Knicks Defeat Raptors to End Season on High Note

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16^th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

In the last game of the season for each team, the New York Knicks were able to end the season on a high note, defeating the Toronto Raptors 95-92. It was a strong finish to a disappointing season for the Knicks, who won four straight to end the season, even though they had been eliminated from the playoffs prior to the last three. It was nice to see the Knicks play with some heart and pride, as all four games they won to end the season came against playoff teams that were still playing for seeding. Here are some takeaways from the last game of the season for the Knicks, who will be watching the playoffs from home like the fans.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

With absolutely nothing to play for but stats, this is the type of game you would expect Smith to take an absurd amount of shots. Instead, he showed a lot of leadership in not only playing, but playing within the flow of the game. Smith knocked down 13-19 from the field, including 2-5 from deep and 2-4 from the foul line, en route to a game-high 30 points. Smith was a terror on the defensive end, getting five steals in the game as well to go with four rebounds and one assist. It was encouraging to see Smith finally get going for the Knicks the last quarter of the season, but it was too late for the team to turn it into a playoff appearance.

-Positives

The fact the Knicks had nothing to play for, while the Raptors did speaks volumes to just how hard they played. The Raptors led by as many as 19-points in the first half, yet the Knicks kept at it, keeping the energy level high. In a surprise, the Knicks actually dominated the third quarter, winning 30-17 to tie the game heading into the fourth quarter. The defense in the second half was outstanding, as the Raptors were held to 35 points. It speaks volume to the character of the players the Knicks used tonight that they were able to battle back in the fashion they did.

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

Amar’e Stoudemire was able to play and make it through the game unscathed. It was encouraging to see Stoudemire choose to play, showing leadership that even he, king of the knee injury, could go out there and suit up for the fans in a meaningless game. Stoudemire was a bright spot for the Knicks this season, and looks to be a piece that can help them next season.

Cole Aldrich played heavy minutes with so many players sitting this one out, and he put together a monster game. In 40 minutes, Aldrich recorded his second consecutive double-double, scoring 13 points with 16 rebounds. He was a presence on the defensive end all night, accumulating two steals and five blocks. Aldrich has shown time and time again this season he is a competent rim protector and can grab rebounds in bunches. He should be given every opportunity to be the backup big next season for the Knicks.

Toure’ Murry was given extended minutes once again, and looked much more comfortable than he did against the Brooklyn Nets the previous night. Against the Raptors, Murry scored 15 points, making 6-12 from the field and knocking down both his three point attempts. He also added two rebounds and two assists. Whenever Murry is on the court he has shown the ability to be a lockdown defender, and with consistent minutes useful offensively. He is something the Knicks should keep around and continue to develop as his defensive prowess is a weapon they can use to their advantage.

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

-Negative

Iman Shumpert’s final game of the season epitomized his whole season. He finished the game 1-10 from the field, showing the maddening inconsistency he has had throughout the whole 2013-2014 campaign. He was able to help out in other areas, as he grabbed four rebounds, handed out two assists, swiped two steals and had one block. It is nice that Shumpert can impact the game in other ways, but his inconsistent play on the offensive end hurt the Knicks.

This is the last time we will see the Knicks this season. It is disappointing that is coming to an end, especially with how well they finished out the season. It makes you think what could have been, as the Knicks ended the game with a four game winning streak, and all the wins coming against playoff teams. The Knicks were never able to shake their poor play from the beginning of the season, and in the end have no one to blame but themselves for missing the post season.

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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 Blown Out For Second Consecutive Night

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 28, 2014

Golden State Warriors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

It was another embarrassing loss for the Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight as the Warriors came in and blew them out by a score of 126-103. The Knicks were out of it virtually from the start, trailing by double-digits from the midway point of the second quarter on and never really getting much closer. They fell behind by as many as 27 points and didn’t get closer than 16 in the second half. It was another uninspired effort for the Knicks who lacked the effort and urgency of a team on the outside looking in of the playoff race. The loss tonight runs the Knicks losing streak to five games and with a 2-11 record to finish February. The Knicks will be back at it again Sunday afternoon in a nationally televised game against the Chicago Bulls at 1 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Tim Hardaway Jr.

