recap

New York Knicks vs Portland Trailblazers – 11/22/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs Portland Trailblazers
Game 14: November 22, 2016
Knicks 107, Trailblazers 103

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Well that was pretty damn fun.

In a highly competitive game against Portland, the New York Knicks came out victorious, 107-103 in a thriller at the Garden. This was the most enjoyable game of the season in my opinion, with Kristaps Porzingis leading the way with 31 points, which is his second 30+ point game of the season. Derrick Rose looked like his old self with 18 points and a bunch of highlight plays.

Brandon Jennings had his third 10+ assist game off the bench, and we finally had the Mindaugus Kuzminskas breakout game! Kuz had a modest 10 points in 21 minutes, but hit a clutch 3 pointer late in the fourth quarter. Damian Lillard led Portland with 22 points, and CJ McCollum had 16 points on 17 shots.

Takeaways from this game:

The Knicks can actually be fun.

Yes, you read that correctly. This was the best game so far this year, without a doubt. Kristaps proved that he should be the focal point of the offense, again. The plays he makes are absolutely astounding, but we all know that. 31 points and 9 rebounds for the 7’3 Latvian that just looked so easy for him. KP was rolling, the ball was moving, and the defense picked up throughout the game. The team was clicking on all cylinders tonight on both ends of the floor. It took a little while for them to figure out how to defend the Blazers, but the Knicks held them to 45 points in the second half, which is a good number.

Home game Brandon Jennings is different than away game Brandon Jennings:

This dude loves the Garden. Every home game the Knicks play, you can just see the joy that Brandon Jennings plays with, and the passion comes out in his game. The only issue with that is that I have to be afraid that he might pick up a technical foul every time down the court, but if he’s going to dish out 11 assists every home game, I’m cool with that. With Derrick Rose in foul trouble, Jennings stepped in perfectly, with highlight reel passes to Justin Holiday and Kuzminskas, and his continued solid play. The Knicks haven’t had a solid point guard in years, so it’s really weird that they have two now.

Down the stretch brilliance:

Carmelo Anthony had an off night tonight, there’s no other way to say it. In the past few seasons, if Melo didn’t have it going in the fourth quarter, they would lose most of the time.

This year, they have a 7’3 unicorn and a former MVP going to battle with him, and both of those guys stepped up. Rose and KP were big time in the fourth quarter and took over the game. Rose was getting the paint at will, and KP was hitting shot after shot. This team has the chance to be special if they keep playing like this, even with Carmelo having a rough night.

The Knicks protected home court once again and increased their home win streak to five games. Two straight playoff teams have been defeated at the garden this week, and another solid team is coming to town on Friday. The Charlotte Hornets may not have as much firepower as the blazers do, but Kemba Walker and Nicolas Batum can both fill it up, and Walker may finally make an all-star team this year with his excellent play this season. If the Knicks want to continue this home win streak, they’re going to need to move the ball and play defense like they did in the second half of tonight’s game. Let’s hope for another entertaining win, and let’s watch the orange and blue eclipse the .500 mark. 7-7.

New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons – 11/16/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons
Game 11: November 16, 2016
Knicks 105, Pistons 102

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Kristaps Porzingis show.

The Knicks took on the Detroit Pistons tonight for the second time this season, and evened up the series at 1-1. The story of tonight’s game was Kristaps Porzingis, who led the Knicks with a career high 35 points, along with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Carmelo Anthony had 22 points, and Derrick Rose had 15 points, with a few clutch baskets in the fourth quarter. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Pistons with 21 points, and missed a potential game tying three pointer at the end of regulation. Long Island native Tobias Harris finished with 19 points and 10 boards.

Takeaways from this game:

Kristaps Kristaps Kristaps:

I don’t want this to become a lovefest for Porzingis, but boy was he special tonight. Porzingis had his career high of 35 points, which is great in itself, but the array in which he scores is incredible. Whether it’s threes, post ups, fade-away jumpers, or that thunderous alley-oop, he had the garden crowd on their feet all night. He only took 22 shots to get to those 35 points, so the efficiency is there, and we are watching him become a star in front of our very eyes.

Props to KO and the bench:

His numbers won’t jump off the page, but Kyle O’Quinn had a really nice game tonight off the bench. He finished with 6 points, 5 boards, 2 assists, and 3 blocks, and this may have been the best defense we have seen him play. Besides, KO, the entire bench played great as well.

