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Showing posts with label Jeremy Tyler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeremy Tyler. Show all posts

Thursday, July 3, 2014

New York Knicks Announce Summer League Roster and Schedule

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Garrett Ellwood/NBA
The New York Knicks will be participating in the 2014 Las Vegas Summer league yet again this season. The league will run from July 11th-July 21st, and will be the first opportunity to see the new rookie class and some of the young players with bright futures. The Knicks, like all other teams, will play at least five games in the tournament-style format that will be held at the Cox Pavilion on the UNLV campus.

The Knicks will be bringing a loaded backcourt to the summer league, which should prove positive results as the summer league is more about showcasing offense than defense. They have a number of young players that fans will be seeing in action for the first time, including second round draft picks Cleanthony Early and Thanasis Antetokounmpo. This will also be the first time Knicks’ fans can see Shane Larkin in action, and 2013 All-Rookie First Team selection Tim Hardaway Jr. Here is the rest of the Knicks roster for the summer league.

Three other Knicks from last season, Jeremy Tyler, Cole Aldrich and Shannon Brown, will join the four players mentioned above, in addition to Langston Galloway, Jordan Henriquez, Zane Johnson, Cameron Moore, Will Sheehey, Brandon Triche, and Jordan Vandenberg.

The scheduled Knicks games right now will be:

July 11th: 1 PM ET vs. Dallas Mavericks

July 12th: 1 PM ET vs. Portland Trailblazers

July 14th: 1 PM ET vs. Charlotte Hornets

The next games the Knicks play will be determined by how well they perform in the three games scheduled.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

W2W4: Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks; April 16th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will play their regular season finale Wednesday night against the surprising Atlantic Division champion Toronto Raptors. There is a good chance this one, like last night against the Brooklyn Nets, will resemble something closer to a preseason game as the Knicks prepare for the offseason and the Raptors get ready for the playoffs. Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

Photo Credit N/A
-How Bench Players React

The Knicks are sure to use plenty of their deeper reserves and young players tonight, as they do not have anything to play for. Carmelo Anthony will not dress with his partially torn labrum, and there is a good chance Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler will also sit this one out. If that happens, there will be a lot of minutes to soak up for other players.

One player who stands to receive a ton of playing time is Cole Aldrich. Aldrich played 26 minutes last night, and will more than likely top that tonight. He performed well last night, and has throughout the season in spot duty, raising the question of should he have been playing all season.

Another player to keep an eye on is Toure’ Murry. The Knicks like the intangibles he brings defensively, but he has not been given constant minutes all season. He should be given the opportunity to shine tonight with Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni’s minutes being held to a minimum.

The last player to keep an eye on is Jeremy Tyler. He should be in line behind Aldrich for minutes tonight. He had been in the rotation for parts of the season, but fell out of favor for some reason, even with Andrea Bargnani and Kenyon Martin missing big chunks of the season. Like Aldrich and Murry, he has a good chance tonight to make a lasting impression on new President Phil Jackson.

-Raptors Seeding

Unlike the Knicks, the Raptors do have something to play for tonight. Currently, they are sitting in the third seed, tied with the Chicago Bulls. If they win tonight, they will hold onto the third seed and more than likely face the Washington Wizards. If they lose, they will more than likely play against the Nets.

That means the Raptors will most likely be using their regulars full time tonight. Head coach Dwane Casey has said that his players would be monitored tonight, but they will play if need be. The Raptors are not as talented, or experienced, enough to turn the switch on and off nightly. They need to keep their foot on the gas and stay sharp for the playoffs.
-Woodson’s Last Game


This could very well be Mike Woodson’s last game as head coach of the Knicks. He had a successful tenure as coach before this season, but he seems to have worn out his welcome. Jackson very likely will name a new head coach this offseason to go with a new general manager, as he will bring his people into the organization. It has been a quick turn on Woodson, who the fans were behind just a season ago.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Knicks Blow Celtics Out For 5th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to go into Boston and handle business Wednesday night, coming away with a 116-92 blowout victory over the Celtics. It was a total team effort tonight from the Knicks on both ends of the court overall as they took control of the game right from the start. The victory tonight moves the Knicks to three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and alone in ninth place. The Knicks will take their five game winning streak into a matinee with the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night and look to inch closer to the playoffs.

-Player of the Game: Cole Aldrich

Jared Wickerham-Getty Images
With Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire both sidelined for tonight, the Knicks needed someone to step up and try filling the void. That person tonight was Aldrich, who made his first NBA start and put together a great game in the process. Aldrich recorded a double-double, scoring a career-high tying 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. He also brought intensity and production to the defensive end, blocking three shots. Aldrich knows his role with the team and that he probably will not play much, if at all, when all the regulars come back, but for one night Aldrich was called upon and he showed up. This is a good thing all around as the Knicks now know what Aldrich can give them in a pinch and Aldrich now has the confidence that he can come in and produce.

-Positives

EPA/CJ Gunther CORBIS OUT
Carmelo Anthony led the way scoring 34 points. He set the tone early on for the Knicks, scoring 13 points in the opening quarter to open up a lead that the Knicks would never relinquish. Anthony had it going from deep, knocking down 4-7 from beyond the three point line and making all eight of his free throws. He also grabbed nine rebounds, handed out two assists and getting one steal.

The bench tonight provided a lot of positives for the Knicks. With Stoudemire and J.R. Smith being inserted into the starting lineup the bench recently has lacked punch but tonight they did well. Tim Hardaway Jr. poured in 22 points as he was on fire from the field all night, knocking down 7-11 from the field, 3-5 from deep and 5-6 from the charity stripe. Pablo Prigioni provided timely baskets with his two three point makes and veteran leadership while on the court with four assists, two rebounds and three steals. Jeremy Tyler gave energy and a presence on the boards for the Knicks, grabbing seven rebounds. The biggest surprise was Earl Clark, who was inserted into the rotation tonight with all of the injuries. Like Aldrich Clark made the most of his chance, scoring six points to go with six rebounds, two blocks, an assist and steal.

