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

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16^th, 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.

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Knicks Pull Off Big Upset In Golden State Over Warriors

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 30^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors

Post Game Recap

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks were able to grind out a tough, hard earned victory Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks finally looked like a team fighting for their playoff lives as they put the effort and energy in to beat a superior team. The Knicks were able to take control of the game in the second quarter, and would not relinquish it throughout the second half. They bended but did not break as the Knicks were able to pull out the victory. With the win, the Knicks are now one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will look to finish the road trip 3-2 Monday night against the Utah Jazz before heading back home.

Player of the Game: The Bench

The bench has been much maligned for the Knicks recently, but tonight they were the catalysts to get the lead in the second quarter. Pablo Prigioni was inserted into the game and brought a different mentality to the team on both ends of the court. He was extremely aggressive and showed leadership by getting into his teammates when they were not in the correct positions. Prigioni wasn’t alone, as Tim Hardaway Jr. delivered a much needed scoring punch off the bench with 15 points. Iman Shumpert may not have shot the ball well, but he was able to stymie the Warriors explosive backcourt when he was in the game. Shannon Brown even gave the Knicks something without playing much in the game, getting the game sealing steal and knocking down two free throws after a clear path foul was called.

-Positives

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

Amar’e Stoudemire has remained positive no matter how bleak the situation, and tonight he backed up his talk. Stoudemire was a monster on the boards tonight, grabbing a game-high 13 rebounds, six of which were offensive. Stoudemire also delivered some timely baskets, scoring 15 points and knocking down two clutch free throws to give the Knicks a two point lead late in the fourth quarter.

With Carmelo Anthony in foul trouble throughout the first half, the Knicks needed someone to step up and that person was J.R. Smith. Smith poured in 19 points in the first half, carrying the Knicks with Anthony on the sidelines. Smith and Hardaway Jr. combined to score the last 15 points of the first half for the Knicks as they got in transition for easy baskets and knocked down perimeter jump shots.

Raymond Felton is picked apart nightly because of how poor his defense is, but credit needs to be given to him for forcing a turnover on the last possession of the game. Felton forced Stephen Curry to make a tough pass, which was stolen by Brown. Felton denied Curry the ball extremely well the final couple of possessions, and should be lauded for the defensive effort he put in tonight to seal the victory.

The Knicks struggles defensively have been well known, and where they struggle most nights is defending the perimeter. Teams have torched the Knicks from the three-point line, but tonight they defended it rather well. They lost Curry a couple of times, as he went 6-12 from deep but the rest of the Warriors combined for only 4-19. One player the Knicks held in check well was the other Splash Brother, Klay Thompson. Thompson struggled with his shot all night, making 3-11 from beyond the arc and 6-18 overall.

EPA/John G. Mabanglo Corbis Out

After allowing 32 points in the first quarter and looking to be well on their way to another blowout loss, the Knicks defense really stepped up. The remaining three quarters the Warriors scored only 52 points. This is a team that averages 103.4 points per game on the season, being held to what they normally would score in a half, the final three quarters of the game tonight.

-Negative

It was announced after the game that Anthony had x-rays on his left hand. There is no particular time announced of when he got hurt, but it something the Knicks cannot afford at this point in the season. The x-rays came back negative, but it is something to definitely keep an eye on for tomorrow as the Knicks will get right back at it against the Jazz.

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Knicks Have Solid Bounce Back Effort to Defeat Kings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 26^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings

