No Melo, No Problem

Thursday, December 6^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 112 Miami Heat: 92

No Melo, No Problem as Knicks Blow out Heat

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No Melo, no problem for the Knicks tonight in Miami as they blew out the Heat 112-92.  It is the second time this season the Knicks beat the Heat by 20 points.  The win by the Knicks gives the Heat their first home loss this season and biggest loss at Miami since Lebron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade in South Beach; leaving the Knicks as the last team in the NBA without a home loss.

Just like the first time around, the Knicks beat the Heat by putting on a show from the three point line, knocking down 18 of their 44 attempts.  This is the second time they made 18+ three pointers in a game, with the other time being the first defeat of the Heat; this time around they did it without the help of Carmelo Anthony, who was sitting out with a laceration on his left middle finger that required five stitches.

In his place, Raymond Felton picked up the slack as the go-to scorer.  Felton played by far his best game of the season given the circumstances.  Knowing Anthony would sit, Felton took it upon himself to carry the Knicks and responded with a monster game.

Felton did everything tonight, running the pick-and-roll to perfection with Tyson Chandler and even taking over some of Anthony’s isolation sets; on one occasion Felton cooked Udonis Haslem with a crossover reminiscent of Allen Iverson, taking it to the rack for a layup. 

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Felton attacked the basket with fearless abandon and precision tonight, always making the right move to counter whatever the Heat were doing on offense.  Felton actually shot the ball better from deep, going six of 10 from the three point line and four of 10 inside of it.  He finished the game with a season high 27 points in addition to seven assists, four rebounds and two steals.  The Knicks needed him to step up tonight in Anthony’s absence and he did that and more.

Chandler continued his great play tonight, finishing around the basket and controlling the paint on both sides of the court.  Chandler’s stats are not as eye popping as some of his recent performances with 13 points and nine rebounds tonight, but his presence alone made a difference.  The Heat shooting 42.1 percent from the field shows just how tough the defense was tonight, led by Chandler in the middle.

The Knicks defense was on point tonight and was the driving force behind the building of the big lead.  The perimeter rotations were crisp and came out strong in the second half, limiting the Heat to only one basket the first six minutes of the third quarter.  Without that effort on the defensive end, the Knicks would have gotten hammered tonight.  They allowed only 39 points in the second half and 12 in the fourth quarter.

With Anthony injured, the Knicks were in need of people stepping up and that is exactly what they got; under the bright lights of a nationally televised game the whole team shined in picking up the slack left by Anthony’s absence. 

The bench played outstanding, as they outscored the Heat’s bench 57-19.  Steve Novak led the way on the bench, with 18 points.  Rasheed Wallace chipped in 12 of his own and the same good defensive effort he has been giving all season to go along with seven rebounds.  J.R. Smith struggled with his shot again, going four of 15, but he made timely baskets and made contributions in other parts of the game, grabbing six rebounds, handing out four assists and getting one steal. 

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Pablo Prigioni did his thing as the backup point guard, chipping in seven points of his own and grabbing a career high six rebounds.  James White was forced into duty because of injuries and responded as well as Mike Woodson could have hoped for, not missing a shot en route to scoring seven points. 

The Knicks came into the game with supreme focus and an understanding of what they had to do to get the victory without their star player.  Not only were they on point with the defense, they put in a concerted effort to protect the ball, turning the ball over a season-low tying seven times. 

Next up for the Knicks is a visit to Chicago to end a three game road trip Saturday night, the third game in a stretch of four games in five nights for the Knicks. 

What to Watch For: New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat December 6th

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Pre Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

After a thrilling victory Wednesday night in Charlotte, the Knicks are right back at it with the second game of a back-to-back in Miami against Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh and the Heat.  The Heat, like the Knicks, are undefeated at home this season making for a great matchup between two of the top teams currently in the NBA.  Hopefully the matchup everyone wants to see in Carmelo Anthony vs. Lebron James comes to fruition.  Here are some things to watch for tonight:

-Injuries Galore

The Knicks come into the game with the biggest question mark of all; will Carmelo Anthony suit up? Anthony suffered a laceration on his left middle finger Wednesday night diving into the bench and received six stitches on the wound.  If Anthony is unable to go the Knicks better bring their A game on defense because points will be hard to come by without their leading man.

The Heat are not without injuries, as their lineup will have drastic changes if Mario Chalmers (torn finger tendon) and Norris Cole (strained groin) both do not suit up.  Lebron James will most likely handle point guard duties full time if neither guard can suit up, as both are game time decisions.

The Heat may also be without Udonis Haslem (hip pointer), leaving an already lacking Heat team dangerously thin up front.

Depending on which players actually make it to game time able to play, the schemes and game plans could change drastically.  Whichever coach can adjust and adapt to the conditions best will put their team in the better position to come out on top.

