Game 10 of 82: New York Knicks v Detroit Pistons (Review)

Game 10 of 82: NY Knicks v Detroit Pistons

Predicted Score: 84-93

Actual Score: 86-92

By Malcolm Merritt

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And the woes continue. The New York Knicks (3-7) played the Detroit Pistons (4-6) on the road Tuesday night as their losing streak was extended to three games. The final score: 92-86. Detroit was uplifted by some vintage play from Rodney Stuckey. It was evident that New York had not game planned against him as the second half started and he propelled the Pistons to a 15-point lead.  He shot 8-14 for 21 points 2 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench. 

The first quarter of the game was an offensive onslaught from both teams, as they traded buckets and showed very little defense. The game flowed freely from one end of the court to the next.  Andrea Bargnani finished with 9 points in the first quarter, and 11 in the half, but only took 3 shots in the second half finishing with 13 points. He was able to use his agility to drive past the slower, bigger defenders such as Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond. Tied at 43 at the half, the Knicks seemed to be in a good game. Things turned in a different direction in the second half. 

Though he is one of the few consistent pieces on this Knicks team, Bargnani sputtered in the second half after a great start. 

Down 15 with 9 minutes left the Knicks of the fourth quarter, the Knicks tried to fight their way back. Behind Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks brought the lead down to 4 with a minute left. They never got any closer. The Pistons were able to stay strong on the perimeter, forcing inside shots down the stretch and wasting time on the clock. As the game winded down and the fans began to file out of the Palace of Auburn Hills, the New York seemed like there was no life. It was as if they had taken a punch to the gut and took a little longer than usual to recover. The Knicks losing streak, now three games, is based on simple issues with difficult solutions.

Two things continued to show throughout this game and have been key contributors to this losing streak. Firstly, their lack of size in the paint. Tyson Chandler is sorely missed as the Pistons front-court totaled 42 of their 92 points near the basket.  The Knicks lack of size inside also put them at a disadvantage on the boards as the Knicks lost he rebounding battle and both Drummond and Monroe had 11 rebounds along with 4 and 2 offensive boards respectively.

With sub-par point guard play and lack of a solid front line, the Knicks don't know where to turn. 

In addition their lack of size, the Knicks are lacking solid point guard play. The Knicks have issues when their offense is stagnant. The Knicks inserted Beno Udrih into the starting lineup due to the absence of Raymond Felton. In the first quarter, when everything seemed to work, they had 6 assists. They finished with 16 on the night. Brandon Jennings had 7 on his own. The stagnant offense led to poor shot selection and complete reliance on isolation by Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith. The Knicks shot 6-24 (25%) from behind the arc. Carmelo Anthony shot 8-20 from the field and finished with 25 points after an abysmal start. J.R Smith has shot 22.8% in his return to the Knicks thus far.

The Knicks struggles on the court offensively and defensively are rubbing off on the players, as they don’t have the same glow they’ve worn in years past. The game of basketball isn’t as fun for them anymore because they aren’t winning the games they should be winning. Granted, injuries have contributed to their issues on the court, as it was evident in the absence of Chandler, Felton, and World Peace. But it also could be contributed to their lack of cohesion. Players were seen yelling at each other on the court when assignments were missed on defense, and this happens. On losing teams, the trust begins to dwindle and the chemistry dissipates.

The Knicks woes cannot be attributed to Mike Woodson. 

Wednesday night, New York will play the Eastern Conference leading, Indiana Pacers (9-1) at Madison Square Garden (where they are 1-5). Tune in tomorrow night at 7:00 PM ET on ESPN and MSG Network to see the game.