Post Game Recap

Kelly L. Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks made it a lot more difficult than it had to be Wednesday night, but they were still able to pull out a much needed victory over the Sacramento Kings by the score of 107-99. The Knicks and Kings have a history of roller coaster games in Sacramento and tonight was no different. The Knicks led by as many as 24 points but the Kings were able to get it as close as three in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless it was a nice, and necessary, bounce back win as the win puts the Knicks three back in the loss column and two in the standings with 10 to play. The Knicks will continue their west coast trip Friday with a visit to the Phoenix Suns.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Smith was huge for the Knicks tonight, as he caught fire right from the beginning and never slowed down. Smith tied the Knicks franchise record for three-pointers made in a game, draining nine of his 12 attempts from deep en route to 29 points. Smith made timely basket after timely basket in the fourth quarter for the Knicks to help them bring home the victory. When the Kings cut the lead to six with about 9:30 remaining Smith nailed a three pointer to get the lead back to nine. After they got it to four with about seven minutes remaining Smith knocked down yet another three. Finally, with just over four minutes remaining and the Kings on another run knocking the Knicks lead to just two, Smith knocked down his ninth and final three of the game to put the Knicks up five. Smith was very vocal after the Los Angeles Lakers game last night, and he came up big time for the Knicks, backing up everything he said. He also added four rebounds, four assists and a block to round out his stat line.

Erza Shaw/Getty Images

Match-up of the Game Recap:

The center match-up highlighted before the game was dominated tonight by DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins was unstoppable tonight as the Knicks had little answer to slowing him down. With Tyson Chandler dealing with foul trouble Cousins had his way offensively, dominating in the paint and showing off an impressive jump shot. Cousins finished the game with a monster stat line of 32 points, 15 rebounds, a season-high eight assists, two steals and two blocks. Chandler was hampered with foul trouble, but still managed to put up a respectable line with 10 points, eight rebounds and one block in only 29 minutes.

-Positives

Carmelo Anthony put up a solid effort tonight to help get the Knicks a victory. Anthony finished the game with a game-high 36 points on 12-21 from the field, knocking down 5-8 from three point range and all seven of his free throw attempts. Anthony added five rebounds in the process, to go along with two assists, one steal and one block. Anthony had a monster third quarter, scoring 12 points to make sure the Knicks did not have a repeat of the last two games to start the second half.

Seemingly every game this season the Knicks have been at a disadvantage at the point guard position, but tonight they caught a break with Isaiah Thomas being injured, and they were able to take advantage. Rookie and second round pick Ray McCallum got the start for the Kings tonight and the Knicks were able to rattle him early on. He got it going a bit in the second half, but it was too little too late for the Kings. On the other hand, Raymond Felton put together a strong game, handing out 10 assists with zero turnovers and pulling down seven rebounds.

The Knicks got much better results from their bench tonight. They were still outscored by the Kings bench, but they got positive contributions from the players who came into the game. Pablo Prigioni delivered seven assists in 16 minutes, while Iman Shumpert provided some solid defense and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a dagger basket on the last possession. Cole Aldrich should also be applauded for being ready to play once Amar’e Stoudemire and Chandler got into foul trouble.

Erza Shaw/Getty Images

-Negative

While the Knicks were able to pull the victory out tonight, they made it much more difficult than it had to be. Once again this team lacked the killer instinct to put away a team, as the Kings bounced back from a 24-point deficit they faced halfway through the third quarter. If not for the sharp shooting of Smith and timely baskets from players like Anthony and Hardaway Jr. this would have once again been an embarrassing and disaster of a loss for the Knicks.

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

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

AFP Photo/Don Emmert

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

Player of the Game: None

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

Match-up of the Game Recap:

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

-Positives

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

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

AFP Photo/Don Emmert

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

-Negatives

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

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

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

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

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Mike Woodson's Poor Decision Making Almost Costs Knicks 8th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 21^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks almost saw their playoff hopes dashed tonight in extremely embarrassing fashion. The Philadelphia 76ers cut a 15 point Knicks lead to 2 in the last four minutes of the game, making what should have been an easy victory into a nail biter. Both teams were desperate for a win for different reasons, and it showed the last couple minutes of the game. With the victory the Knicks winning streak reaches eight games, and with the loss the 76ers are closing in on the NBA All-Time record for losses in a row 23. The Knicks also move to three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, as the Hawks dropped their game against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight.

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

Matt Slocum/AP Photo

Stoudemire continued his strong play for the Knicks since being inserted into the starting lineup. Tonight he led the way offensively for the Knicks, scoring 22 points on 10-15 from the field. He was also a force on the boards, grabbing 10. Stoudemire looks like a different person since being inserted into the starting five and the Knicks have benefited greatly from it. Stoudemire may have to sit a game now and then to rest his knees but if he keeps putting forth performances like tonight it is worthwhile.

