Game 41: Brooklyn Wins Battle of New York Part II

Game 41: New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets (Review)

Actual Score: 80-103

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: Mjmerritt23@gmail.com

The Knicks squared off against their cross town rivals for Part II of the Battle of New York. 
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The courts read “DREAM BIG.” Players wore Martin Luther King Jr. and Black History Month themed sneakers to honor this momentous day and the life of a great leader. Everybody watching New York today benefitted in some way from the life of Martin Luther King Jr. and the NBA tried to give back by setting a slate of games meant to entertain.

Both the Brooklyn Nets (17-22) and the hometown Knicks (15-26), had dreams of dominating the Eastern Conference. Both had dreams of being in the upper-echelon of the entire league. Things haven’t played out that way. As 2014 began, both Brooklyn and New York seemed to be getting things together, but only the Nets have been able to keep that up. They are currently 7-1 this month while the Knicks are 6-4.

The Nets played like their record this month suggested, the Knicks underperformed on their home floor. They were a step slow and a step late. That’s how this game started for New York and their lack of energy and enthusiasm set the tone for the entire 48 minutes. The last time these two teams played, New York went to Brooklyn and dominated. Yes they were injury-ridden, but so were the Knicks. New York came out with a 30-point victory, one of their best performances of the year. In the second chapter of this heated rivalry, Brooklyn held a 27-16 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

Mid-way through the second quarter, the game was seemingly decided. After a sloppy sequence, Jason Terry capped off a flurry of Brooklyn points with a 3-pointer. Coach Mike Woodson called an immediate timeout and brought his team to the huddle. He looked up at the scoreboard, and could only sigh at the 14-point hole the Knickerbockers were in. The stadium was a mixed crowd of Knicks and Nets fans. It was hard to tell which was louder, the boos and jeers from the impatient, low-tolerance New York fans, or the rambunctious cheers and supportive words from the Brooklyn fans.

The Knicks could not stop the Nets offensive onslaught.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

As the half came to a close, with 20.1 seconds left, the Knicks managed to score four consecutive points for the first time all afternoon. New York walked into the locker room, heads down with a 52-38 deficit.

Pablo Prigioni came back from a broken toe and played a total of 5 minutes in the first half (19 in the game). Whether it was attributed to his injury or his conditioning was unclear but he seemed to be on some sort of minutes limit. What was clear was the Nets offensive onslaught. Joe Johnson led all scorers at the half with 20 points (25 in the game), accompanied by five rebounds and four assists. In his 17 minutes, Brooklyn held about a 13-point lead.

The same couldn’t be said about the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony led the ‘Bockers with 15 points at the break. But he was prime example of how his team couldn’t capitalize on their free-throw line opportunities.  They were able to get the line 10 times in the first two quarters an only converted 13 of those 20 times. Anthony, who made his previous 27, shot 6-9 in the first half (8-13 in the game). Only 3 players (Felton, Chandler and Udrih) had first half assists as New York’s backcourt (excluding J.R. Smith) had made only one field goal up to that point.

Carmelo Anthony (7) led the Knicks in scoring in the first half.
(Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The second half started off well for the Knicks and it seemed like things were about to turn around. Alan Anderson traveled on the Nets first possession. Felton responded with a 3-pointer. After that the crowd was on its feet chanting, “DEFENSE! DEFENSE! DEFENSE!” The Knicks had trimmed the lead to eight, but that was the smallest margin they would see. Things quieted down quickly as everything went down hill. With 5:33 left in the game, there was no coming back. Andray Blatche (19 points, 12 boards) hit a trey from the top of the key giving Brooklyn an insurmountable 90-69 lead.

The Knicks were looking to capitalize on their current eight game home stand. They’ve lost two in a row at home and four overall. This has baffled New York fans, as they won five in row before this losing streak.  For the duration of their home stand, most of their opponents are under .500 but that is no longer a barometer for a Knicks team who have been playing to the level of their competition. The Knicks were trying to turn their season around in time for the second half, but as they passed the 41^st game this afternoon, they were greeted with a 103-80 loss to their cross-town rivals. Hopefully this isn’t a sign for the future.

Looking ahead, New York has a match against the Philadelphia 76ers (13-28) Wednesday night. The Knicks are currently third in their division (5.5 GB) and are 11^th in the conference (2 GB the 8^th seed). The Knicks inconsistency doesn’t bode well for them as they prepare for the long haul and are competing with the Bobcats (18-25), Cavaliers (15-26), Celtics (14-28) and Detroit (17-24) for the final playoff spot.

