W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks; January 5th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, January 5^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to salvage the last game of the Texas Triangle road trip Sunday in Dallas. If not for poor decision making Friday night against the Rockets the Knicks would be going for a sweep. The Mavericks, just like the Knicks, are coming off a tough loss Friday night and will look to bounce back tonight with a strong performance to get their home stand back on track. Here are some things to watch for tonight when they tip-off.

-Players News and Notes

For the Knicks Raymond Felton is continuing to travel with the team but is unlikely to suit up. Felton is more likely to suit up Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons. Pablo Prigioni still has no timetable for his return and Metta World Peace will be sidelined for the foreseeable future. Kenyon Martin will be a game-time call because of the ankle injury that held him out of Friday night’s game.

For the Mavericks, Devin Harris is nearing a return but has no chance of playing tonight. He is aiming for a mid-January return to even start practicing. Dirk Nowitzki was a game-time decision Friday night but was able to suit up and play so he should be out on the court again tonight.

-Can Carmelo Get Healthy?

Anthony missed three games last week because of an ankle injury but returned Thursday against the San Antonio Spurs. Anthony made it through the game without any problems until the waning seconds when he was kicked by Manu Ginobili. Anthony toughed it out and played against the Rockets Friday but grimaced multiple times throughout the game.

Anthony dealing with any lingering ankle injuries will hamper not only his performance but the team’s as well. Anthony has shown a willingness to pass the ball recently and he needs to continue doing that but if he is injured he may be too concerned with staying healthy than doing what is right for the team on the court.

-Shumpert Has Turned the Corner

Iman Shumpert has been outstanding in the two games of the New Year and has looked to finally turn a corner for the season. Shumpert struggled at the end of December, shooting 6-42 at one point but has really got it going in the last two games. In the two games against the Spurs and Rockets, Shumpert has scored 53 points and shot 12-14 from the three point line; in the 12 games prior Shumpert managed to score only 42 points.

With Shumpert scoring and his confidence raising the Knicks look like a totally different team. When your shooting guard position is giving you no production it is hard to win games. Shumpert has begun playing extremely well and the Knicks have coincidentally played two of their best games of the season.

-Perimeter Defense

The Knicks guards will once again have their hands full on the defensive end of the court. The Mavericks have a dangerous backcourt in Jose Calderon and Monta Ellis. Calderon is one of the better floor generals in the NBA and has solved a lot of the problems the Mavericks have had in recent seasons at the point guard position. Ellis has been an outstanding signing by the Mavericks as well. He has added another scoring threat to a team void of any consistent scoring outside of Nowitzki and also another playmaker. Ellis actually leads the team in assists per game at 5.9.

It will be interesting to see who the Knicks match up with. Beno Udrih and Calderon are expected to be matched up together; both players are revolving doors so each team should be able to get into their offense relatively easily. Shumpert should draw Ellis, which will be an exciting matching to watch. This will be like guarding Harden for Shumpert as Ellis is a play making scorer, he just settles for more jump shots than Harden does. Toure’ Murry will also see time again as the backup guard and should be able to make things difficult for any of the guards the Mavericks deploy.

-Matchup of the Game: Dirk Nowitzki vs. Andrea Bargnani

Dirk Nowitzki is arguably the best international basketball player to grace an NBA court. When he was drafted, Bargnani was looked at as the next Nowitzki, just more polished and further advanced upon coming into the league. Tonight they will meet again but with a lot lower expectations.

Nowitzki is putting together yet another solid season, averaging 21.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Nowitzki is having a renaissance of sorts this season with the addition of Ellis, who is taking some of the scoring load off Nowitzki’s shoulders. In his career Nowitzki has played very well against the Knicks, averaging 24.8 points per game against the Knicks; he averages more points per game against only three more teams.

The man who will most likely be tasked with slowing down Nowitzki is Bargnani. Bargnani has shown surprisingly strong one-on-one defense but not many big many he is matched up with have the offensive skill set of Nowitzki. Bargnani will have his hands full on defense but has a chance to make life difficult for Nowitzki as well.

Bargnani has struggled recently with his shot, sapping his confidence at points in the game. But Bargnani has shown throughout the season he can have an outstanding offensive game without any signs of it. Hopefully for the Knicks tonight is one of those games as any scoring from Bargnani will be a boost in the last game of the road trip. If he can augment the scoring Anthony and Shumpert have been doing on the trip it will help a lot.

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Knicks Shoot Themselves in Foot, Houston Struggles Continue

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 3^rd, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

Post Game Recap

The Knicks played hard but once again were their own worst enemy as they dropped a heartbreaking thriller 102-100 to the Rockets. The Knicks outplayed the Rockets for three quarters tonight but fell apart down the stretch. Mental mistakes and poor execution doomed the Knicks as they once again showed that they are the lowest basketball IQ team in the NBA. With the loss their struggles against the Rockets and in Houston specifically continued; they have now lost 17 of 18 to the Rockets and nine straight in Houston. As Carmelo Anthony said in his post game interview, the Knicks gave the Rockets the game tonight. They will look to get back in the win column and wrap up the Texas Triangle Road trip on a positive note Sunday night in Dallas against the Mavericks.

