[Video] Beasley’s 30 Spoils Melo’s Homecoming

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It was a bittersweet evening last night for Carmelo Anthony’s homecoming to Madison Square Garden. On one hand, it was sad to see Melo in another team’s uniform after giving his prime years to the city and never truly wanting to leave. On the other hand, the Knicks seem headed in the right direction as they outplayed OKC without Porzingis to win going away and improve to three games over .500. There was a lot to celebrate last night as the team appears to have brought in to Hornacek’s system just in time to face a challenging road stretch.

B-EASY’S GREEN LIGHT:  To say Beasley’s had an up and down season so far is an understatement. We’ve seen him lost on defense and out of control on offense. But tonight and in recent games, the former #2 pick has been locked in. He knows without Hardaway and KP, he’s one of the few guys on the squad that can get his own shot. He did that last night in spades by thoroughly outplaying Melo to the tune of 30 points on 11/17 shooting.

We saw post-ups on mismatches, slashing to the rim to score or draw fouls, and long-range shooting. And most importantly, we saw Beasley moving the ball and hitting guys like O’Quinn for open dunks out of double teams.

I’m surprised Beasley didn’t get an MVP chant last night.

https://youtu.be/RfDUso6nZIo

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LEE PROVIDES BACKUP: Courtney Lee was excellent tonight, tallying 20 points (3/6 from downtown) and getting to the line (7/7). He did a good job making Paul George work on offense and managed to nab two steals. When he’s aggressive and looking for his shot, it makes it much harder for teams to collapse on our main offensive weapons.

JACK CLOSES THE SHOW: Frank Ntilikina has been the closing PG in recent games, but he struggled mightily in keeping up with Russell Westbrook (25 points, 7 reb, 7 ast). So Hornacek went with Jack, who relied on veteran savvy to time Westbrook’s drives for steal opportunities. He pestered Russ and did a good job of running him into double teams and settling for mid-range jumpers. And Jack nearly had his own triple double, finishing with 12 points, 8 rebound and 7 assists.

BENCH PUTS IT AWAY: OKC was only down 5 in the fourth quarter before our bench players effectively put the game away. Doug McDermott was a man possessed early in the quarter, hitting 3 three-pointers and finishing with 13 points. Kyle O’Quinn prowled the paint on offense and defense, finishing with 9 points, 7 rebounds and a team-best +16. And let’s not forget the scrappyRon Baker, who chipped in 11 points on 3/4 shooting from downtown. But his biggest contribution was on defense, where he pestered the perimeter (2 steals).

TIRED THUNDER: Although many had their doubts about us winning with Porzingis out, OKC were on the second night of a back to back after playing a triple-overtime game in Philly. Those heavy legs became apparent in the fourth when OKC just couldn’t push the tempo. They hoped jumpers and threes would get them back in it, but when we closed those opportunities none of them had the energy left to attack the basket.

Melo looked the worst of the bunch. Outside of hitting his first two jumpers and an alley oop later, he had a horrible shooting night. Melo finished with just 12 points on 5/18 shooting. His miserable homecoming was punctuated by getting denied at the rim late in the fourth by O’Quinn. I hope our old star can get it together out there.

As for us, I’m starting to feel very confident we’re developing the chemistry to be a playoff team.

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Rusty KP? No Problem! Lee’s 24 Lifts Knicks Over Grizzlies

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Kristaps Porzingis struggled in his return from a bad ankle sprain, but Courtney Lee, Jarrett Jack and Enes Kanter provided enough support to hold off the Grizzlies 99-88 and improve to 11-5 at home. As we’ve seen in most home games this season, New York started off slow and caught fire in the second half. However, there remain glaring weaknesses that need to be addressed.

THREE-POINT DEFENSE: No team is ever out of it against us due to our poor perimeter defense. After going up by 17 late in the third, the Grizzlies chipped away behind threes and had cut it to six in the fourth. If it were a matter of talent, I’d be more understanding. But we saw in the closing minutes that guys like Lee and Lance Thomas can lock down the perimeter when needed. Against subpar teams like this, we can get away it. But as the schedule gets tougher in the new year, this will sink us when facing the decent and elite squads.

