Game 2 of 82: New York Knicks v Chicago Bulls

Game 2 of 82          NY Knicks v Chicago Bulls         Score: 106-97

By Malcolm Merritt

Follow on Instagram & Twitter: @mjdaddy323

Last night, the New York Knicks barely made it out alive.  The Bucks were able to storm back in a game that was a tale of two halves. With the Knicks piling up turnovers and becoming lackadaisical on defense, they squandered a 25 point lead making a blow-out a contest to the end. 

The Bulls were in a similar predicament but on the other side of things. They took their first road loss at the hands of the defending champion Miami Heat as they tried to claw their way back into the game in the Fourth. Derrick Rose showed obvious rust, finishing with 12 points on poor shooting. The Bulls play their home opener, hoping to change the direction of their morale after Tuesday’s game.

It’s the Knickerbockers second game of a back to back, and the result is tiredness. My prediction is that the Knicks will lose this one 106-97. There are positives and negatives coming out of this loss. First, Carmelo Anthony will somewhat find his groove again after last night’s outing, with the simulator predicting 40 points from the superstar on 16 mad attempts. Also, the Knicks shooting will be a glimpse of last season, shooting over 50% from behind the arc for 14 3s, five of them coming from Pablo Prigioni. Tyson Chandler will be in foul trouble in the first half, but will finish with 12 points and 13 boards, still bringing the intensity he had the night before. Andrea Bargnani will also turn his performance around, shooting 75% on 4 shots for 7 points.

Derrick Rose will lead the Chicago Bulls in scoring tonight. It’s simply something about the United Center that brings out the best in the Bulls. The Bulls went 50-24 at home over the last two seasons (the first of the two being 66 games in which they won 26 of them).  Personally, Derrick Rose has scored an average of 22.9 points, 7.9 assists and 3.5 rebounds when playing at home in the last two seasons and against the Knicks has averaged 24.8 points, 7.2 assists and 3.9 rebounds. The stats only tell part of the tale as he goes against a defense that has changed in many ways the last time he played them.  He is predicted to keep steady with his stats finishing wit 31 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds while shooting over 50% from the field and 60% from beyond the arc. Carlos Boozer will follow suit, picking up where he left off, scoring 23 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.

The match-up to watch out for in this game is Tyson Chandler versus Joakim Noah. How will Chandler be able to handle the motor of Noah? This looks to be a great game offensively and defensively.

Boldest Prediction: The Bulls will have a higher 3-point shooting percentage than the Knicks.

Stats generated by whatifsports.com

Game 1 of 82: New York Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks (Review)

Game 1 of 82            NY Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks         Prediction- Score: 102-92

Post-Game Story Actual- Score: 90-83

By Malcolm Merritt

Follow on Instagram & Twitter: @mjdaddy323

The New York Knicks were able to hold on and defeat the Milwaukee Bucks at home Wednesday night.

On Wednesday night, the New York Knicks played the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden. The night was full of its own twists and turns. The Knicks began to the game with one word in mind: aggression.

They started off with a small, the two point guard lineup: Felton, Prigioni, Shumpert, Anthony and Chandler. The Knicks raced out to an early lead because of their stifling defense, while forcing 18 turnovers. Bucks’ guard Brandon Knight, recently acquired in a trade with Detroit for guard Brandon Jennings, was injured in the first two minutes of the contest with a strained hamstring. Backup point guard Luke Ridnour was out with back spasms, which left rookie guard Nate Wolters with a lot of minutes to deal with. The Knicks took full advantage of Milwaukee’s predicament and were able to hold them to 31 first half points.

The second half was a different story. It was actually a complete switch from the aggressiveness in the first half. They seemed to have devolved into a complacent, sloppy, version of themselves. The Bucks’ defense stepped up and their shots began to fall. They outscored New York 33-18 in the third quarter. With four minutes left in he fourth quarter, the Knicks were staring at a one point deficit (81-80) as John Henson hit a free throw. Tyson Chandler and Carmelo Anthony rallied as they led the Knicks to a 7 point victory, 90-83 holding off the Bucks in a high-energy ending.

Carmelo Anthony finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds, as he led the Knicks in both categories. He missed his first seven shots in the fourth quarter but made two key baskets in the final two minutes if the game. He shot 7 for 16 overall with one assist. But the co-MVPs of this game were Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. For Felton, he completely controlled the pace. Quick Fact: When he left with a hamstring injury in the 3rd quarter, the Knicks were up by 17. Once he returned in the fourth, the lead was obliterated. New York turned around, surging towards their eventual victory. He finished with 18 points and 3 assists as he exhibited great speed and body control in his 34 minutes of play. Tyson Chandler led by example. The former Defensive Player of the Year finished with 5 blocks, one in the final moments of the game as Nate Wolters went for the finish. His aggression towards the rim on offense created several emphatic dunks and dazzling alley-oop finishes. His intensity fueled the game with an intensity that seemed to be lacking throughout the game. Chandler finished with 10 points and 6 rebounds, and if that level of play continues into the rest of the season, it is going to be a good year for New York.

