Marc and Jay are joined again by Big Data to give their reactions to game 1. What changed need to be made, how we’re feeling now that we’ve had time to think about it, the Garden crowd, Big Data has us guess the Knicks player based on stats, around the league thoughts.
madison square garden
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards – 1/20/17 – Game Recap
New York Knicks vs Washington Wizards
Game 44: January 20, 2017
Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn
flagrant2blog.blogspot.com
The Knicks hate me. That’s what I’ve decided.
After a great bounce back win in Boston last night, the Knicks came right back and took on John Wall and the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden. After fighting back to take the lead late in the fourth, the fake comeback struck again, and the Knicks lost to the wizards, 113-110. Carmelo Anthony set a Knicks record with 25 points in the 2nd quarter, and finished with 34 points and 10 rebounds. Kristaps Porzingis returned from his Achilles injury and scored 15 points off the bench. Derrick Rose added 20 points. John Wall led the way for Washington, with 29 points and 13 assists.
New York was riding high after one of their best wins of the season in Boston on Wednesday night, and the effort was there once again tonight against Washington. The only thing missing from this team is the ability to close out these games, and, you know, that whole, “defense” thing. The Knicks took the lead on a Derrick Rose layup late in the fourth, but they just couldn’t hold on defensively on the final few possessions.
Everything was clicking tonight for the Knicks offensively, and that continues to be the strength of this team. Only problem is, this team would have trouble guarding my 2016 summer league team that made it to the final four of the playoffs. HOW do you give up 100 points in 3 quarters? That is unacceptable effort from an NBA team.
I understand that the Wizards have one of the most talented guards in the NBA on their team, but somebody has to step up and take on the challenges of guarding him, whether it’s Courtney Lee, Derrick Rose, or whoever.. There’s no reason he should’ve carved up the Knick defense like he did. Inexcusable.
Now let’s go back to the last play of the game. I didn’t notice this from my seat, but did everyone see that the Washington assistant was literally on the court next to Courtney Lee when he got the ball? Not that it matters, but what is the NBA going to do about that? That changed the whole last play of the game, and it could very well be the reason Lee pump faked before dribbling inside the arc.
The Knicks just invent new ways to lose a ballgame every night. Saturday is against Phoenix. I’ll be at that one too. They better win. 19-25.
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks – 11/20/16 – Game Recap
New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
Game 13: November 20, 2016
Knicks 104, Hawks 94
Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn
flagrant2blog.blogspot.com/
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 @ Blazers – 2-5-14 – Game Recap