Game 39: New York Incapacitated in Indiana

Game 39: New York Knicks v Indiana Pacers (Review)

Actual Score: 89-117

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

Paul George (24) and the Pacers dominated New York in their rematch. 

The New York Knicks (15-24) were coming off of a lost but were still one of the hottest teams in the league. Winning five of their last seven games the ‘Bockers were looking to get payback against the NBA leading Indiana Pacers (31-7). Last time these teams played was at Madison Square Garden. It’s still fresh in New Yorkers’ minds. Paul George rose up five feet behind the three-point line when the Pacers were down by three. He missed the shot and the stadium exploded. The issue was, the explosion was full of rage and dismay. Iman Shumpert fouled George on the shot. The Pacers went on to hitting all three free throws and winning in overtime.

The Knicks came out of the gates firing in the first quarter, especially Carmelo Anthony. He scored 18 of the Knicks 31 points in the period, capping it off with a buzzer beating trey. The Knicks had an eight-point lead at one point but the Pacers were able to close the quarter on an 11-5 run, being down 31-30 at the horn.

In the second quarter, they woke up. The Pacers turned up the heat defensively and offensively. Paul George and Lance Stephenson put on a show for the home fans as they scored in bunches. At the half, the Pacers had put up a season high 63 first half points.

Lance Stephenson (1) lit up New York with 28 points.

The third quarter was closely contested as Stephenson continued to shine. In the fourth, he capped off his 28-point, four rebound, four assists and single steal performance with a reverse layup off a fast break.

J.R. Smith played 28 minutes and scored 12 points with 4 rebounds and an assist. He shot 50% from the field on 12 shots. The Knicks organization has considered trading him as a possibility. His immaturity and complaints have brought New York under a microscope. Coach Mike Woodson has benched Smith in two of the last four games. With such inconsistent play and childish behavior, it’s up in the air about what could happen to him.

The Knicks were out of this game by the second quarter and the loss meant much more than just another strike in the losing column. Both Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin were lost to sprained ankles. They are both expected to miss about two weeks as reported by rotowire.com.

Amar’e Stoudemire has provided scoring spurts for the club. He has become more consistent with his scoring due to his health but not enough to sustain New York’s struggling offense. He won’t be missed too much anyway. When he was on the floor, the Knicks were being outscored by about 10 points. Kenyon Martin has provided New York with a unique energy and tenacity this season and that will be sorely missed.

Last year, New York scored an average of 100.0 points per game. They’ve had a 4.7-point drop off this year. The average point spread in the NBA is 3.96 points per game. Now only averaging 95.3 points per game, they have the 25^th ranked offense in the Association. This isn’t going to get them by, nor will there occasional poor defensive performances do it either.

All in all, Indiana showed why they are the best team in the East and possibly the league. They are polished on the offensive end and gritty defensively. They destroyed the Knicks 117-89 and made a statement while doing it.

The Pacers have now won three home games by 20+ points.

The Knicks are looking to bounce back at home against the Los Angeles Clippers (28-13) in their next matchup. In their last game, the Paul-less Clippers scored 128 points in 48 minutes.

Game 38: Winning Streak Snapped

Game 38: New York Knicks v Charlotte Bobcats (Review)

Actual Score: 98-108

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

Carmelo Anthony (7) and the Knicks fell to the Bobcats. Again. 

In New York’s second game of a back-to-back, they looked fatigued. The energy was lacking in every facet of the game. The beginning of the game started well but the Charlotte Bobcats (16-23) were able to outplay them, creating a 55-46 advantage going into the half. Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire took over the Knickerbockers’ sluggish offense and brought the Knicks within five in the third quarter, their smallest deficit in the second half. But it wasn’t enough.

The entire, every run was combated by the Bobcats with timeouts and timely buckets. The New York Knicks (15-23) fell 108-98, in a game that was never really that close. New York got into their hotel in Charlotte at 3:00 AM and simply didn’t have the energy after their overtime win against the Phoenix Suns (21-16) at home. But that is no excuse. Back-to-back games are hard but they are a part of the NBA. IT was most evident in the play of Carmelo Anthony. His legs were simply not under him. The last two nights Carmelo Anthony has played a total of 66 minutes. He scored 20 points, the most for any Knicks player, but did not make a single basket from beyond the arc (0-4). There was a point in the third quarter where he simply seemed removed from the game. He began to heat up and make shots when he moved to the elbow and free throw line extended, making three in a row from about 18 feet away. He finished 9-22 from the field in the game with six rebounds.