Player of the Game: Iman Shumpert

George Bridges/MCT

For the second consecutive night Shumpert was on fire from beyond the arc. After going through the worst shooting stretch of his career that saw him go 6-42 from the field, Shumpert has found his stroke again in the new year. Against the Spurs and Rockets Shumpert has gone 19-27 from the field (12-14 3pt, 3-3 FT) to rebound from that rough stretch. Shumpert was one point shy of his career high that he set Thursday against the Spurs. The back-to-back 20 point scoring games is the first time Shumpert has accomplished that since March 28^th & 30^th, 2012. Against the Rockets Shumpert also added four rebounds, five assists and one steal. His defense one-on-one against James Harden was also outstanding throughout the night. Harden, who gets to the foul line as much as anyone in the NBA, did not attempt his first free throw until two minutes remaining in the first half. Shumpert playing smart defense against him was a big reason why. Shumpert looks to have turned the corner on his season which can only be a positive thing for the Knicks, especially with how poorly Tim Hardaway Jr. and JR Smith have performed recently.

-Positives

Tyson Chandler logged only 27 minutes but he made the most of them, registering a double-double. Chandler finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds on the night. He started the game off strong with five points in the opening quarter to get the Knicks going. Chandler also did a formidable job on Dwight Howard throughout the night, a tall task.

Anthony did not have as efficient a night as he did in San Antonio but he had a good game nonetheless. Anthony ended the game with 25 points and eight rebounds. He also added two assists and did a fine job defending Chandler Parsons throughout the night. Parsons shot 6-13 from the field for 17 points but did lead his team in rebounding with 11.

Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire did not have the big scoring night for the Knicks but he was able to help out on the glass and in help defense. Stoudemire pulled down seven rebounds and had two steals on the night as his play provided Mike Woodson a chance to give Andrea Bargnani, Chandler and Anthony some rest at points in the game. Stoudemire has obviously lost some because of all the injuries but you can count on him to give your team everything he has as long as he is on the court.

Toure’ Murry was inserted into a game as early as he has been in his NBA career and he made the most of it. Murry entered the game with barely five minutes gone in the first quarter and the Knicks went on a run right when he entered. The Knicks reeled off a 12-2 run as the Knicks turned a seven point deficit into a four point lead. When Murry plays in the backcourt with Shumpert or Hardaway Jr. it is a fun thing to watch as the athleticism is something the Knicks have lacked. Murry replaced Udrih in the first quarter and Udrih looked none too happy about it, but he bounced back nicely later in the game. Udrih finished strong and ended the game with 10 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. What is making Udrih and Murry successful is that both are able to attack and get into the paint to put pressure on the defense.

-Negatives

JR Smith is hurting the Knicks more than he is helping. He augmented a poor game with a boneheaded play in the last 24 seconds of the game. Chandler was able to gain the Knicks another possession with the shot clock off and the ball was worked out to Smith. Smith inexplicably attempted a three pointer, almost a carbon copy of what Bargnani did against the Bucks a couple weeks ago. Udrih compounded the miss by fouling Aaron Brooks in the corner but Smith never should have attempted the shot, especially since Chandler is in his line of view telling him to slow it down and Udrih is doing the same. It was a icing on the cake for a poor game for Smith who is having more negatives than positives for the Knicks. Smith finished the game 3-13 (1-8 3pt, 2-2 FT), zero rebounds, two assists and two steals. It will be hard even for Woodson to show trust in Smith now with how he has been playing and the lack of basketball IQ and awareness he shows on the court. After the game he admitted to not knowing what the score and situation of the game was, just another reason he should be off the court in big situations.

Patric Schneider/AP Photo

With Shumpert starting to play well and round into shape it is disappointing to see Smith crater and give the Knicks negative minutes. He is not the only one doing so as Hardaway Jr. has joined Smith in giving the Knicks poor production. Hardaway has seen his minutes decrease with Shumpert playing well and has done nothing to show the coach he deserves those minutes back that he is losing. For the second consecutive game Hardaway was mostly invisible, playing 11 minutes and scoring only one point. He also added one rebound but finished with a game worst -14 +/- ratio.

Bargnani had been dealing with a stiff neck recently and it seems to be effecting his shooting. The injury has been affecting him for the past 8-10 days and over that span he has been shooting the ball at a 38.9 percent clip. He has shot even worse from the three point line, hitting only 25 percent of his deep shots. He did nothing to help those numbers against the Rockets, shooting 3-10 overall and 0-3 from the three point line. The Knicks need Bargnani to get back in a groove and shoulder more of the scoring load with Smith and Hardaway giving them ineffective minutes off the bench. He did a good job once again defending Howard and battled on the boards, pulling down eight rebounds.