Match-Up of the Game Recap

Both Carmelo Anthony and Thaddeus Young struggled from the field tonight. Anthony shot 5-16 from the field, 2-5 from deep and Young shot 6-21, 3-9 from the three point line. Both were able to help their teams in other ways though, as Anthony added right rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block. Not to be outdone, Young grabbed seven rebounds, had two assists and four steals. The best players for each team struggled a bit tonight, but Anthony’s team came out with the victory, even though it was rough, so he wins the match-up.

-Positives

Matt Slocum/AP Photo

Tyson Chandler teamed up with Stoudemire to dominate the 76ers frontline. Chandler registered a double-double of his own, scoring 17 points to go along with 10 rebounds. Chandler also recorded one block and steal of his own. The tandem of Chandler and Stoudemire was too much for the overmatched frontline of Young and Henry Sims.

Pablo Prigioni and Iman Shumpert gave the Knicks a big spark off the bench. Prigioni led the way with nine assists, setting up his teammates numerous times for easy baskets. Also impressive, he only turned the ball over once compared to the nine assists. He also added four rebounds in only 18 minutes of play. Shumpert has looked more comfortable recently off the bench and tonight he was a big help knocking down timely jump shots. Shumpert knocked down 3-6 from behind the arc, the only Knicks player to make half his threes in the game.

-Negative

The Knicks offense struggled for the better part of the game. They struggled knocking down the long ball, making only 7-29. Tim Hardaway Jr., Raymond Felton, Prigioni and Chandler combined to miss nine attempts. J.R. Smith struggled as well, making only 2-9.

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Mike Woodson is lucky if he is allowed to enter Madison Square Garden after the performance he put on to finish the game. He sent the end of the bench guys into the game a little early, with about four minutes remaining with the Knicks up. That wasn’t even nearly the worst decision he made, as he decided to let them stay in the game as he watched the Knicks lead disappear. Inexplicably Woodson stood idly as a 15 point lead quickly turned into a ten point lead, then a five and as low as two. At no point did he hesitate to make a substitution and get his regulars back onto the court. By the time the regulars got onto the court they were cold and not prepared. The 76ers managed to mess up enough for the Knicks to hold on, no thanks to the poor coaching decisions of Woodson.

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Knicks Blow Celtics Out For 5th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12^th, 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.

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Knicks Suffer Devastating Loss to Magic In Double-OT

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 21st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Orlando Magic

Post Game Recap

The Knicks have added yet another disappointing loss to this disappointing season in a game they probably should have won. Tonight the Magic joined the list of teams with poor records to hand the Knicks a loss, winning 129-121 in double-overtime. With the loss the Knicks have fallen 4.5 games behind in the race for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks have lost seven of their last nine games with bad losses to the Milwaukee Bucks, Sacramento Kings and now the Magic part of them. The Knicks playoff chances are slipping away with every passing loss as they continue losing close games they should come out ahead in. The Knicks will be back at it tomorrow night in Atlanta to face the Hawks as they finish up their four games in five nights stretch.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

 

David Manning/USA TODAY Sports

Anthony did everything he could to get the Knicks a victory tonight but once again it was just not enough. Tonight he continued his scoring barrage, pouring in a game-high 44 points on 16-28 from the field. Anthony was on fire from deep, going 6-10 and making 6-7 from the foul line. At one point he even made nine straight shots as he was on fire. The Magic even started sending double and even triple teams at him but there was no stopping him. Anthony also added 11 rebounds, four assists and one steal to round out his stat line. Anthony also played 50 minutes tonight, which raises the questions of how he will perform tomorrow night with such a quick turnaround. He is doing everything he can to get the Knicks wins and they just keep coming up short. Knicks fans should sit back and just soak in what Anthony is doing recently and throughout the season as he could easily be doing this for another team next season.