Amar’e Stoudemire provided a much-needed spark. He has changed his game since his Phoenix days, less flash and more frit from the post. He showed hints of his old self. His mid-range game was excellent hitting a few shots from the top of the key followed by an emphatic dunk on Al Jefferson off of a pass form Beno Udrih. He scored 17 points and grabbed four rebounds. Udrih dished out five assists in his 13 minutes accompanied by six points.

Al Jefferson (25) carried his team and apparently Tyson Chandler (6) in the win.

The Knicks fatigue showed more on the defensive end rather than the offensive end. Their lackadaisical offense was there but it was expected with their 24^th ranked scoring (95.4 ppg), against the fifth ranked defense in the league (96.6 ppg). The Knicks usually hold their own defensively (98.2 ppg), as their winning streak was often attributed to that. But they simply could not get stops on such a cold shooting night. The allowed Al Jefferson to dominate the game. He simply could not miss, shooting 14-20 and scoring 35 points. Point Guard Kemba Walker also contributed heavily, destroying the Knicks with timely baskets and daggers. He wove through New York’s porous defense, which lacked any form of defensive rotations. He was able to score 25 points from all over the court while also stuffing the stat sheet with seven rebounds and five assists.

What should be noted as well is that in garbage time, the Knicks’ power forward Jeremy Tyler scored six points and grabbed two rebounds in 2 minutes of play. Yes, it was against the Bobcats backups but at the same time, Tyson Chandler is recovering and no matter how Kenyon Martin plays, he has proven to be susceptible to injury if not handled carefully. I say that this young man should get more minutes.

New York is wondering what will happen to J.R. Smith as his leash is short.

Tyson Chandler was inserted into the starting line-up after an extended absence due to bronchitis. His performance was subpar, as he only played 16 minutes in his return. Also, J.R. Smith didn’t even have to tie his shoes for this one as he was benched again inexplicably. After being on the pine in the game against Miami (27-10) and, he played 27 and 25 minutes respectively in the Knicks’ next two games. He commented on his benching after the game, “I hadn’t the slightest clue. I’m just worried about getting better… I’ll figure out what I can do better to help this team. If I can’t help the team, [there’s] no point in me being here.” There is obviously some tension between Smith and the Knicks organization as he just became eligible for trade.

The Knicks play again Thursday as they try to get payback for their overtime loss against the hated Indiana Pacers (30-7).

Absence of Posts

We once again apologize for the absence of posts. There are many things going on right now and we will return soon with a vengeance.

Game 34: The Knicks are Onto Something

Game 34: New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons (Review)

Actual Score: 89-85

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

It looks like we are onto something folks. The New York Knicks (12-22) HAVE BEEN PLAYING WELL. Crazy right? After a horrendous start to the season in 2013, New York has managed to win 3 out of their last 4. It could have been 4 in a row if it was not for J.R. Smith’s boneheaded play, but who knows what would’ve happened. New York’s 2^nd straight win, they played the Detroit Pistons (14-21) for the second time this season. The Knicks held on to win 89-85 at Madison Square Garden. Fun Fact: New York has won more on the road (7-10) than they have at home (5-12).

The first time these two teams played each other this year, the offenses were moving, there was no defensive intensity as the teams traded baskets and New York fell behind in the 4^th quarter. There were few similarities between the two contests. Both games so far, the Knicks were without their starting center, Tyson Chandler. He was out with an upper respiratory infection. Also, the Knicks were beat on the boards by one of the best frontcourts in the NBA.

But the difference was the desire oozing from the Knicks players. They played with confidence and made it hard for Detroit to score. The Knicks held Detroit to 37.2% shooting from the field and 15.8% shooting from beyond the arc. The Knicks simply defended a lot better against a talented group of players, especially Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith who finished a combined 8 / 26 for 26 points.

The score at the half was tied at 41. New York used a 32-point third quarter to take over the game and establish what seemed like a substantial double digit lead. The Pistons stormed back in the 4th, being down by only 2 with 6 seconds left in the game. Carmelo Anthony grabbed a rebound after a missed free throw and was fouled to end the game.