Brandon Jennings had 7 assists, Justin Holiday had 9 points and 5 assists, and even Maurice N’Dour had an extremely active 9 minutes.

Joakim Noah:

Joakim responded to the benching positively, as he came out of the gates hot. The Knicks ran pick and roll with Rose and Noah the first play of the game, and continued to use it throughout the game. 7 points and 15 boards for the 72 million dollar man in this one, and these are the type of nights that make him worth that cash.

Ball movement and offensive boards:

The Knicks outrebounded the Pistons 52-40, even with Andre Drummond on the other team. They totaled 19 offensive boards, which is the most I’ve ever seen the Knickerbockers grab in a game. Joakim Noah was a huge reason for that, his activity on the glass was a key to the Knicks jumping out to a first half lead.

Other Notes:

The way the Knicks played tonight, it just felt like there was no way they were going to lose, no matter how close Detroit came. Even though it came down to the final shot, I was never in doubt that New York would come away with the win. One thing to be worried about is the Knicks going to Washington tomorrow night to play the Wizards, and KP played a season high 40 minutes. Rose, Melo, and KP all played heavy minutes tonight, and hopefully won’t be too fatigued going into tomorrow’s game. Knicks and Wizards tomorrow night at 7. Great win tonight, 5-6.

New York Knicks vs Dallas Mavericks – 11/14/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks vs Dallas Mavericks
Game 10: November 14, 2016
Knicks 93, Dallas 77

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

See what happens when you play defense?

The Dallas Mavericks came to MSG to take on the Knickerbockers tonight, and the Knicks took it to them. New York defeated Dallas 93-77 backed by Carmelo Anthony’s 24 point, 7 rebound effort, as well as Kristaps Porzingis’ 24 points and 11 rebounds. Dallas was without Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams tonight, and Harrison Barnes paced them with 20 points.

Takeaways from this game:

An Epic Holiday:

For those that understood my Angels and Airwaves reference there, well done. The Holiday that I’m referring to is Justin Holiday, who had his best game as a Knick tonight. Holiday finished the game with 16 points, and he sparked the team with his exceptional on the ball defense. Most notably, he began the second half with the starting lineup, and we didn’t see the 72 million dollar man, Joakim Noah, for the rest of the game, which is a completely different problem.

Holiday is proving to be more than just a throw-in from the Derrick Rose trade with his active play.

Defense!

I guess the Knicks read my last recap when I blasted the team defense. The Knicks held the Mavs to just 77 points tonight, which is far and away the lowest amount they’ve given up this season. I know Dallas was missing some key players, I mean, one of the greatest players of all time was in street clothes on their bench, but to hold an NBA team under 80 points shows an excellent effort. It finally looked like the Knicks cared about playing hard on defense, which was nice to see that as a priority. Courtney Lee and Justin Holiday especially played hard and dug in on the defensive side of the ball.

KP and Melo:

When your two best players both score 20 plus, you’re in good shape. Melo, who couldn’t buy a bucket in the first half, got into a nice groove in the second half, as he scored 20 of his 24 after halftime. Porzingis was scoring a number of ways, and his crossover into a pullup jumper in the first half got me out of my seat. The dude is 7’3, and everything he does is so smooth. Love it when these two click.

Other Notes:

The Knicks have a lot of winnable games coming up this week. They play Detroit at home on Wednesday, and then they play Washington the night after. If the Knicks defend like they did tonight, and the ball moves as freely as it did in the second half, the Knicks should win both of those games. Look for Justin Holiday to be the first guard off the bench after tonight’s performance.

By the way, Maurice N’Dour should never shoot a three ever again, no matter the situation. My God that was ugly.

New York Knicks Vs Toronto Raptors – 11/12/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks Vs Toronto Raptors
Game 9: November 12, 2016
Raptors 118, Knicks 107

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Can SOMEBODY play some defense?

On the second night of a back to back, the Knicks lost another tough game, as they dropped this one to the Toronto Raptors, 118-107. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 31 points, but that wasn’t enough to defeat the Raptors. DeMar DeRozan, the NBA’s leading scorer, paced Toronto with 33 points.