-Positives

With the trade deadline passing Thursday, Raymond Felton finally can be at rest with where he is going to be the rest of the season. Tonight he played quite possibly his best game of the season, scoring 15 points, handing out eight assists, grabbing eight rebounds and playing decent defense with one steal and two blocks. He neutralized Magic starting point guard Jameer Nelson, who finished with three points, four assists and three rebounds. Felton has struggled mightily throughout the season with trade rumors swirling and injuries taking their toll, but he looked as good as he has all season tonight. If Felton is able to get things turned around it would help the Knicks immensely, especially with Iman Shumpert now sidelined.

David Manning/USA TODAY Sports

The perimeter shooting tonight for the Knicks was on point. They were efficient from the three point line all game and used that as the vocal point of their offensive attack. For the game the Knicks shot 15-34 from deep, good for 44.1 percent. Anthony led the way with six makes, while Pablo Prigioni and Tim Hardaway Jr. each made three. Through three quarters they Knicks shot 53 percent from the field and looked to be in control of the game.

The defense through the first three quarters of the game was solid. The point total was a little high at 79, but the Knicks had held the Magic to 40 percent shooting. They went into the fourth quarter up seven points and looked like they were well on their way to their second consecutive victory.

-Negatives

The fourth quarter and overtime were polar opposites for both teams from the first three quarters. The Knicks shooting percentage dropped to 47.4 percent as the offense began to stall at times and Anthony was routinely bailing them out. On the other hand the Magic’s shooting percentage rose all the way to 49.9 percent as the Knicks could not get needed stops. The Knicks went up by four points with under two minutes remaining and were unable to slow the Magic down no matter what they tried. The Knicks have lost games like this all season because they cannot lock down defensively consistently enough when they need to.

David Manning/USA TODAY Sports

The perimeter defense is usually the problem for the Knicks, but tonight they had trouble stopping the Magic from anywhere on the court. Tobias Harris, the Long Island native, was manned with guarding Anthony throughout the night. He lost his cool a little early in the game but locked in later and finished with 22 points on 7-11 from the field. Rookie Victor Oladipo destroyed the Knicks throughout the night, finishing one rebound short of a triple-double to go along with 30 points and 14 assists. Arron Afflalo, whose name was a part of some rumors before the trade deadline, hurt the Knicks as well scoring a team high 32 points along with three rebounds and assists.

Plays that would have changed with just a little more attention to detail tonight could have turned the game into a Knicks win. The first one came at the end of regulation, when Anthony stepped on the sideline while dribbling to the right corner for his patented pull-up jump shot. Harris stuck with him and needs to be given some credit for the defense he played. The other play came in overtime, when Tyson Chandler attempted to throw down a reverse dunk off an alley-oop pass from Felton and the ball didn’t make it through the basket as it hit off his head. The Knicks have proved time and time again this season that they do not possess the mental fortitude and attention to detail to pull out close games and they showed it once again tonight.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans; February 19th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. New Orleans Pelicans

The Knicks will look to get on track tonight against the Pelicans after a tough loss last night to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks will also be looking to exact some revenge on the Pelicans, who beat the Knicks 103-99 December 1^st at Madison Square Garden. In that game the Pelicans didn’t even have rising star Anthony Davis, who left the game with a non-displaced fracture in his left hand, and were still able to get the victory. It will be a tough match-up with Davis in the lineup tonight but the Knicks do match-up pretty well with the current lineup the Pelicans are forced to use. Here are some things to look forward to in the game tonight.

-Players News and Notes

The Knicks, who were without Kenyon Martin prior to the All-Star break will be without him again tonight and most likely for the remainder of the road trip. Martin is dealing with more ankle soreness and the Knicks are missing him immensely. Andrea Bargnani has been out a month now and there is still update on his injured elbow. His timetable is still unknown of when he is expected to return to the court.

Two players to keep an eye on also are Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert. They are the two names brought up most in trade rumors involving the Knicks and if anything is close to being made official on the trade front both players may not be suiting up tonight.

