Game 27: New York Knicks v Orlando Magic (Review)

Game 27: New York Knicks v Orlando Magic (Review)

Actual Score: 103-98

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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The New York Knicks (9-18) are clearly a different team with Tyson Chandler and a better team than they were to start the season. Players are starting to come into their roles, players are getting out of their slumps and their season seems to be turning towards the playoff. They were coming off a lost against the Memphis Grizzlies (11-15) at home.

In that game they were down by 25 at one point but fought back bringing the game to four points. The stretch they put together near the end of the game was similar to their first half of this game. New York was completely on fire as they were beating the Orlando Magic (8-20) 65-41 at the end of the first half and 68-43 at one point in the third quarter. Everything was clicking. New York was hitting 3s, 2s, and rebounding. Tyson Chandler looked in All Star form, grabbing rebounds and dedicating himself to the game as he usually does. Raymond Felton prematurely returned to action, coming out of the first half with 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting along with 3 assists. The Knicks lead the NBA in least amount of turnovers with 11.9 turnovers per game. They only had one in the first half.

Tyson Chandler (6) hawked down rebounds in his best game of the season. 

The story turned completely. It started with Carmelo Anthony, who had a team high 19-points. The Knicks blew their huge lead, as Orland smelled blood. Jameer Nelson took over the game. He finished with 17 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds. He was shown playing harder than ever, when at one point New York was triple teaming him. New York was outscored 35 to 19 in the third quarter. As the game went on, Orlando fought, getting within one point, but could never get closer. New York had 8 turnovers in the second half.

With 5 minutes remaining, the Knicks battled. They had thrown away their lead, lost their best player and couldn’t afford another loss, which would add another blemish to a season that is already blotted with dark spots. Tyson Chandler slammed the ball in over Glen Davis off a great feed from Raymond Felton for a four point Knick lead. Chandler could be seen yelling at his teammates (Iman Shumpert and Andrea Bargnani) to run up the court and bring more energy.

Then with 3 minutes left, there was a crazy sequence. Felton turned the ball over, Jameer Nelson got steal, passed it down court to Tobias Harris, who was subsequently blocked by Iman Shumpert. New York called a timeout as Raymond Felton was then gingerly walked off the floor with an ankle injury. A minute and 3 seconds later, Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Nelson on the top of the key and laid it in, giving New York a 6-point lead. Immediately after, Shumpert saved New York off a turnover where Glen Davis was on his own and Shumpert swatted the ball out of his hands. The Magic gained possession but Shumpert’s energy was on full display. Aaron Afflalo hit a huge 3-point shot with less than a minute left. He had five of those and led all scorers with 26 points. All five of the Magic starters finished in double figures, but it simply wasn’t enough.

New York lost both Carmelo Anthony (7) and Raymond Felton while they barely held on.

Tyson Chandler rebounded well the entire game. In his best game of the season, he had 10 points, 13 rebounds and a block. Beno Udrih was clutch at the free throw line as he replaced Felton. During the game he was 6 for 6 from the line, finishing with 10 points and 6 assists. J.R. Smith also had one of his better games, shooting 7 for 17, for 18 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 4 assists.

Though New York blew a huge lead and was outscored in the second half, it was enough to get them the win 103-98. Melo, Bargnani, Chandler, Felton, Smith, and Udrih all finished in double figures.

The Knicks play their next game on Christmas Day at home at 2:30 PM ET against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder (22-5), who have surpassed all expectations with 22 wins.

Game 25: New York Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks (Review)

Game 25: New York Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks (Review)

Actual Score: 107-101

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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The Knicks survived in their double-overtime matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks.

On the same night that the two best teams in the Eastern Conference were battling in the warmth of downtown Miami, the two worst teams in the same conference were dueling in wintry setting of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Knicks (8-17) played the Bucks (5-20) in a game that was dictated by mistakes and defense. New York was able to take the game in the second overtime, 107-101. Many Knicks fans saw it as a one of the most trying games of the season.