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KP’s OFF NIGHT: Porzingis looked like the KP from his rookie season. The Grizzlies were physical and prevented him from getting set in the post. He started 3/9 and later struggled to make quick passes when the double teams came.

But its how you finish. The Grizz made a late fourth-quarter run to get within six 88-82. KP got physical and pushed off the defender to hit a long jumper, and an open three on the next possession to push the lead out of reach at 95-82 with two minutes left. A funny moment came when he got a tech for hanging on the rim after an alley-oop from Kanter. I’ll take a KP off-night (18 points, 42% FG) when it comes with a win.

ROLE-PLAYER SUPPORT: Courtney Lee led the way with 24 points (10/17 FG). He did it from three (4/6), got to the rim, and played strong defense. When the Grizzlies got it to six in the fourth, Lee was the player who broke the momentum with a slashing drive to make it 90-82. It was also good to see him taking time to hold Micheal Beasley accountable on defense.

Jarrett Jack kept the offense flowing to the tune of 10 assists and chipped in 10 points. Lances Thomas had a quiet scoring night (8 points), but his value can’t be understated. He was a +19 while on the court due to his defense. And late in the fourth, you saw him calling out defensive switches and making teammates press fullcourt to make sure the lead was held.

Kanter never got into a complete offensive flow due to Marc Gasol. He was 4/10 (12 points), but still managed to deliver a double-double by grabbing 12 rebounds.

And as much as we give Beasley grief for his defensive woes, the man was a +19 off the bench with 14 points.

TRAP GAME TONIGHT: We’re facing the lowly Bulls, but it’s not like we haven’t gotten burned by trash teams before (see the Hawks game). Plus it’s a road game. It’ll be interesting to see if the squad has learned their lesson.

https://youtu.be/c1F9v736LD0

 

Porzingis and Hardaway Jr. Both Drop 30+, Stomp Cavs 114-95

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Eastern Conference Finals here we come! Ok, I’m getting ahead of myself, but every fan of the blue and orange has to be encouraged by the total team effort last night that lead to a shocking 114-95 win on the road over the Cavs. We saw everything you want to see from a young squad trying to find an identity: poise, scrappy defense, ball movement and hustle.

Will it be this good every game? No, but consistent effort like this will put them in position to be competitive every night.

KP and THJ PUT IN WORK: Porzingis and Hardaway went off to historic proportions. Porzingis had another 30-point game (first in franchise history to start the season with four 30+ point games out of five) and neutralize Tristan Thompson by getting him in foul trouble. Although most of KP’s damage was done in the first half, he had a few timely defensive stops in the fourth (including a block on D-Rose), and a three-pointer to push the Knick lead to 13 with less than three minutes remaining.

Hardaway came into this game shooting an abysmal 28%. Early on, the struggle continued until Tim just exploded from the perimeter. He was red hot behind the line (3/6, 50%). And once the close-outs came, Tim went aggressively into the lane to hit layups or fouls. When the smoke cleared, Hardaway finished with 34 points (11/19) and a +22 when on the floor.

We can thank these two for the reason the Knicks had a 29-19 lead after one quarter, and lead by as much a 19 late in the third.

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LOCKDOWN: Unlike the first home game against Detroit, the Knicks didn’t fall apart when the Cavs made a second-half run. They slashed a 19-point lead to six before the Knicks exploded on a 27-7 run to break Cleveland’s spirit. Here the supporting cast shined. Frank Ntilikina struggled with his shot (2/5), but used his length for deflections, steals (2) and pushing the ball to keep teammates involved.

Courtnet Lee had his own milestone with his first double double (15 points, 10 rebounds) of his career. In fact, four of the five starters hit double figures. And the one who didn’t, Jarrett Jack, was the catalyst for the ball movement with nine assists.

The Knicks won’t get to rest on their laurels. They face the scrappy Nuggets at home tomorrow night to complete the back to back. Letdown or another momentum-builder?

https://youtu.be/Xx5CzuRVWsw

[Video] Watch Porzingis’s Epic Block on Melo

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There wasn’t much for Knicks fan to cheer last night as the Thunder hammered them 105-84 in OKC. The lone bright spot was Kristaps Porzingis, who stepped into his role as the #1 option with a double double (31 points, 12 rebounds) on former mentor Carmelo Anthony. The biggest play was KP recovering to swat Melo’s layup.

