Knickstape – Page 3 – NEW YORK KNICKS LOYALIST

[Video] Knicks Soar Past Bucks 115-94

The Knicks will officially welcome Phil Jackson to the team tomorrow night on the heels of a win streak that’s extended to six games via a weekend matinee blowout over the Bucks.

As most Knicks fans will remember, we owed this lowly team for beating us in overtime last month AND having the gall to tweet out “#Buckstape” on Twitter.

The Buck never a got a true foothold since the perimeter defense was strong and kept guys like Brandon Knight (14 points) and Nate Wolters (15 points) from having career nights. On the other end, Melo lead the way with 23 points (50% shooting), 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. Best of all, Melo only needed 33 minutes of work. Tyson Chandler (2 points, 5 rebounds) and Amar’e Stoudemire (15 points, 6/13, rebounds) had struggles in their return games, but the slack was picked up by Tim Hardaway’s 20 points off the bench, and Jeremy Tyler adding 6 rebounds in 18 minutes.

The Knicks will get their win streak tested on Wednesday when the face the Pacers, a team NY has yet to defeat this season.

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Welcome Home: Phil Jackson Joins Knicks as Team President

The Zen Master has come home. Over 40 years after winning two titles as a player with the Knicks, and then subsequently keeping his old squad from a title during the Jordan years, Phil Jackson has agreed to a deal that will bring him in as New York’s President of Basketball Operations.

The deal had been in its final stages since last weekend, with the two allegedly ironing out final details such as salary and even a minority stake in the team. According to the New York Post, Jackson is set to make at least $15 million per year in his new role. Despite living in Marina Del Ray, California, the 68-year old former coach is expected to relocate to New York during the season.

The role will be Jackson’s first front office role after previously winning 11 titles as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers.

At press time, an official press conference introducing Jackson to the team has not been announced.

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If you have a bad word to say about this move, you either hate the Knicks, Jackson or just don’t like basketball. The Knicks are in dire need of direction and focus, and Jackson can assist greatly in that capacity. Throughout his career, he’s specialized in getting the maximum effort out of all the talent that’s surrounded him, and you know he’s sees this as his biggest challenge.

The big question mark most fans have as if president James Dolan will let Jackson do his job without micromanaging and meddling. Jackson is a strong personality who has no patience for office politics, as we saw during his time with the Lakers. How he works around some of these horrible contracts and recruits will make the Knicks a very interesting club to watch over the next two seasons.

This news also takes away a lot of the drama surrounding Melo’s off-season decision. Sure, Melo said the news “won’t affect” his free agency, but let’s be real — no way will Melo pass up working with a legend like Jackson to put a championship team around him.

Knicks Hammer Celtics 116-92 for 5th Straight Win

The Knicks extended their winning streak to five games with a wire to wire win over a fiesty but ultimately hapless Boston Celtics team playing without Rajon Rondo. New York was short-handed as well, missing Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler, but got a strong double double from an unassuming big man making his first NY start.

ALDRICH DELIVERS: While Melo put up the big points, Cole Aldrich was the game’s most essential player. In 25 minutes, he scored 12 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and swatted 3 shots. His presence was a +19 on the floor, and he provided much-needed rim protection in the early fourth quarter when the Celtics made a run behind a monster night from Jeff Green (27 points).

Aldrich isn’t the most polished player, but this game is a good indicator that he can provide solid spot minutes. The early second and fourth quarters, when the Knicks are prone to blow leads, would be an ideal place to incorporate Aldrich.

MELO’S EFFECTIVE AND INEFFECTIVE GUNNING: Carmelo Anthony was gunning for most of this game. In the first half, it wasn’t a problem as he scored 19 points (3/4 from downtown). The Knicks as a whole were pretty much hitting everything, shooting 61% from the field for 68 points.

The shot selection became an issue in the third with Anthony going too heavy into iso mode and chucking well contested shots. On the other end, Green was driving to the rim and hitting jumpers, allowing the Celtics to pull within 9 points (84-75) after being down by as much as 24.

Thankfully, Melo and company settled down early in the fourth. On the first play, Melo drove and kicked to Prigioni for an open trey. Later, a shot-clock beating three from Melo made it 95-77, and the Celtics never fully recovered.