After having quite possibly his worst NBA game to date in his return home last night, Hardaway Jr. had a nice bounce back game tonight. He scored 22 points on 6-11 from the field and connected on 4-7 from deep, improving immensely upon his 2-15 and 0-8 from deep last night. It was nice to see Hardaway Jr. still trying out there tonight in a game that was seemingly over before he even stepped on the court. He showed resiliency and supreme confidence by coming out tonight with the same energy and emotion that he has brought in every game this season. His defense may need work but he is a guy the Knicks need to keep around as his offensive game has loads of potential to make him a starter in this league for many years to come.

Match up Of the Game Recap

Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images

The Knicks never really stood a chance in this match up of Stephen Curry against their backcourt. Curry, who had a season low five points Wednesday against the Bulls, came out and destroyed the Knicks tonight. Without Iman Shumpert starting Curry was able to get going from the start and lit the Knicks up throughout the night. He finished with a triple-double tonight after scoring career high 54-points in his visit last season. This one is much sweeter for Curry and the Warriors though as they left Madison Square Garden with the win in addition to Curry’s stellar night. On the contrary, Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni didn’t have much of an impact on the game. In 32 combined minutes the Knicks starting backcourt barely managed to provide stats you would expect from a reserve.

-Positives

Toure’ Murry was given a chance tonight with Mike Woodson deciding to sit Felton and Prigioni for long stretches and it paid off. Murry is in a tough position not receiving constant minutes but tonight he made the most of what was given to him. He provided a spark offensively, scoring eight points and added two rebounds and two assists. He also provided some defense for the Knicks at the point of attack, something Felton and Prigioni didn’t provide. Murry has shown in his limited minutes he should be a part of the rotation because he brings things to the game that Felton and Prigioni do not provide.

The three point shooting for the Knicks tonight was about the only thing that resembled an NBA offense tonight. They were able to take advantage of a Warriors team that was going through the motions at time because of the score, knocking down 10-25 attempts for 40 percent. It was not enough though to keep up with the high scoring Warriors offense.

-Negatives

Frank Franklin II

Outside of the three point shooting the Knicks offense was stuck in neutral all night. With Carmelo Anthony having a lackluster game, shooting 7-26, the Knicks did not have enough firepower to stay with the Warriors. The Knicks shot an unsightly 36-95 (37.9 percent) from the field overall. The Warriors were able to keep Anthony and the Knicks offense off-balance with different looks they gave him throughout the night.

The Knicks once again let their offensive struggles carry over to the defensive end. The Warriors lit the Knicks up throughout the night, especially Curry and his backcourt running mate Klay Thompson. The two combined to shoot 18-36 from the field and 10-21 from the three point line for 52 points. The Knicks also watched Jermaine O’Neal turn the clock back as he terrorized the Knicks in the paint, scoring 15 points with six rebounds and a block in 20 minutes. On the night the Warriors shot 47.8 percent from the field and 40 percent from the three point line.

Right from the start the Knicks looked disinterested in the game and once they got down they didn’t show any fight to get back into it. The Warriors dominated every facet of the game, outscoring the Knicks in transition, in the paint, at the three point line and from the free throw line. It was a disheartening performance for a team that is on the outside looking in of the playoff picture.

The emotion and struggles are starting to boil over as well it seems as Tyson Chandler was ejected from the game tonight after getting into it with Warriors reserve big man Marreese Speights. Chandler and Speights received double-technicals about halfway through the fourth quarter and Speights responded with multiple scores on Chandler. Chandler then laid an ill-advised foul on Speights and was ejected, embarrassing himself and his team in the process.

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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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Knicks Knock Off 76ers for 4th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, January 12^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to keep up the solid play by picking up a victory in Philadelphia Saturday night, winning 102-92. The Knicks put forth yet another great team effort as they were able to pick up their fourth straight win. The Knicks came out lackluster in the first quarter, ending the period down 28-20 but were able to pick it up in the second quarter, going into halftime with a 52-40 lead. They extended the lead to 16 going into the fourth quarter but were able to keep the 76ers at bay in the final quarter to take home the win. The Knicks will look to continue their strong play Monday night as the surprise team of the NBA thus far, the Phoenix Suns, come to Madison Square Garden for their lone visit of the season Monday night.