 

Carmelo Anthony (7) was in the zone, scoring 34 points and leading New York to a win.

Raymond Felton joined the Knicks again after dealing with lingering groin issue. His stat line wasn’t amazing, 12 points, 6 assists, 4 turnovers, but he set the tone of the game with ball movement. New York finished with a total of 24 assists, most of them finding their superstar, Carmelo Anthony. He led all scorers with 34 points and picked up the slack on the defensive side of the ball with 4 steals and a block. He shot 6-7 from 3-point range and has seemingly locked a spot into next month’s all-star game. Iman Shumpert struggled offensively. After having such a hot start, he’s since cooled down mightily; he shot 2-8 and missed all four of his attempts from long range.

The Knicks are open to trading the former 6th Man of Year.

Recently, J.R. Smith was fined for his antics, and $50,000 fine to be exact. The untying of Shawn Marion’s shoe was looked upon as a hazard to the player’s health. He tried to duplicate this but was unable to succeed against Greg Monroe. But his play overall during the game was only slightly below average this outing. Smith, who signed for a multi-year deal in the offseason, has been in a slump since his 5-game suspension to start the season. He scored 6 points and recorded 2 assists in his 30 minutes of play. Woodson may soon be looking to decrease Smith’s minutes and increase some other players until he gets his act together. He was quoted describing Smith’s actions as “unprofessional” and “unacceptable.” The organization is open to dealing J.R. Smith, though there are not many suitors.

New York is playing against Miami (27-8) at Madison Square Garden at 8:00 PM ET on TNT. Tyson Chandler is a game-time decision against the Heat. If healthy, Woodson thinks that New York can absolutely compete with the former champions.

Game 32: Mental Errors. Again.

Game 32: New York Knicks v Houston Rockets (Review)

Actual Score: 100-102

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

Follow on:

Instagram: @mjdaddy323 

Twitter: @mjmerritt323

The New York Knicks (10-22) were looking to make it two in a row against the Houston Rockets (22-13). New York was looking to win in Houston for the first time in 8 years, dating back to the days of Jamal Crawford. Their plan didn’t turn out too well as they lost a close one 102-100. James Harden scored 37 points, as the Rockets were able to defeat the struggling club off of mental errors.

Disappointment was all over New York's faces as J.R. Smith threw away the game. 

New York had the game, and could’ve sent it to overtime. In a game that was close throughout, with many lead changes and ties, the Knicks had the ball off of an offensive rebound with 17.6 seconds left. The shot clock was turned off and inexplicably J.R. Smith shot the three and missed. Beno Udrih was subsequently called for a reaching foul, which sent Aaron Brooks to the free throw line; giving Houston the final two point lead.

Up to that point, J.R. Smith had shot 1-7 from beyond the three-point line. After the loss, the former Sixth Man of the Year talked to the media about his error that cost his team the game. “That’s bad basketball IQ on me…Honestly, I thought we were down two. I shot the ball, I started hearing Tyson saying ‘no, no, no, don’t take a shot.’ But by that time it was already released.”

This is eerily reminiscent of when Andrea Bargnani took a shot similar to that which allowed the Milwaukee Bucks (7-25) to send the game to Double Overtime. The Knicks need every win they could get and they simply cannot throw away games that they could win. It was their last game of the season series as the Rockets swept them.

Tyson Chandler gave New York a double-double effort, 13 points, and 11 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points and grabbed 8 rebounds. Iman Shumpert led New York in scoring with 26 points and continued his brilliance, shooting six for six from three-point range. This is only a night after setting his career high in points. He added 5 assists and 4 rebounds to his totals. Toure’ Murry proved to be more of a distributor in the contest with 4 assists in his 14 minutes on the floor.

The former Knicks phenom, Jeremy Lin, scored all 14 of his points in the first half but was benched the entire fourth quarter for what seemed like defensive purposes. Dwight Howard played one of his best games against the Knicks in recent memory with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks.

With somewhat consistent play, New York can take the performances from their last two games into Dallas on Sunday. The Knicks can keep their playoff hopes alive as they are only 3 games out of the 8^th seed in the East, which is currently held by the Charlotte Bobcats (14-20).

Game 31: New Year, New Energy, New Knicks?