The Knicks were playing in a close contest the entire game. They never had a lead that they could sustain. The return of Tyson Chandler made a huge difference. In his return to action after 5 weeks of recovering from his broken leg, he played 37 minutes. In overtime he had two blocks and a key offensive rebound in the first overtime. He finished with 9 points, 9 rebounds (5 offensive), 3 blocks, 1 steal and 1 assist. He was missed, as the last 5 weeks; the Knicks were able to manage a top ten defense without any true interior presence. The former All-Star could be seen struggling near the end of the game as he hobbled off the court on his sore leg.

The Knicks almost threw the game away in the first overtime, extending the game unnecessarily. Carmelo Anthony got the 19 year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo one-on-one with the shot clock winding down. New York held a two point lead and Anthony shot the ball as it rimmed out and Tyson Chandler pulled down the rebound with 11.4 seconds left and a brand new shot clock. He passed the ball out to Andrea Bargnani at the 3-point line and he inexplicably shot the three-ball and missed. The Knicks bench threw their hands up in the air along with the players on the court, stunned by the mental error.

Milwaukee subsequently called a time out. On the next possession, Carmelo Anthony failed to box out and John Henson tipped a miss shot into the net with 00.3 seconds left. New York took the game in second overtime on free-throws from Carmelo.

New York's bench reacts to Bargnani's 3-point shot in overtime.

When asked about the shot, Bargnani responded by tapping his chest and walking back to the bench, taking full blame for the error. He wasn’t there mentally. Clyde Frazier, MSG Color play-by-play announcer was appalled, “WHAT IS HE DOING? WHAT IS HE DOING, FOLKS? WHY WOULD HE SHOOT THE BALL? WHY?” He was just as appalled as his fellow commentator Spero Dedes who said, “Clyde, they basically had it set up for free throws and a chance to ice the game. And Bargnani – for reasons only known to him – took the three.” Bargnani was the player who hoped the Knicks would win the most.

The Bucks put up a valiant effort. Brandon Knight, who was injured in the teams’ previous matchup, had a career high 36-points along with 9 rebounds and 3 assists in 50 minutes. He exposed New York’s inability to defend the guard position. All 5 starters for the Bucks scored in double figures. It was also the first start for NBA’s youngest player Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was assigned Carmelo Anthony the entire game.

Anthony finished the game with 29 points, leading the Knicks in scoring for another game. He played a career high 55 minutes. New York couldn’t rest him when there was no offensive production coming from other players. J.R. Smith seldom hit shots but his shots mattered. He shot 7 for 23 and 5 for 17 from beyond the arc. His three point shot attempts were a Knicks record. He hit a shot from three-point range late in the fourth and another from the top of the key in overtime, both to swing the momentum of the game in New York’s favor. He played a total of 48 minutes in the game along with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

J.R. Smith hasn't made many shots recently, but made a few when they counted. His FG% this year is 33%. 

It was disappointing to see the Knicks struggle as much as they did, but both teams were depleted by injuries. For New York, Kenyon Martin is out for a couple of weeks with an abdominal strain, Amar’e Stoudemire is resting his knees after 6 games in 9 days, Raymond Felton is out with a strained left hamstring and Pablo Prigioni has a broken toe. It was a similar situation for Milwaukee, they were without Carlos Delfino who had surgery on his right foot,  Caron Butler due to a sore knee, Zaza Pachulia with a fractured right foot, Larry Sanders with a broken thumb, and O.J. Mayo who was one for personal reasons.

The New York Knicks moved out of last place in their division to 4^th, one spot above the Philadelphia 76ers (7-19). They are now 12^th in the Eastern Conference and 2 games away from a playoff spot. The struggles will continue for now with such a depleted roster, but with Tyson Chandler back, this team could be scary with a full team in the future. New York has won 5 of its last 8 games.  

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Game 21: New York Knicks v Chicago Bulls (Review)

Game 21: New York Knicks v Chicago Bulls (Review)

Actual Score: 83-76

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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Carmelo Anthony (7) and Amar'e Stoudemire (1) led the Knicks to their 6th win of the season.

