game recap

New York Knicks VS. San Antonio Spurs – 12/13/17 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks VS. San Antonio Spurs
February 13, 2017
Knicks 94, Spurs 90

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

A little sun was peaking through the dark clouds over MSG on a Sunday afternoon.

After perhaps the worst loss of the season against the Denver Nuggets, the Knicks faced a daunting challenge against the Western Conference powerhouse San Antonio Spurs. With all the drama surrounding the New York Knicks, and I wont get into that yet, it looked like this would be the perfect setup for a Spurs beatdown of the Knickerbockers. I, along with many others, was wrong. The Knicks showed up in a big way on a nationally televised game and took down the Spurs, 94-90.

How did they do it? Well, they finally inserted Rookie phenom, and new Garden favorite, Willy Hernangomez into the starting lineup, and he was a welcome addition. He played another solid game and scored 12 points while pulling down 9 rebounds. This kid could be the spark on both ends to bring the Knicks out of this prolonged and miserable stretch of basketball. Along with WHG, Carmelo Anthony shook off a tough first half shooting wise to lead the Knicks in scoring once again with 25 points, as well as some big buckets in the fourth quarter. He continues to show that he wants the big shot down the stretch, and against San Antonio, he delivered. The most impressive part about it was the fact that he was matched up with the best defender in basketball today, Kawhi Leonard. Leonard, who can lock up anybody in the NBA, took it to Carmelo in the first half, but Carmelo was able to get on a roll in the fourth quarter, and when that happens nobody can guard him, not even Kawhi.

Leonard was also a real headache for the Knicks on offense as well, as he led the Spurs with 36 points to go with his 9 rebounds and 4 assists. This guy has become a top 5 player in the NBA, and he can takeover a game on both sides of the floor. Watching him pick up an opposing guard at half court is incredible. He lurks, and then pounces on them with his enormous hands and long arms. A game changer on defense, for sure.

Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis also showed up to play in this one, with Rose scoring 18 points and Porzingis scoring 16 points and blocking for shots. The key in this game was the effort, and the Knicks finally looked like they were tired of being the laughing stock of the NBA, something they’ve been dealing with for the past decade and a half, but who’s counting?

I’d be remised if I didn’t mention the off court drama with the Knicks. Jimmy Dolan banned Charles Oakley from the Garden, which sucks. However, in a calculated move, he invited back ex-Knicks like Bernard King (G.O.A.T), Larry Johnson (who works with the Knicks), Vin Baker (played like 11 minutes as a Knick), and none other than Latrell Sprewell, who cursed out little Jimmy when he was traded way back in 2004. It’s an obvious shot at Oakley, and a desperate PR move to save face with all of the Oakley drama. I’m firmly on team Oakley, but it was nice to see Sprewell back at the Garden.

Guys like him, Marcus Camby, and Allan Houston are the guys I remember from when I first starting watching basketball. I’m only 22, so I started watching them right when sucking became the norm. Awesome.

The Knicks are going to look to build on this one, but the building is going to be met by the wrecking ball known as Russell Westbrook when the Knicks travel to OKC and take on the Thunder. If the Knicks can slow down Westbrook like they did the Spurs, maybe he’ll only get double figures in two out of his three usual triple-double  categories.

Courtney Lee, good luck bud.

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New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers – 2/6/17 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Lakers
February 6, 2017
Lakers 121, Knicks 107

I’m finished.

So after dealing with this one big crap of a Knicks season, it didn’t seem possible for the team to look any worse. They couldn’t possibly look any worse than they have, right?

Wrong.

The Knicks players, coaching staff, and front office should all be ashamed of themselves for the garbage that was on the floor against the Lakers, who by the way, had lost twelve straight on the road before Monday night. Twelve. There are so many things wrong with this team that I don’t even know where to start. Defense, rebounding, basically anything that has to do with effort, this team is bad at. They continue to look disinterested and unmotivated, and they’ve officially become unwatchable.

Carmelo Anthony needs to waive his no trade clause yesterday, because he’s going to go nowhere with this team. He scored 26 points in this one to lead the Knicks, with nobody else really bringing anything all that special to the table. Oh, and Derrick Rose was back, and he definitely looked like a guy who hadn’t played in over a week. He stunk up the joint. Also, Kristaps Porzingis needs to sit if he’s hurt, because all he is doing is giving himself a bigger chance of getting seriously injured. His shot is off, he couldn’t defend a fourth grader, he just doesn’t look like himself. There’s a conversation that needs to be had with him, and it needs to be done sooner rather than later. I know he wants to play, why wouldn’t he, but he’s only hurting the team with his current play. We all know he is better than what he is showing.