The offense was clicking all night for the Knicks from the opening tip through the final whistle. It was a wire-to-wire victory for the Knicks, the second time they have accomplished such a feat during the winning streak. Tonight they lit the Celtics up from deep, shooting 11-19 from the three point line and from the field overall, going 42-80 on the night. They also made the most from their trips to the charity stripe, something that has plagued them at times but not tonight, making 21-24 free throws.

-Negatives


Jared Wickerham-Getty Images
The Knicks showed a little bit of a letdown in the third quarter. After opening up a 20 point lead going into the half, the Knicks saw that lead cut in half when the fourth quarter started. A big reason for that was Jeff Green, who scored 17 of his 27 in the third quarter. That combined with a poor shooting quarter got the Celtics back into the game going into the fourth quarter. It was a short lived comeback though, as the Knicks ended the game strong, outscoring the Celtics 31-17 in the fourth quarter to come away with the easy victory.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics; March 10th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks and Celtics will be facing off for the fourth and final time this season in Boston. The Knicks will look to even the season series up at two, as the Celtics won the first two meetings pretty handedly and the Knicks won in blowout fashion in the most recent meeting. This is an important game for the Knicks as they continue their playoff push, as they cannot afford to lose to teams below them in the standings to move up. The Knicks will look to continue their four game winning streak and here are some news and notes for them to do so.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks will be extremely short-handed in the front court tonight. Tyson Chandler will not be with the team for the second consecutive game as he deals with a personal problem. The Knicks will also be without his frontcourt mate in the starting lineup in Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire will miss tonight’s game for precautionary reasons; he has played 56 minutes in his last two games after being on a strict minutes limit throughout the season.  One of Jeremy Tyler or Cole Aldrich will most likely find themselves in the starting lineup and both getting increased minutes tonight. Earl Clark will more likely find his way into the rotation tonight as the backup big man off the bench.

For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo will not be suiting up. Rondo played 41 minutes last night against the Indiana Pacers and will be held out. Rondo is still not playing back-to-backs for the Celtics, who have very little to play for so pushing Rondo makes little sense. The Knicks catch a break as the inexperienced Phil Pressey will take over the starting point guard duties.

-Match-Up of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Jeff Green
NBA.Com
With Rondo out, Green is the best player the Celtics have and will be the vocal point of their offense. Green has had some success in guarding Anthony this season as well. Anthony struggled in the first two meetings, both Knicks losses and did well in the third meeting, a Knicks win. The Knicks fortunes tonight will hinge on the performance of Anthony and if he can take advantage of his match up with Green tonight. Anthony has struggled a little offensively recently dealing with an illness and will look to get back on track tonight.

-Who Steps Up Tonight?

With Stoudemire and Chandler out the Knicks are missing key pieces to their recent turnaround; an extremely efficient scorer who has been a presence rebounding, and the heart and soul to their defense. Who picks up the slack tonight for the Knicks will be the most intriguing thing to watch tonight. Tyler has played well in limited minutes, but is foul prone at times. Aldrich hasn’t been a constant contributor at any point in his career, but has shown the ability to rebound and play some solid defense when given a chance. Clark, who was cut from the Cavaliers, is probably the x-factor tonight in the front court. If he can give the Knicks anything tonight it will go a long way, but it is going to be a group effort to replace the production of Stoudemire and Chandler.

-No Let Down


The Celtics are coming off a hard-fought game against the Pacers last night in Indiana. The Knicks, on the other hand, are coming off a game that took them three quarters to get going, but ended up winning comfortably. Tonight they have to come out with the same intensity they did the fourth quarter Monday against the 76ers and take the Celtics out early. The Knicks have a tendency to let teams stick around far too long and it has hurt them throughout the season. Tonight, especially without 2/3 their starting front court, they need to come out early and take control. Expect a lot of Carmelo Anthony early and often as the Knicks will lean on their leading man with key pieces missing the game. If the Knicks can get on the Celtics early they can put this game away early as the Celtics will be a little fatigued and without their best player, even post ACL-injury, in Rondo. 

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Knicks Losing Streak Hits 7

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 3rd, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons

Post Game Recap

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
This was a rough game to watch for fans of either team, but it hurt a little more for Knicks fans as they fell to the Pistons 96-85 Monday night. The Knicks didn’t not put forth the effort once again and were once again embarrassed by their opponent. The focus and attention to detail just are not there for this team as a playoff run looks as out of the question as ever now. They have completely collapsed after a strong January and look to just be going through the motions as the positives needed to win basketball games are coming far too sporadically for this team. The Knicks losing streak now hits seven as they have lost 13 of their last 15 games and fall to 21-40.

Player of the Game: None

There was no Knicks player that brought it on both ends of the court tonight. The closest person was Jeremy Tyler, who came in and continued to give the energy and competitiveness he has shown all season. With the season all but down the drain he should see his minutes increase. You could also say that Shannon Brown and Earl Clark were players of the game as they didn’t give any negative plays to the Knicks on the court being stapled to the bench and receiving DNP-Coach Decision.

-Positives

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Amar’e Stoudemire was inserted into the starting five and he responded in a big way. Stoudemire poured in 22 points as he had it going all night offensively. He was able to attack the rim and knock down his jump shots when they were presented to him. When Stoudemire is able to get consistent minutes he looks spry and is extremely effective on the offensive end. He also added six rebounds tonight.

Carmelo Anthony didn’t let Stoudemire have all the fun offensively, scoring 28 of his own points. Anthony and Stoudemire looked like the tandem they were supposed to be when the Knicks traded for Anthony. Anthony added five rebounds, two assists and three steals. When your offensive weapons combined for 50 points you would expect to be more in the game than the Knicks were.