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

Chris Szagola/AP Photo

Stoudemire is beginning to look like the STAT of old recently as he dominated the offensive side of the ball once again. Stoudemire made his first eight shots of the game and finished the night with 21 points on 8-10 from the field (5-5 FT) and five rebounds in only 22 minutes. With more consistent practice time and minutes in the game Stoudemire has begun to flourish once again and give the Knicks a nice boost off the bench. Stoudemire is by far the Knicks most efficient scorer when given the opportunity and is an asset to the Knicks going forward if he can continue playing like this offensively.

-Positives

Chris Szagola/AP Photo

Carmelo Anthony neared a triple-double tonight and finished with a complete stat line. Anthony finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Anthony struggled a little bit from the field but he received a lot help on the offensive end from his teammates tonight as they picked him up. With Anthony on the court tonight the Knicks were +19, the second best on the team.

Stoudemire brings the offensive punch for the Knicks and Kenyon Martin brings the defensive intensity. Martin once again buoyed the Knicks in the middle and helped them not miss a beat in the third straight game without Tyson Chandler. Martin grabbed eight rebounds and scored eight points to keep his defender honest and to open things up for his teammates. He also had three assists as he makes great decisions from the top of the key, hitting Anthony routinely for alley-oops. He also added two blocks anchoring the Knicks defense.

Stoudemire was the leading scorer for the game but he was not the only Knick to give productive minutes off the bench. Toure’ Murry and Tim Hardaway Jr. the youthful energy they have lacked in the past combining for 15 points and have earned minutes once the regulars come back if they falter. The biggest performance off the bench may have come from J.R. Smith. Smith bounced back with a solid performance after a one game suspension, spearheading a Knicks passing attack with six assists. He also scored 14 points on 5-8 shooting from the field and had the highest +/- on the team with +20.

Chris Szagola/AP Photo

The Knicks were a well oiled machine on offense, assisting on 26 of their 39 made baskets. Raymond Felton led the team with seven as Anthony and Smith added six of their own. They also locked in defensively again after the first quarter. The 76ers scored 64 points the final three quarters and shot 46 percent for the game. The Knicks contested the three point line well tonight as well as the 76ers shot an unsightly 5-19 (26.3 percent).

-Negatives

The Knicks almost did it again. They came out flat again against a lower tiered team, falling behind by eight points by the end of the first quarter. The Knicks cannot afford to come out slow in any games after the poor start they had to the season; these are the games they need to come out strong in and take control from the beginning. They were able to get control by halftime but coming out flat like that against a team that doesn’t have top pick aspirations in the 2014 draft may end with a different result.

It is not necessarily a bad thing to have depth but Mike Woodson will have a lot of tough decisions to make in the coming days. Within the next week the Knicks will have virtually everyone on their roster and will have to find a way to get everyone minutes and comfortable with a role. Will Stoudemire and Martin watch their minutes dwindle with Chandler back in the picture? Will Murry find himself stapled to the bench once again when Prigioni comes back and Udrih not too far behind him? Woodson will have his hands full and how he manages the rotations will be imperative to the Knicks success.

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Knicks Knock Off Defending Champion Heat

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 9^th, 2014

Miami Heat vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks look to finally be getting back on track as they pulled off an impressive victory against the Miami Heat Thursday, winning 102-92. This is the biggest win of the season for the Knicks as they were able to knock off the reigning champs in Madison Square Garden. The Knicks roster has been dealing with the flu bug as only four players were healthy enough to practice yesterday but the whole team came out ready to play today. With the victory the Knicks have won three in a row and four of their last five in the regular season against the Heat. They will look to continue their winning streak Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 PM ET in Philadelphia.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Jim McIsaac

Against his biggest rival and good friend LeBron James, Anthony showed up once again to help the Knicks get a huge win tonight. Anthony matched up with James throughout the night and was able to limit him because of the great team effort that was put forth by everyone on the court. James was forced into six turnovers as the Knicks made life as difficult as they could for him throughout the night. Anthony led the Knicks with 29 points (12-24 FG, 3-8 3pt, 2-3 FT), eight rebounds, five assists and two steals. Anthony’s efficiency on the offensive end is important when the Knicks play tougher opponents like the Heat and he did a good job getting into great positions to score tonight.

