new york knicks – Page 3 – NEW YORK KNICKS LOYALIST

Knicks Blow 16-Point Lead, Antetokounmpo Hits Game-Winner

I don’t want to hear it. Don’t cry about Derrick Rose being fouled on that late inbounds play. Don’t whine about the Greek Freak not being called for having his back to basket past 5 seconds. This game should not have come down to these plays if the Knicks had any semblance of defense. That dagger game-winning jumper from Antetokounmpo is exactly what the Knicks deserve for being outscored 32-17 in the fourth and blowing a 16-point lead.

TRY NOT FOULING: For the last 5 minutes of the game, the Bucks nearly scored all their points from the free-throw line. Lance Thomas could not guard Antetokounmpo, and Greg Monroe got his looks as well. On cue, the offense got stagnated with Rose throwing up wild layups and Melo bricking long jumpers.

CHOKED: The Knicks had a fantastic third quarter where they outscored the Bucks 35-21 and took a 14-point lead into the fourth. Then the team inexplicably got passive. It started with the fourth quarter group helmed by Jennings, Holiday, Kuzmiskas, O’Quinn and Lance Thomas. Milwaukee would go on a 14-2 run to put them in position to steal the game.

OFFENSE GOES TO WASTE: This game serves as another clear example that you can’t outscore trash defense. The contributions were immense from Noah (8 points, 16 boards), Melo (30 points, 11 boards, 7 assists), and Kuzmiskas off the bench (15 points). The Knicks also equaled a season-high with 13 three-pointers. Ironically, it wasn’t the perimeter defense that killed us (Bucks were 9/28 from downtown), but Antetokounmpo’s drives in the fourth.

The Knicks see the Bucks again on Friday.

https://youtu.be/msmhBv_8BaY

Rock Bottom: Boos Rain Down As Magic Embarrass Knicks at MSG

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

We officially suck. That can’t be denied as the Knicks kicked off the year with the worst loss of the season in getting dominated by the lowly Orlando Magic. I refrained from writing about this game the last two days because I was absolutely disgusted. But before possibly notching our sixth straight loss to the Bucks tonight, let’s look at some of the persistent problems.

PERIMETER DEFENSE: Here’s a funny stat. Before this losing streak, the Knicks were ranked #10 in perimeter defense. But that was very deceptive considering New York only has one win against an elite team this year (Memphis at the beginning of the season). And if you watched the games, the weak teams were still getting wide open shots despite not making them. Now with teams comfortable with their offense, those open shots are murdering the Knicks.

Why are these shots so open? The Knicks are not communicating on defense. No one knows when to help, resulting in haphazard rotations where you’ll see three guys converge on one player and leaving the perimeter wide open.

The next issue is simply pieces that don’t fit. These aged and banged up versions of Joakim Noah and Carmelo Anthony struggle to keep their man in front of them. Both are getting killed in PNR. With Melo, he’s no longer quick enough to guard small forwards. The problem with moving him to the 4 means you’d either have to move Porzingis back to the bench (hurting the offense and his development), or risk injury by putting him at center before his body is truly ready.

The other less acknowledged issue is when Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings play together. On offense, they can light it up when they’re on with penetration. But they’re also prone to hero ball and even worse, getting lost on PNR. Unless Porzingis is roaming the paint, Hornacek has to be careful when using that backcourt.

MAGIC BECOME THE WARRIORS: That all brings me to Monday’s game. The Magic came out and hit 3 three-pointers to start the game. Jodie Meeks had 17 points in the first half and finished with 23 (6/7 from downtown). Two other Magic starters scored over 20 points: Serge Ibaka (22) and Aaron Gordon (22). Speaking of Gordon, you know the defense is hideous when he’s hitting step-back 3s.

MOVE WITHOUT THE BALL: Another huge issue is the ball movement. Yes, we have some dynamic one-on-one players in Melo and D-Rose, but that should only be relied on when they’re on fire. When the ball is constantly being pounded into them, it makes the offense predictable and easy to defend. It kills me to see Melo given the ball with less than 10 seconds on the shot clock and NO ONE attempting to cut to the basket. The strategy resulted in the team notching just 18 assists to the Magic’s 35.

IT STARTS AT THE TOP: I’m not one of those guys that places all the blame on Carmelo. The problems I listed are full team issues. However, he is the leader of the team. The team is normally reflective of his mood and play. If he’s complaining a lot of the refs, the rest of the team follows suit. Lazy on defense? You’ll see it on other players. He needs to step out of his comfort zone and take a more vocal on-court role.

Tonight’s Bucks game will not be easy. I can accept a loss, but not the effort we’ve seen over the last few games.

https://youtu.be/AtjIGZdh2DE

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 Bench Closes Out Magic 106-95

Photo Credit: USA Today Images

It was a sloppy game filled with haphazard play, but the Knicks made key passes and shots when it mattered to take a comfortable 106-95 win over the Magic.