If the problem with this team is effort, than that starts with the coach. This is the first time all year I have thought Jeff Hornacek has looked overwhelmed, and I think he really doesn’t know what to do anymore. This team has a lot of moves to make at the trade deadline, and the trading block should have guys like Melo and Rose at the forefront.

Nobody but Porzingis and Willy Hernangomez should be untouchable. THINGS NEED TO CHANGE. NOW.

Sorry for the rant. If you want actual analysis on the game, here it is. The Knicks STUNK.

New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets – 1/27/17 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs Charlotte Hornets
Game 48: January 27, 2017
Knicks 110, Hornets 107

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Trade that.

As we all know, the Knicks have been on a rough stretch as of late. Coming into tonight’s game, the Knicks had dropped 14 of their last 18 games, and the finger pointing began. Heartbreaking loss after heartbreaking loss put the Knicks way back in the standings, and Carmelo Anthony has been put on the trading block. Tonight, was different. After the offense went stagnant in the fourth for a stretch, Courtney Lee happened, and the Knicks took over the game. The Hornets could not withstand this burst of offense late, and the Knicks held on to win the game, 110-107.

This was one of the best wins of the season for the Knicks, and is another one of those games where they will give me false hope. Kristaps Porzingis snapped out of his shooting funk, scoring 18 points on 8-11 shooting, even though he was in foul trouble most of the game. Carmelo finished with 18 points on a rough shooting night, but he drilled a jumper to seal the deal at the end of the fourth.

It’s been a really rough month for the Knicks and their fans, and with everything seemingly going down the toilet, the Knicks pulled out a fun win. Stopping all-star guard Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum, and the Hornets is a tough task, but the Knick defense stepped up in a big way in the fourth quarter. The insertion of Kyle O’Quinn was huge for the team as well, as his brand of defense was exactly what the Knicks needed. Key blocks at the end of the game, along with some big rebounds were what paced the Knick defense. No Noah in sight, I don’t even think he played in the second half, but I could be wrong.

The one negative in this game was the Derrick Rose injury. The back spasms early in the season were the only blemish on the Rose injury record for the year, and tonight another injury reared its ugly head. Even though his defense has been awful, Rose has brought a spark to the offense when he gets into the lane, and he’s been much better than Brandon Jennings this year.

Granted, Jennings was great filling in for Rose tonight, but if the Knicks want to turn this around with the current roster they have, Rose needs to be healthy.

New York goes down to Georgia and they’re looking for a game to steal, and they’ll take on the Atlanta Hawks. The last time the Knicks and Hawks played at the Garden, it was the Hawks who came away with a tough win. The Knicks will need the same contributions from Courtney Lee and Brandon Jennings if they want to leave Atlanta with a win. Here’s hoping they build on this one. Don’t look now, but the Knicks are only two games out of the eighth seed. 21-27.

New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns – 12/13/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks at Phoenix Suns
Game 25: December 13, 2016
Suns 113, Knicks 111

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Overtime Stinker.

The Knicks were riding high on a four game road winning streak coming into Phoenix tonight, but couldn’t get the job done against the Suns and lost 113-111. New York spoiled an incredible game from Kristaps Porzingis, who finished this one with 34 points, 8 rebounds and 4 three pointers. Kyle O’Quinn also had an excellent game off the bench, scoring a season high 22 points while pulling down 14 rebounds, a truly remarkable game for KO. Even though these guys were carrying the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony had his second straight bad shooting night, as he finished 3-15 for 13 points. Derrick Rose left the game after the first quarter as his back acted up again. Former Knick Tyson Chandler had a game that was a throwback to his New York days with 13 points and 23 rebounds. Eric Bledsoe had 31 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists for Phoenix.

Takeaways from this Game

#TrapGame:

This was a game the Knicks had to win, and they didn’t. Continue reading →

New York Knicks at Minnesota Timberwolves – 11/30/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks at Minnesota Timberwolves
Game 18: November 30, 2016
Knicks 106, Wolves 104

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Why do you do this to me Carmelo? Why?