The Bucks relied heavily on their newcomers this game, as they look to meld throughout the season. Gary Neal, Carob Butler and OJ Mayo scored 16, 14 and 13 points respectively. Ersan Ilyasova looked very good shooting 5 for 6 from the field for 10 points in 20 minutes. Look for his playing time to increase as the season goes along.

Finally, the Knicks’ newcomers came onto the new court ready to make a statement. Tim Hardaway Jr. looked smooth the entire time he was on the floor. He had five points on 2 for 2 shooting. Bargnani struggled in his Knicks debut and the game as well as ball movement decreased when he was in the game. He started 0 for 4 if the bench and eventually finished 3 for 9 with 6 points and 2 boards. Metta World Peace played well defensively in his Knicks’ debut, finishing with 4 points and 4 rebounds.

New York will play Chicago Thursday night at 8:00 pm on TNT. Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls are coming off a tough loss at the hands of the Heat and are trying to avoid an 0-2 start as Rose re-acclimates himself with the NBA game play.

Happy Halloween!!

Game 1 of 82: New York Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks

Game 1 of 82            NY Knicks v Milwaukee Bucks            Score: 102-92

By Malcolm Merritt

Follow on Instagram & Twitter: @mjdaddy323

Be sure to tune in to MSG Network Tomorrow Night!

With the beginning of the New York Knicks’ season finally upon us, it’s time for our Game-to-Game previews and analysis. For the first matchup this year, the Hometown Knicks take on the Milwaukee Bucks at home. The Milwaukee Bucks have done some work on their roster this offseason, revamping it into a defensive minded team led by 4^th year player Larry Sanders, who finished second in blocks per game last year (2.83). The Bucks are relying on his growth to carry them through this season, as he’s only improved as time has passed. Also, the team is looking for key contributions from their newcomers in the backcourt, Brandon Knight and O.J. Mayo, who averaged a combined 28.6 points and 8.4 assists last year.

The Knicks’ own offseason moves were decent, looking at their cap-space situation. The Knicks drafted Tim Hardaway Jr. out of Michigan and were able to acquire Andrea Bargnani in a trade with the Toronto Raptors. They also signed former Laker, Metta World Peace and Yugoslavian veteran, Beno Udrih. Both players have won championships earlier in their career and look to bring the missing pieces together for an aging Knicks squad. Leaning on Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks look to ride him through the second round of the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. Competition is stiff in the East this year as the Bulls and the Nets made substantial upgrades in the offseason (i.e. the return of Derrick Rose and the Big Nets-Celtics trade). But if the Knicks are able to space the floor, hit their three point shots efficiently and effectively, and have stellar play from Anthony and Chandler, they can make a reasonable dent in the pre-season predictions, but they have to take things one game at a time.

My prediction is that the Knicks win their home debut in their new and improved stadium, 102-92. Carmelo Anthony will lead all scorers with 35 points, 12 boards (4 offensive), and 3 assists. The Knicks superstar will also contribute on the defensive end with a block and steal. Tyson Chandler will finish with a double-double, 14 points and 18 rebounds.

In their Knicks’ debut, Andrea Bargnani will continue his struggles shooting 6 for 25 and 0 for 5 from beyond the arc for 15 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 turnovers. He will largely be looked at as a secondary scoring option in the absence of Former 6^th Man of the Year, J.R. Smith.  Metta World Peace will have a quiet entrance to the Garden, taking no shots, and playing an aggressive game on defense (1 steal), that won’t show up with on the stat sheet. Beno Udrih will come off the pine playing a similar role to former Knick, and now Brooklyn Nets head coach, Jason Kidd, scoring 4 points and dishing 7 assists. Rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. will finish with 2 points and 4 rebounds.

The Bucks will be strong on the defense throughout the game, only to slip in the very last few minutes. O.J. Mayo will lead the team in scoring with 17 points on just as many attempts. Larry Sanders will be dominant on defense with 3 blocks, 2 steals and 12 boards while also putting up 13 points on the offensive end along with 2 assists. It will be a game where the offense struggled to keep pace with the defense.

The Knicks as a team will shoot 44% from the field, 35% from the 3-point line and 77.4% from the Free Throw Line. They will hit 6 3-pointers. The Bucks will shoot 38% from the floor, taking 102 shots, 33% from behind the arc, and 83% from the Free Throw Line.

Boldest Prediction: The Knicks will take 25 more Free Throws than Milwaukee in this game.

Stats generated on whatifsports.com

Biography:

17-year-old Senior at Saint Peter's Prepatory School in Jersey City, NJ.