A win is a win. That’s the exact thing that the New York Knicks (6-15) were thinking after their win against the Chicago Bulls (8-12). It was a tough game to win at that. A low-scoring, defensive affair, two of the top 10 defenses faced each other in MSG. The last time the Knicks played the Bulls at home and won was the famed Easter game. That game, the teams were full and ready, MSG was rocking, and both teams were winning.

This was a completely different story. The Bulls were injury-riddled in the matchup, playing without three starters. Their leading scorer, Luol Deng (19.4 ppg) strained his Achilles. Jimmy Butler, their promising shooting guard, missed 12 straight games because of a sprained toe. And their superstar, Derrick Rose, who hadn’t played for over a year before this season, went down for the season with a torn meniscus. His highest hopes are a playoff return. The Bulls are a team that is trying to play tough and make something out of nothing.

New York started the game of in a defensive fashion. Both teams did as a matter of fact. The score after one, 17-15 in Chicago’s favor. New York didn’t do anything special until the second quarter, where they seemingly ended the game with a 20-0 run. At the end of the first half, the score was 46-32. New York continued this dominance into the third quarter. The lead was still the same. But all of a sudden, the resilience of the Bulls came out. The lead was cut to 10, and then to four, and out of nowhere, Chicago had tied the game at 74 with 3 minutes left in the contest. Then, hinged on a huge shot by Amar’e Stoudemire, the Knicks went on a 7-0 run to put the game out of reach. The final score, 83-78.

The fact that the Knicks blew a 23-point lead was almost predictable at this point. One of the main issues with this Knickerbockers squad is consistency. They find a winning formula but can never continue it. But the lead was great while it lasted and was the reason New York won.

In a defensive match-up New York was able to hold of the Bulls.

Carmelo Anthony was on his game the entire night. He shot 9-21 from the field but, he led the team in scoring with 30 points, led the team in rebounding with 10 boards and led the team in assists with 4. His play kept the Knicks afloat the entire game. Woodson also changed up the line up. His starting point guard, Raymond Felton, is sidelined for two to three weeks with an injury to his left hamstring. In place of him, Pablo Prigioni was thrust into the starting spot along with the returning Kenyon Martin. Both brought to the floor exactly what they needed. What the Knicks have been missing recently, which is exactly what Kenyon Martin brings. There was a sequence in the game where he had 3 blocks in one possession. He finished the game with 4 blocks, 2 steals, 2 assists and 7 rebounds. His effort he shows so frequently in game tends to spread among the Knicks players. Pablo Prigioni also fed off of that energy. He took a season high, 9 shots, shooting only 2 for 7. But his effort didn’t show up in the stat sheet. Prigioni kept the ball moving and generated crazy amounts of pressure on the Bulls guards.

What made this win so peculiar were the rotations. Starting shooting guard and defensive specialist, Iman Shumpert, only played 13 minutes as he left the game with a left knee bruise. That gave more minutes to Tim Hardaway Jr. and Beno Udrih. Udrih, who hasn’t played much recently, played 17 minutes and scored 8 points along with 2 assists. Though he played well, he was completely outshined by Amar’e Stoudemire. Game after game, the 11-year veteran is looking like his old self. His curls and slams are energetic and he hit the biggest shot of the game. He shot 7-11 for 14 points and 9 rebounds along with a block and a couple of steals. He also played a season high 30 minutes. If Stoudemire’s play continues to improve at the rate it is, he may be inserted in the starting lineup and more over, create a real impact in games, becoming an offensive and defensive threat.

Amar'e Stoudemire (1) is playing like he played in Phoenix, a dominating force.

Bull’s Mike Dunleavy led the way for his team with 20 points in 45 minutes. The three-point specialist was abysmal from deep, shooting 3-11. As a whole, Chicago was shut down by New York. They shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond that arc. Chicago’s offense has been lacking and like the Knicks, their losses are going to pile up, if they cannot find a way to score. This is the Knicks first win this year when they scored under 90 points.