After I had been talking and tweeting about how Carmelo Anthony needed to stop shooting and Porzingis should take the last shot, Anthony came out and hit the game winning jumper to defeat the Timberwolves in Minnesota. The Knicks held on after blowing a 17 point fourth quarter lead to win 106-104. Kristaps Porzingis led New York with 29 points on 11/20 shooting, but he wasn’t the story of tonight’s game. Karl-Anthony Towns, taken three picks ahead of KP in the 2015 draft, had a career high 47 points on 22 shots, along with 18 rebounds. Whoever the Knicks threw at him defensively, whether it was Kyle O’Quinn, KP, or Marshall Plumlee, it didn’t matter. Dude was in an unstoppable zone tonight, and man was that fun to watch.

Takeaways from this game:

Resiliency

The Knicks were without Joakim Noah, who sat out the game with an ankle sprain, and Courtney Lee had an early exit as well due to injury. New York had to turn to guys like Sasha Vujacic, Marshall Plumlee, Brandon Jennings, and Mindaugus Kuzminskas, who each stepped up in the minutes they played. Jennings had 12 points and 7 assists, Kuz scored a career high 14 points, Plumlee played 20 energized minutes, and Sasha hit a few key jumpers early in the 4th.

Excellent job by these guys to hold the lead for the Knicks as they overcame injuries and ineffective play by key starters. Nice to see the guys that don’t play much be ready to step in if their name gets called.

KAT on the attack: Continue reading →

New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks – 11/20/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
Game 13: November 20, 2016
Knicks 104, Hawks 94

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

A tough stretch of games started this afternoon at MSG when the Atlanta Hawks came to town to face the Knicks. The Knicks were without Joakim Noah, who had a 72 million dollar cold and was unable to play. Kyle O’Quinn slid into his spot the starting lineup, and had a solid game with 8 points and 8 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 31 points, and Kristaps Porzingis had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Paul Millsap led the Hawks with 19 points.

Takeaways from this game:

The Backup Center Spot

Coming into this season, the backup center position was a real question mark for this team.  Could Kyle O’Quinn and Willy Hernangomez be good enough as the two backup centers? I thought no, but so far this season I have been proven wrong. O’Quinn fit nicely with the starting unit and showed the value of having a center that could step out and consistently hit a 15 foot jumper. His hands were like magnets in the first quarter where he had 7 of his 8 rebounds and a block. Hernangomez continues to impress off the bench with his slick passes and offensive arsenal. Both of these guys need some work on the defensive side, but both have been pleasant surprises.

Melo Mania:

Carmelo had one of those games where he reminds everyone he is still an offensive force in this league. Melo had a game high 31 points, and was scoring from every spot on the court. When he and KP both score like they did today, it makes it really tough for the opposition to keep up. Old school Melo game in this matinee affair at Madison Square Garden.

Holding Home Court:

Clyde always says how the Knicks need to make Madison Square Garden a hostile environment for teams to come and play in. That’s exactly what the boys in blue and orange have done lately, as this was the fourth straight win at the Garden. This was a tough test against an excellent Atlanta Hawks team, a team which plays tough defense and has real talent in Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Dwight Howard, to name a few. The Knicks have shown they enjoy playing in front of the Garden crowd, and it’s important for them to continue to win at home.

The wins on the road will come, but winning in front of a cheering home crowd helps the team’s confidence.

The Portland Trailblazers and their talented backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum take the 2 train from Brooklyn to Penn Station to take on the Knicks this Tuesday night at 7:30.

Another tough test for New York, they’re going to need to bring the tough defense they brought against the Hawks to stop those two dynamic scorers and make it five in a row at home. 6-7.

Knicks at Raptors 11-10-15 – Game Recap

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Written by Matt Adwar – @theknicksguy

A night where Knicks head coach Derek Fisher played 13 guys, it somehow all came together.

A blown call with Carmelo Anthony stepping out of bounds might have been the break the Knicks needed to pull out a victory. The Toronto Raptors made things very interesting hitting a 3 pointer to pull within 1 point with 1.5 seconds left. But the Knicks prevailed as they defeated the Raptors 111-109. The New York Knicks improved their record to 4-4 led by Carmelo Anthony who had a solid night with 25 points on 10-23 shooting. DeMar DeRozan led the Toronto Raptors with 29 points.

Lance Thomas, a key contributor in the 4th quarter said after the game “We imposed our will, everybody fought, its us against everybody”.

Tip Ins

Robin Lopez had one of his best games of the season contributing offensively and defensively. He racked in 12 points, 8 rebounds and 4 key blocks. Continue reading →

Knicks @ Cavs 10/30/2014 – Game Recap

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Written by William Lee

Knicks at Cavaliers 10/30/14

The Knicks starts off the season against the two candidates most likely to face off in the Eastern Conference finals. One night after getting demolished by the Chicago Bulls in the home opener, New York played the spoiler role, ruining Cleveland’s home opener, and the return of the King’s homecoming.

