Knicks Rally Late to Down Spurs

Thursday, November 15^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 104 San Antonio Spurs: 100

Knicks Rally Late to Top Spurs

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The Knicks showed how resilient of a team they were Thursday night in San Antonio, pulling off an improbable 104-100 victory.  Multiple times throughout the night, it seemed that the Knicks were going to be handed their first loss of the season; facing a 12 point deficit with seven minutes remaining, the Knicks made a ferocious comeback to get the win.  It is only the second time in franchise history that the Knicks started a season 6-0 and the last time they reached this mark they made a run to the NBA finals.  The victory also snapped a nine game losing streak in San Antonio.

The Knicks comeback came from unexpected sources, as Carmelo Anthony had an off game on the offensive end.  Guards Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd led the Knicks comeback in the last seven minutes, scoring 15 of the teams 23 points. 

Felton led the Knicks with 25 points on 10 of 20 shooting with seven assists and only two turnovers.  Felton also played tough defense on Spurs point guard Tony Parker, as Parker struggled from the field going seven of 20. 

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Kidd played a season high 34 minutes and the Knicks needed him on the court for every one of those seconds.  Kidd’s veteran presence kept the Knicks calm even as they went down 12 points and he responded with big baskets.  Kidd knocked down two straight three pointers to cut the lead down to four, ending the game with 14 points and four three pointers made.  Kidd also had an outstanding night on the defensive end, getting a career high tying three blocks.

Another contributor to the comeback effort was J.R. Smith, who continued his torrid shooting pace and is now shooting an eye-popping 73.7 percent from behind the arc.  Smith finished the game with 17 points scored, adding five rebounds and two assists. Smith brought it on the defensive end as well, getting one steal and one block, continuing to astound with his play thus far.

Anthony did not have the high scoring output, scoring only nine points on three of 12 shooting, but he contributed in other areas to help the Knicks win.  He pulled down a team high 12 rebounds and handed out three assists.  Anthony was quoted after the game talking about getting the hockey assist, showing the change in his perspective this season not even caring about getting the stats but instead focusing on ball movement and the extra pass to get the best shot possible.

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Tyson Chandler deserves some recognition as well, as he banged in the paint all night with the Spurs bigs and was able to still have a productive night.  Chandler finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, giving him his first double-double of the season.

The Knicks get right back at it Friday night, as they will head to Memphis to face the Grizzlies.  The Knicks will have their hands full again, as the Grizzlies sport one of the best interior combinations in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol in addition to a great wing player in Rudy Gay and above average point guard in Mike Conley.

Pre-Game News and Notes: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs November 15

Thursday, November 15^th, 2012

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs

The Knicks look to continue their hot start to the season with their biggest test thus far against the Spurs in San Antonio.  Thus far, the Knicks look like the Eastern Conference Spurs; a team playing selflessly with no egos and trusting in a system.  This is a heavyweight match-up for the NBA in the early going, as the Knicks (5-0) and Spurs (7-1) sport the best records in the NBA.  Here are some things to look for in the game tonight.

-Who Starts and Finishes Stronger?

The Knicks sport the biggest first quarter scoring differential in the NBA at a +6.4.  This is key tonight, as the Spurs are actually negative in the early part of the season with a -0.2.  The Knicks need to take advantage of this; being on the road against a top team it is imperative to get off to a good start.

The combination of a two-point guard starting lineup and Carmelo Anthony’s blazing starts, averaging 10.4 points per first quarter, have helped the Knicks set the tone in the early going.  Getting confidence early on will go a long way for the Knicks in what will be a hostile environment in San Antonio.

The fourth quarter is where something will have to give, as the Spurs and Knicks are one and two respectively in the NBA in fourth quarter scoring margin at +5.4 and +4.6.  The fourth quarter is when Anthony and J.R. Smith get going.

Anthony and Smith average 6.0 and 5.2 points respectively in the fourth quarter, being the go-to options for the Knicks down the stretch when they need a basket.

Another reason both the Knicks and Spurs have had success is the low amount of turnovers each team commits, as each are at the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.  With each team having great ball security, one turnover or mistake at the end of the game could equal a huge swing in momentum.

-Limit Paint Opportunities

Tim Duncan has found the fountain of youth for the Spurs, increasing his stats from last season across the board.  Thus far, Duncan is averaging 18.8 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.  Tyson Chandler will have the onus fall on his shoulders in slowing down Duncan and the rest of the Spurs bigs.