This isn’t a game you’ll see many highlight packages on. Carmelo Anthony only had 15 points on 5/17 shooting. Porzingis was 5/11 for just 11 points.

The bench was where this game was won. Brandon Jennings’ play proved contagious and had the Knicks bursting with energy. He dished for 12 assists in 22 minutes with Willy Hernangomez as the main target. The rookie hit five straight field goals during the fourth quarter and finished with 15 points and 5 rebounds. Kyle O’Quinn had another monster night with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks. The bearded Queens native was a one man army that outrebounded the combined efforts of Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic.

Derrick Rose had a weird night. Biyombo blocked no less than four of his shots in the first half. He wasn’t particularly aggressive in pushing the issue in the second half. And yet, when you look checked the scoreboard, he was finished with 19 points in 26 minutes.

A scary moment came early in the the fourth when Porzingis fell awkwardly off a missed layup. He limped off the court, but luckily suffered just a right knee contusion and was eligible to return.

Tonight’s win continues the Knicks’ dominance at home, where they’ve won 10 of their last 12. However, it shouldn’t be lost on us that the Knicks face a reality check against the Celtics on Christmas Day. Boston is #1 in our division and New York has not won a nationally televised game this season.

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

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

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

Derrick Rose Expects to Return Tuesday Against Pacers

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Tonight, Derrick Rose is expecting to end his three-game absence from back spasms against the Indiana Pacers.

“That’s the plan,” Rose told assembled media after Monday’s practice. “I just want to put all these injuries behind me and get on with the season.

I think it’s just a one-shot thing. Before I fell I wasn’t worried about it. Things like this are going to happen. It comes with the season — bumps and falls. I just got to find a way around it. I can’t let it get to me mentally.”

How valuable is Rose’s success to the Knicks? Just look at their record since the explosive point guard has been sidelined. After playing just 10 minutes against the Phoenix Suns last week, Rose left for good with the back injury. The Knicks would lose the game in overtime following several late miscues from rookie point guard Ron Baker.

Two nights later, Golden State cruised to a 103-90 victory. And in New York’s last game against Denver, the Knicks were out-hustled in a 127-114 defeat.

Rose’s production (16 points, 47% FG) coupled with his penetration ability is essential to getting his teammates open looks. And with the Knicks nearly toppling back to .500, his return couldn’t have come at a better time.

Road Trip Failure: Nuggets 127, Knicks 114

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

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

Undermanned Knicks No Match for Warriors, Lose 103-90

No Melo. No Rose. No chance. The Knicks came into this game without two of their best offensive players and were overwhelmed by the dazzling passing of Golden State in 103-90 loss at Oracle Arena.

To be competitive, the Knicks at the very least needed monster games from Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Jennings. Unfortunately, the tight Warriors defense quickly showed that wasn’t on the cards for anyone wearing New York blue.

GREEN STILL A STEP-AHEAD OF KP: Porzingis had made much of wanting to improve after struggling twice against Draymond Green last year. This first meeting showed KP still has much to learn. Although Green had a bad shooting night (5 points, 2/12), he was a +18 on the night largely due to his assists (7) and rebouning (11). Porzingis airballed several times due to Green’s physical defense, and finished with a meek 8 points (4/15 shooting) and 5 rebounds.

SHARING MEANS DOMINATION: The Warriors destroyed the Knicks with 41 assists. The ball movement allowed Golden State to get repeated open shots on the perimeter and countless uncontested layups. Javale McGee got to camp out at the rim for easy lobs (17 points). If it wasn’t for Kevin Durant (17 points, 7/18) and Steph Curry (8 points, 3/14) having off shooting nights, this would have easily been another 30-point blowout loss. Klay Thompson lead all scorers with 25 points (4/10 from downtown)

YOUNG GUYS PLAYING HARD: The depleted roster meant a few guys got significant playing time. Ron Baker was 6/7 (13 points) in 23 minutes, and got a few compliments from Durant for his play. Justin Holiday had 15 points and Willy Hernangomez nearly notched a double double (8 points, 10 rebounds).

BAD TIMING: The bad game on Tuesday in Phoenix gives us back to back losses and drops our record to 14-12. The Knicks are still #3 in the East, but that position is perilous. Saturday’s game in Denver is now a must-win. We can only hope that Rose or Melo (hopefully both) will be ready to go.

https://youtu.be/NsEARGIaz6k

Knicks Falter in OT, Lose to Suns 113-111

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

There was so much optimism coming into this game. We had a real chance to be 3-0 on this road trip headed into a difficult game on Thursday against Golden State. So what did the Knicks do? They played lethargic for most the game, get the lead, then choked away a 6-point cushion that results in a BS overtime loss.