This was New York’s second game in as many nights. They travel to Boston on Friday in a rematch of Sunday’s blowout.

Game 20: New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers (Review)

Game 20: New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers (Review)

Predicted Score: 95-99

Actual Score: 94-109

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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Kyrie Irving brought the ball to the top of the key. Tristan Thompson came to meet him with a screen. Irving dribbled behind his back and swung back across his body. Unfortunately, Pablo Prigioni was guarding him. Prigioni did a full turn around and had to run around Thompson’s screen as Irving rose up for the three-point shot. Splash. The Cavs had a 13-point lead.

Irving dominated the Knicks with a strong supporting cast. 

Irving did that all night. He terrorized the New York Knicks (5-15). They have always struggled when it came to defending the young star. He averaged 30 points and 10 assists against the Knicks in his career and dropped a career high of 41 points in a loss at MSG. This year the Knicks have always struggled against strong point guards. Kyrie Irving took full advantage of that, dropping 37 points and 11 assists on spectacular shooting. It seemed like he could not miss. He was hitting fade-aways, driving in the lane, drawing fouls and constantly using his dribble moves, playing with defenders. He truly put his handles on display Tuesday night.

Overall, he led his Cleveland Cavaliers (8-13) to victory, winning their fourth straight at home. He got a lot of help from his teammates, and even more from New York. The Knicks once again had a slow start in the first quarter and once again, they were not able to recover. Their shots were just not falling as the entire team settled for jump shots, and were dominated in the paint by Andrew Bynum (8 rebounds, 1 block in the first half), Anderson Varejao and Alonzo Gee. At one point, the Knicks were in a 18-point hole, 27-9.  Three Knicks players were in foul trouble in the first quarter, throwing off their entire rhythm.

The Knicks haven't played as a unit this year, resulting in this look on the bench constantly.

They recovered in the second quarter with the bench unit. The Knicks succeeded in keeping the Cavaliers out of the paint. Bargnani, who struggled mightily on the offensive end, shooting 5-17 for 11 points, played extremely well defensively on Andrew Bynum in that quarter. New York also used the Pick and Roll between Pablo Prigioni and Amar’e Stoudemire. It was beautiful, almost reminiscent of Stoudemire’s time in Phoenix with Steve Nash. Stoudemire finished with 15 points on 70% shooting in his highest minute total of the season, 27. He also made a difference on the defensive end with 2 HUGE blocks on Tristan Thompson. Prigioni has 6 points and 9 assists, hitting 2 three-pointers.

The second half was when things went down hill. At half time, the Knicks had cut the lead down to 1 point and it looked like New York had found its groove. It was the exact opposite. The Cavaliers came out in the third quarter firing, especially Irving, who had 12 points and 5 assists in the period. In the second half he had 22 points. He was dueling with Carmelo Anthony. Anthony had a great night but not enough help. Playing 38 minutes, he shot 63.2% (75% from behind the arc) for 29 points and 8 rebounds.

The struggle really came from the 1 and 2 guard spot for the Knicks. Felton was battling injuries through the night, as he limped off the court more than once. He was cold from the field and had one key play during the Knicks run in the 2^nd quarter. Shumpert was seemingly non-existent. He shot 1-4 for 2 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. In the Knicks 5 wins, he is averaging 10.6 points. In their losses, he is averaging 6.4 points. With him scoring, there is another weapon on the floor that the defense needs to worry about, giving all the more reason he needs to get out of his slump. Shumpert didn’t contribute much defensively either. He wasn’t on the floor enough defending Kyrie Irving, making him virtually useless. Woodson even inserted World Peace in the starting line up to try to add some defensive intensity in the beginning of the game. It didn’t work; the Cavaliers scored 31 points that quarter.

Ultimately, Cleveland beat New York 109-94. New York stood no chance when specifically Alonzo Gee exploited them in the paint. No one boxed him out as he spent time cleaning the boards with put-back slams throughout the second half. He had 6 rebounds and 8 emphatic points that were always results of the little things in the game, such as defense and rebounding. And Kyrie Irving, who ended up being the biggest factor in the game, didn’t help the Knicks cause.