HARDAWAY CONTINUES TO SHINE: After a spell of bad games, Hardaway Jr. looks to have regained his confidence. No longer relying on just threes and aggressive drives, the rookie has incorporated a very reliable mid-range jumper. Last night, he got big minutes (38) off the bench and delivered 22 points on 7/11 shooting.

EVERY GAME CRUCIAL: The Knicks moved within 3 games of the eighth and final playoff spot, currently held by Atlanta. The Knicks will need a lot of help to make it, but their play on this streak indicates they’re up for the task.

Knicks Sign Shannon Brown, Earl Clark to 10-Day Contracts

The Knicks are expected to sign shooting guard Shannon Brown and forward Earl Clark to 10-day contracts on Thursday (February 27).

Brown is coming off a previous 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs, where he averaged 2.3 points in 10 minutes. Clark played 45 games this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers, averaging 5 points and 3 rebounds in 15 minutes.

Per ESON, the Knicks are also in talks with 33-year-old Dahntay Jones.

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While nothing spectacular stood out about Brown during his limited time in San Antonio, he is a competent defender (something the Knicks currently lack in their guards). He can also get to the rim and finish pretty well.

As for Clark, I’m just hoping he can box out effectively. He’s a career 40% shooter (37% this season), so it’s not realistic to expect him to light up the scoreboard. But at 6’10, he should be able to help the second unit in spots.

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[Video] Nowitzki Shocks Knicks With Buzzer-Beater

It’s a damn shame. – MIKE WOODSON

You have heard this story before. Knicks start slow only to go on a strong run late in the first or second quarter to make it a game by halftime. They play well on offense, but keep shooting themselves in the foot on defense in the second half, making the game a life and death struggle going into the fourth quarter. The team then fails to get any stops over the waning minutes and simply hope for Carmelo Anthony to bail them out, leading to another heart-breaking loss.

Last night was a Knicks rerun, in Dirk Nowitzki getting a lucky bounce on a buzzer-beating jumper to hand the Knicks their ninth loss in the last 10 games. This is the third game in a row the Knicks have collapsed down the stretch. If you’re looking for a silver lining, it can be that at least the game was tight for the most of the second half, as opposed to the 14-point and 17-point leads New York blew in the previous two games against Orlando and Atlanta.

There was another wasted Melo effort of 44 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a block. If you told me before the season started that Melo would be posting these type of the numbers and we’d by this far below .500 and effectively out of the playoffs, I’d have laughed. And yet, here we are. Until we get guards who know who to defend the perimeter, we may not win a game for the rest of the season. When the ghost of Vince Carter is lighting you up for SEVEN three-pointer off the bench, there is literally no hope.

The Sky Is Falling (Not Really): Knicks to Buy Out Metta World Peace x Beno Udrih

After last night’s debacle in Orlando, the Knicks will head into Atlanta tonight will two open roster via pending buyouts of doghouse players Metta World Peace and Beno Udrih

World Peace was considered a solid signing in the offseason (2 years, $1.6 million) as was Udrih (1 year, $1.27 million). Instead, both showed erratic play and in Artest’s case, a prolonged knee injury which kept him sidelined for weeks.

Over 29 games, Artest is averaging 13 minutes. This year represents a career-low in points (4.8), rebounding (2.0) and steals (0.8). Udrih started 12 games for the Knicks this year, but became vocal with his complaints about Coach Woodson in January, in addition to requesting a trade. He has played sporadically since then with multiple DNPs. He is averaging 5.6 points and 3.5 assists, down from a career average of 8.9 points and 3.6 assists.

In tweets that have now been deleted, Artest’s brother Daniel blasted the Knicks organization as incompetent.

Mike Woodson is trash as a coach. That’s my opinion. The Knicks are a trash organization. That’s my opinion too. Melo deserves better. Fact!

— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

Ron wanted to be a knick his entire career and his dream became a nightmare. Knicks need an overhaul. Top to bottom

— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

How u an owner but ppl control you? He had to be kissing another of the same sex and it’s on tape. #KnicksTape

— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

I’m not threatening Dolan on twitter tho. Lol. Some fan is locked up for that. Lol. However. I can say he’s the worst owner in sports.

— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

I knew Knicks was bullshit when @NY_KnicksPR had me in office like. “Daniel. Ur tweets are a distraction.” Please.— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

Out of respect…. I didn’t listen to @NY_KnicksPR however. “$15k would hush me”— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

And I know my tweets on nyk was partly the reason too. Ron always be like chill. They watching.— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

@NY_KnicksPR and the @nyknicks org should worry about winning and ur on floor product instead of what I’m tweeting next.— Daniel Artest (@DMArtestQB) February 22, 2014

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Can’t say I disagree much regarding Daniel’s points about Woody and Dolan. But, there is one big problem with his assessment…he’s leaving out the fact that his brother has been woeful on both ends of floor. Us Knicks fans learned very early in Ron’s tenure here that the player we were getting wasn’t anything near the man who helped the Lakers win two championships.

As for Udrih, good riddance. I though he’d be the one to solve a lot of our point guard problems, but he spent most of his time running around like a headless chicken on offense, and getting burned on defense (most damning being that game-winning layup he gave up at the Garden).

This abomination of a Knicks team needs to be eradicated and if it has to start with World Peace and Udrih, so be it.

[Video] Deadly Range – Melo Sets All-Star Game 3pt-Record

We might need to re-tally that MVP voting. Carmelo Anthony delivered another stellar All-Star game last night in New Orleans, setting a benchmark with a record 8 three-pointers.

Anthoyn started the game with a trey and remained the game’s most consistent shooter, shooting 55% from the field (10/18) and 8/13 from downtown. He finished with 30 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. The East would win the game 163-155 with Kyrie Irving taking home MVP honors (31 points, 5 rebounds, 14 assists).

In last year’s game, Melo lead the East with 26 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists in losing effort (143-138).

Melo getting hot from the three when among fellow All-Stars is no new phenomenon. In the 2012 Olympics, Anthony set a U.S. Men’s team record with 37 points (10 three-pointers) against Nigeria in a 156-73 win.

Check out Melo’s All-Star game barrage below.

Blazers Hold Off Knicks at MSG, 94-90

We can’t say we didn’t have our chances in this one. Despite the uneven defense and streaky offense, the Knicks were down by just two points (89-87) with 1:30 left following back to back treys from JR Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. But an inability to get stops resulted in New York dropping their third straight game and now sitting at the 10th spot in the East with no relief in sight.

BENCH OUTPLAYS THE STARTERS: Our bench took full advantage of the Blazers’ weak second unit, dropping a total of 50 poitns with several guys hitting double figures: Stoudemire (15 points), Hardaway (12 points), and JR (18 points). Outside of Melo (26 points) and Prigioni (5 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists), our starters just didn’t get it done. Shumpert was held scoreless while Chandler botched several layups and only managed 2 points in 31 minutes. Raymond Felton wasn’t as horrible as he had been against the Bucks, adding 7 points and 3 assists in 21 minutes.

JR lead a great second quarter surge, utilizing dribble penetration to feed Stoudemire and Jeremy Tyler for several big slams. The defensive intensity picked and was a key reason the Knicks were down just one point (46-47) at halftime despite a late 9-0 Blazers run.

MELO GASSES OUT: Melo had a hot start, dropping 14 points on 6/7 shooting in the first quarter. He was also active on the defensive end, getting a big block on Wesley Matthews that lead to a fast break dunk. And even in the third with the Blazers threatening to pull away, Melo dropped 11 points to keep NY in it. Unfortunately, all that expended energy left him weakened in the fourth when his offense was needed most. He missed all four of his shots while the Blazers executed just enough to squeak by.

For Melo, it must have been an eye-opener to see how a complete team like the Blazers picks up the slack when their star is having a bad night. LaMarcus Aldridge shot just 5/17 from the field (15 points), but his struggles were negated by big contributions from Nicolas Batum (20 points), Wesley Matthews (18 points), and defensively from Robin Lopez (3 blocks). Melo got no such help from his starting crew.

MORE THAN ENOUGH CHANCES: Melo and Hardaway had multiple chances in the fourth to swing the momentum in NY’s favor. Each missed open shots and with every one, you could see the confidence in winning deflate from the team. Aldridge’s fadeaway over Chandler with 35 seconds left took the remaining fight out of the team.