-Negatives

The Knicks were an abomination in the rebounding department tonight. The Pistons dominated the boards, out rebounding the Knicks 54-40. The Pistons hurt the Knicks on the offensive glass, as they resulted in easy baskets for the Pistons big men. Andre Drummond was a one-man wrecking crew rebounding for the Pistons as he grabbed a career-high 26; seven offensive and 18 defensive. Tyson Chandler grabbed 18 for the Knicks but he did not impact the game as much as Drummond as he missed multiple point blank shots at the rim on his put-backs.

With Stoudemire and J.R. Smith being inserted into the starting lineup, the bench lost a lot of punch offensively. Tonight the bench was unable to keep up with the bench of the Pistons, as they were outscored 36-7. Overall it was a tough go at it offensively for the Knicks, who shot 38.6 percent overall from the floor. The team looked out of sync outside of the first quarter, turning the ball over 17 times and showing no semblance of an offense. Too often a player would take the ball up, dribble multiple times and hoist up a shot without making a pass or even starting the offense.

For much of the season the guard play has really let the Knicks down and it continued tonight. Tonight it was hard to watch as all the guards combined to shoot 9-41 from the field. What makes it worse is Smith missed his first 10 shots of the game; he only got going once the game was decided. He finished the game 2-17, Raymond Felton was 1-9, Pablo Prigioni was 1-2, Iman Shumpert 2-7 and Tim Hardaway Jr. was 0-6. Hardaway Jr. may have had the most disappointing night of the bunch, as he gave nothing else on the court, recording only one assist as his only other registered stat.
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports


How Mike Woodson sits on the sideline and doesn’t make changes is mind-boggling. He has players like Tyler and Toure’ Murry that have shown time and time again that when they are inserted into the game they will bring energy every night. Surround that with the right lineup and things start looking like a Knicks team fans have missed all season. Instead he sticks with lineups and rotations that have not worked, making it hard to continue watching this team play and giving little hope of closing the season out on a high note.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Knicks Blown Out By Heat Behind James, Wade

Thursday, February 27th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

Post Game Recap

The Knicks came into the game with the best winning percentage against the Heat since the start of last season and left with it dropping a little bit. The Knicks were handled rather easily tonight by the two-time defending champs, getting blown out 108-82. It was tough to watch at points if you are a Knicks fan and it reached a low when they actually went away from the game for a bit in the fourth quarter to watch the end of a the triple-overtime thriller between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. If the season hadn’t hit a low point yet, having a game switched over to a less than marquee match up like that should do it. The Knicks will be back at it again tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden to take on the Golden State Warriors.

-Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony
 
Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
As it has been too often this season, Anthony looked to be one of the few Knicks to come in and try tonight. Anthony tried once again to put the team on his back tonight but he was unable to do it alone against one of the best teams in the NBA. Tonight Anthony finished with 29 points on 11-20 from the field, including 3-8 from the three point line and 4-6 from the foul line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists and one resounding block of LeBron James. He also had another highlight play with a dunk over James early on in the game. It was another efficient scoring night that has gone to waste as the Knicks got blown out.

-Positives

Tyson Chandler was the only other Knicks to have any real positive impact on the game. Chandler dominated a mostly undersized Heat team, terrorizing them on the interior while on the court. Chandler finished with 19 points on 6-9 from the field and a solid 7-8 from the foul line to go with 16 rebounds. Chandler made a living in the paint and caused some problems for the Heat rolling to the basket for alley-oop dunks and keeping plenty of possessions alive with six offensive rebounds. He joined Anthony as the only player to really show up tonight with some effort.

It is hard to believe but the Knicks were actually the aggressors for a lot of the game. They got at it on the offensive glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds for the game. They also got out some in transition, scoring 14 fast break points. They even got to the foul line more than the Heat, attempting 22 and knocking down 16 compared to 12-18 for Miami.

-Negatives

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The Knicks offense was listless outside of Anthony and Chandler. No one else shot 50 percent from the field and as a team the Knicks were able to only hit 37.3 percent of their shots. It got even worse the further away they got from the basket, as they made only 4-23 attempts from beyond the three point line, good for a putrid 17.4 percent.

The Knicks matched their poor offense with an equally as poor performance on the defensive end. The Heat ran their offense without much of a problem as the Knicks kind of let them do whatever they pleased on the offensive end. The Heat finished the game shooting 60.8 percent overall and 40 percent from the three point line. The Knicks had no answer for LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, who scored 31 and 23 points respectively, combining to go 23-32 from the field.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had quite possibly his worst NBA game to date. He couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat in the ocean, going 2-15 from the field and missing all eight of his three pointers. He also was taught a lesson defensively by Wade, who worked him throughout the night. Wade brought out his whole arsenal on the Knick rookie, whose offensive woes were augmented with the problems Wade caused him on the defensive end. He would finish the game with an extremely ugly -35 on the night.


Hardaway Jr. cannot be blamed solely though for what happened tonight to him defensively. The culprit is Mike Woodson, who asked Hardaway Jr. to guard Wade in the first place. It is no secret that Hardaway Jr.'s defense is not up to par defensively, so having him defend an All-Star and future Hall of Famer in Wade when he struggles to guard fringe rotation players makes little sense. Woodson also paired him for long stretches on the court with Amar’e Stoudemire, who has his own defensive deficiencies as well. When he saw things getting bad he let them get out of hand without making a move. Woodson also made head scratching moves by taking Jeremy Tyler out of the rotation and essentially shortening it to only seven players. He also played Shannon Brown as the third player off the bench, a player the Knicks signed Wednesday. Woodson seems to pick his rotations for the night out of a hat instead of how players perform.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Knicks Downed At Buzzer by Dirk Nowitzki Jumper

