Kristaps Porzingis – Page 2 – NEW YORK KNICKS LOYALIST

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

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.

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

[Video] Watch Kristaps Porzingis Dominate the NBA Skills Challenge

All hail Lord Porzingis! Our second-year big man took down formidable competition in DeMarcus Cousins, Nikola Jokic, and Gordon Hayward to win the Taco Bell Skills Challenge last night. The key to the challenge was being an accurate long-range shooter, a skill that has always been a cornerstone of Porzingis’s offense. This award should be a great boost for KP’s confidence as the Knicks try to refocus for an improved second half of the season.

[Video] Hornacek Rips Starters in 131-123 Loss to Nuggets

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

What happens when you face the statistically worst defense in the league? You drop 123 points on their head. But what also happens with your defense is equally as trash? You still lose because you gave up 131 points at home! The Knicks continue to be the laughingstock of the league with another L to fall 11 games under .500.

Coach Hornacek is at his wit’s end and let the starters have it to start his post-game interview.

Couldn’t guard anybody. Simple as that. They should be embarrassed by the way they couldn’t guard anybody… So those guys are happy scoring their points. We’re going to lose every game.

The venom was warranted. The Nuggets at one point late in the first quarter were shooting 75% and finished 6/11 from three-point range. Luckily, the Knicks were on their own shooting barrage and were only down 2 (34-32) to start the second quarter.

The Knicks played their best ball last night with the second unit, who pushed the pace and attacked the Nuggets defense in transition. Kyle O’Quinn (16 points on 8/9, 4 blocks) got after it on both ends. Willy Hernangomez (12 points) showed great hands catching needle-thread passes from Brandon Jennings (6 points, 13 assists) on fast breaks.

But it would all go to hell once the starters returned. A 12-point second quarter lead evaporated via an 11-3 Nuggets run and the Knicks, despite scoring 66 POINTS, could only settle for a two-point halftime lead.

YOU CAN’T OUTSCORE BAD DEFENSE: The second half was just an abomination on the defensive end. Kristaps Porzingis, starting his first game as a center, got a somber wake-up call from Nikola Jokic, who lit him and the rest of the Knicks bigs up for a career-high 40 points. It wasn’t just points — KP was getting rag-dolled in there when it came to rebounding. He’s simply not strong enough yet to bang consistently in the paint. Still, I agree with Hornacek that KP’s lack of physicality doesn’t excuse everything that happened last night.

With the length, it should help, he should be quicker than that guy. He should be able to get up on him. He might get overpowered at some point but a lot of (Jokic’s) shots, he just lined ’em up. Spun the ball around with the seams and just shot it in. If our guys think that’s a challenged shot, we need to redefine what that is.

WHEN 21 POINTS IN 12 MINUTES AIN’T ENOUGH: Carmelo Anthony, being the quintessential scorer that he is, thought he could shoot us back into it. He went 8/8 in the fourth quarter with 4 three-pointers, including several that got the deficit back in single digits. But it was all for naught since the Knicks couldn’t get stops. One late back-breaking sequence saw the Knicks give up a four-point play after Melo had cut the deficit to six.

Tonight it was bad. As players we’ve got to take that upon ourselves and hold ourselves accountable for that and we have to do better. We have to do better on the defensive end.

The Knicks will remain home for a national afternoon game against the Spurs on Sunday (February 12).

https://youtu.be/xSpBoJGrQeQ

https://youtu.be/CXe0wXi83gU

[Video] Inspired Knicks Can’t Close Show Against Clippers

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Last game, the Knicks were rightly trashed for a despicable effort against the Lakers. Tonight, the effort was there, but a few miscues in the final four minutes allowed the Clippers sans Chris Paul to pull out an 119-115 at Madison Square Garden.

Yes, outside of Charles Oakley’s arrest there was an exciting game that took place.

BIG THREE LOCKED IN: This was one of the rare times that Melo, Rose and KP all played well. All three scored 20 or more and shot at least 50%. Melo lead the way with 28 points and 9 boards. At times, he was engaged in an intense duel with Blake Griffin, who had a first quarter rampage with 18 points and finished with 32. Melo kept his heat-check shots to a minimum and played well in the flow of the offense.