-Positives

Elsa/Getty Images

The guard play had been lacking throughout the early part of the season with Raymond Felton struggling through injuries and Iman Shumpert struggling with his shot. Tonight both were exceptional. Felton, in his second game back from his hamstring injury, scored 13 points and handed out a season-high 14 assists. Felton got into the paint at will against the Heat and was left open multiple times on the perimeter, taking advantage by knocking down jump shots. Shumpert continued his torrid perimeter shooting, knocking down 4-7 from the three point line, all of which that came in the third quarter. He also added nine rebounds and three assists to go with his 12 points. Tim Hardaway Jr. and Toure’ Murry gave the Knicks some energy and exciting minutes off the bench, punctuated by a put-back dunk by Hardaway Jr. over Ray Allen.

Amar’e Stoudemire gave the Knicks quite possibly his best effort of the season; he played so well Mike Woodson stuck with him down the final stretch of his game, leaving Kenyon Martin on the bench. Tonight Stoudemire dominated the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds and shooting extremely efficiently from the field, going 7-12 for 14 points. Stoudemire held down the scoring for the second unit tonight with J.R. Smith essentially being benched by Woodson.

Andrea Bargnani was able to score when given the opportunity which helped the Knicks immensely. With so much attention being given to Anthony, having Bargnani knock down shots early in the game helps immensely. Bargnani scored 10 points in the first quarter to set the tone and finished with 19 on 9-13 shooting from the field. He stuck to what was working tonight as he attempted no three pointers, the first time in his career he didn’t attempt at least one playing 35+ minutes. He also added five rebounds and some good defense on former teammate Chris Bosh, who was held to 3-10 shooting for the night.

The offense was pretty sluggish for the Knicks in the first half but they got it going in the final two quarters. The Knicks were able to outscore the Heat 59-44 in the second half as they got it going from the three point line. The Knicks started the game 1-11 from the three point line but knocked down eight of their last 13 attempts and shot 63 percent overall in the second half. Also, for a team that usually lives and dies by the perimeter shot, the Knicks dominated a good Heat defense in the paint. The Knicks were able to get easy scoring opportunities en route to 52 points in the paint.

Mike Woodson catches a lot of heat in these post game recaps but you have to give credit when credit is due. Tonight Woodson thoroughly out-coached Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. It was an admirable job by Woodson to get this team ready tonight as he was unable to even have a half hearted practice yesterday as the Knicks only had four healthy players able to take part in practice. A lot of the Knicks players are ill because of the same upper respiratory Tyson Chandler is suffering from. The biggest surprise and best decision Woodson made was benching J.R. Smith. Smith was fined $50,000 for his shoe untying tactics and Woodson finally made a stand by benching Smith tonight. Woodson would not comment on the matter but it looks to have been a clear message being sent to Smith that if he doesn’t straight up his act he will not be a part of this as the Knicks showed tonight they can and will play well without him.

Elsa/Getty Images

-Negatives

For the first time all season it could be argued nothing should go here. The Knicks put together their best all-around game of the season as everyone stepped up and did their job. Only one Knick, Hardaway Jr., had a negative +/- and the Heat only had one player, James, finish positive with a +1. The only negative from the game is how often Bargnani was switched onto James, but he did an admirable job whenever put into the tough situation. The big thing the Knicks need to concentrate on is how they come out Saturday against the 76ers. It is easy to get up and come out to play against one of the top NBA teams but that cannot be said when facing lower tiered teams. The Knicks win tonight against the Heat would mean nothing if they come out and lay an egg against the 76ers Saturday.

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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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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets; January 3rd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 3, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Houston Rockets

Pre-Game News and Notes

After pulling off a surprising win last night in San Antonio, the Knicks will get right back at it tonight in Houston against the Rockets. This will be the second and final time the two teams face off against each other, with the Rockets taking the first one at Madison Square Garden in thrilling fashion. The Knicks will look to exact some revenge and get a victory tonight on the Rockets home court. Here are some things to keep an eye on during the game.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks are expected to again be without point guards Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni. Felton has been accompanying the team on the trip but Prigioni has not. Neither player has a definitive return date in place but Felton is aiming for Tuesday at home against the Detroit Pistons. Metta World Peace is preparing for treatment on his knee; in the mean time check out his twitter account to keep tabs on the eccentric forward who is always keeping his followers entertained.