The game started right where the Knicks left off last night, no defense to speak of…allowing a wide open layup under the rim by Kevin Love. Carmelo Anthony righted the ship, scoring the first six points for the Knicks to take an early lead. Anthony looked a lot more aggressive Thursday night, making quick decisions instead of being passive and forcing it to his teammates like he did the night before.

On this night it was Lebron James who looked to be passive, forcing passes to his teammates in his first game back with the Cavaliers since the infamous Decision. Lebron finished the first quarter with more turnovers (3) than points (2). Instead it was his new running mate Kevin Love that imposed his will early on, registering 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assist in the opening period. We got treated to what will for sure be a consistent ESPN Top 10 Plays, anytime the Cavaliers take the court, when Cleveland went up 14-8 on a Kevin Love outlet pass to Lebron James. Love finished the game with 19 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 assist.

Cleveland lead by as many as 11 points, although New York quickly got back into the game midway through the second quarter on an 8-0 run, cutting into the deficit 33-30. Lebron continued to struggle in the second quarter, having as many turnovers as points (4) by the end of the first half. New York really shared the basketball well in the first half, with ten players registering points on the box score.

Continue reading →

Bulls @ Knicks 10/29/14 – Game Recap

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Written by William Lee

Bulls @ Knicks 10/29/14 – Game Recap

The Knicks have a rough start to the season, beginning with the team that tried to steal Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks.

Knicks started off the game well enough, opening up with an 8-2 run, causing four turnovers in first six possessions. It was capped off by an Anthony steal leading to an Amare Stoudemire slam dunk. Bulls finished the first quarter strong though, going on an 8-0, taking a 24-20 lead. The Knick’s bench could not keep up with the Bulls’ bench, Taj Gibson and Aaron Brooks had their way. All the Knicks’ starters had positive +/- in the first quarter, unfortunately every bench player was negative…

The dominance of the Bull’s bench continued into the second quarter, scoring 22 of the 29 points in the quarter. Gibson in particular dominated, scoring ten points in the period, completely dominating Quincy Acy. Gibson finished the game with 22 points and 8 rebounds. The Bulls held a ten point led at halftime 53-43, with Pau Gasol grabbing an offensive rebound, and sinking an 11 foot jump shot to beat the buzzer.

The third quarter was a laugher, with the Bulls extending their lead to as much as 24 in the period. The Bulls just had their way offensively, shooting 68.8% from the field, and suffocated defensively, holding New York to 27.3% shooting.

Of course the Knicks played no defense, which everyone knew would be a sore spot for New York this season. This could not have been more evident than when the Bull’s gained a 20 point lead with 4:07 remaining in the third with back to back wide open dunks under the rim by Gasol, and Gibson. Gasol finished his first game with the Bulls with a double double, 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Continue reading →

Knicks @ Nets – 4-15-14 – Game Recap

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Written by William Lee

The New York Knicks continued to thrive in the role of spoiler Tuesday night, defeating the Brooklyn nights 109-98. Brooklyn was trying to clinch their fifth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, deploying their full roster on the Knicks, while New York was without their star player Carmelo Anthony after an MRI revealed a small labrum tear. New York shared the ball well without Anthony in the lineup, six players scored double figures in the victory.

 With nothing to play for but pride, and what little bragging rights for New York there is…the Knicks came out to a strong start, connecting on their first three three-point attempts to get an early 9-5 lead. New York without their leading scorer, Amare Stoudemire stepped into the role, and could not be stopped, attacking the paint with frequency. Stoudemire had a strong first quarter, getting to the free throw line at will, scoring seven points in the quarter, he ended up finishing the game with 14 points.  The Knicks would go on an 8-0 run to finish the first quarter with Tim Hardaway Jr. nailing two threes, and a Shannon Brown layup. The run gave New York a 29-18 lead going into the second quarter.

                       The second quarter, and the first half in general was a parade to the free throw line for the New York Knicks. The Knicks eclipse their season average in free throw attempts by the first half, whom are the league worst in attempts at 20.1 free throws per game, attempting 25 free throws. This didn’t mean there wasn’t any highlight plays though, in fact there was a sequence of highlight plays, starting with a “Man Jam” from Stoudemire, Continue reading →