Takeaways from this game:

This team cannot defend, which should be news to nobody:

I don’t know if I could count how many easy baskets the Raptors scored tonight. Whether it was Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell getting to the rim, or open threes for the Raptors shooters, it was they were warming up. And when the Knicks decided to try and play solid D, they ended up bailing them out with a foul, (See, “Courtney Lee“ who had a tough time guarding DeRozan in the third quarter). The Raptors took 38 free throw attempts, making 33, and shot 47 percent from the field. Watching Raptors players drive past Joakim Noah (who did have a really nice game with 18 rebounds) was so frustrating, and the fouling by basically everyone on the roster was maddening. Clyde always says, “Play defense with you feet, and not your hands.” Maybe they should’ve hired him as the defensive coach.

DeMar DeRozan is a problem:

This dude can fill it up. DeRozan had 33 points tonight, which is actually one point below his average for the season, but the way he scores is so fun to watch. DeRozan barely takes any shots from behind the arc, and is so smooth with his drives to the rim and mid-range jumpers. A true throwback, and fun to watch. It would be more fun if he didn’t play for a team in the same division, but what can you do.

KP’s Dunk:

Not a lot to say about this, only that it was so dope. Love this man.

Other notes:

The story of this game was defense. The Knicks scored 107 points, which is more than enough to win in the NBA. Derrick Rose, Carmelo Anthony, and Kristaps Porzingis all looked great on the offensive end of the floor, but the team defense is atrocious, and you don’t need me to tell you that. Until that improves, the Knicks are going to lose a lot of games like this. The bright spot in this game is that they really competed against a team that most people would say is better than them, and hung around the whole game. It was about as intense and entertaining as a November game could get. The Knicks get the injury riddled Dallas Mavericks on Monday night at the Garden, led by Harrison Barnes. Let’s hope they learn how to defend before that one. 3-6.

New York Knicks at Boston Celtics – 11/11/16 – Game Recap

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New York Knicks at Boston Celtics
Game 8: November 11, 2016
Celtics 115, Knicks 87

Written by Eric Weinstein – @ericcweinsteinn

Yeah, that was awful.

After a solid win to get everyone feeling good about this team, the Knicks looked terrible in Boston on Friday night. They got blown out of the gym, 115-87. New York let poor officiating take them out of the game and result in multiple technical fouls, including Carmelo Anthony getting ejected from the game in the second quarter. They never found a groove after Melo’s unceremonious exit, and it was garbage time early in the fourth quarter.

Takeaways from this game:

More Willy, more fun:

There weren’t too many bright spots in this game, but a definite plus was the play of Willy Hernangomez off the bench. In his second straight game with extended minutes, Hernangomez finished with 8 points, 12 rebounds, a block, and 3 assists. His defense was iffy, but he looks more comfortable out there, and in time, will learn how to play defense in the NBA.

A new Knick killer:

Paul Pierce isn’t be a Celtic anymore, so the role of Knicks killer has been filled in by Isaiah Thomas. Thomas had 29 points on 9/17 shooting, and was perfect from the line, 8/8. This guy is amazing, and I love to watch him play against the other 28 teams in the NBA, just not tonight.

Also, the whole, “Marcus Smart plays physical” is code for, “Marcus Smart gets no fouls called on him.” I mean, he was beating the crap out of whoever he was guarding, which leads to…

Refs were trash:

I’m one of those guys who NEVER blames a game on officials because my Dad has been officiating basketball for about 8 years, but this was horrible. Tony Brothers and his crew were just awful tonight, as every call seemed to go the Celtics way. That’s not why the Knicks lost by 28, but the calls took the Knicks out of the game, literally in Carmelo’s case. Even Breen and Clyde were complaining.

Other Notes:

Courtney Lee, Derrick Rose, Kristaps Porzingis and Brandon Jennings all had off nights tonight, and when that happens it’s going to be a tough one. The Knicks need two of those four guys to have good games every night if they want to have a chance to win, especially when Melo is unavailable. Also, does Sasha need to shoot from 30 feet EVERY time he catches the ball? That’s me nitpicking, but I digress.

Knicks need to have a short memory, as they take on DeMar, “All of a sudden I’m Michael Jordan” DeRozan and the Toronto Raptors tomorrow night in Canada at 7:30. Hey, at least Carmelo will be well rested!

