W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers; March 21st, 2014

Written By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 21^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks are in the midst of playing their best basketball of the season, reeling off seven straight wins. They will look to continue the good play and winning streak tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers, owners of their own lengthy streak. The 76ers are currently riding a franchise long 22-game losing streak and do not look like they will be ending it any time soon. The Knicks have to come in and handle business against a team that is more concerned with getting a top draft pick than winning games at the end of the season. Here are some news and notes to help get the Knicks the victory tonight.

Match-Up of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Thaddeus Young

http://www.morningpickup.com/76ers-drop-pair-games-weekend/

When the 76ers started moving players at the trade deadline, Thaddeus Young was one expected to go. The versatile forward would have fit nicely in almost any front court in the NBA, but he was the one player the 76ers decided to keep. Even though the expectations for the team were rock bottom right from the start of the season, Young has played well, averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals. He will be matched up throughout the night with Anthony, being tasked with slowing down the Knicks best player.

Carmelo Anthony has played well all season and has continued it throughout the winning streak. He will give Young everything he can handle tonight. Look for Anthony to come out aggressive early and often as the Knicks will try and put the 76ers away early and cruise to a victory.

Pre-Game News and Notes:

The Knicks still have no timetable set for the return of Kenyon Martin or Andrea Bargnani. Martin seems to be closer and more likely to return of the two. He would have be a seamless addition to the rotation as his main job would be playing defense and rebounding while Bargnani was a big part of the Knicks offensive plans and had trouble fitting in with some players. Cole Aldrich should continue seeing time as the reserve big man with the positive results he has produced recently.

For the 76ers, James Anderson will be a game-time decision. If he is unable to go, expect to see a lot more of Tony Wroten. Wroten, who gave the Knicks problems in their last meeting, is an athletic wing who likes to get to the basket. He is far more explosive and aggressive than Anderson and would give the Knicks a lot more problems; Anderson is more of a three-point specialist.

-Control From the Start

It is imperative for the Knicks to get off to a strong start. If they are able to take the lead early on and build on it they can take the 76ers out of the game right away. The 76ers are a young team that cannot be given hope; the longer they are in the game the more dangerous they will be. It would be best for the Knicks to take them out early and not let them build any confidence. On a 22-game losing streak they will grab onto the faintest of hopes and try to ride that to a victory.

-Strong Guard Play Continuing

The Knicks guard play improving has coincided with the winning streak. Since J.R. Smith has been inserted into the starting lineup everything seems to be clicking. He has begun shooting the ball better and everyone now knows their roles. Tim Hardaway Jr. looks much more comfortable as the only scoring guard off the bench and the intangibles that Iman Shumpert brings fits in better with the second unit.

Also playing better throughout the streak is Raymond Felton. He will have his hands full tonight against potential NBA Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams. Carter-Williams is having a solid season for the 76ers, but is turnover prone and struggles to shoot the ball at times. If Felton and the rest of the guards can slow him down they will have a much easier time taking down the 76ers.

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Knicks Lose to Lowly 76ers As Skid Hits 5 Games

Wednesday, January 22^nd, 2014

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

Jim O'Connor/USA TODAY Sports

The Knicks have hit an all-time low for the second time this season, this time because of a home loss to the 76ers, losing 110-106. The Knicks are full of turmoil and the problems they are having behind the scenes off the court are beginning to rear their ugly head on the court. Mike Woodson cannot find workable combinations as the five players he employs on the court look like they all speak different languages and are not on the same page; they look constantly lost and play scared because of the tension surrounding the team currently. With how things are looking it seems that there is no turn around on the horizon. With the loss tonight the losing streak is ran up to five games and 0-3 thus far on the home stand. The Knicks will get back at it Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Player of the Game: Andrea Bargnani

Bargnani played only 28 minutes on the night but he played a solid game, finishing as the only Knick with a positive +/- in the starting lineup. Bargnani was aggressive throughout the game, scoring 20 points as he did not settle for as many deep jump shots tonight as normal; he attacked the paint and was able to get to the foul line for six free throw attempts, making five of them. He also added four rebounds and some good one-on-one defense again. He got switched onto smaller player on a very occasions but he was able to hold his own, getting four blocks on the night. The thing Bargnani has to do is get more consistent; if the Knicks knew what they were going to get from him game in and game out things would be much better.