After having Shumpert guard Harden for the better part of first half he went off in the second half with Shumpert no longer shadowing him. Harden scored 27 of his 37 in the second half, with 11 coming in the decisive fourth quarter that saw the Rockets outscored the Knicks 29-19. Harden missed only three shots the whole second half, finishing the game with 37 points (5-10 3pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds and six assists.

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Knicks Upset Spurs Behind Shumpert's Career Night

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 2, 2014

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to pull off the upset and get their best win of the season in San Antonio, defeating the Spurs 105-101. The victory gave the Knicks their second consecutive game in San Antonio and the first against the Western Conference this season. It was an entertaining game that any fan of basketball would have enjoyed taking in, especially if you are a Knicks fan. The Knicks showed comradery and came together when they needed it most tonight, finally looking like a team that wants to get back into the playoff picture legitimately in the Eastern Conference, not just because of how bad it is this season. It was a career night for two players and an outstanding game played by both teams. The Knicks took everything the Spurs gave them and responded as well as they could. This is the kind of win that could jump start a team and gets them going in the right direction. A new year looks to have brought about a new Knicks team eve if it is just only one game.

Player of the Game: Iman Shumpert

AP Photo

Shumpert had a career night offensively in a game the Knicks needed it most. He put in 27 points on 10-13 shooting from the field (6-8 3pt, 1-1 FT). Shumpert scored 10 points in the first quarter alone as he came out with confidence and aggressiveness that he has seemed to lack in the recent weeks. He provided in other areas as well, as he recorded six rebounds, one assist and three steals. Shumpert had his biggest rebound with about 24 seconds remaining as he tipped in a missed Anthony jump shot to give the Knicks a two point lead. The three steals do not do justice to just how outstanding Shumpert was tonight on the defensive end. From the get go Shumpert was able to shut and slow down Tony Parker. Parker scored only 12 points and added seven assists. He was unable to get comfortable and dictate the game on the offensive end as basketball fans have come accustomed to seeing from Parker, who is deadly in the pick-and-roll. Tonight Shumpert was able to hold him to 5-13 shooting as he put together an outstanding game on both ends of the court.

-Positives

Carmelo Anthony returned from injury tonight and picked up right where he left off prior to his ankle injury. Anthony racked up yet another double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. He was also very effective finding the open man when the Spurs would double team him and move the kept the ball moving. Anthony was able to do damage early on as the Knicks floor spacing was as good as it has been all season, minimizing the Spurs opportunities to double team him. He also put Kawhi Leonard in foul trouble throughout the game, rendering him mostly useless as Anthony won the matchup to watch for from pre-game.

Eric Gay/AP Photo

Anthony kept the ball moving to set the tone and the rest of his teammates followed suit. The Knicks defense was humming tonight like a well-oiled machine as everyone was involved and knocking down shots; every player to get on the court for the Knicks tonight scored at least three points. In total there were five Knicks in double figures as Andrea Bargnani, Beno Udrih and Amar’e Stoudemire joined Anthony and Shumpert. On the night the Knicks were able to shoot at a high percentage, knocking down 39-76 shot attempts (51.3 percent). They were even more impressive from beyond the arc, making 9-17 attempts (52.9 percent). They were also very effective at the foul line, making 18-20 attempts compared to 13-19 for the Spurs.

The Knicks did an outstanding job on the glass tonight and it took a team effort. Anthony led the way with 12 and got a big boost from the wings as Shumpert and JR Smith had six and five respectively and Tyson Chandler hauled in six of his own. On the night the Knicks outrebounded the Spurs 40-34.

The resiliency the Knicks showed tonight was very impressive. Early on the second quarter the Spurs were able to take control and go up by nine points. It looked like the Knicks were about to be blown out of the gym but they were able to steady the ship and get back into the game. They went on a 20-7 run of their own to get into halftime with a five point lead. They also did a good job of keeping the course late in the game when the Spurs were able to take a two point lead late after the Knicks were up by six. They reverted back to isolation for a few possessions but kept with the ball movement and the results were positive in the end.

-Negatives

Eric Gay/AP Photo

Parker may have been held in check by Shumpert but the other perimeter players dominated the Knicks. Marco Belinelli had a career game of his own, scoring a career high 32 points on 12-16 from the field (6-9 3pt, 2-2 FT). He killed the Knicks all night on the offensive end as they were unable to slow him down. Manu Ginobili came off the bench and facilitated the offense extremely well with Parker being harassed by Shumpert. Ginobili shot only 4-11 from the field for 11 points but he handed out 12 assists.