The Rockets are dealing with injuries of their own to point guards. Starting point guard Patrick Beverley broke his hand and had successful surgery last week. He will be out for the foreseeable future. In the meantime former Knick Jeremy Lin and Aaron Brooks will run the offense for the Rockets.

-Going Streaking

The Knicks have been dominated by the Rockets over much of the last decade. The Rockets have won 16 of the last 17 meetings between the two teams, including an impressive eight game streak at home. If the Knicks show up and play tonight like last night in San Antonio there is a very good chance those streaks could end tonight.

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

One thing the Knicks have going for them now is Carmelo Anthony. Anthony led an impressive attack last night as he was more than willing to pass and get his teammates involved in the offense. They responded, especially Iman Shumpert, and led the Knicks to victory. Anthony should have a big game again against the Rockets tonight as he has caused problems with them in recent matchups. In the last two meetings between the teams Anthony has scored a total of 82 points, with a season high 45 in the previous meeting this season.

-Which Iman Will Show Up

Last night the Knicks got a big boost from Shumpert, who poured in a career high 27 points. He showed the confidence and swagger that he possessed prior to the first 30 games of this season when his played seemed to be affected by the trade rumors he was a part of. Shumpert also neutralized perennial All-Star and NBA Finals MVP Tony Parker on the defensive end. Shumpert’s harassing defense virtually shutout Parker down last night as he was unable to dictate the game with the pick-and-roll game he plays so well never getting started.

The Knicks will need Shumpert to keep up the defensive intensity tonight against one of the best scorers in the NBA in James Harden. Harden gets to the foul line and attacks the basket as well as any player in the NBA and Shumpert will have to play him smart to slow him down. In a game recently Harden scored over 20 points making only two shots because of how frequently he visited the charity stripe. In the first meeting this season Harden went for 36 points and nine rebounds. Against the Knicks Harden has played well over the last four games, averaging 30.3 points per game on 53.2 percent shooting from the field and 45-48 from the foul line. Shumpert will have his hands full tonight as he will attempt to put a chillin’ on Harden’s thrillin’ as Walt ‘Clyde’ Frazier would say.

-Contain the Perimeter

The Knicks will face a familiar foe in Lin at the point guard position. Lin seems to get up to play against his former team as he has scored 43 points in the last two meetings against the Knicks, the second of those coming off the bench. The Knicks have struggled guarding the perimeter all season but have looked better with Toure’ Murry finally getting some playing time. Beno Udrih will likely start again but it will be interesting to see how long until Murry gets inserted as the Knicks cannot afford to fall behind early against such an explosive offensive team.

On the perimeter the Knicks will also have to deal with up-and-coming Chandler Parsons. Parsons can shoot from the perimeter and put the ball on the floor to get to the basket. He is a willing passer and rebounds well for his position, giving the Rockets a great jack of all trades. He hurt the Knicks in November scoring 22 points so slowing him down will be important this time around.

-Matchup of the Game: Dwight Howard vs. Andrea Bargnani

EPA/Jason Szenes

The Shumpert vs. Harden matchup will be a fun one to watch with Shumpert looking to have gotten his confidence back but this matchup is the one to keep an eye on. In the matchup earlier in the season it was expected that Howard would dominate the overmatched Bargnani. That didn’t happen in the slightest as Bargnani actually dominated Howard on both ends of the floor.

Howard shot 1-5 from the field and turned the ball over five times as Bargnani played him as well as anyone could in a one-on-one situation. On offense Bargnani torched Howard, shooting 9-12 overall (3-3 3pt, 3-4 FT) for 24 points. It is fair to think that Howard will come out with a different aggression and assertiveness tonight to show that Bargnani cannot repeat the performance he put on November 14^th.

Tonight Bargnani will receive help if he needs it as Tyson Chandler will be in the lineup this time around.

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W2W4: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs; January 2nd, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 2, 2014

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will embark on the dreaded Texas Triangle road trip starting Thursday in San Antonio. For a team struggling as much as the Knicks a road trip of this difficulty could spell disaster. It will be a tall task for the Knicks to pull the victory out tonight, but here are a few things to keep an eye on for the game tonight that will point them in the right direction.

