Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images
What happens when you’re coming off a four-overtime game and missing two of your star offensive players in Kristaps Porzingis and Derrick Rose? You get a Knicks team that couldn’t compete with the firepower of the Wizards, who had all their starters in double figures to easily defeat the Knicks 117-101
The Wizards came into tonight on a 15-game home winning streak and showed a poise and efficiency that the Knicks have been lacking for weeks.
2ND HALF COLLAPSE: The game had our usual pattern. Carmelo Anthony started fast with a 13-point first quarter on 5/7 shooting. But the warning signs (erratic foul shooting, suspect defense, stagnant offense) became more pronouned as the game wore on. The Knicks were only down 54-59 at the half, but were shooting 41%.
Any thought of this game being one the Knicks could steal was erased early in the third. The Wizards went on a 12-2 run to go up 71-56 and never looked back. With Melo being the only one that could create his own shot, the lead at several points ballooned as high as 20. By the 4:42 mark in the fourth, Coach Hornacek waved the white flag and emptied the bench.
Bradley Beal damaged us the most with 28 points. Wall finished with 15 points and 13 assists, and Markieff Morris added 24 points.
BRIGHT SPOTS: Melo was our only consistent weapon, finishing with 26 points (10/17 FG) and 5 boards. Our best two-player was Willy Hernangomez, who started for KP and contributed 15 points, 14 boards and 4 assists. The fact our rook lead the team in assists gives you an idea how bad the ball movement was. Outside of Melo, the Knicks were 24/76 from the field for 32%.
Starting for Rose, Brandon Jennings had 21 points, 5 boards and 4 steals. Despite the high scoring, I can’t say he had a good game. As the starting PG, he only managed 2 assists, had 4 turnovers and shot 5/16 from the field.
The Knicks won’t have long to lick their wounds as we have the Nets tomorrow in Brooklyn.
NEW YORK KNICKS LOYALIST 