New York is playing a stretch of 4 games in 5 days, this being the first. Wednesday night, they play at home against the Chicago Bulls (8-11), on the road against the Celtics (10-13), and home again versus the Atlanta Hawks (11-11). Let’s see how fatigue will take a toll on the teams this week.

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Game 20: New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers

Game 20: New York Knicks v Cleveland Cavaliers

Score: 95-99

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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The Knicks will try to recover Tuesday night from their brutal beating on Sunday. 

Right now, about everybody watching the New York Knicks (5-14) are looking for answers in this abysmal nightmare. After two games of back to back blowouts, the Knicks were given a taste of their own medicine on their own home court. What’s going on? Is there any immediate solution? To the first question, I do not know. New York has had its ups and downs this season (many more downs than ups) but has always seem to go the exact opposite of expectations. To the second question, there is no solution. The Knicks are locked in terms of money and are playing a waiting game for their All-Star Center, Tyson Chandler.

This game of all games they need him. The Knicks take on the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-13) on the road, Tuesday night. This is a team that seemed to make brilliant moves in the offseason with players that seemed to be developing on the right track. My friend Dan and I were even talking about the Cavaliers being one of the best teams in the league in the next couple years and a team fighting for a playoff spot this year. They have underperformed tremendously. But the East is terrible. Absolutely horrendous, which gives the Cavs some breathing room as they deal with struggles inside the locker room and on the court. But one of their two biggest moves in the offseason were signing Andrew Bynum to a two year contract. He is playing limited minutes but is solidly contributing to the team on a nightly basis.

Andrew Bynum's recovery was slow but it seems to be paying off at the right time. 

He will be the reason why the Knicks will struggle in this game. New York is lucky he is only playing a little more than 25 minutes because otherwise, there would be mayhem in Gotham. Bynum will be a factor not only on the offensive end but also on the defensive end as well. He has been a shot-blocking beast this season. In his first start against the Chicago Bulls (8-10), he recorded 5 blocks. With his increased playing time he has assaulted defenses with point totals of 20, 14, 20 and 18.  Over the last five games, the Cavs are 3-2 and their star center is averaging 15.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. Bynum will terrorize the Knicks, but they will keep the game close, ultimately losing 99-95.

Because of the post presence that Cleveland possesses, New York will revert to its 3-point shot. They will do fairly well shooting above 35% from beyond the arc. Of course, as everybody is tired of hearing, Carmelo Anthony will lead them in scoring. He wont have the same problems as last game, though his shot attempts will be up, stopping the flow of the ball on most plays. The Knicks are a hardheaded team, it takes them a while to get a lesson down, but when they do, they are amazing, that’s why I love them.

Anyway, Amar’e Stoudemire will continue his improvement in game. The Pick and Roll has been effective for him and can be key to the Knicks success in the long term, starting with this game. Bargnani will also have a good game, as Varejao, Bynum and Bennett are not the best perimeter defenders. Look for him to make a defense from mid-range.

Andrea Bargnani has made a definite impact for the Knicks this year. Look for him to continue against the Cavaliers. 

The Knicks can win if the ball moves and if the Knicks bigs can get Andrew Bynum into foul trouble. Kyrie Irving will do his thing. He is an amazing All-Star level point guard who is in a slump. He will be a factor but he won’t decide the game. Look for him to be doubled often. If New York can take out Bynum out the game like they did to Dwight Howard earlier this year, the Knicks have a chance to win.

Compare the results of the game to the prediction and tune in on MSG Network at 7:00 PM ET.

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Game 19: New York Knicks v Boston Celtics (Review)

Game 19: New York Knicks v Boston Celtics (Review)

Predicted Score: 97-80

Actual Score: 73-114

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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“I wish I could explain it. Didn’t see that coming.” Those were the words of Mike Woodson after the loss against the Boston Celtics (10-12). If you expected this to happen, you’re lying. After winning their last two games in a similar blowout fashion, New York (5-14) lied on their back as Boston ran all over them in a wire-to-wire, 41-point blowout, 114-73.