For the Pelicans they will still be without Jrue Holiday. His status has been upgraded and he should be back with the team within a week, but the Knicks will not have to face him. Anthony player they should be happy about not facing is Ryan Anderson. Anderson is out with a back injury. That sound was a sigh of relief by the Knicks, who have been killed by Anderson every time he steps on the court against them.

Match-up Of The Game: Carmelo Anthony/Tyson Chandler vs. Anthony Davis

Kathy Willens/AP Photo

The Knicks front court will have their hands full with Davis no matter who is guarding him. He presents match-up problems against virtually everyone in the NBA as his combination of athleticism and size is not rivaled by many in the league. Davis, in the midst of a breakout career year will cause problems for the Knicks wherever he is stationed defensively. He has the intangibles to make life difficult for Anthony, who would be best suited taking Davis away from the basket. It would help the Knicks a lot by having Davis as far away from the basket as possible to diminish his rebounding and shot blocking abilities.

-Re-Kindle New Orleans Magic

Over the weekend during the All-Star festivities two Knicks put on offensive shows. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Anthony both set the court ablaze with hot outside shooting. Anthony set an All-Star game record with eight three-point makes while Hardaway scored 36 points in the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge Friday night. It would go a long way if both players were able to put on performances reminiscent of that tonight against a Pelicans team that allows teams to shoot a high percentage against them at 46.2 percent.

-Woody’s Rotation

Last night we saw Mike Woodson go against his normal rotations and ride the hot hands throughout the second half. It helped get the Knicks back into the game but also could have been a problem holding that lead; Woodson made only two subs the whole fourth quarter, as Pablo Prigioni played the last 14:29 of the game without a rest. Woodson needed to use the players that were performing, but at what cost?

Anthony Gruppuso/USA TODAY Sports

Tonight it will be worth watching how he monitors minutes. The Knicks are engaged in trade rumors with seemingly the whole NBA so until the game starts they are not even 100 percent sure which players will be taking the court for them tonight. It would benefit him and the team greatly if he dipped a little deeper into the bench tonight and gave some more minutes to players like Jeremy Tyler and Toure’ Murry with it being the second game of the back-to-back set.

-Perimeter Play

Even without Holiday, the Pelicans still possess strong perimeter play. They start a capable replacement in Bryan Roberts and have Eric Gordon alongside him in the backcourt. The real problem for the Knicks is former Rookie of the Year winner Tyreke Evans. In the first meeting this season Evans scored 24 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter, to go along with seven assists and four steals.

The Knicks will need a spirited effort from their perimeter players to keep up with the Pelicans. An improved performance from J.R. Smith, who is very vocal about his dislike of the mask he needs to wear to protect the broken bone in his face, should become more comfortable with it in the coming days. He was pretty much useless Tuesday in his first game with the mask, shooting 2-8 and grabbing five rebounds to go with one assist.

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Knicks Comeback Falls Short in Memphis

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, February 18^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Memphis Grizzlies

Post Game Recap

The Knicks started the second half of the NBA season much like they played throughout the first half; underwhelming with a heart breaking loss at the end. The Knicks had a poor first half against a strong Grizzlies’ defense but they were able to pick it up in the third quarter to make it a tie game going into the fourth. The Knicks picked up momentum and looked to be in control of the game but mental lapses swing the advantage back to the Grizzlies, who took advantage and came away with the win. The Knicks did everything they needed to do to win the game tonight and still came away with a loss. They are now 13 games under .500 and falling further and further behind in the playoff race. Is help on its way? The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 PM ET and the Knicks are apart of plenty of rumors. They will be back at it tomorrow night in New Orleans to take on the Pelicans a in the second game of their four game in five nights trip.

Player of the Game: Tim Hardaway Jr.

 

Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports

The rookie put on a show during All-Star weekend during the BBVA Rising Star challenge and carried it into tonight’s game. Hardaway Jr. was the only Knick with a knack from long range, knocking down four of the six Knicks makes from the three point line. He finished with a team high 23 points on 7-15 shooting overall, scoring 14 of those points in the fourth quarter as the Knicks attempted to take over the game. The same story rang true tonight that has throughout the season though as Hardaway Jr. did not help anywhere else in the game outside of scoring, showing that the rookie still has a little ways to go before being a player the Knicks can count on night in and night out.

