Final Score: New York
Knicks: 98 Boston Celtics: 95
Knicks Drop Celtics in Second Preseason Game
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If the preseason is any indication of how the regular season
is going to go, the Knicks and Celtics are going to have some memorable
match-ups this coming season. For a
preseason game, the competition was fierce and players were going at it with
high intensity. Like any time the Knicks
and Celtics meet on the court, there was trash talking and tough play, as there
was two technicals and flagrant fouls.
The Knicks were able to take this one against the Celtics 98-95, with
fans hoping more of the same come the regular season.
The Knicks pick-and-roll offense once again was clicking
tonight even without one of the main weapons on that scheme in Amar’e
Stoudemire. Tonight, Tyson Chandler and
Chris Copeland took advantage as the screener.
Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni all ran the
pick-and-roll well tonight, rotating as the main ball handler while on the
court. They provided precise alley-oop
passes to the rolling screeners and opened up great scoring opportunities with
the lanes being created.
The ability to play the pick-and-roll led the Knicks to 44
points in the paint, outscoring the Celtics who manage 34. When Stoudemire returns from injury, he will
add yet another dimension to the offense, as he can be the screener or set up
at the wings prepared to take jump shots.
Defense tonight was a strong point for the Knicks, as the
second unit really stepped it up in the fourth quarter. Led by Kidd and Prigioni each getting two
steals, the second unit played outstanding and was a big reason the Knicks came
out on top tonight. Copeland, who didn’t
play in the first half, scored 21 points in the game and grabbed four rebounds,
putting on his best Carmelo Anthony impersonation. The performance tonight should give Mike
Woodson and his staff a positive feeling of where the second unit is heading,
even without top gun J.R. Smith, who sat out tonight with a sore left ankle.
There were some negatives the Knicks need to work on
tonight, with one glaring negative being transition defense. The Knicks managed only two fast break points
compared to the 12 the Celtics score; a number that could have been much higher
for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo presents a
nightmare for any opposing defense, but the Knicks will need to limit these
opportunities for their opponents as they are more geared towards grinding it
out in the half-court.
The Knicks need to also continue to build continuity on the
offensive side of the ball, as they became very stagnant at points tonight,
with players just standing around the perimeter watching the play. Anthony needs to continue his development of
becoming more of a facilitator on the court and Woodson needs to keep working
on schemes to get people into better positions to score. The offense still is a work in progress right
now, especially with a main cog like Stoudemire sidelined currently.
Back to Copeland, who played himself into a roster spot with
tonight’s performance. Copeland gave the
Knicks spirited effort tonight, banging in the paint with the Celtics bigs and
playing very physical down low. He
attacked the basket on the offensive end, scoring 21 points and attempting 13
free throws, making nine. Copeland also
looked very strong as the screener in the pick-and-roll with Kidd and Prigioni
throughout the fourth quarter and overtime.
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Copeland gives the Knicks something they lack in a young
inside presence. With the age of Kurt
Thomas and Marcus Camby, who is already nursing a calf injury, it would not be
the worst to have a young alternative in Copeland on the bench. The health of Stoudemire isn’t a given
either, so having as many able bodied options as possible is a must.
The Knicks will look to continue building on what has been a
strong preseason thus far as they will travel north of the border Friday,
October 19th to play against the Toronto Raptors at the Bell Centre
in Montreal .
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