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, February 24th, 2014

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

Grass is green, the sky is blue and the Knicks suffered yet another disappointing loss. Tonight the Knicks suffered the tough loss at the hands of the Mavericks by the score of 110-108 by the way of Dirk Nowitzki buzzer beater. The Knicks fought back and came up short like they have so many times this season, wasting yet another outstanding performance from their leading man Carmelo Anthony. As the losses continue to pile up, the reality is beginning to set in that the playoffs will be out of reach. With the loss tonight the Knicks record drops to 21-36 and six games out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony
EPA/Jason Szenes Corbis OUT
For a player who has a reputation of being a gunner and nothing else, Anthony has disproved that all season. He has continued to put up the monster scoring numbers but he is the only Knick player you can honestly say has shown up night in and night out during this forgettable season. Tonight Anthony did it again, pouring in 44 points on 14-29 from the field (7-12 3pt, 9-9 FT) as he was on fire all night. He kept the Knicks in the game single handedly multiple times throughout the night as the offensive side of the ball looked to be the only place anyone looked interested in playing. Anthony added nine rebounds, four assists and one block to round out his stat line for the night. It has been nice watching Anthony throughout the season as he has proven time and time again he is one of the best players in the NBA and with every passing loss not only do the Knicks playoff hopes diminish the likelihood of Anthony staying seems to go with them.

-Positives

The Knicks shooting percentages were through the roof all night. Overall they shot 52.6 percent from the field and an impressive 14-33 from the three point line, good for 42.4 percent. They assisted on 23 of their 40 made baskets as the Knicks offense clicked whenever they were able to hold onto the ball.

Stan Hondastan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
The Knicks were able to hold Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks leading scorer, relatively in check. Nowitzki hurt them in the end with a buzzer beater to win the game but outside of that he struggled for the most part. Nowitzki didn’t score for the previous 18 minutes before the buzzer beater and ended with only 15 points on the night, below the 21.8 he is averaging on the season. Nowitzki shot 6-13 from the field overall, struggling with his jump shot as he missed all three of his three point attempts.

Cole Aldrich has seen as little playing time as anyone on the Knicks this season but tonight he was pressed into duty with Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Tyler all getting into foul trouble. Aldrich responded well with his eight minutes, as the finished with a +12, grabbing three rebounds and making his only shot attempt. Aldrich responded as well as you could have hoped with what was asked of him out of nowhere tonight.

-Negatives

Stoudemire drew the start tonight alongside Anthony and Chandler and it was not pretty. The three are a poor mix together as Stoudemire and Chandler looked lost on multiple occasions on both ends of the court. Chandler and Stoudemire get in each other’s way more than help each other because they are both comfortable in the same areas on the court. Neither player put up bad stats, as Stoudemire finished with nine points, two rebounds and one block while Chandler had 12 points, 12 rebounds, one steal and two blocks. The problem was the Knicks just weren’t very good when either player was on the court; Stoudemire finished -8 and Chandler finished -14.

The Knicks offense was not running as smoothly as it could have because of the pressure the Mavericks put on them. The Mavericks force 15.3 turnovers per game, sixth best on the NBA and they showed why tonight. The Knicks finished with 21 team turnovers on the night, resulting in 25 points for the Mavericks. On the other hand the Knicks were only able to force 10 Mavericks turnovers and scored 17 points off of them.
Stan Hondastan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

At this point in his career Vince Carter knows as well as anyone he is not the high flyer he once was. He is more than content in his role as a secondary player that can still knock down a jump shot. Someone forget to pass the memo along to the Knicks, who left Carter open throughout the night. Carter went off, scoring a season-high 23 points on 8-17 shooting, making 7-12 from behind the arc.

The Knicks didn’t defend the three-point line or anywhere while the Mavericks played offense for that matter. The Mavericks shot 47.7 percent on the night and 41.7 from the three point line. The Knicks were unable to get a stop whenever they needed it most, as the Mavericks were able to get a basket whenever they needed. The Knicks also struggled to stop Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon, as they scored 22 and 20 points respectively, knocking down 7-14 combined from the three point line.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Knicks Fall in Overtime to Western Conference Cellar-Dwelling Kings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 12th, 2014

Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks will be heading into the All-Star break with a lot of negativity surrounding the team after a 106-101 overtime loss to the Kings Wednesday night. The Kings have the worst record in the Western Conference and had lost seven in a row on the road, including last night by 10 points in Cleveland, but were unfazed coming into Madison Square Garden. These are the kind of losses that can result in people losing jobs and players being moved. This could very well be the last time we see Mike Woodson on the sidelines as the Knicks coach and some players wearing a Knicks jersey. By this time next week and into Thursday there is a good chance this team will look much different. The Knicks will start their All-Star break now and will be back on the court Tuesday in Memphis to start off a four game in five nights stretch that will take place in four different cities. If this isn’t rock bottom for the Knicks they are definitely close.
Jim McIsaac

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

Tonight Stoudemire turned back the block and the Knicks needed every bit of it. Stoudemire played 37 minutes, scoring 20 points on 10-15 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. He also had one assist and two blocks on the night. Stoudemire was the only Knick with the knack in the fourth quarter as he picked up all the scoring slack being left behind by Carmelo Anthony, who didn’t score in the fourth quarter or overtime. Stoudemire is by far the most efficient scorer the Knicks have yet for some reason he is not relied upon on by Mike Woodson unless there is a necessity to use Stoudemire, such as injuries like there was tonight.

Match up of the Game Recap:

Tyson Chandler and DeMarcus Cousins did not disappoint tonight as both came to play. The only problem was that Cousins was unable to make it through the full game. He did his damage even with only getting 33 minutes, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Chandler was not far behind, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds of his own. It was a hard fought match up between the two, but it seemed like a blessing in disguise for the Kings when Cousins went down; on the night they were -17 with him on the court.

-Positives

Anthony’s first quarter. He was on fire out of the gate, scoring 17 points in the first quarter. He knocked down his last seven shots of the quarter, finishing 7-9 from the field for the quarter. The Kings threw a number of people at Anthony to slow him down but none were able to do the job. The only player able to stop Anthony was himself and Woodson; will be touched on later on.