In addition to Duncan, the Spurs can throw a bevy of talented big men on the court in Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair.  Chandler will have his hands full slowing them down, so expect to see a larger dose of Marcus Camby than in games past. 

The Knicks need to gang rebound tonight, as they are at a disadvantage in the middle.  Anthony has accounted for 70 percent of the Knicks post ups, one of the disadvantages of having Amar’e Stoudemire out with an injury.  They have also been outrebounded on the season, as even the Magic dominated the boards against the Knicks Tuesday night.  The Knicks will need a much more concerted effort on the boards against a strong Spurs team.

-Slow Tony Parker

Tony Parker and Duncan make one of the best pick-and-roll combinations to ever walk onto an NBA court.  Parker is the quintessential point guard; loves to penetrate into the paint and make plays not only for himself but his teammates.  

Getting back on defense will be of the utmost importance against the Spurs, as they are very good in transition and on secondary fast breaks.  Duncan is known for setting drag screens for Parker while in transition, setting up quick strike scoring opportunities to exploit the defense unexpectedly.  That is not a set play; it is something that is developed over time after playing with someone for as long as Parker and Duncan have been together.   

Knicks Blow Out Magic Despite Slow Start

Tuesday, November 13^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 99 Orlando Magic 89

Knicks Start Slow, Still Blow out Magic

The Magic did not allow the Knicks to just walk into the Amway Center without earning a victory, as the Magic put up a spirited effort but still fell short as the Knicks came away with their fifth win in a row to start the season and once again by double digits.  The five straight wins by double digits to start the season is a franchise record for the Knicks.  The Knicks started the game slow but were able to get it together in the second half, especially the fourth quarter, to put the Magic away.

The long lay-off could have played a role in the Knicks slow start, as it took the Knicks a little longer than usual to get going against the Magic tonight. 

The defense for the Knicks was a concern in the first half, as they allowed the Magic to shoot 50 percent from the field.  This played a part in the Knicks being down for the first time all season in the first quarter, as it took three quarters for the Knicks to really get going and put away the Magic like expected. 

When the game mattered most, in the fourth quarter, the Knicks took control; the Magic scored only 13 points in the final frame and the Knicks ended the game on a 20-9 run.

It was an interesting night for Carmelo Anthony, who reverted back to his old ways for long portions of the game.  Anthony was berated and ripped into multiple times by head coach Mike Woodson for lapses on the defensive end, as Anthony was not hedging screens and overall just showing minimal effort on defense. 

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Woodson was also unhappy that Anthony was not attacking the rim like he is capable of, taking only 2 foul shots as a result of being fouled; the other foul shot was off a defensive three seconds technical. 

Even with those lapses, the Knicks would not have won this game without Anthony and his 25 points scored.  For as little focus he had on defense, he was in the zone on the offensive end.  Anthony finished the game 11 for 22 and also grabbed a team high eight rebounds. 

J.R. Smith was money once again for the Knicks, putting in a strong effort in the 3^rd quarter replacing the injured Ronnie Brewer.  In the third quarter alone, Smith went five for five, resulting in 12 points.  Smith is showing exactly why Woodson likes him coming off the bench; he is instant offense for a second unit lacking a dynamic player without him.

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Smith was the best player on the court for the Knicks Tuesday night, as he stuffed the stat sheet and put in a full night’s work on the defensive end of the court as well.  Smith finished with 21 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals.  Even more impressive was that Smith only had one turnover in the game, continuing to show improved ball handling skills and maturity.

Rasheed Wallace has been a surprise for the Knicks through the early part of the season as he has become the first big man to come off the bench; but with increased playing time his effectiveness has dropped. 

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Wallace has been a fan favorite every game thus far this season, but Tuesday night he helped the opposition more than the Knicks.  Instead of using his huge 6’11” frame to dominate the paint, Wallace floated towards the perimeter way too often, going 0 for five from the three point line.  Wallace was two for two inside the arc, as he has missed his last 12 three point attempts.

The Knicks will face their biggest test of the season thus far, as they start a road back-to-back Thursday night in San Antonio and finishes in Memphis Friday night.  This two game stretch will give a good look into the Knicks to see if they truly are as good as their 5-0 start suggests or if it was a fluke.  This is where the depth of the Knicks should come in handy, as older players might not be able to handle back-to-back games as easily as they once did.