Clippers Molly-Whop Knicks As Losing Streak Hits 3

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 17^th, 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.

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W2W4: Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks; January 17th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 17^th, 2014

Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to get back on track after two lackluster performances against the Charlotte Bobcats and Indiana Pacers. Tonight will be the kickoff to a franchise matching long home stand of eight games. This will be a make-or-break stretch of the season for the Knicks; they can use the home court advantage to get back into the playoff race or if they drop the ball like the last two games can virtually kiss the playoffs goodbye. They will face only two teams currently over .500 over the home stand; the Clippers tonight and the Miami Heat to close it out. Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks suffered a lot more than a loss last night against the Pacers. They lost Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin to left ankle sprains. Stoudemire is hoping to be back within the next week but Martin’s timetable is unknown currently. It is the same ankle that gave Martin problems during the preseason and early parts of the regular season. This does not bode well for the Knicks as Tyson Chandler is still working his way back from an upper respiratory infection. Expect Jeremy Tyler to see his first extended minutes of his Knicks career tonight as the Knicks are severely shorthanded against an explosive Clippers front line of Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Tim Hardaway Jr. re-injured his surgically repaired left wrist and will be questionable at best tonight. If he is unable to go the J.R. Smith benching will definitely come to an end as he will be relied upon to replace all of Hardaway Jr.’s minutes. Pablo Prigioni will be out again tonight and is targeting Monday for his return to the line.

For the Clippers they will be without Chris Paul tonight and for a couple of more weeks.

-Guard the Perimeter

Debbie Wong/USA Today Sports

The Clippers struggled in the first game without Paul, losing to the San Antonio Spurs 116-92. But in the four games following that they have been on a tear, scoring 101, 111, 123 and 129 points. A big reason for the strong play in Paul’s absence is the return of J.J. Redick and play of backup point guard Darren Collison.

Redick has been scorching in his return to the lineup, scoring 19 and a career high 33 in his two games since returning. Collison has been a monster taking over for Paul, averaging 16.6 points on 61.5 percent shooting from the field, 50 from the three point line and 85.7 from the foul line, adding 7.2 assists as well. The Clippers have relied heavily on the three pointer without Paul and have been connecting at a good percent; in their last four games the Clippers are a combined 46-118, good for 38.9 percent. On the season they have shot 33.9 percent from the three point line.

The Knicks will have to make sure the Clippers do not get going from deep or it will be a long night. In addition to Redick and Collison the Clippers have more than capable three point shooters in Matt Barnes, Jared Dudley and former Knick Jamal Crawford.

-Match-Up Of the Game: J.R. Smith vs. Jamal Crawford

Carmelo Anthony and Griffin will get all the attention and spotlight will be on them throughout the night. The real show will be between the two bench players and former Sixth Man of the Year award winners in Smith and Crawford.

The two of them will be matched up throughout the game and have been connected the past few years because of how good of sixth men they are. Smith took the crown from Crawford last year, but this year the two could not be performing any differently. Smith’s play has cratered after off-season knee surgery and has become as disobedient and defiant as ever. Crawford has continued his great play off the bench but also stepped into the starting lineup when Redick was hurt and played well too.

Much like Smith with the Knicks, Crawford is the main scoring option off the bench; he just has done it more consistently this season. Smith has played better recently in-between his benching though and for the Knicks to get back on track Smith playing well will help. The match-up between Smith and Crawford will be a fun one to watch tonight as Crawford has said he always loved playing at Madison Square Garden as a Knick and as an opponent.

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