What I liked most about his game is he got to the rim and in most cases finished, got fouled or kicked out. The 1 assist doesn’t reflect it, but he had a few hockey assists and it kept everyone involved.

https://youtu.be/M-xKB42KTS4

We got our best game since D-Rose’s return with 20 points, 7 boards and 8 assists on 63% shooting. The most surprising thing about it was he did a lot of his damage on mid-range jumpers from all over the court. That was pivotal in keeping the floor spaced as the defense couldn’t pack the paint for his drives. And for the first time in what feels like ages, you saw Rose actively looking to pass to KP and others.

https://youtu.be/HfHifZDbitw

Looking to keep Porzingis involved did wonders for the kid’s confidence. He didn’t feel the need to defer to the vets and attacked the Clippers defense from the perimeter and inside with cuts to the rim. The three-pointer was there (4/7) and he finished with 27 points, 6 boards and 2 steals. The two glaring issues were the unwise personal fouls (5) and being unable to keep Deandre Jordan off the boards.

KP didn’t foul out, so in a twisted way that can be seen as progress. But if we had him for the stretches he had to sit, the game might have turned out differently. As for getting muscled in the paint by Jordan, that is something that only time can correct. However, it’s a good indicator that we are still a few years away before KP can consistently battle at the center position.

https://youtu.be/_eavCv39-yA

DEFENSE AND BENCH: So as good as the Big Three played, how did we lose? First, the defense simply couldn’t sustain their energy and focus. After outscoring the Clippers 95-88 over the first three quarters, the Clippers stormed back to outscore the Knicks 31-20 over the final 12 minutes. Former Knick Jamal Crawford burned us for 20 points (nine in the fourth) off the bench and even Deandre Jordan hit four straight free throws.

The other area that killed us was a lack of bench scoring. In recent games, we could count on a great showing from some combination of Jennings, O’Quinn, Holiday or Hernangomez. But last night they were overwhelmed and outscored 36-18. The highest Knicks bench contributors were Hernangomez and Holiday, who scored 5 points apiece on a combined 2/9 shooting.

The Knicks are home again on Friday to face the Nuggets.

https://youtu.be/MC83uLqdeAQ

Defense-Challenged Knicks Get Embarrassed at MSG By Lakers

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Getting blown out by the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers is one thing. Tonight, the Knicks proved themselves hopeless as they began an important four-game stretch by getting outhustled and pushed around by a struggling Lakers team to lose 121-107 at Madison Square Garden. The boos weren’t reserved for Melo this evening since it was the entire team that embarrassed themselves.

NO DEFENSE: The Knicks found themselves in a 10-point hole after the first quarter (19-29) by giving up 5 three-pointers and shooting just 37%. Things got no better in the second as Lou Williams abused our guards on the perimeter and Julius Randle feasted on the paint.

The Knicks went down by as much as 27 points in the first half. In the third, a few runs got it to 14, but the horrid defense prevented New York from getting any closer. The Lakers obliterated the Knicks in the paint 64-38 mostly off of PNR, back-door cuts and second chance buckets.

MELO A MAN ALONE: Because the entire team lacked effort, the MSG crowd couldn’t focus their venom on Melo. He didn’t give them much reason to being the sole Knick that shot well. Going 10/17 from the field, Melo finished with 26 points and 5 assists. Outside of his usual defensive lapses, Melo’s only other bad area was tallying 4 turnovers.

ROSE RUSTY, PORZINGIS OUT OF SORTS: Derrick Rose’s first game back from a badly sprained ankle is what you’d expect. He was completely out of rhythm over his 32 minutes, going 2/8 (5 points), having 3 turnovers and only 3 assists.

Kristaps Porzingis had no excuse. After a strong finish to the Nets game, he started 0/6 from the field and had just 1 point at halftime. He picked it up over the second half and finished with 16 points despite shooting 5/14. The rebounding was ok, but too often he got beat on simple PNR plays. For positives, he nearly had a double double with 9 boards and was not in foul trouble for a change (2 personals). I don’t buy the

I don’t buy the sore Achilles excuse; right now it’s all mental with KP.