Enjoy these small wins because it’s gonna be a LONG season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bac3I19h5-J/?taken-by=nyknicks

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https://youtu.be/BP0-0rxxCqc

Melo Watch Ends: Anthony Traded to OKC

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The Carmelo Anthony saga in New York City is over. The New York Knicks have officially completed a trade that will send the 10-time All-Star to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a second-round pick, reports confirmed Saturday afternoon.

Trade talks revved back up this week as the Knicks wanted to make a deal before next week’s training camp. The tight deadline made Anthony, who possessed a no-trade clause, expand his approved destinations beyond Houston to Oklahoma City and Cleveland. Previously, Houston trade talks failed due to the Knicks not wanting to take back the long-term contract of Ryan Anderson. Cleveland was contacted by New York several days ago after declining over the summer to deal Kevin Love for Anthony.

The Knicks, who wanted to obtain scoring and shorter contracts for Anthony, received that with Kanter, who averaged 14 points, 7 rebounds last season and has one year remaining plus a player option for 2018-2019. McDermott averaged 9 points over 66 games last year for the Bulls and Thunder. The second round pick comes courtesy of Chicago.

The 33-year-old Anthony is waiving his $8.1 million trade kicker to complete the deal.

The Knicks will open the season on the road against the Thunder on October 19.

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The circus is finally over. Still, I can’t say I’m happy. For all Melo’s faults, the way he was treated by Phil Jackson and the Knicks has left a sour taste on many players since Melo is well-liked across the league. It will take some time before our rep is rebuilt enough to entice free agents to come here.

That no-trade clause really came back to bite us, too. A player as talented as Melo and all we could get was Kanter, McDermott and a throwaway second round pick???

On the bright side, we get to see what Porzingis can bring with the offense centered around him sans the triangle

As for opening night against OKC, I’m expecting us to get smashed by at least 30.

 

Melo Responds to Phil Jackson Press Conference on IG

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Carmelo Anthony was essentially served his walking papers today at Phil Jackson’s press conference.

When asked if he wanted to keep Melo, Jackson bluntly stated the Knicks all-star would “be better off somewhere else.” Anthony, who just two days earlier affirmed he wanted to remain a Knick, took to Instagram to send a simple response.

I’m sure this is doing wonders for our marketability with free agents. If there’s any silver lining, it’s that Melo controls his destiny with his no-trade clause. Let’s hope he can go to a contender or elite team (Clippers, Wizards) and this charade and disrespect can finally end.

 

Joakim Noah Suspended 20 Games by NBA for Drug Violation

Memphis Grizzlies v New York Knicks
 (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Joakim Noah’s recovery time from knee surgery just got an involuntary extension. The Knicks center has been suspended for 20 games for violating the league’s anti-drug policy, the NBA announced today.

Noah tested positive for using over the counter supplements. The substance is known as SARMs, and per the US Anti-Dopy Agency is a drug that has “anabolic agents” without the side effects of traditional steroid use.

Noah, who is in the first year of a four-year, $72 million dollar contract with the Knicks, has not played a game since February 4 and was expected to miss the rest of the season due to left knee surgery. The suspension will begin once Noah is medically cleared to play at the beginning of next season.

Noah is averaging 5 points and 8 rebounds over 46 games this year.

What an embarrassment. However, I’m not convinced this is actually a bad thing. Anything that gets Willy Hernangomez more minutes and time to get acclimated as our starting center is a blessing. As for Noah, we’re stuck with him for three more years. No GM that wants to remain employed will take that contract, so we can only hope Noah gets himself together enough to contribute something.

 

 

 

 

[Video] More 4th Quarter Failings: Jazz 108, Knicks 101

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We’ve come to the point in the season where most Knick fans have accepted we’re a bad team. You either continue to watch games out of habit, to see if our younger players further develop, or hope we’ll continue to lose to gain better draft position. You can put me in all categories as we limp to the end of the season having dropped six of our last seven.

KP GETS CLUTCH MINUTES: Porzingis got in foul trouble AGAIN (5), but managed to stay on the court and get to be the offensive focal point in the fourth. We desperately need him to get confidence and use his length to space the floor for others. While he had a strong offensive night (24 points), he struggled defensively dealing with the strength of Rudy Gobert, who posted a career-high 35 points and grabbed 13 boards (11 on the offensive glass).

https://youtu.be/Gcg90CpXlp8

ROSE STOPPED BY INJURY: D-Rose was having a good night (17 points, 6 points) until a right foot injury took him out in the third. He would not return, and luckily x-rays came back negative.