-Positives

Pablo Prigioni was given the keys to the team for most of the second half and he did everything he could to get the team going. He finished with a season high 10 assists as he was able to get the ball into his teammates hands in good positions for them to score. His play kept Raymond Felton on the bench the last 14:29 of the game as Mike Woodson decided to ride the hot hand.

Justin Ford/USA TODAY Sports

The defense on Zach Randolph was great for the Knicks tonight. The Grizzlies’ big man was held to 13 points on 6-11 from the field as Tyson Chandler was able to keep him contained throughout the game. He had eight rebounds as well, as both totals fell short of his season averages. On the night the Knicks battled on the boards, actually out rebounding the Grizzlies 39-38 in the game.

The comeback came up short but the second half the Knicks showed what kind of basketball they are capable of playing. They fell down by as many as 18 but were able to get back into the game in the second half. Some credit needs to be given to Woodson, who stuck with the players that were giving him positive results, benching two starters, Felton and Iman Shumpert, the entire fourth quarter in favor of Prigioni, Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith.

-Negatives

After setting an All-Star game record with eight three point makes Sunday night, Carmelo Anthony could not find his shot against the Grizzlies. Last season this was a game Anthony would coax a victory out for the Knicks as his teammates stepped up when needed but tonight he fell short. Anthony shot 8-22 overall from the field, but struggled with his jump shot, going 1-5 from the three point line and 5-8 from the foul line. He did grab 11 rebounds to lead the team, but it was disappointing he was unable to get his shot to fall after such an impressive showing Sunday, albeit against much less defensive pressure.

When you have two starters basically being benched during crunch time it’s never a good thing. Players not used to playing extended minutes are asked to do more than usual and it makes things difficult on the coach. Constant lineup changes and a rotation still not set after the All-Star break are not a good combination. Tonight Felton and Shumpert were not helping the team and found the way to the bench, missing all eight of their three point attempts combined. Their time with the Knicks could be coming to an end soon with the deadline approaching Thursday and the Knicks looking to upgrade the backcourt.

 

Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal/MCT

You can add another player to the list of players to go off on the Knicks out of nowhere, as Mike Miller lit the Knicks up tonight. Miller has battled numerous injuries over the past couple seasons but found the fountain of youth against the Knicks, going 7-11 from the field overall and 5-7 from the three point line for 19 points. He was not the only Grizzly player to take over late in the game, as Mike Conley showed why he is one of the most underrated point guards in the NBA. Conley took over in the fourth quarter, scoring eight points with two assists and a steal. He showed like many before him this season that the Knicks sorely need an upgrade at the guard positions.

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Total Team Effort Results In Blowout Win For Knicks Over Nuggets

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 7^th, 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.

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Knicks Topped By Blazers in Sloppy Game

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Portland Trail Blazers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks suffered yet another tough home loss Wednesday night, falling to the Blazers 94-90. Execution for both teams was sloppy throughout the night but the Blazers were able to get it together a little more than the Knicks when it counted. During pre-game Wally Szczerbiak said it was going to be a game of shot takers and whoever was more of the makers would come out on top. That is exactly what happened as the Blazers made eight three pointers compared to four for the Knicks, a 12 point difference that ultimately proved to be the difference. What makes it worse is the Blazers were clearly not on top of their game but the Knicks were still unable to take advantage. There is no use for morale victories for this Knicks team, but hopefully they can take some of the positives from the game tonight and put them towards their next game Friday night against the Denver Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Player of the Game: Knicks Bench

The Knicks bench was outstanding tonight and is as responsible as anyone for the Knicks being in the game tonight. Jeremy Tyler, Amar’e Stoudemire, Tim Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith all gave the Knicks a spark and played well tonight. In only 11 minutes Tyler was extremely active, getting second possessions for the Knicks on the offensive end and playing with intensity. Stoudemire was on fire offensively, scoring 15 points in his 22 minutes and backing up his talk after practice Tuesday about warranting more playing time. He also grabbed seven rebounds. Hardaway Jr. and Smith were not knocking down their perimeter shots efficiently but they were able to score 12 and 18 points respectively and help in other areas; Hardaway Jr. grabbed five rebounds and Smith had three rebounds and six assists when given the chance to run the offense. They outscored the Blazers bench 50-20 on the night.