BENCH POSITIVES: Everyone sucked defensively, but the bench had their moments. Brandon Jennings’s streaking shooting was pivotal in every run. He tried to push the pace, got to the line 7 times, and dished out 5 assists. Justin Holiday was 3/5 from downtown and finished with 14 points. And Willy Hernangomez in 24 minutes gave another example of why he should be starting with 8 points and 13 boards.

The Knicks are back at home Wednesday, February 8 to face the Clippers on ESPN.

https://youtu.be/b1sRvCEOYtM

Hernangomez and Porzingis Lead Knicks Comeback Over Nets

With the starters shooting a combined 30% from the field and staring at a 10-point deficit early in the fourth, the Knicks had every reason to quit. But it was the bench, powered by a huge double double from Willy Hernangomez and a historic night from Sasha Vujacic, that helped Kristaps Porzingis show his potential as a closer in the Knicks’ 95-90 victory in Brooklyn.

WHY ISN’T HERNANGOMEZ STARTING?: This kid continues to show his value every night on both sides of the floor. He helped hold Brook Lopez to 10 points by making the Nets star work on defense. On offense, Willy had some sweet fourth quarter plays, including a tip-in on a wild perimeter pass from KP, and a driving layup on Lopez that made 86-80 with under two minutes to go.

His most impressive play came with 1:09 remaining and the Knicks clinging to a 87-84 lead. Willy got an offensive rebound off a miss, was blocked, then gathered himself again for a tough layup. He gave a war cry and flexed. Our rook is becoming a man right before our eyes. Willy finished with 16 points and 16 boards (7 on the offensive glass).

https://youtu.be/ouQxyIBOxXY

KP IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT: With Melo having no legs and shooting terribly, Coach Hornacek made the wise decision to go with the bench and Porzingis to lead the comeback. It paid off with KP also having a double double (19 points, 12 boards) and some timely buckets. When the Knicks were down 10 early in the fourth, 66-76, KP hit two jumpers that ignited a 10-0 run. The chemistry with his BFF Hernangomez was great in keeping the Nets from their earlier feasting in the paint.

KP’s biggest play was a dagger three-pointer that made it 92-86 with 53 seconds remaining.

If we’ve learned one thing this season, it’s that the veterans struggle immensely on back to backs. For the rest of the season, I’d like to see Melo rest on those second nights while Porzingis gets acclimated to being the first option for full games.

https://youtu.be/jpyAKnaDd7c

Y’ALL MUST’VE FORGOT ABOUT SASHA!: Give Vujacic some credit; the man stays ready. We needed a spark and it came from Sasha, who became the first man in Knicks history to have two 4-point plays. The latter was part of the 10-0 fourth quarter run that got NY back in it. 12 points in 22 minutes is an excellent night’s work..

DEAD STARTERS: From the opening tip, the energy and decision-making was abysmal from our starting five. There was no semblance of play calling — passes went nowhere along the perimeter until Melo had to heave a long jumper with the shot-clock expiring. They tallied six turnovers, shot 29% from the field, and scored just 15 points in the first quarter to the Nets’ 27.

It got no better as the game went on. Combined, the starters shot 18/57 (30%). Carmelo Anthony had one of his worst games this season, shooting a horrific 6/22 (15 points). Considering his strong play as of late, we can likely attribute this to fatigue from playing his third game in four nights.

Despite Anthony’s futility, the worst among the starters goes to Brandon Jennings, who shot a putrid 9% from the field (1/11). To his credit, he did manage 10 assists, many of them when matched with the bench.

https://youtu.be/DYkyr4vuTSA

Sweet Revenge: Knicks Storm Back from 18-point Deficit to Stun Bucks

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

When the Knicks were down 18 points in the third quarter, they could have easily thrown in the towel. What we saw was the desperation and defensive focus we’ve wanted all year as the Knicks outscored the Bucks 33-15 in the fourth to take a dramatic win and snap their losing streak at six. To put it bluntly, we absolutely needed this game.

MELO LEADS THE CHARGE: Carmelo Anthony is playing through a bum shoulder that’s clearly affecting his shooting touch. But the last two games have shown his commitment to adapting his game. He’s tallied 17 assists in that span and had a stat line last night of 26 points, 6 boards and 10 assists. The assists were his most since 2012 and key in keeping the ball moving during the 4th quarter run. Despite his 8/20 shooting, he had enough left in the tank to deliver a dagger three-pointer to put the Knicks up 112-111 with 51 seconds left.