Friday Night Knicks is in effect tomorrow with NY hosting the Denver Nuggets.

[Video] Team Effort: Melo, Felton and Chandler Power Knicks Past Lakers

NEW YORK CITY, NY — Weekend afternoon games have not been kind to the Knicks this season. Whether it’s due to partying or just lack of focus is anyone’s guess. This wasn’t an issues yesterday (well, at least on offense) as New York but together a total team effort highlighted by big games from Carmelo Anthony (35 points), Tyson Chandler (13 points, 14 rebounds), Raymond Felton (20 points), Tim Hardaway Jr. (18 points) and JR Smith (16 points) to take their latest “must-win” game over the Los Angeles Lakers. The last thing the Knicks needed was a letdown after Melo’s 62 point game and for now, the momentum is still intact.

DEFENSE NEED NOT APPLY: A win is a win, but it was disturbing how badly the Knicks guarded the perimeter. The Lakers burned them for 11 treys on 47% shooting. Felton was the culprit most of the time, but others were pretty lax closing out on the shooters until the final minutes of the game. Jodie Meeks (24 pts) had a 13 points in the third and was a scorching 6/8 from downtown.

The post defense got off to a bad start with Pau Gasol (20 pts) before our trio of bigs, lead by Chandler, clamped down in the second half.

AROUND THE RIM ISSUES: Jeremy Tyler and Cole Aldrich had some really good defensive stops and rebounds, but their offense also had you yelling at the TV. On about four occasions they missed point-blank shots at the rim. Once they get more comfortable with their playing time, that should cease.

THJ: Our rookie was on fire. Tim went 4/5 from downtown and attacked the basket for a sweet 3-point play. His best sequence came in the third when he swished a three-pointer and was the recipient of a Melo alley-oop to extend the NY lead to 83-79.

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FUN FACT: Since resigning from the Knicks and going to LA, Mike D’Antoni is winless at Madison Square Garden. Expect Melo to keep it that way.

On Wednesday, the Knicks will host the Boston Celtics.

[Video] History at MSG: Melo Sets Franchise Record with 62 Points in Bobcats Blowout

I can’t accept all this losing – CARMELO ANTHONY

Simply amazing. Less than 24 hours ago, I was witnessed to one of the greatest moments I’ve seen in my years as a Knicks fan with Carmelo Anthony torching the Bobcats for 62 points. Melo didn’t just establish a career-high, but he also broke Bernard King’s record for not only the highest scoring game in Madison Square Garden and franchise history.

Everyone has a different story of when they realized this game was going to be special. Some caught on as early as the first quarter when Melo dropped 20 points. For otherslike myself, it was when he punctuated a 37 point half with a pin-point halfcourt shot.

The other Knicks took Melo’s lead and did what we haven’t seen consistently all season; they picked up the slack in other areas. The defense was strong in with the guards keeping their men in front of them and not relying on switching. The Knicks executed several fast breaks . They didn’t rely on jumpers and attacked the paint (most notably JR Smith). Coach Woodson also played based on performance, letting young Jeremy Tyler (8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks) get more valuable minutes (22) over Tyson Chandler, who was having another so-so game (2 points, 6 rebounds).

Back to Melo. Let’s go behind these numbers. In 39 minutes, he shot 23/35 from the field overall (66%) and 6/10 from downtown (60%). He made all 10 free throws, lead the game with 13 rebounds, and committed zero turnovers. And for those detractors who want to snicker at the fact he had zero assists, that just lets me know you didn’t watch the game, as he had several “hockey assists” passing out OF double teams in the post that lead to open shots.

Apparently, this performance was inspired by a Muhammad Ali speech that was played for the team before the game. Melo’s entire demeanor was different as he didn’t crack a smile until going to the bench after that 62nd point.

Now it’s time to let Melo’s game speak for itself. Watch the highlights and be astounded. We can only hope this becomes the spark that gets the team inspired to finish the year strong. If you want to trade this man or see him leave, you must be insane.

ALL OF MELO’S 62 POINTS

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HIGHLIGHTS

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LEBRON JAMES CONGRATULATES MELO ON INSTAGRAM

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