-Make the Most of Advantages

The Knicks best lineups thus far this season have been their small-ball lineups in which they employ more players on the court to stretch the floor.  The Heat generally play smaller, but with the injuries to their point guards they could get even smaller upfront if James has to run the offense himself. 

As the Knicks have succeeded with the smaller lineups, it may be beneficial tonight to go big at some point.  Tyson Chandler has been dominating in recent games and should continue his hot streak tonight as he will be matched up with Chris Bosh most of the night.  Rasheed Wallace should find his way to the paint more often as well and resist from floating out to the three point line.  The Heat do not have the size to contend with both Chandler and Wallace if they are on the court together.

-Pick and Roll Game

If Anthony is unable to suit up, the pick-and-roll game becomes that much more important for the Knicks.  Raymond Felton has been playing masterfully since his debacle against the Nets, not turning the ball over in two consecutive games since his time with the Bobcats. 

Felton and Chandler have been on fire recently, running the pick-and-roll to perfection.  Felton remains under control, knocking down jumpers or taking it to the rim himself or throwing lobs to Chandler, who always finishes, evident of his 72.1 percent shooting on the season.

The pick-and-roll game is also run well by Pablo Prigioni, who is adapting well to the NBA game after playing overseas his whole career previously.  Prigioni works it will with Wallace and Chris Copeland, who we could see a lot of on the court tonight if Anthony doesn’t suit up and with Marcus Camby dealing with plantar fasciitis.

-Come with Intensity

Tonight is a nationally televised game so you know the Heat and their fans will come into the game fired up and ready to go; it is imperative the Knicks match that intensity and fire right from the start.

The Heat have undoubtedly had this game circled on their calendars since the Knicks gave them a whooping on opening night at the Garden.  They will come out ready to play and with revenge on their minds to show the world that they are still the beasts of the east and what happened opening night was a fluke.

Anthony would be huge, as he has exploded in the starts of games, but if he is unable to go someone will need to pick up the slack.  I would look for J.R. Smith to pick up the slack if Anthony sits.  He has struggled with his shot recently, even with knocking down the game winner Wednesday night, but has a never back down mentality and always gives his all. 

Tonight will be a great game for basketball fans even with no team affiliation in the game.  The Knicks and Heat both have something to prove tonight and will put on a show for the audience. 

Knicks Stay Perfect at MSG

Sunday, December 02, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Phoenix Suns: 99 New York Knicks: 106

Knicks Continue Home Dominance with Victory over Suns

The Knicks continued their win streak at home, running their home record to 7-0 on the reason with a victory over the Phoenix Suns Sunday afternoon.  This was the first home victory this season for the Knicks that was not of the double-digit variety and the best start at Madison Square Garden since 1992-1993.  The Knicks moved to 12-4 on the season, sitting at second place in the Eastern Conference behind the 12-3 Miami Heat.

Once again the Knicks offense was led by Carmelo Anthony.  Anthony got off to a good start from the beginning, scoring eight points in the opening frame and having 30 heading into the fourth quarter. 

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Head coach Mike Woodson had hoped Anthony’s afternoon would end there, but the Suns made a run in the fourth quarter and Anthony was reinserted, ending the game with 34 points on 11 of 27 shooting.  He also added six rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks. 

Raymond Felton seems to have the rough game against the Nets permanently behind him, as he put in yet another great effort Sunday.  Felton scored 23 points, handed out seven assists and added three rebounds.  He didn’t turn the ball over once in the game, a great stat for any point guard to have.

The Knicks as a whole protected the ball very well, turning the ball over only seven times as a team.  Anthony and Pablo Prigioni were the only two players to actually accumulate any turnovers, as Anthony accounted for four and Prigioni three. 

Tyson Chandler picked up right where he left November in the efficiency department.  Chandler ended November shooting 71 percent from the field and continued with it in his first game in December.  Chandler shot six of eight from the field, finishing with 15 points and season high tying 13 rebounds. 

The Knicks defense suffered some in the second half, as they gave up 57 second half points but they pressured the Suns consistently, forcing 17 turnovers and scoring 23 points off of them. 

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Anyone watching the game also got to see Rasheed Wallace in prime Portland Trail Blazer form, getting ejected after accruing two technical fouls after a whopping one minute and 25 seconds of playing time. 

Wallace got the first technical after arguing a foul called on him.  After Goran Dragic missed his first attempted, Wallace yelled, “Ball don’t lie,” and was handed his second technical.

With Marcus Camby sidelined with a sore foot, Chris Copeland was called on to pick up the slack and that is exactly what he did.

In 10 minutes of playing time, Copeland packed the stat line with eight points, three rebounds, two assists, one steal and block. 