Match-up of the Game Recap:

Frank Franklin III/AP Photo

Raymond Felton wasn’t as embarrassed as he could have been Wednesday night by Michael Carter-Williams but he was still thoroughly outplayed. Felton and Carter-Williams both struggled from the court but MCW was able to do other things to help his team out tonight; he grabbed 12 rebounds in addition to the seven assists he handed out. Unlike Felton, MCW was also able to hold his own when switched onto bigger players, never giving up an easy basket, showing just how nice it is to have the size advantage that he has over other point guards.

-Positives

On a freezing night in New York, the Knicks were able to warm things up with a scorching 15-33 from the three point line. Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith all knocked down multiple shots from deep as it was the only thing really keeping the Knicks in the game tonight.

The bench gave the Knicks a much needed boost tonight. Without Amar’e Stoudemire and Kenyon Martin the Knicks do not have much size coming off the bench but there is plenty of athleticism. Tim Hardaway Jr. always gets the crowd in a frenzy when he enters the game and when Smith is on the crowd goes nuts as he knocks down three pointers. Tonight, coupled with Pablo Prigioni and Bargnani, they were able to get the Knicks back into the game and give them a five point lead in the fourth quarter.

Smith did not have a strong shooting night, going 5-16 but he looks to be getting his confidence back. He was not forcing the action as much tonight and looked to shoot every shot with confidence tonight. Shumpert looked to be in the zone as well, something the Knicks desperately have been waiting for from their wing players. The Knicks suffer when Smith and Shumpert are not on top of their games as they are two of the most athletic players on the team that are capable of getting easy shots.

-Negatives

Jim O'Connor/USA TODAY Sports

The 76ers came into the game as the second worst three-point shooting team in the NBA; you wouldn’t have known it tonight. On the night they went 9-14 from behind the arc, good for 64.3 percent. The constant switching left 76er players open on multiple occasions from the perimeter and they took advantage. On the night the 76ers shot extremely well, going 42-88 (47.7 percent). It seems every night the Knicks are allowing an opposing player to score either a season or career high. Tonight was no different, as Evan Turner scored a career high 34 points. He shot 13-22 from the field (3-3 3pt, 5-5 FT) as he lit the Knicks up from all over the court. Turner was not alone, as Young scored 19, MWC scored 19 and journeyman James Anderson hurt the Knicks with 18 on 8-11 shooting.

The rebounding department tonight was not visited by the Knicks as they were manhandled on the boards by the 76ers 54-39. It is disturbing that the Knicks were beaten so handedly in rebounding tonight as the 76ers starting center Spencer Hawes grabbed only one on the night; Turner and MCW grabbed 11 and 12 respectively to pace the 76ers. Chandler led the way with 14 for the Knicks as Shumpert added eight.

The post game interviews the Knicks have had recently have been very telling and tonight was no different. Smith and Chandler each had some eyebrow raising quotes tonight, as they spoke on the difficulties they are having on the defensive end. Smith says the 76ers could get any shot they wanted tonight and Chandler followed that up with saying they knew what play was coming on the Thaddeus Young back breaking three-pointer in the fourth quarter and still couldn’t stop it. The Knicks right now are a team on the ropes as close to being knocked out as they have been all season and the quotes and emotions they show during and after games are not ones of a team that looks ready to get back to playing good basketball.

One thing Chandler was critical of was the constant switching the Knicks do on the defensive end. Chandler believes that should be a last resort playing defense; tonight the Knicks continued their switching and it hurt them. The culprit more times than once were Anthony and Shumpert; they were just not on the same page and their breakdowns were crushing in the final minutes of the game. On back-to-back possessions Anthony and Shumpert messed up defensive assignments, leading to an Anderson lay-up and Young three-pointer on the next possession.

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