Matchup of the Game Recap:

Shockingly Damian Lillard did not go off on Raymond Felton like expected. Lillard, like his Blazers teammates and virtually everyone else in the game, struggled from the field going 4-12. Felton wasn’t much better going 2-6. They even had similar other stats, as Lillard had five rebounds and four assists while Felton had four rebounds and three assists. The big difference was the playing time, as Lillard was on the court in crunch time leading his team while Felton was stapled to the bench, not appearing in the fourth quarter. Lillard played 38 minutes while Felton garnered only 23.

-Positives

The disparity in rebounding was pointed out in pre-game but the Knicks were able to handle themselves well on the boards. The Blazers won the rebounding battle, but it was close as the finally tally was 49-48. It was a team effort for the Knicks, as five players, Tyson Chandler, Carmelo Anthony, Stoudemire, Pablo Prigioni and Hardaway Jr. all grabbed at least five rebounds.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

The Blazers were off their game tonight in part because of the Knicks defense. The Blazers were held to 38 percent shooting on the night as their All-Stars LaMarcus Aldridge and Lillard struggled from the field, shooting a combined 9-29. Aldridge had the back-breaking dagger shot in the final two minutes though, as his turnaround jumper over Chandler put the Blazers ahead for good.

Mike Woodson is on the hot seat and did make some questionable decisions tonight but he should be applauded for changing things up a little bit. He sat starting point guard Felton for the whole fourth quarter, deciding instead to ride the hot hand in Prigioni and Smith running the offense. It was out of character for Woodson to change things up so drastically but it was the right move tonight.

-Negatives

The Knicks offense was not in sync tonight. The Blazers have a very forgiving defense, ranking 27^th in points allowed per game. The Knicks were not able to take advantage though, shooting only 40 percent in the game and an unsightly 19 percent from the three point line. It was the difference in the game as the Blazers were near their three point percentage average but the Knicks were well below it. Also the foul line disparity hurt again, as the Blazers went 26-33 and the Knicks went 14-20.

Iman Shumpert gave the Knicks nothing once again in the scoring department. It is beyond trade rumors now as Shumpert’s struggles have spanned virtually all season outside of the Texas Trip. He went 0-5 tonight and makes things extremely difficult for the Knicks as they already have a player in the starting lineup in Prigioni who doesn’t look to score. Shumpert needs to figure things out as the guard play once again tonight let the Knicks down.

Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

Anthony came up short tonight for the Knicks. When they needed him most he was unable to come through as he went scoreless in the fourth quarter. Anthony finished the game 11-28 from the field, struggling from the perimeter as he went 1-6 from threes and only got to the foul line for three attempts, making all of them. On the contrary, Aldridge struggled from the field all night but came up huge for the Blazers when they needed him most to end a Knicks run or down the stretch. Wesley Matthews and Nicolas Batum made life difficult for Anthony as the game wore on.

For the praise Woodson deserves for benching Felton, there are still come questions that should be raised. Why was Stoudemire taken out when he was clearly the hot hand offensively for the Knicks? It would be nice to see Woodson be consistent in the decisions that he makes, playing all the hot hands and players keeping the Knicks in the game instead of reverting back to old lineups. It is not good when it is February and Woodson still does not know game in and game out who he can use for end of game situations. The hot seat is as hot as it has been during his tenure as Knicks coach and there are rumblings that he will not make it past the All-Star break.

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Knicks Make It 2 In A Row With Win Over Lakers

Sunday, January 26^th, 2014

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to build off their strong performance Friday night with another strong offensive performance Sunday night to get the victory over the Lakers 110-103. There was not much defense in the game but the Knicks were able to get stops when they needed them and were able to control the pace at times when the Lakers were trying to get the run’n’gun game going. It was not the best of overall performances for the Knicks but they got the win, which in the end is the most important thing. With the win the Knicks have won two in a row and will look to continue the winning streak Tuesday night against the Boston Celtics.