The Knicks spent all afternoon chasing after the Boston Celtics.

The game was never good. Not in the slightest. The Knicks started behind the eight ball with terrible offense and defense. The Celtics started the game off on an 18-1 run. In the first 6 minutes of the game, New York had only made one shot. The first quarter ended with the Knicks down 34-11. The energy, tenacity, and general feel of this game were completely different than the last two. To begin the second quarter, the bench came in and it seemed like a spark had been ignited. With the trio of Prigioni, Stoudemire and World Peace, the Knicks’ bench was able to cut the lead to 17. But the starters came back into the game and the door was shut.

The Knicks starting five shot 3 for 23 in the first half, 13% from the field and only made one three pointer. One thing that may have contributed to the Knicks lack of energy, which put them behind so much that they had no chance of coming back, was the absence of Kenyon Martin. He has started in recent weeks, bringing a sort of defensive intensity that boosted the Knicks whenever he was on the floor. He was out with a sore left ankle and Hardaway Jr. got the starting spot in the game. He finished with 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting.

The second half was no different. The first Celtics basket in the half was a summation of the entire game. Crawford ran up the floor with Bradley right behind him. He stopped at the top of the key as Shumpert was defending Bradley. Bradley took a back door cut and dunked the ball emphatically, leaving the Knicks bewildered and confused. The Knicks didn’t get their first points in the half until the 8-minute mark. By midway through the third quarter, the Knicks were wandering in the dark. There was no cohesiveness on defense; it looked like they had given up.

The Knicks seemed to not care as the lead grew bigger and bigger. 

Jordan Crawford led the way for the Celtics as they hit 14 three pointers, shooting 56% from deep. Crawford, who was acquired in a trade from Washington last season, has honed in on the point guard role and taken full advantage of it. He had 23 points and 7 assists as he drained six three-pointers, not caring at all for the defense in front of him. Jared Sullinger, who had 21 points and dominated Andrea Bargnani, closely followed him. The Celtics had 6 players in double figures, including their five starters.

Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton, two players who had phenomenal games in their last two blowout wins, were a combined 0-12, no points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists. Woodson benched them late in the third quarter. J.R. Smith was once again below par with 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He has not performed up to standards after signing his new contract this summer, and now Knicks fans are beginning to wonder whether the reigning Sixth Man of the Year was really worth it. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in scoring again, with 19 points but had a plus/minus of -40. As the superstar of this team, things are supposed to be better when he is on the floor, that wasn’t the case at all. He went 5 for 15, scoring 8 points from the free throw line. He played one-on-one ball in the first quarter with Brandon Bass, who took the liberty of relying on his teammates and shutting down Anthony. He also only grabbed five rebounds, which could have been much better.

The only sources of light were Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. Stoudemire scored 17 points on 5-7 shooting, and going 7-10 from the free throw line. He was killing the pick and roll game as he showed extreme explosiveness constantly in the paint. Also, Stoudemire drew a foul on Jeff Green, showing a change in his defensive outlook, which has been coming around as of recent. Tyson Chandler was seen warming up before the game. He has had no setbacks in his treatment as he tries to recover from his broken left leg. He hasn’t been cleared to run on the court and has been using an Anti-gravity treadmill so far.

Tyson Chandler (6) is well on his way back into action, even though no time table has been set. 

The Knicks inexplicably strayed away from what had them winning in the last two games. Most NBA players are taught to take advantages of mismatches when on offense. New York saw them constantly, but Boson’s team defensive approach created havoc as the Knicks weren’t able to generate any offense. It was their fourth wire-to-wire loss and their worse loss this year in general. They are now 2-7 at home and 0-6 in their orange jerseys.

New York plays Kyrie Irving and the Cleveland Cavaliers (7-13) for the first time this season on the road on Tuesday. Hopefully it is a different result from this game.