Game 31: New York Knicks v San Antonio Spurs (Review)

Actual Score: 105-101

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

Follow on:

Instagram: @mjdaddy323 

Twitter: @mjmerritt323

With 37.4 seconds left, Iman Shumpert inbounded the ball to Carmelo Anthony. The game was tied at 101. Anthony went into the post, passed the ball to J.R. Smith, and he passed it back to Carmelo Anthony in the left corner of the court. The crowd was rambunctious; the AT&T Center was shaking with anticipation. The air was thick with a playoff-like scent, as each team had put it all the court. Anthony rose up, the clock kept ticking. The ball soared towards the basket. He missed. But, out of nowhere, Iman Shumpert comes in with a put back to give New York a 2-point lead! The air was sucked out of the crowd and every Knicks fan around the world watching the game was on their feet.

It was that kind of game from Iman Shumpert and the New York Knicks (10-21) pulled off the upset in San Antonio (25-8) as they held on, 105-101 in a game that was honestly their best all around effort of the entire year. The last time these two teams met, San Antonio simply manhandled New York at home. The Knicks clearly underperformed.

Iman Shumpert (21) reminded everyone why he was drafted in his 27-point outing Thursday night. 

All of the expectations that people had of New York were on display as the Knicks simply did it all on their way to only their sixth road win. It was an all around great effort from a team that was looking for a clean slate. The Knicks were down by nine at one point in the second quarter, but quickly turned the game around, heading into the half with a 52-47 advantage. New York lead the game deep into the fourth quarter, at one point leading by 11, as the Spurs took a 98-96 lead with two minutes to go. But New York’s will to win overtook everything else as they pushed the ball into the paint and got timely baskets from their key contributors.

Shumpert equaled Carmelo to lead the Knicks in scoring with 27, a new career high, and for seemingly the first time this season, Anthony didn’t have to do everything by himself.

Shumpert had been in a dreary slump this entire season as he listened to trade rumors for much of the first quarter of the campaign. All his potential gushed out Thursday night. Along with 27 points, he shot six for 8 from behind the arc, with two huge shots in the fourth quarter, the latter being off a crazy sequence with the shot clock winding down, giving New York a three point lead. He had 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals in 31 minutes. His tenacious defense and ferocious play continually pumped energy into the Knicks, as he put on a show in the best game of his career.

Carmelo Anthony finished with a double-double, adding 12 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and 4 assists to his point total in his first game back from a sprained ankle. The Knicks got valuable minutes from other players such as Amar’e Stoudemire who provided an efficient 11 points and two blocks in 24 minutes as well as 4 points from J.R. Smith who decided to do more things without the ball in his hands. He only took five shots, but his two made-shots were necessary shots in the fourth quarter as he dished 3 assists and grabbed five rebounds, his 4^th being the most important. With 8.6 seconds left, after a constant effort from both sides to grab the loose ball off of a Belinelli miss, Smith grabbed the ball and called a timeout, basically sealing the deal for New York. Beno Udrih, a former Spur himself, scored 10 points and also added 7 assists, topping it all off with efficient and clutch free throw shooting.

New York came together in a much needed win.

The one player that kept the Spurs alive was Marco Belinelli. The former Bull came into San Antonio to replace Gary Neal. He showed he could do that and more. In his best outing of his career, he scored 32 points, while shooting six for nine from beyond the arc. Everything seemed to go his way, as his 3-pointers matched whatever New York did, constantly stopping their momentum. Patty Mills and Matt Bonner added additional pressure from the perimeter, propelling the Spurs to 14 three pointers on 32 attempts. The Knicks contained Tony Parker, with the defensive combination of Shumpert and rookie Toure’ Murray, limiting him to 12 points and 7 assists.

The Knicks defeated the Spurs on the boards (40-34), in three-point percentage (52.9% - 43.8%), field goal percentage (51.3% to 48.1%), and Free throw percentage (90% to 68.4%). The Knicks totaled 20 shots from the strike, which has been a problem for them over the course of the season.

With New York playing Friday night in Houston (21-13), they are looking to build off their success and make this New Year as fulfilling as their preseason expectations. New York is now 4^th in the Atlantic Division and 13^th in the Eastern Conference.

Just to update you, if you didn’t know, New York cut Chris Smith, whose place on the team was debated for a long time. He was quickly replaced by their young center Jeremy Tyler who averaged solid numbers on the Knicks D-League Counterparts, the Erie Bayhawks.