Jeremy Tyler received only 11 minutes but he once again made the most of them. He did not score tonight but he had five rebounds in his time on the court. The Knicks actually out rebounded the Kings tonight, a surprise given how strong of a rebounding team the Kings are, ranking 13th in the NBA in rebounding per game compared to 26th for the Knicks.

-Negatives

Anthony the final three quarters of the game did not help the Knicks out too much. After a scorching first quarter he finished the game 12-28, going 5-19 after the first quarter. He missed his final six shots and didn’t score in overtime when the Knicks needed him most as he continued his troubling trend of shooting worse as the game went on. He also played 48 minutes in the game, something that could play into why he struggled so much in the second half as he became fatigued.

Jim O'Connor/USA TODAY Sports
The shooting guard play was bad for the Knicks tonight. What made it worse, Iman Shumpert was having a good game before he was forced to leave with a hip pointer in the third quarter after knocking down a three pointer. With no J.R. Smith tonight the onus fell on Tim Hardaway Jr. and he did not step up tonight. He finished with a poor shooting night, going 3-12 overall and 1-6 from the three point line. He was unable to also stay in front of whoever he was guarding as the Kings picked him out and went at him whenever they had the chance.

The Knicks defense again was mind boggling, as they double-teamed mindlessly leaving shooters open throughout the game. Tonight it was New York native Jimmer Fredette. Fredette scored 24 points, going 9-14 overall and 6-8 from deep; when I say deep I mean deep as Fredette was knocking down jumpers feet behind the three point line. The embarrassing part about this is that Fredette has barely been able to crack the Kings rotation recently as he hadn’t even scored 24 points in the month of February combined.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Knicks Fall to Thunder Behind Near Triple-Double for Durant

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, February 9th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were outmatched in every facet of the game Sunday afternoon as the Thunder defeated them handedly 112-100. The Knicks had a strong first half but closed poorly and the poor play carried over into the second half when the Thunder took control of the game. A game that was billed as a battle between two of the top scorers in the NBA fell short of expectations and judging from the score you know which team’s big scorer it was. The Knicks will look to finish on a high note heading into the All-Star game Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: Jeremy Tyler

Tyler saw his minutes cut from Friday night’s game but he still gave the Knicks some positive and productive play. Tyler saw only 11 minutes on the court but he made the most of them, scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds. He also recorded one block, as his activity on the defensive end is a nice thing to see. With how productive he has been in limited minutes it would be a good idea for the Knicks to start expanding his playing time and see what he could do with more time on the court. Right now he is one of the few bright spots in a dark season.

-Positives


Pablo Prigioni was once again on the court when the Knicks were at their best Sunday afternoon. Prigioni finished with five points, four assists, one rebound and one steal in his 22 minutes. The pick-and-roll game he runs with Tyler and Amar’e Stoudemire is a thing of beauty as he gets both plays into exceptional spots to score the ball. When Prigioni is on the court good things happen for the Knicks. He was also the only starter without a negative +/- ratio against the Thunder.

Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo
Stoudemire gave the Knicks another strong effort off the bench. He scored 16 points and grabbed four rebounds in 26 minutes. The lineups to start the second and fourth quarters that consist of Stoudemire, Tyler and Prigioni have been some of the best recently for the Knicks. They not only produce on the court but they score enough to give Carmelo Anthony some much needed rest. Stoudemire and Tyler make for a potent big man combination off the bench scoring and now even in the rebounding department.

Raymond Felton’s stat line will pop out at you tonight as he put up some gaudy numbers. Felton was the leading scorer for the Knicks Sunday afternoon, putting up 16 points. He also added seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal to fill out his score sheet. The numbers tell a much better story for Felton than his play actually was.

-Negatives

The Knicks defense was pitiful against the Thunder tonight. They showed no heart on the defensive end and even less resistance in attempting to stop them from scoring. The Thunder shot 54.8 percent from the field overall and 44.4 from the three point line. It was an attack that came from all angles as the Thunder had five players score in double figures led by 41 from Kevin Durant. The Knicks did not make life very difficult on Durant tonight as he went 12-22 from the field, 4-7 from deep and attempted 18 free throws, making 13.

Sue Ogrocki/AP Photo
One reason for the easiness of the 41 that Durant scored, and the monster stat line he put up that included 10 rebounds and nine assists, was the Knicks game plan put together by Mike Woodson. Woodson used undersized players against Durant all night, leaving J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert go guard him most of the game. It was easy pickings for Durant as he easily could rise and shoot over both players. The Knicks game plan to double-team in poor areas also made it easy for the nearly seven-foot Durant to see over them and hit his teammates for easy baskets. It was a poorly constructed game plan for the Knicks that the Thunder picked apart easily and efficiently.


On the contrary the Thunder had a game plan put in place by head coach Scott Brooks and they executed it to perfection. The result was Anthony having one of his worst shooting games of the season, going 5-19 from the field (1-5 3pt, 4-5 FT) for 15 points. The Thunder played a triangle defense at times against Anthony, daring him to pass the ball and he did as he registered five assists. The only problem was he didn’t score enough to get the Knicks over the hump. If Anthony makes his normal allotment of shots the Knicks most likely go onto win this game, but credit the Thunder with putting forth a great game plan and executing it as well as they did.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Total Team Effort Results In Blowout Win For Knicks Over Nuggets

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 7th, 2014

Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to ride the momentum from their tough game Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers and turn it into a blowout victory over the Nuggets by a score of 117-90. Every Knick had the knack tonight as Walt 'Clyde' Frazier would say, as every player finished with a positive +/- ratio and brought something positive to the game tonight. The offense was rolling for the Knicks and the defense was on point as the Knicks made a very explosive Denver team look like they were stuck in the mud. This was an imperative game for the Knicks on their home court and they delivered a total team effort. The Knicks will look to keep the good play going Sunday afternoon when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in a matinee at 1 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Jeremy Tyler
Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports
With the Knicks looking like they were going to be blown out, the bench came into the game and got things going. One of the catalysts off the bench was Tyler, who recorded his best game statistically with the Knicks, finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler brought the energy and spark to the team tonight that they needed to get going and he was rewarded by Mike Woodson with extended minutes in the first half. He looks like he has fun when he is on the court and it is something that is contagious for the rest of the team. Tyler also added two assists and one steal, which he finished with a highlight dunk to get the crowd into a frenzy. Tyler, along with Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni, finished with a team high +18. He has filled in well with Martin absent and looks like he has earned playing time even once Martin comes back as a spark off the bench offensively and as a rebounding force.