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Game 19: New York Knicks v Boston Celtics

Game 19: New York Knicks v Boston Celtics

Score: 97-80

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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The Knicks look to continue their winning streak against their Division Rivals at home. 

After two consecutive wins, it looks like New York’s (5-13) luck may be changing. They’ve won their last two games by a total of 78 points. New York is home once again and is looking to re-establish themselves in the dreadful Eastern Conference. The last two contests, the Knicks have shot 54.7% from behind the arc. In their first 16 games, they shot 32.2%. The Division Leading Boston Celtics (9-12) come into town for an afternoon showcase against the Knicks.

A win against the Celtics is a must for this rejuvenated New York team. Two wins in a row should not make a team smile. Their record is still very far from expectations held by themselves and outsiders looking in. The Celtics were expected to be at the bottom of the division, possibly tanking for next year’s stacked draft. They aren’t playing well, losing more then they are winning, but it’s good enough in their current situation. New York and the other 3 teams ahead of them are on Boston’s tail and this game would make a huge impact in the Atlantic Division and drastically increase the Knicks hopes of wining this division.

The last time these two teams played was in the playoffs last season where New York was expected to sweep them. The Celtics resilience and pride kept them in the series to bring it to 6 games when they were in a 3-0 hole. That’s the only way the Celtics could possibly avoid a blowout on Sunday. The Knicks are hungry. They’ve tasted victory and now want more. If the Celtics show the resilience they showed in their 20-0 run in Game 6 of last year’s post season, then this game will be very interesting.

The Knicks are hoping to continue their barrage of three pointers Sunday Afternoon. 

Under the instruction of rookie coach Brad Stevens, the Celtics are frail, they are a team without much talent but a team that plays with cohesiveness. The Knicks need to bury them with points from mid range and behind the arc in order to make some noise.

My prediction, the Knicks will win 97-80. They will make 3-pointers. They will shoot better than 32% from beyond the arc, but it won’t be as absurd as their last two games. New York has held it’s last two opponents to 83 points and that is what will win them this game. They currently hold the 8^th ranked defense in the league, only allowing 97.3 ppg. The Celtics on average only score 94.3 with the 25^th overall defense, a far cry from their performance last year. New York will force turnovers throughout the game and score in transition as they have been recently pushing the ball down the court and picking up the tempo.

The Knicks will win the battle on the boards and will be led by none other than Carmelo Anthony in scoring. He will score 20 points and grab at least 10 rebounds. As of right now, he leads the team in points (26.5 ppg), rebounds (9.9 rpg). Andrea Bargnani who now leads the team in blocks (1.6 bpg) will continue his ferocious defensive display as well as create space in the paint by drawing out Jared Sullinger, Kris Humphries, and Vitor Faverani. On top of that, Amar’e Stoudemire seems to have found his niche. The pick and roll game has worked well for the Knicks and expect him back on the floor doing the same thing.

Carmelo Anthony (7) and Amar'e Stoudemire (1) have run the pick and roll well. 

The Celtics and the Knicks were recently in trade talks that fell through that would have send Amar’e or Iman Shumpert over to New York. As of right now, those questions are out the window.

New York is a win now city. New York has two wins in a row and the fans are ecstatic. Hopefully they can keep the crowd happy.

Bold Prediction: Amar’e Stoudemire will have more than 10 points.

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Game 17 and 18: New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets AND New York Knicks v Orlando Magic (Review)

Game 17: New York Knicks v Brooklyn Nets 

Score 1: 113-83

Game 18: New York Knicks v Orlando Magic

Score 2: 121-83

By: Malcolm Merritt

Email: mjmerritt23@gmail.com

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It was 9-game losing streak. Now it’s a two game winning streak. It might not mean much to you, but this Knicks (5-13) team is getting exactly what they needed. On Thursday, they defeated the Brooklyn Nets (5-14) 113-83.

The rivalry feeling was bustling Thursday Night as the Knicks came together to end their losing streak in Brooklyn. 

The game was supposed to be a slugfest between two struggling teams. The predictions were wrong. So wrong. The Knicks average 95.5 ppg. They scored nearly 20 points more than that. The Nets were missing some players and New York was fully aware of that.