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Steve Novak continued his hot shooting from deep, going four of nine from the three point line for 12 points in the game.  He also added two rebounds, an assist and two steals.  Novak getting hot and scoring some helps off-set how poorly J.R. Smith has been playing recently.

Smith went one of 11 in the game, scoring only 4 points.  This is the third time in the last four games Smith has scored five or less points in a game.  At least he is helping out in other areas of the game, as Smith grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists. 

Next up for the Knicks is another road trip, as they will take the day off Monday before returning to practice Tuesday in preparation for the Charlotte Bobcats Wednesday.  After Charlotte, the Knicks will head to Miami to play the Heat then Saturday to play the Bulls in Chicago. 

What to Watch For: Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks November 30th

Friday, November 30^th, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks

Wednesday night the Knicks had an impressive victory over the Central Division leading Bucks even without veteran guard Jason Kidd.  Kidd will again be sitting out Friday night because of back spasms, meaning the Knicks will go with the same starting lineup in Raymond Felton, Ronnie Brewer, Carmelo Anthony, Kurt Thomas and Tyson Chandler.  Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight:

-Avoid a Letdown

The Wizards come into tonight’s game sporting the worst record in the NBA at 1-12 and 0-6 on the road.  The Knicks need to avoid complacency against them, coming out strong and setting the tone from the opening tip.

One way for this to happen is Anthony continuing his hot start in the first quarter.  Anthony leads the NBA in first quarter scoring around 11 points per and he usually dominates the Wizards, scoring 27.1 points per game against them in his career, his third highest mark against any team. 

Anthony is in the midst of one of the hottest stretches of his career and definitely hottest since coming to New York and it should continue against the Wizards; they are an average team at best when they have their best player in John Wall, but with him sidelined the Wizards are one of the worst teams in the NBA.

-Battle on the Boards

The Wizards are not a good team, but one thing they do well is rebound.  They are 10^th in the NBA at rebounding with 43.2 per game led by Emeka Okafor with 6.1 per game.  The return of Nene gives the Wizards another big body capable of grabbing rebounds as well.

It will come down to Tyson Chandler battling those big bodies once again with Anthony hopefully chipping in again.  Chandler and Anthony have been battling on the boards the last two games, giving the Knicks their two best rebounding games of the season.

They should have some more help tonight, as head coach Mike Woodson has hinted at the possibility of seeing Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby on the court together, giving the Knicks two big men on the court more than capable of rebounding.

-Bench Play

The Knicks are far superior to the Wizards on the bench and they will have to make that known when given the chance.  Giving the starters some rest will only be possible if the second unit plays well; if they come out like they did Wednesday in Milwaukee that will be no problem.

Pablo Prigioni had his best game as a Knick Wednesday, leading the second unit with Kidd being hurt and doing it masterfully.  He had a career high 28 minutes played and put them to good use, tying a career high 11 points and handing out a career high seven assists.  If asked, there is no doubt Prigioni would be able to run this offense smoothly.

Steve Novak also lit up Milwaukee, playing his best game of the season.  He set career and season highs across the board, playing a career high 40 minutes while posting season highs in points, rebounds, steals and three pointers made.

J.R. Smith and Wallace struggled scoring the ball for the second consecutive game but were picked up by Prigioni and Wallace.  It is good to see the Knicks have different players pick up the slack every night, as when they all get on the same page opposing teams will have a lot to deal with. 

Keep in mind the Knicks are still without two important players in Amar’e Stoudemire and Iman Shumpert; their return will only make an already deep team that much more difficult for teams to handle.

Knicks Bounce Back, Dominate Bucks

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 102 Milwaukee Bucks: 88

Knicks Bounce Back, Dominate Bucks

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The Knicks needed to put the disappointing game against the Nets behind them and move on and that is exactly what they did.  The start was a little shaky, but the Knicks would start taking control as the second quarter went on and eventually took the game completely over right out of the gate after halftime.  Jason Kidd did not make the trip with the team because of back spasms and for at least one night they were able to overcome his absence

Playing in Milwaukee means home coming time for Steve Novak and he responded in a big way.  Novak set season highs across the board tonight in minutes played with 40, points with 19, three pointers made with five, steals with two and rebounds with four.  Novak put on a show in front of his friends and family tonight in Milwaukee, playing his best overall game on the season.

I have been critical of Novak because he is really a one dimensional player with his calling card as his three point shooting, but he has done a solid job on defense recently.  He is putting forth effort and at least trying on defense, which is better than nothing.  He knows that he isn’t the most gifted of athletes but at least looks to at least be giving his all and trying to improve his game.  He cannot be faulted if he is at least trying to improve.

Novak was not the only bench player to put on a show tonight, as Pablo Prigioni had his best game in his brief Knick career.  Prigioni brought a spark off the bench in the second quarter, scoring eight points and getting one of his patented steals and finishing for a layup.