With all that said, it would be prudent if Coach Hornacek strongly considers resting Melo tonight. He’s played his worst basketball this year on back to backs.

PORZINGIS BATTLES THE GREEK FREAK: Our future looks bright. Despite fouling out with 2 minutes remaining, Porzingis’ superb play on both ends of the floor put the Knicks in a position to steal this one. In his 30 minutes, KP scored 24 points (9/14), was 3/4 from downtown, and in one sequence stopped Antetokounmpo twice at the rim in the fourth (Giannis would shoot 1-7 in the quarter).

Porzingis hits a 3-pointer. Then blocks Giannis twice at the rim. And then hits a 3 from 30 feet.
Seriously. pic.twitter.com/zVtmpGfmKH

— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) January 7, 2017

RON BAKER ANSWERS THE CALL: The Knicks weren’t getting the guard play they needed from Derrick Rose nor Brandon Jennings. Rose shot 4/14 despite dishing 8 assists, and Jennings was abhorrently bad in 5 minutes (0 points, 1 assist, -12). Coach Hornacek took a gamble and played Baker the entire fourth quarter.

Unlike the Phoenix game, Baker didn’t make key late mistakes. He kept the ball movement going and attacked when he had openings. In his 12 minutes he was a +18 with 6 points, 2 boards and 4 assists. Those stats include a steal that lead to a fast-break that put the Knicks up three with 27 seconds remaining, a key defensive rebound, and 2 free throws to seal the game.

LANCE THOMAS’ REDEMPTION: After getting burned on Wednesday by Antetokounmpo, Thomas was locked in this game. He contributed by nailing a few open treys (10 points, 4/4), but most importantly he stripped the Greek Freak with 33 seconds left and New York holding onto a one-point lead. He was unquestionably the most important bench contributor.

Was this win an aberration or a game-changer for the season? We’ll find out tonight against the Pacers.

https://youtu.be/-Y5CIILlf1o

Where’s Your Pride? Unmotivated Knicks Fall to Pelicans 104-92

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Has this team mentally checked out on Coach Hornacek? Tonight, the Knicks delivered an abysmal effort on both ends of the floor, losing 104-92 to the lowly Pelicans. Outside of a few minutes in the second quarter, the Knicks never seriously competed and continue their tumble in the standings as this loss puts them right back at .500.

ISOLATION BLUES: Normally, Carmelo Anthony is the one that gets killed for holding the ball too long. Tonight, everyone played a part in the stagnated offense. The strategy consisted of either dumping it into Melo or Porzingis for contested shots, Derrick Rose attempting an acrobatic layup in heavy traffic, or another guard like Brandon Jennings hoisting up long threes.

As you can guess, that resulted in New York shooting 38% from the field. The most alarming stat for me was Rose only notching 1 assist all game (which didn’t come until the fourth quarter).

NO DEFENSIVE AWARENESS: The Pelicans were 50% from downtown in the first half (8/16). The second half was all about penetration, as the ghost of Tyreke Evans got into the paint at will for 16 points off the bench. Since they couldn’t get any stops, the Knicks never built any momentum and hovered around 7-14 point deficits in the second half.

Anthony Davis shot 50% from the field and had an easy night picking his spots for 23 points.

Even with our Big Three scoring at least 20 across the board, the loss was still in double digits, once again proving you can’t outscore bad defense.

BRIGHT SPOT: Derrick Rose showed his hops have returned. He went to the basket for a nice two-handed jam that harkened back to his MVP form.

I think we’ve seen enough of this team to determine expectations headed into 2017. Unless we get a drastic trade that enhances our perimeter defense or Kurt Rambis gets sacked, we should expect this team to hover around the .500. Whether that’s good enough to make the playoffs remains to be seen.