Episode 318: Stats Guy the Third

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Marc, Jay, and stats guy talk about the last 4 games, whether it is OK to criticize players, how Fisher is doing as a coach, debate whether we think a change is needed to the starting lineup, and much more

Download Episode 318

Knicks vs Cavs – 11-13-15 – Game Recap

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Written by Matt Adwar – @theknicksguy

Carmelo Anthony did not have much to say after the New York Knicks blew another fourth quarter lead.

“Were just not getting it done,” he said.

The New York Knicks held a 6-point lead going into the fourth quarter but were not able to hold on as they were outscored 24-12 in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony only had 4 points in the second half after contributing 22 in the first half.

Derek Fisher did not blame any player but chose to blame himself after the crucial loss.

I have to do a better job of putting guys in position to be successful out there,”

Fisher did not say anyone specific but it is clear that he has not figured out the rotation just yet. In the final two minutes Porzingis and Lopez were left out for Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson, an interesting choice. Continue reading →

Knicks at Hornets 11-11-15 – Game Recap

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Written by Matt Adwar – @theknicksguy

Kristaps Porzingis hit the game winner with 0.6 seconds left ….except it didn’t count. It could not have been any closer as the New York Knicks suffer a devastating loss against the Charlotte Hornets 95-93 as they fall to 4-5.

The Knicks were in control for most of the game as they held a 12-point lead at one time. But the 16 turnovers and 24 fouls were just too much for the Knicks to come back from.

Derek Fisher after the game “People oftentimes focus on the fourth quarter and the finish and the last plays but a lot of times the first through the third quarter makes a difference”

Head coach Derek Fisher did not seem happy at his teams performance down the stretch and did not like the excessive fouls. “They got to the free throw line 28 times and that’s too many”

Tip Ins

Arron Afflalo looked great in his season debut with the Knicks scoring 12 points and adding 6 rebounds. Continue reading →

Knicks @ Raptors 12/21/2014 – Game Recap

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Written by William Lee

New York yet again got off to a slow start in Sunday’s matinee game, going down double digits when Terrence Ross and Kyle Lowry combined for a 10-0 run to lead 17-7 midway through the first quarter. Ross dominated early on, reaching double figures scoring before the halfway mark of the opening period. Raptors shot 50% from the field, including five from downtown to lead 33-25 after one quarter of play. New York was able to stay somewhat in the game by getting to the line nine times, failing to convert only once.

Back to back threes by Lowry and potential sixth man of the year Lou Williams gave the Raptors their largest lead in the second quarter, leading 52-36 with 5:21 remaining in the first half. A 12-4 run to end the half by New York got them within striking distance 58-51 entering intermission. Carmelo Anthony kept New York in the game, scoring 15 of his 28 game high points in the first half.

With only ten active players suiting up for New York due to all the injuries, the body count dwindled down one more. Samuel Dalembert was ejected out of the game with a flagrant two foul called a minute into the second half. While wrestling for position in the post, Dalembert elbowed Jonas Valanciunas in the face, sending him to the locker room early.

Continue reading →

Knicks vs Suns 12/21/14 – Game Recap

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Written by William Lee

Top five highest pace Phoenix Suns spearheaded by their two headed point guard monster that is Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe scorched the Knicks early. The duo combined to score a dozen of the first 15 points, in an early 15-4 run capped off by a Bledsoe steal and dunk that brought down boos from the matinee Madison Square Garden crowd. Bledsoe finished the game with a double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds.

From this point on New York mounted a monster comeback, going on a 23-10 run bridging the gap from mid first quarter to early second to take the lead 27-25. Jose Calderon kept New York in the game, bailing the Knicks out of poor possessions going nowhere by beating the shot clock a couple of times. Calderon scored eight of his 21 points in the first quarter, doing most of his damage from beyond the arc, making five three-pointers in the game. It was the play of the bench that propelled New York into the lead with yet another lackluster start by the starters. Jason Smith did most of the hard lifting, coming off the bench to score seven points in five minutes of play in the first quarter.

After the slow start from the Knicks’ starters, Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. redeemed themselves in the second quarter, scoring a combined 15 points in the period. Anthony collected his only his second double-double of the season with 25 points and 11 rebounds. The teams went back and forth, exchanging leads five times, and being tied up eight times.

Continue reading →