The game started off well for the Knickerbockers, who scored 29 points in the first quarter, tying their season high. The first half ended with an honest 7-point lead, as New York was struggling to control Brook Lopez, who recorded 16 points and 8 rebounds in the first 24 minutes. The lead wasn’t enough for New York though, they wanted more and they snatched it from Brooklyn. The team heated up in the third quarter, looking like the Knicks of old.  Outscoring the Nets 34-16 in the 3^rd quarter, they went on a 20-5 run and hit their opponents with a barrage of three pointers. After the final buzzer, the stat sheet read 16-27 from downtown, their highest percentage up to that point, as well as the most they’ve made thus far.

Everybody played in the game and their core players played extremely well. Once again, Carmelo Anthony led the team with 19 points, shooting 67% from the field on 12 shots. He also grabbed 10 boards and led the team with 6 assists. Bargnani continued his defensive ways with 3 blocked shots while also shooting 54% from the field. Shumpert’s play was a completely different level from the rest of the season. The third year guard out of Georgia Tech might as well held three fingers up the entire game. He scored 17 points, shooting 5 for 7 from beyond the arc. The most surprising of the players was Amar’e Stoudemire. He has been in a slump for a long time and for this game, he looked like the Stoudemire that signed with the Knicks through free agency. He shot 5 for 6 from the floor and played extremely well in the pick and roll game, especially with Carmelo Anthony, which is nothing but a good sign.

The Knicks were able to shoot 57.1% from the field and 59.3% from the three-point line, while accumulating 24 assists and only turning the ball over 12 times.

There was plenty of this Thursday night as the Knicks hit 16 Three-pointers against their Cross-Town foe. 

But New York wasn’t done. Friday night they played the Orlando Magic (6-13) at home. It was raining outside in Manhattan and it was raining inside Madison Square Garden. The Knicks continued their three-point attack hitting 17 from downtown. The Magic had absolutely no answer and at one point, the Knicks were up by 40 points. They obliterated Orlando, 121-83.

This game was another hot start for the Knicks, but their defense wasn’t there in the first quarter, as they trailed by 3 heading into the second. Carmelo Anthony drove down the lane and was blocked by the rookie Victor Oladipo. Oladipo is coming off a triple double in the Orlando’s most recent loss to Philadelphia. Then, the Knicks galloped away with the game. Three after three after three, New York piled up the points. They had 7 players score in double figures and the bench outscored the Magic’s bench 57-21.

Iman Shumpert said before the game, “I’m mad at everyone… at the world.” It showed. He scored 10 effective, strong points, with a strong dunk being an exclamation point. Carmelo Anthony once again played well, shooting less and doing everything else. He still led his team in scoring for the 18^th straight game with 20 points on 60% shooting. Anthony talked to the media after the game, “Yeah, for me, I wanted to do something a little different to see if it worked. Me scoring 30 wasn’t working… There’ll be a time again where I need to step up and score those points, but the last couple games, the guys stepped up big time and it just allowed me to make them better and they made me better… We got tired of losing. Whether we figured everything out in two games, that’s yet to come, but we’ll take these two wins…”

Iman Shumpert's (21) slam dunk was nothing short of spectacular. He and teammate J.R. Smith (left) knew that. 

Those were words of wisdom. It was evident that New York’s energy and morale were somewhat back after two consecutive blowout wins. After Brooklyn winning on Saturday, the Knicks are still last in the Atlantic Division, but they are only 2.5 games out the Atlantic Division lead. Their goal is nothing less than the playoffs right now.  Worst-case scenario, they are 3 games away from a top-8 spot in the conference.

New York will play the division leading Boston Celtics (9-12) on Sunday. They are looking to take down a team that is only a skeleton of what it was when they played each other in the playoffs last season. With the way New York has been playing, this game has a tremendous upside, but hey, we’re dealing with the Knicks.

Stay tuned for the prediction of this Atlantic Division rivalry.