-Positives

Tyler wasn't the only big manto get going tonight as Amar'e Stoudemire came off the bench with him and came out like a man on fire offensively and filled up the basket. Stoudemire scored 17 points in 22 minutes on 7-12 from the floor. He also grabbed eight rebounds as his presence with Tyler gave the Knicks a big scoring punch off the bench and something that lack at times with a low post presence. Tyson Chandler got going early with some easy baskets and carried that confidence throughout the night. He finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals in only 23 minutes as the big men really controlled the paint tonight.
Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

Raymond Felton had quite possibly his best game of the season. His stats aren't gaudy but he was able to attack the paint tonight and get everyone involved that was on the court with him tonight. Felton finished with nine points, eight assists and two steals while turning the ball over only once in his 28 minutes of playing time. If Felton can put together more games down the stretch like he did tonight the Knicks will surely get things going.

Felton's partner in crime in the backcourt, Prigioni, had a strong game as well. Prigioni did not score, he did not even attempt a shot, but he had an extremely positive influence on the game tonight. On more than handful of occasions you could see Priginoi directing traffic offensively and defensively to help get his teammates in the right position. One that sticks out is when Stoudemire was stuck offensively, unsure of where to go, and Prigioni directed him in the right direction. The result was a behind the back pass from J.R Smith to Tyler for an and-one. Prigioni finished the game with two rebounds, six assists, four steals and only one turnover in only 22 minutes on the court. He ran the pick-and-roll with Stoudemire extremely well tonight and kept attacking the middle of the Nuggets defense, where he felt they were most vulnerable.

Kathleen Malone Van-Dyke
The Knicks offense, after a lull in the first quarter, was on fire throughout the night. The Knicks shot 56.5 percent overall from the field and hit their magic number at the three point line with 11, knocking down 39.3 percent of their shots from long range. On the other hand, the Nuggets were never really able to get going, shooting 42.1 percent overall from the field and 26.9 from the three point line. When the offense went cold the defense did not for the Knicks, as the defensive pressure fueled their offense tonight. The Knicks were also able to win the rebounding battle surprisingly as the Nuggets entered the game as the fifth best rebounding team in the NBA at 45.7 per game. Tonight the Knicks were able to outrebound them 43-34.

-Negatives

The only negative for the Knicks tonight was the lackluster start. They fell down by as many as 10 in the first quarter. But that was the extent of the negatives tonight as the Knicks did not get down on themselves and kept at it, something they have failed to do throughout the season when falling in an early hole.

Friday, January 31, 2014

Knicks Steamroll Cavaliers For 4th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 30th, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to keep the good times rolling Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, blowing out the Cavaliers 117-86. The Knicks offense was clicking and they got out to an early lead on the Cavaliers and never let up off the gas; they never were in real danger of losing the game. More importantly the shorthanded Knicks, who had only 10 able bodied players available, were able to get some rest for their starters tonight heading into a big match up with the Miami Heat Saturday. It was nice to see the Knicks come out and handle business against a team they have routinely struggled against in recent seasons as they could have easily looked past this game to the weekend. The win tonight also clinches a .500 home stand at worst, something that did not look remotely close to happening after the first three games. The Knicks will look to keep their winning streak in tact Saturday in the final game of the home stand against the reigning champion Heat.

Player of the Game: Tim Hardaway Jr.

New York Knicks
Hardaway Jr. got extra minutes tonight because of the shoulder injury plaguing Iman Shumpert and he made the most of it. Hardaway Jr. lit up the Cavaliers from all over the court, finishing the game with a career high 29 points. He shot an efficient 11-17 from the floor and a solid 6-12 from the three point line, tying the Knicks franchise rookie record for three pointers in a game. Hardaway Jr. is continuing to grow with the Knicks and is looking more and more like the steal of the draft. On the contrary, the Cavaliers so far have hit a lame with first overall pick Anthony Bennett, who had another underwhelming game, shooting 1-6 from the field for four points and grabbing only two rebounds. Hardaway Jr. made his points count tonight, as he made three of his shots from deep after the Cavaliers cut a 29 point lead to 14 in the fourth quarter.

-Positives

With Shumpert sidelined, someone needed to step into the starting lineup and that someone was J.R. Smith; he stepped up in a big way. Smith got off to a hot start, scoring 11 points in the first quarter on 4-5 shooting and 2-3 from deep and never cooled off. He finished the game with 19 points on 8-16 from the field (2-5 3pt, 1-3 FT), adding four rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. Smith also delivered a highlight dunk in his hot first quarter, as he finally looks to be rounding into shape after off-season knee surgery. Smith is starting to get things going, as he has shot 50 percent or better from the field in five of eight games since his last benching.

Raymond Felton put together a solid game in his 36 minutes on the court. He shot 5-10 from the field for 12 points, handed out nine assists, grabbed five rebounds, and had one steal and two blocks on the night. Felton finished with the highest +/- ratio in the game with +33. Felton was able to get into the paint at will and cause havoc, making his own shots and hitting Tyson Chandler with lob passes.

With the game well in hand Carmelo Anthony’s scoring heroics were not needed but he still delivered them. He tied Hardaway Jr. for team high in scoring with 29 points, going 8-17 from the field (3-5 3pt, 10-12 FT), grabbing five rebounds and having one assists, block and steal. On the night the Knicks were all on fire from the field offensively, shooting a scorching 56.6 percent and impressive 46.2 percent from long range. In the last four games, all wins, the Knicks have shot 50, 42.3, 51.9 and 46.2 percent from the three point line.

Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports
With so many injuries ravaging the front court, Jeremy Tyler and Cole Aldrich have been pressed into duty and both have responded well. Tyler gives the Knicks a spark off the bench, delivering the scoring punch from the front court missing with Amar’e Stoudemire injured. Aldrich you could then say replaces what is missing with Kenyon Martin sidelined, as he isn’t the scoring threat Tyler is but he grabs rebounds and intimidates in the paint. The two are giving the Knicks good minutes right now and look like they will provide much needed depth as the Knicks continue their push to erase the first half of the season mistakes.

The defense for the Knicks was outstanding throughout the night, especially on Kyrie Irving. Irving has gone off on the Knicks multiple times in his short career but he was held in check tonight. Irving shot 10-25 from the field for 24 points in 39 minutes. Irving looked disinterested at times and will need to improve his demeanor on the court as his teammates feed off of what he does. On the night the Knicks held the Cavaliers to 35.6 percent shooting.

-Negatives


There were really no negatives in the game, but there are some concerns going forward. The Knicks got lucky they were able to give some rest to their starters tonight because they will need them against the Heat Saturday night with so many players injured. The Knicks had only 10 healthy players for the game tonight and they all appeared in the game tonight. How long they will be able to go forward with this little amount of depth will be something to keep an eye on as the injury bug has seemed to take up a permanent residency within the Knicks roster.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Knicks Exact Some Revenge and Blowout Celtics

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, January 28th, 2014

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to exact some revenge on the rival Celtics tonight, blowing them out 114-88; the score does not even do justice to just how much the Knicks outplayed the Celtics tonight. The Celtics came into Madison Square Garden December 8th and gave the Knicks their third worst defeat in franchise history so tonight put a smile on their faces. It was a solid team effort as everyone did their part tonight to get the victory, the third in a row for the Knicks. The win also evens their win and lose record at 3-3 during the eight game home stand. The Knicks will get back at it Thursday night again at Madison Square Garden against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony
NBA.com
The Knicks for once did not need Anthony to carry the offensive load himself, as the blowout victory enabled him to get some rest for once. But he was still a catalyst in the blowout victory, as he helped with a little bit of everything. Anthony fueled the blowout with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in only 28 minutes. Anthony got some much needed rest as the Knicks are extremely shorthanded currently in the front court. Anthony scored efficiently and kept his teammates involved, a potent combination for the Knicks this season as they improved their record to 13-3 when Anthony registers four or more assists in a game.

-Positives

The offense was clicking for the Knicks tonight, as they shot an impressive 53.7 percent (44-82) on the night, knocking down half their three pointers (10-20) in the process. Four other Knicks including Anthony scored in double figures, including a career high 17 points from Jeremy Tyler. Tyler has performed well in his limited minutes this season and looks to be a viable option for head coach Mike Woodson with all of the injuries ravaging the front court currently. Chandler added 12 to go along with 13 rebounds to give him his third double-double in his last four games as he continues to round into shape. J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. were the other Knicks in double figures, as the two are becoming a potent backcourt combination off the bench, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. This was the second game in a row that the Knicks had five players score in double figures.

NBA.com
The defense was as effective as the offense through the first three quarters when the regulars were in. The Celtics were as cold shooting the ball as the temperatures outside, missing 12 of their first 15 three point attempts. On the night they shot 39 percent overall and an unsightly 27.3 (6-22) from the three point line. This looked nothing like the Celtics that routed the Knicks in December, as no one was able to really get going for Boston. Jeff Green led the way with 14 points.

-Negatives


It wasn’t all positive for the Knicks Tuesday night, as the injury bug reared its ugly head again. Kenyon Martin was returning from a five game absence and was barely able to make it through a half as he had a reoccurrence of his left ankle pain. Martin returned to the bench and was said to be able to return, but with the game in hand Woodson did not risk it, but the fact he had to leave the court at all is not good. Iman Shumpert was also injured in the game with a right shoulder injury. The Knicks could be without Shumpert for an extender period of time as the severity of the injury is not yet known, but he was not able to return to the court tonight.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

W2W4: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks; January 26th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, January 26th, 2014

Pre-Game News and Notes

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks

The Knicks and Lakers will be playing a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks will continue their eight game home stand. This will be the Lakers sole visit to New York this season and the first time the two teams meet this year; the second will be in late March in Los Angeles. Here are some things to keep an eye on for this afternoon.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks front court will be in dire straights once again as Amar’e Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin and Andrea Bargnani will all be out again. Metta World Peace will not suit up tonight either, leaving the Knicks with only 11 healthy bodies heading into the game and a dearth of depth at the forward spots. Jeremy Tyler expects to see minutes again, as should Cole Aldrich.

For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant will obviously not be gracing Madison Square Garden with his presence today, at least on the court as he recovers from knee surgery. He is expected to return before the All-Star break. It would have been quite intriguing to see what Bryant would have done after Carmelo Anthony broke his MSG scoring record Friday night. Xavier Henry, Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar will all also miss the game today as well.

-Melo Encore?
Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After having the greatest scoring night in MadisonSquare Garden history Friday with 62 points, what can we expect from Anthony today? Maybe another Bryant record, say 81 points?

Following Friday’s scoring barrage, Anthony said he was going for 81 with a smile on his face in a post game interview. He may not hit 81, but there is a chance Anthony could have a big scoring night. Since Mike D’Antoni has left the Knicks, Anthony has averaged an astounding 46.5 points per 48 minutes against the D’Antoni led Lakers. We could be in for another scoring show from Anthony with how everything is lining up.

