to do especially since I got here.”
It’s one of the 22-year-old Barrett’s best qualities, his self-belief.
He’s able to move past poor performances, and the criticism that comes with them.
Some of that is the spotlight he’s been in since his high school years.
Having a father, Rowan Barrett, who’s been around the game his entire life, and is currently the general manager of the Canadian national team, helps, too.
“Bad games are going to happen. It’s the NBA. Everybody has bad days in life,” RJ Barrett said. “They’re going to happen. It’s really how you bounce back, how you try to play well or do things you need to do to be prepared constantly.”
Two years ago in his playoff debut, Barrett struggled, averaging 14.4 points on 38.8 percent shooting in a five-game series loss to the Hawks.
But he learned a valuable lesson from that series, particularly how important every play is this time of year.
“I was playing it like it was a regular game, but it’s not,” Barrett said, recalling his introduction to the playoffs. “Every little hustle play that you can make, whether you’re there and somebody travels, or you get a steal, all those little possessions they help.”
Throughout this series, Barrett emphasized the importance of extra effort.
The Knicks hit a different gear in their four wins, playing with an intensity the Cavaliers were unable to match.
Two years ago, it was the exact opposite.
“We just did the same thing,” Barrett marveled, thinking back to that disappointing result, “that Atlanta did to us.”