There will be a strong desire to point fingers at the glaring culprits (Melo’s shooting and Jennings’ defense), but this loss goes deeper than that.

WAITING TOO LONG TO CARE: The Suns destroyed us in transition, holding a 33-8 edge in fast break points. Simply put, the Knicks just weren’t getting back on defense. In the second and third quarters, the Knicks went down by as much as 14. It wasn’t until the bench combination of Baker-Holiday-O’Quinn-Thomas-KP that New York got their offense together. You can credit a flagrant 1 committed by Marquese Chriss late in the third on Porzingis for finally getting the Knicks fired up.

BAKER OVERSTAYS HIS WELCOME: With Derrick Rose leaving in the first with back spasms and Jennings (3 points, 1-6) not playing well, Coach Hornacek turned to Ron Baker early in the fourth. The moved paid off immediately as the Suns racked up fouls and went into the penalty at the 9:18 mark.

A 19-4 run powered by Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle O’Quinn got New York a 95-91 lead. Then Baker showed his rookie decision-making. He blew a layup, made a bad pass for a turnover, and made an ill-advised one on one move to the basket. By the time he was pulled at the 1:40 mark, the game was tied.

MELO AND JENNINGS: I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed with these two. Melo was a horrific 3/15 (13 points). We saw the worst of Melo from airballs to getting stuffed at the rim by a guard in Devin Booker. With Jennings, he was a virtual turnstile on defense, allowing Bledsoe (31 points) to get to the rim at will. This resulted in KP fouling out and Bledsoe hitting the go-ahead OT jumper that sealed it.

KP and O’QUINN COULDN’T DO IT ALONE: These two nearly won the game. Porzingis had one of his best games — 34 points, 8 boards, 3 steals and 3 blocks. O’Quinn added 22 points and 14 boards. A key mistake from Hornacek was pulling Kyle in the fourth to get Melo back in during crunch time. That allowed Tyson Chandler (13 points, 23 rebounds) to crash the boards for second chance opportunities.

Let this be the game that’s a sobering reminder that we have a lot of work ahead. A good team has no business going life and death with the Phoenix Suns.

Porzingis and Rose Dominate Lakers, Knicks Win 118-112

Photo Credit: USA Today Sports Images

Make that 4 straight on the road. Kristaps Porzingis poured in 26 points while Derrick Rose chipped in 25 to lead New York over the Los Angeles Lakers.

I was worried about this game. Despite L.A. being on a five game losing streak, the three-point shot is their bread n’ butter via gunners Lou Williams and Nick Young. With New York’s sub par perimeter defense, this could have easily been a trap game. But the Knicks got contributions from every player, most notably a huge bench spark from Brandon Jennings to finally pull away in the fourth.

A RESTED AND DEADLY ROSE: Missing two games with back spasms appears to have put Rose back into MVP form. His mid-range floaters were unguardable as he stormed out to a 10 point first quarter. Yes, he only had two assists. But when you’re scorching from the field (12/16), no one will complain. It was fitting that a Rose bucket iced the game.

https://youtu.be/3XX-4Tov5Ts

A MONSTER ON BOTH ENDS: I think it’s safe to say Porzingis’ shooting slump is over. The “unicorn” wreaked havoc on the defensive by altering countless shots and serving 7 blocks. The paint was effectively closed, taking away much of Julius Randle’s effectiveness and forcing the Laker guards into long three pointers during the fourth.

How dominant was Porzingis? He is the first Knick since Patrick Ewing in 1997 to have 26 points, 12 boards and 7 blocks. KP was 8/15 from the field, including 3/4 from downtown. Not to mention, 7/9 from the free throw line.

https://youtu.be/GAScDa6ycRs

JENNINGS’ 1ST WIN AT STAPLES: It’s hard to believe, but before tonight Brandon Jennings (19 points) had never won a game at Staples Center. That might account for his determination when the Knicks gave up a 12-2 run to start the fourth and fell behind 86-87. Melo, who finished 4/16 from the field, couldn’t buy a bucket. The Knicks needed a spark and Jennings obliged with back to back treys and a beautiful fast break with Courtney Lee for a three-point play. Although the Lakers remained competitive, they never regained any momentum.

TEAM EFFORT: 118 points, which equals a season high, is very impressive considering Melo only had 13 points. With Kyle O’Quinn out with a sprained ankle, Willy Hernangomez stepped up huge with 6 points and 12 boards. Courtney Lee added 16 points (3/4 from downtown), and Justin Holiday had 9 points.

Melo’s shot wasn’t there, but he still proved valuable in his 38 minutes. He delivered a season-high 7 assists, grabbed 8 boards, and gave the Knicks some breathing room with a bassline jumper over Luol Deng in crunch time.

The Knicks look to make it 3-0 on this West Coast swing against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

https://youtu.be/xxnSoXJHjqA

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