-An Emerging Presence

Lost in the shuffle of Anthony’s big scoring night was the play of Tyler Friday night. Being pressed into action because of all the injuries up front, Tyler responded well with a solid 22 minute performance against the Bobcats. Tyler had eight points and five rebounds in his time on the court, shooting 50 percent and crashing the offensive glass with three offensive rebounds. He also provided some solid defense, blocking two shots.

Tyler will be a part of the rotation for the time being with all three out but could make an impression to get some playing time even once they return. The goal this season was to make sure everyone was healthy heading down the home stretch of the season and having a player like Tyler available on the bench will make things much easier on the team.

-J.R Breaking Out?

Smith has had a tumultuous season but recently he has put together some solid performances. Friday he scored 14 points on 5-9 shooting in 31 minutes, a very efficient shooting night the Knicks had hoped they would see more of this season from the reigning Sixth Man of the Year; he also added four assists.

The shooting numbers are something we could get used to seeing in the foreseeable future with Bargnani sidelined. When Smith is on the court without Bargnani this season, he is shooting 42.9 percent, which is actually above his career average of 42.3. While sharing the court with Bargnani, Smith is shooting a putrid 31.9 percent. It could just be a coincidence but hopefully that kind of shooting numbers can continue with Bargnani out if there actually is anything to them.

Match-Up of the Game: Pau Gasol vs. Tyson Chandler (Honorable mention; Nick Young vs. J.R. Smith)

Gasol is the best player on the Lakers and when he plays well the Lakers usually do as well. He has been the center of trade rumors seemingly his whole Lakers tenure but he has continued to come out and play well when he is on the court. It will be up to Chandler to slow him down tonight as Gasol is a perfect fit in a D’Antoni led offense as a big man capable of passing out of the high post, knocking down a jump shot or causing problems on the block.


Chandler has been making headlines more recently for things he says in post game interviews than his play on the court, so hopefully he can start to turn things around. His biggest problem or complaint is the constant switching the Knicks do on the defensive end, putting him and the team in general in bad positions trying to slow down opposing teams while out of position. If Chandler is just asked to do what he does best, protect the rim and rebound, the Knicks fortunes will surely turn around.

Friday, January 17, 2014

Clippers Molly-Whop Knicks As Losing Streak Hits 3

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 17th, 2014

Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks struggles continued Friday night as the Clippers defeated them at Madison Square Garden 109-95. The score does not do justice to just how poorly the Knicks performed as they were lucky to only lose by 14. The Clippers struggled to shoot the ball throughout the night, missing numerous open jump shots as the Knicks once again looked disinterested in the game. The shorthanded Knicks were unable to get anything going throughout the game on the offensive end as the Clippers stifled them throughout the night. The Knicks will look to right their wrongs Monday in a matinee affair with the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets at 2 PM ET at Madison Square Garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Smith was inserted back into the rotation by Mike Woodson and he responded with one of his better performances of the season. Smith shot the ball efficiently, virtually the only Knick to do so, knocking down 9-18 from the field (3-7 3pt, 3-4 FT), adding four rebounds and two assists. Smith was game all night, playing tough defense and administering hard fouls to make the Clippers earn their points from the foul line instead of laying the ball in the basket. Smith, at least for one night, looked zoned in and ready to contribute to the team again after having a tumultuous season and especially last 10 days.

Match of the Game Recap:

Smith and Jamal Crawford both performed as expected from the pre-game; they put on shows and lit the scoreboard up. Smith and Crawford are two of the most explosive scorers in the NBA and are luxuries for the Knicks and Clippers to have such potent offensive weapons at their disposal off the bench. Tonight Crawford will get the edge because his team won and he ended up with more points; the only real barometer to grade these two gunners by. For Smith, if he continued playing more like he did tonight the Knicks will start to see a turnaround in their overall performance.

-Positives

Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports
Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks in scoring tonight with 26. The downside was how inefficient he was scoring the ball, as he shot 4-23 from the field. Anthony took permanent residence at the foul line, where he knocked down all 16 attempts. He was a monster on the boards once again, where he pulled down a season high 20; seven on the offensive side of the ball and 13 defensive. Anthony only had three assists tonight, continuing the trend of the Knicks losing more often than not when he is unable to hit the four assist plateau.

Jeremy Tyler received his first real minutes of his Knick tenure and they were mostly positive. He came in and gave the Knicks a spark, scoring six points on 3-3 from the field. He added two rebounds and also drew an offensive foul on Blake Griffin later on in the fourth quarter. Tyler definitely held his own tonight against one of the top power forward/center combinations in the NBA and should be the first big man off the bench in the absence of Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin as long as Andrea Bargnani stays in the starting lineup.

-Negatives

Peter  Foley Corbis
Tyson Chandler recorded a double-double in the game with 12 points and 14 rebounds but it was the quietest, most lackluster double-double recorded. Chandler was toasted by Griffin on multiple occasions; Griffin went off on the Knicks with a monster 32 points, seven rebounds, two assists, three steals and one block. Griffin has improved immensely on the offensive end, augmenting his scoring arsenal and is one of the better passing big men in the league. He has a good idea of what to do with the ball in his hands and is a willing passer. He has improved his jump shot and foul shooting, which if he can continue improving should catapult him to the upper tier of players in the NBA.

At halftime this game was tied and in the second half the Clippers turned things up while the Knicks were stuck in neutral. The Clippers struggled shooting the three ball throughout the first three quarters but were unconscious in the fourth quarter from deep. They knocked down four of their first six in the fourth quarter to knockout the Knicks and take control of the game for good. The Knicks were lucky this game wasn’t over by halftime; the Clippers shot a putrid 3-21 from the three point line to start, missing a number of open looks. 

The Knicks, who turn the ball over as little as any team in the NBA, were a turnover machine on Friday night. Every starter had at least two turnovers in the game; feeling left our Toure’ Murry had two of his own off the bench as well to add up to 18 in total for the Knicks. Anthony and Raymond Felton tied for the most with four, as the Knicks offense operated as furthest opposite of smoothly as possibly.