-Player News and Notes

Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News

The Knicks will get a big boost Thursday as Carmelo Anthony is expected to be back in the lineup. The Knicks have looked like a complete mess offensively over the last three games with Anthony sidelined. The Knicks have obviously struggled throughout the season even with Anthony in the lineup, evident by their 9-21 record, but having Anthony helps them out.

Some other injury news for the Knicks is that Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni will continue to be sidelined. Neither player made the trip to San Antonio nor both are expected to be out the whole road trip. Metta World Peace is dealing with a knee injury and his timetable to return is unknown at this time. 

The Spurs on the other hand look to be heading into the game with a full complement of players. With them playing their last game New Year’s Eve there should be no shenanigans pulled by Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, who has notoriously gave players rest when he feels necessary.

-Lineup Changes

With Anthony returning to the lineup, Woodson has some decisions to make with the starting lineup. He did not wait until game time to share his thoughts today, as the starting lineup was already announced. Anthony will be joined by Beno Udrih, Iman Shumpert, Andrea Bargnani and Tyson Chandler; yes Woodson is stubbornly going with his ‘big lineup’ once again.

This could put the Knicks out of the game early as the trio of Anthony, Bargnani and Chandler has not seen positive results yet this season. It has been only 85 minutes, but in those 85 minutes they have been outscored by an average of 7.9 points per 48 minutes and an unsightly defensive rating of 116.6 points allowed per 100 possessions. The Spurs are one of the most efficient offenses in the NBA, as the Knicks witnessed this season already with a 120-89 beat down November 10^th at Madison Square Garden.

-Will Defense Step Up?

Maddie Meyers/Getty Images

As mentioned in the last section the defense with that trio is not good, but the defense overall no matter who is on the court has been underwhelming for the Knicks all season. On the season they are a respectable 11^th in the NBA allowing 99.2 points per game. Over the last eight game things have gotten hard to watch, as the Knicks have surrendered 104.4 points per game. The perimeter defense has struggled all season and hit a low point recently as the Knicks have allowed 38 three-point makes over the last three games.

The perimeter defense is something the Knicks need to focus on tonight or the game will be over before halftime. The Spurs have one of the best point guards in the NBA in Tony Parker. With Felton and Prigioni sidelined Udrih and rookie Toure’ Murry will be running the point most of the night. Udrih is a revolving door defensively but Murry is an athletic, lanky guard who came into the league with a reputation to play good defense. In the Knicks last game Murry played the whole fourth quarter with Udrih planted on the bench; it would not be surprising to see the same happen tonight as the Knicks will pull out all the stops to slow down Parker.

The Knicks will have to concentrate on rotations to limit the Spurs three point opportunities as well. Long Island native Danny Green made a name for himself in the NBA Finals last season with his sharpshooting and has continued the hot shooting at a 42.4 percent clip this season thus far. The Spurs have four other players shooting over 40 percent from long range in Marco Belinelli at 48.1 percent, Parker at 46.9, Matt Bonner at 43.6 and Patty Mills and 40.2, making them the best three-point shooting team in the NBA. They rank only tied for 16^th in three-point attempts per game, but if you let them shoot it they will knock it down with consistency.

Debby Wang/USA TODAY Sports

-Matchup of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Kawhi Leonard

Anthony is returning to the lineup tonight for the Knicks and will have a difficult matchup right off the bat with up-and-coming wing Leonard. Leonard is an above average defender and will give Anthony fits but Anthony is one of, if not the top scorer in the NBA. Watching these two go at it throughout the evening will be worth watching.

Leonard will give Anthony some problems on the defensive end too. Leonard is active on the offensive end, cutting and capable of attacking the basket. He is also able to knock down perimeter jump shots as his offensive game has really grown since he entered the NBA. The activity he has on the offensive end will be more of a problem for the team as a whole than Anthony singularly. With the Knicks penchant to switch on the defensive end, mismatches are made on almost every possession with players always being out of position. If the Knicks can minimize the mismatches such as Tyson Chandler being stuck on the perimeter and guards playing against post players it will heighten their chances to win.

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