Player of the Game: Tim Hardaway Jr.

Madison Square Garden has been eerily quiet at times throughout the season and today was no different throughout most of the first half. The crowd got going once Hardaway Jr. came into the game as he provided a spark and some energy to wake everyone up. Hardaway Jr. lit the scoreboard up, pouring in 18 points on 7-12 from the field, including a scorching 4-5 from three point land. Hardaway also grabbed four rebounds and is gaining the confidence of Mike Woodson, as he, not Iman Shumpert, finished the game out this afternoon alongside Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton, Tyson Chandler and J.R. Smith. Hardaway Jr. fills up the point column but the player he guards more than not does also. As long as he continues working on his defense Hardaway Jr. will find himself in the game at crunch time more often because of the scoring punch he adds to the lineup.

Match-Up of the Game Recap:

Seth Wenig/AP Photo

Both Chandler and Pau Gasol had solid games this afternoon, as both players went for double-doubles; Chandler finished with 13 points and 14 rebounds, Gasol with 20 points and 13 rebounds. The two of them were matched up with each other throughout the game and early on Gasol was giving Chandler some fits, getting him in early foul trouble in the first quarter. As the game waned Chandler was able to enforce his will on Gasol as he started making things more difficult and Gasol was unable to truly get into the flow of the game. Both players played strong, but in the end Chandler gets the edge because it was his team that came out on top.

-Positives

Anthony did not score 62 points, but he still had a big scoring night, putting in 35 points on 14-31 shooting from the field. Anthony only had four rebounds, but he tied for the game high in assists with five tonight, as his teammates picked up him and knocked down shots when given the opportunity. Anthony established himself early, scoring 10 points in the first quarter and his teammates picked it up from there as his shooting percentage dropped. It was encouraging to see Anthony make the right pass and his teammates knocking them down to help hold the Lakers off tonight.

Raymond Felton put together a second consecutive strong game after calling out his poor play. Tonight he scored 20 points on 8-10 shooting, knocking down both his three point attempts and both his free throws. Felton got into the paint at will tonight and was able to get the lob game going with Chandler on multiple occasions. Felton needs to continue his strong play for the Knicks to truly turn things around, as poor guard play has hurt the Knicks immensely during the season.

The bench gave the Knicks a big boost in what was a pretty lax setting early on. The crowd wasn’t very into the game and the pace was slow, but when the bench came in things picked up. Hardaway Jr. was not the only player to give the Knicks a spark, as Jeremy Tyler and Cole Aldrich gave solid minutes as the bigs off the bench. The two of them combined for nine rebounds, three blocks and three points in 20 minutes. Smith provided another strong scoring output alongside Hardaway Jr., putting in 16 of his own, while grabbing six rebounds and handing out four assists.

Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke

The Knicks were able to dominate the battle on the boards tonight, outrebounding the Lakers 45-35. Every Knicks who came off the bench grabbed at least four, in addition to the three in the starting lineup as the Knicks gang rebounded successfully tonight against an undersized Lakers squad. The Knicks also became more aggressive as the game went on, finishing tied at 38 points in the paint after settling early on for jump shots.

-Negatives

It sounds like a broken record but the Knicks perimeter defense was beyond bad once again. The Lakers feasted from the three-point line, shooting 11-23 from deep on the afternoon. Jodie Meeks scored 24 points on 8-13 shooting and journeyman Manny Harris justified his second 10-day contract with the Lakers by pouring in 18 off the bench, most of which came against fellow Michigan Wolverine Hardaway Jr.

The Knicks need to find a way to get more out of Pablo Prigioni and Iman Shumpert. When you start two players that combined for only five points in 49 minutes you make things much more difficult on your teammates. Both players do other things while on the court but adding a little more scoring punch from the second guard and wing spot would go a long way in the helping the Knicks. 

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