The rest of the team seemed to be just going through the motions. There wasn’t any flow to the offense late in the fourth, and that allowed Utah to outscore New York 36-26 in the fourth.

The tank…er…season continues on tonight with the Knicks visiting the Trailblazers.

https://youtu.be/0JOUUPvo1SY

 

[Video] Too Much Firepower: Warriors 112, Knicks 105

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The Knicks didn’t lay down yesterday afternoon for the Warriors. They fought hard and kept it close until the sheer depth and talent of the Warriors pulled away in the fourth quarter behind timely shots from Klay Thompson (29 points) and Steph Curry (31 points) to hand NY their second consecutive loss. Even with Durant out, no one gave us much of a chance to pull this off. However, the game did have some positives for our younger players.

PORZINGIS FIGHTS THROUGH ADVERSITY: KP struggled at times to get his shot from the Warriors’ physical play, but he never looked discouraged and kept fighting. For that reason, he managed a double double with 24 points and 15 rebounds. This is significant progress because last year Draymond Green completely locked him up. The rebounding is most promising considering at times he was boxing out a bruiser like David West to get them.

https://youtu.be/dHJeMSbPU_Q

BAKER AND HOLIDAY: These two combined for 19 points on 54% shooting off the bench. They were pivotal in keeping the game close once the starters sat. In his 23 minutes, Baker was a +10.

D-ROSE LEADS THE WAY: As has been the trend this season, Derrick Rose gets up for marquee PG matchups. The refs gave up him fair shake on calls, resulting in him going 10/11 from the charity stripe. Overall, Rose finished with 28 points. Unfortunately, the reason we normally lose when Rose leads all scorers is that the offensive flow sucks and others are frozen out. In this case, Melo only managed 15 points on 6/12 shooting and Lance Thomas, who’s played well as a starter in recent games, was held scoreless over 27 minutes.

4th QUARTER EXECUTION: With 5:56 left in the game, New York was only down 97-93. But the Warriors showed why they’re the odds-on favorite to win the title. Thompson and Curry had some dagger three-pointers coupled with Green getting to the line. Golden State also tightened up their defense to force turnovers.

https://youtu.be/5S1A29cGFrY

 

Porzingis’s 20-Point Return Leads Knicks Past Orlando 101-90

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Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

What a difference defense makes. Kristaps Porzingis returned from a sprained ankle and delivered 20 points and 9 rebounds to lead a defense-minded Knicks over the Magic 101-90. It was one of the rare times the Knicks played consistent defense and entire night and didn’t falter on defense in the fourth. How did they do it? It started with a simple lineup change.

SLIDING TO NATURAL POSITIONS: With Willy Hernangomez sitting out, Porzingis started at center, which moved Carmelo Anthony to power forward and Lance Thomas into the starting lineup at small forward. This improved the defense tremendously as Melo could no longer be exploited by athletic SFs. It remains to be seen if this can continue against teams with prolific stretch fours.

ANTHONY SETS THE TONE: Melo poured in 11 of his 17 points in the first quarter. He didn’t shoot well (4/16), but his presence was enough to open up the floor. His passing was much better than the two assists he tallied, making him a +18 for the game.

ROSE AND KP: Derrick Rose was arguably our best all-around player tonight. He poured in 19 points on 8/14 shooting, but also grabbed 7 rebounds to go with 4 assists.

The concern with KP playing center are potential injuries due to his thin frame. Tonight, he banged with Nikola Vuceviv and held his own. The three point shot wasn’t there (2/7), but he did damage on PNR and looked fluid working off the dribble.

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LANCE THOMAS: I’ve been giving this guy grief for most of the year. But he finally seems healthy and ready to recapture last season’s form. His defense was a contributing factor to the Magic never getting into a groove and only managing 39 points in the second half. Lance was also competent on offense, being one of five Knicks to hit double figures with 11 points.

The Knicks road trip continues against the 76ers on Friday.

https://youtu.be/PEGgtqAJ-pM