Knicks Big 3 Storms Back from 15-Point Deficit to Defeat Pacers 118-111

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Midway through the third quarter, the Knicks were down 15 points and staring at the possibility of a fourth straight loss. But our Big Three of Melo, Rose, and Porzingis ignited a maelstrom of fourth quarter offense, scoring 32 of the Knicks’ 34 points to subdue the Pacers at Madison Square Garden.

From starting the game shooting a putrid 32%, and letting the ghost of Al Jefferson light us up for 18 points (14 in the first half), it was a frustrating game until the Melo went insane from behind the arc. He was 3/4 in the third, scored 15 points total, and single-handedly got the Knicks back in it by slicing the 15-point deficit to 84-87 headed into the fourth.

His scoring was so needed that Coach Hornacek switched up the rotation and had Melo start the fourth. After a few minutes, he got a brief rest as Rose and KP came back in. A Porzingis trey would tie it at 99. Another would put the Knicks up 103-101, and a Rose floater made it 105-101 to cap a 14-2 run. By then Melo was back in and effectively ended Indy’s chances with another three-pointer to make it 114-105 with 2:57 remaining.

BIG THREE GOES CRAZY: Let’s look at these numbers a little closer, shall we? Melo had a season high 35 points, going a ridiculous 7/11 from downtown. Overall his was 13/25 from the field and 11 of those points came in the fourth. Derrick Rose had a slow start (1/5 in the first) marked by erratic passing (4 turnovers), but his fourth quarter penetration provided the open looks needed for KP and Melo to do damage. Rose finished with 24 points (50% FG) and 6 assists. And Porzingis not only provided scoring (21 points), but made some timely blocks at the rim in the fourth (3 for the game).

NOAH RESPONDS: A lot of Knick fans have called for Noah’s head during this losing streak. Only averaging 4 points on the season, the Knicks big man responded tonight with a high energy double double (11 points, 11 boards, 2 blocks). But what impressed me the most was Noah making consecutive free throws and ending up 3/4 from the line.

The Knicks still have a lot of ground to make up as the losing streak toppled them from third to sixth in the East. Next up is Orlando on Thursday, then an important Christmas Day showdown against the Celtics on Sunday.

Fun Fact — The Knicks are now 10-5 at home, good for the fifth best home record in the league.

Fresh HIGHLIGHTS from the #Knicks 15-point comeback win featuring @carmeloanthony’s 35 pres. by @budlight! #NYKvsIND pic.twitter.com/85Hk2lSc0B

— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) December 21, 2016

Road Trip Failure: Nuggets 127, Knicks 114

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After choking in Phoenix and getting embarrassed on national TV by Golden State, the Knicks claimed they were viewing tonight’s game against the Denver Nuggets as a “must-win.” It turned out to be all talk as the Knicks had one of their worst defensive showings of the season giving up 127 points. Finishing 2-3 on this road trip after starting 2-0, it wouldn’t be hyperbole to call this our worst stretch of basketball this year.

PATHETIC DEFENSE: The Nuggets had free rein in the paint, outscoring New York 68-32. You know the effort is atrocious when shooting deficient guys like Kenneth Faried (25, 10/11) and Emmanuel Mudiay (22, 10/15) torch you. The Nuggets scored at least 30 in every quarter as every starter hit double figures.

EVEN MORE PATHETIC OFFENSE: The Knicks shot 32% in the first and barely got over 40% for the game. Carmelo Anthony was the only Knick to shoot well, scoring 29 points on 10/14 shooting. Porzingis dropped 22, but was 7/19 (1/6 from downtown). The lone bright spot outside of Anthony was Willy Hernangomez, who made the most of his 28 minutes with 17 points and 10 boards.

SLIPPING POSITION: This loss drops the Knicks to 5th in the standings. Luckily, most of the other teams outside of Cleveland and Toronto are struggling .500 teams. That means if New York can get their act together (big if…), they’ll regain the #3 spot going into 2017.

WHERE WAS THE EFFORT?: Frankly, the Knicks just gave up. They never matched the energy of Denver even when they got the deficit to 4 early in the third quarter. They never had the desperation of a team looking to break a losing streak. The futility prompted a rare tantrum from Coach Hornacek when he threw a cup and clipboard during a huddle.

We can only hope coming back to New York will remind this group of their capabilities. They face Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.

https://youtu.be/lf4PorPWdIc

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