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Prigioni has been berated by head coach Mike Woodson for not always shooting the ball when he has open looks, but tonight he was aggressive.  He knocked down two quick three pointers to start the second quarter and was aggressive attacking the paint as the Bucks do not have a strong defensive backcourt in Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis.

Prigioni filled in masterfully for the injured Kidd, finishing the game with 11 points, seven assists, three rebounds and one steal.  Prigioni is capable of running this team if need be; he is a rookie according to NBA regulations but in actuality is far from a rookie.

Chris Copeland got some significant minutes tonight as well, starting the second quarter for the Knicks.  He looked a little nervous in that time though, hesitating on some of his decisions and not going to the basket aggressively on his pick-and-rolls, instead passing it back to the perimeter after receiving an entry pass.  He finished with five points and one rebound in 11 minutes.

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J.R. Smith once again struggled for the Knicks, getting into foul trouble early picking up three fouls in his first six minutes of action.  Smith seems to be effected the most with Kidd sidelined, as this is the second consecutive poor performance as he managed to only score two points.  Smith just does not seem to have his head in the game like he had earlier in the season, something the veterans on this team will undoubtedly change and get Smith back on track; he is too important to the season to not.

The ineffectiveness was offset tonight because of the strong play by some of his bench mates and the starting five.  Raymond Felton had a nice bounce back game after a disappointing effort Monday, finishing with 12 points on five of 10 shooting, seven assists, three rebounds and four steals. 

Tyson Chandler continued his super efficient streak, making all four of his field goal attempts, running his total to 32 of his last 36 shots as makes.  He finished the game with 17 points, eight rebounds and one steal in only 27 minutes of play as he was able to get a rest with the blowout score. 

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Once again Carmelo Anthony came out on fire for the Knicks, scoring 11 of his game high 29 in the opening stanza.  Anthony finished the game going nine of 18 from the field, including three of four from deep, continuing his torrid shooting pace from three point range.  Anthony also added a team high tying eight rebounds and took care of the ball much better tonight, having only one turnover.

Next up for the Knicks is a weekend home, as they will host the one-win Washington Wizards Friday night and the Phoenix Suns Sunday afternoon.  This is a great opportunity for the Knicks to get their defense back on track and get a nice winning streak going. 

Knicks Back in Win Column vs. Pacers

Sunday, November 18^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Indiana Pacers: 76 New York Knicks: 88

Knicks Get Back in Win Column vs. Pacers

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It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but the Knicks will take it as they turned the clock back and went 90’s Knicks on the Pacers, winning 88-76.  The rare noon tipoff played a part in the slow start, as both teams shot poorly from the field and the game was very sloppy for portions of it.  The win moves the Knicks home record to 4-0 with all their victories being of the double-digit variety.

The Knicks defense was stellar once again Sunday afternoon and was the driving force in the victory.  They forced 19 Pacer turnovers and converted them into 18 points, while turning the ball over themselves only eight times for five points. The Knicks also held the Pacers to 39.4 percent shooting on the afternoon.

The Knicks actually shot worse than the Pacers at 36.7 percent, but made up for it out-rebounding their 

opponent for the first time all season and having fewer turnovers, taking 18 more shots than the Pacers. 

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Carmelo Anthony paced the Knicks on offense, scoring 26 points on nine of 22 shooting. Anthony added a team high tying nine rebounds and two steals.  Another great thing to see in the box score is that Anthony had zero turnovers.

J.R. Smith had another strong game for the Knicks, scoring 13 points and adding seven rebounds and two assists, filling out his stat sheet with one steal and block each.  The most surprising thing about Smith’s season thus far is his rebounding numbers, ranking second amongst shooting guards in the NBA.

Rasheed Wallace continued his comeback with another stellar performance off the bench for the Knicks.  Wallace scored nine straight points between the third and fourth, finishing it off with a huge tomahawk dunk off a pick-and-roll with Pablo Prigioni. 

Wallace has moved ahead of Marcus Camby on the front court depth chart, as Wallace has become head coach Mike Woodson’s first option off the bench.  Wallace pulled down seven rebounds and blocked a shot in 17 minutes.

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Camby, who sat for the last two games, got some burn Sunday, playing 13 minutes, grabbing four rebounds and blocking a shot also. 

Jason Kidd received a nasty cut on his head in the first quarter, when Pacers shooting guard Lance Stephenson had his teeth go into his head.  Kidd required seven stitches to be administered, but returned to the court in the second quarter wearing a head band to cover up the stitches.  Kidd had a quiet game, scoring three points with two assists, two rebounds and one steal.

Next up after an off day is a three game road trip for the Knicks starting with a game in New Orleans against number one overall pick Anthony Davis and the Hornets.  The Knicks will then travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks and then take on Jeremy Lin and the Rockets Friday.