Coming into the game the Spurs were the top three-point shooting team in the NBA and they showed the Knicks why right from the get go. The Spurs had an onslaught of three pointers right from the opening tip as Belinelli was on fire and the Knicks lost Matt Bonner on multiple occasions. On the night the Spurs made 14-32 from the three-point line, killing the Knicks momentum on multiple occasions and making some runs of their own because of it.

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Knicks Fall to Raptors as Offense Falters Late

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, December 27^th, 2013-12-28

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks have no one to blame but themselves after losing to the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors tonight at Madison Square Garden 95-83. The Knicks let a 12-point third quarter lead slip through their hands as the offense crumbled without Carmelo Anthony leading the way. James Dolan told the players and coaching staff that no moves were going to be made; a move that should have calmed some people with trade rumors swirling; all it did was make them as complacent as ever on the court. Mike Woodson said yesterday he still expects this team to repeat as Atlantic Division champs and did nothing to back him up. The struggles the Knicks went through in the fourth quarter is where they can point for the poor ending. With or without Anthony this was a game there for the taking and the Knicks could not take advantage, something that has become commonplace this season. The Knicks will look to bounce back tomorrow night against this same Raptors team in Toronto. They will have to do it without Anthony again, who is not making the trip to Toronto with the team.

Player of the Game – Beno Udrih

Frank Franklin II/AP Photo

With the Knicks so short-handed in the backcourt Udrih was forced to play big minutes and he responded in a positive way again. Udrih was not happy that Woodson picked him out for poor performance. After calling out Woodson for his comments made after the Christmas Day debacle against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Udrih came out and played a good game tonight. Udrih was a scoring threat, stepping up without leading scorer Anthony on the court by pouring in 15 points. He also added 10 assists, giving him his first double-double as a Knick and highest assist total of the season. He was also aggressive and a pest on the defensive end, tallying four steals. Udrih has run this team to the best of his ability and the lack of offensive fire power cannot and should not be placed on his shoulders.

-Positives

The Knicks, for all their short comings on the offensive end, were able to get it going from beyond the three-point line. The Knicks knocked down 10-19 from long range, good for 52.6 percent. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the way for the Knicks, knocking down 4-5 and ending the game with 15 points. JR Smith added 3 of his own and Andrea Bargnani added two as well.

Speaking of Bargnani, he looked engaged and aggressive early on, seeming to be motivated by playing against his old team. He finished with 18 points and a season-high 12 rebounds. He also added two blocks to his stat line for the night. Bargnani did not play as well as he could have though given the opportunity he had with Anthony sidelined.

For at least one half the Knicks were able to keep the Raptors under control on the offensive end. The Knicks held the Raptors to only 40 points in the first half as they went into halftime with a nine point lead.

For what seems like the first time all season the Knicks were able to hold opposing point guards to less than outstanding games. Trade target Kyle Lowry did not score much, totaling only 10 points for the game but he did hand out 11 assists. His backup fared even worse, shooting 1-7 and scoring only four points while compiling four assists.

-Negatives

Tyson Chandler, in his fourth game back from injury, was dominated by Jonas Valanciunas. Valanciunas has been having a coming out party since Rudy Gay was traded to the Sacramento Kings and the Knicks did nothing to stop it. Valanciunas finished the game with 16 points and a career high 18 rebounds as he dominated the paint throughout the night. Valanciunas very active front court mates, Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough, gave the Knicks some problems as well as the two combined for 12 rebounds and the constant movement and activity the Knicks do not get night in and night out from their bigs.

Frank Franklin II/AP Photo

The perimeter defense for the Knicks was improved but once again not well enough. While the point guards did not fare as well, the other wing players did just fine. DeMar DeRozan led the way with a game-high 25 points on 7-13 shooting. He was a frequent visitor to the foul line, taking 14 free throws and making nine. Terrence Ross made the Knicks pay from the perimeter as well, knocking down 3-6 from deep and finishing with 11 points. Reserve wing John Salmons hit the go ahead three-pointer with 8:07 remaining to give the Raptors the lead for good. Salmons finished the night 3-7 from three point land and 11 points as well.

Whatever Iman Shumpert is doing he needs to change because it is not working for him. The starting shooting guard is in a rut like no other as he played only 12 minutes tonight because of a combination of foul trouble and unproductive minutes. Shumpert virtually goose-egged the box score, grabbing only one rebound and getting one steal. Shumpert will continue losing minutes to Hardaway Jr. (possibly not a bad thing) and Smith (probably not a good thing) if he continues to play so poorly. It is disappointing that Shumpert is not taking advantage of all of the chances presented to him as the Knicks could really use a boost from the third year shooting guard. Being the player brought up most frequently in trade rumors, being told he would not be traded was thought of as something to calm Shumpert down. Instead he looks as if he has checked out and is ready to move on from the Knicks.

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