Knicks Playoff Hopes Delivered Big Blow With Embarrassing Home Loss to Cavaliers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

AFP Photo/Don Emmert

The New York Knicks playoff hopes suffered a big blow Sunday night, as they suffered an embarrassing loss at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-100. A 15-point halftime lead was not enough for the Knicks, as they imploded in the second half and reverted back to playing how they did prior to their eight-game winning streak. It was a heart breaking loss for the Knicks as the Atlanta Hawks had lost earlier in the day to the Toronto Raptors, presenting an outstanding opportunity for the Knicks to climb closer to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The loss tonight ends the Knicks winning streak at eight, with their next game being the start of their west coast trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

Player of the Game: None

Throughout the game there were a couple Knicks that had some positive plays, but nothing sustained through all four quarters.

Match-up of the Game Recap:

Tyson Chandler was a no show for the Knicks tonight. He didn’t have an impact on either end of the court, finishing with only four points, six rebounds and four turnovers; if anything he was hurting more than helping. On the other hand, Spencer Hawes did not have much of an impact either, but he did have a nice highlight with a left-handed floater driving baseline. Hawes finished the night with seven points, five rebounds, one assist and one steal. Hawes wins the match-up tonight because his team not only got the victory, but also finished +7 while Chandler registered a -17.

-Positives

Amar’e Stoudemire continued his strong play for the Knicks tonight. He finished the game with 12 points on 6-10 shooting from the field, adding six rebounds and one assist as well. Stoudemire has been on fire since being inserted into the starting lineup, showcasing improved defense and continuing to be the Knicks most efficient scoring option.

Offensively, the Knicks guards had a strong game. Raymond Felton scored 14 points to go with eight assists, while J.R. Smith added 18 in the starting lineup as well. Off the bench, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Pablo Prigioni had strong games as well. Hardaway Jr. scored 12 points, while Prigioni made both his three point attempts and handed out three assists as well.

AFP Photo/Don Emmert

At the start of the game, Carmelo Anthony was on fire for the Knicks. He started the game off knocking down 6-7 shots, as the Cavaliers had no answers for him defensively. Anthony’s success early on was a big reason why the Knicks built a 15-point lead going into halftime.

-Negatives

Anthony after those first seven shots struggled mightily. He finished the game making only two of his last 13 attempts, going 8-20 overall for the night. The Cavaliers ramped up their effort in the second half and took Anthony out of the game offensively. The Knicks offense also became stagnant as they became over reliant on Anthony, putting him into isolation situations he was unable to take advantage of.

On the perimeter the Knicks reverted back to how they played prior to the eight-game winning streak. Felton and Hardaway Jr. couldn’t stop a cold and got torched by whoever they matched up against. Jarrett Jack feasted off the poor defense, pouring in a season high 31 points to go along with 10 assists and 5 rebounds. They also had trouble containing Dion Waiters, who scored 22 points of his own.

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Woodson once again hurt the Knicks and showed why he should not be retained beyond this season. Woodson, for the second consecutive game, did not put the Knicks in a position to win with poor game management. Tonight he stood idly while Jack torched Felton, and reverted back to his isolation heavy offense. Woodson made no adjustments after halftime as the Cavaliers came out in the second half determined to get back into the game and the Knicks never mounted a response. It was an embarrassing lose for the Knicks that could have been easily avoided with a little more leadership and smarts shown by their head coach.