Friday April 13, 2012 7:30 P.M. ET
Washington Wizards vs. New York Knicks
The Knicks were able to breathe a sigh of relief after Wednesday night’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. They enter tonight 2 games ahead of the Bucks with 8 games remaining in the regular season. Washington is the first game of a 3 game home stand for the Knicks, who currently sport a 30-28 record, sitting a game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for 7th place in the Eastern Conference and controlling their own destiny. After these games at home, the Knicks return to the road for a 3 game trip.
-Avoid a Letdown
Tonight is a prototypical trap game for the Knicks. After not only having that huge win Wednesday night, the Knicks remaining home stand features the Miami Heat on Sunday and the Boston Celtics right after that. All complacency needs to be left at the door when the players and staff enter the building. They can not afford to come out flat against this Wizard team because they are looking ahead on the schedule and past today. Bound for the lottery, the Wizards are out to just spoil their opponents plans from here on out. Losing tonight would ruin all the momentum and good feelings built from the victory Wednesday.
-Guard Play
The Knicks have been struggling to get consistent guard play from their backcourt since Jeremy Lin went down with an injury. Iman Shumpert is still a rookie and has been inconsistent throughout the season on the offensive end but delivering on defense every night. The other problem is Baron Davis, who has been battling through injuries for the Knicks but is visible being affected by them. Tonight does not get any easier for the Knicks as they have to figure out a way to slow down dynamo John Wall.
Wall is lightning quick and is a one man fast break. He can get up and down the court with the best of them. This has to be something the Knicks need to contain as the Wizards go as Wall does.
The Knicks were unable to slow down the Milwaukee Bucks backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis as a whole, but whoever was being guarded by Shumpert was held in check. Watch for Shumpert to shadow Wall almost all night just as he did to Derrick Rose on Easter Sunday.
-Get the Early Lead
It would be beneficial for the Knicks to come out strong tonight and build a big early lead. The earlier they are able to put away the Wizards the better it will be. The Knicks have a tough game Sunday afternoon against the Miami Heat and could use all the rest they can get.
Carmelo Anthony has been carrying the team for the last 9 games since Amar’e Stoudemire and Lin went down with injuries, averaging 30 points per game on 50% shooting. How much longer will he be able to play at such a high level with a compressed schedule and no consistent sidekick? Multiple times Anthony could be seen grabbing at his right hand, his shooting hand, as the Bucks played him very physical. He could use all the rest he can get.
Tyson Chandler is another person the Knicks would not mind sitting out a portion of the game tonight if the game is in hand. Chandler has been dealing with a number of injuries all season including his wrist, shoulder and groin. Chandler is the heart and soul of the Knicks defense, meaning a loss of him would be devastating for the Knicks. As Carmelo Anthony sets the offensive tone, Chandler does the same on defense.
Without either of those players the Knicks would struggle so any rest they can get for those two would be beneficial.
Final Score: New York Knicks 111 Milwaukee Bucks 107
Tonight was a game the Knicks desperately needed and they responded as so. The Knicks can breathe a slight sigh of a relief as they salvaged the season series against the Bucks and expanded their lead to 2 games over them for 8th place in the Eastern Conference with 8 games remaining in the regular season. The Knicks got off to a hot start and had to fight off a game Bucks squad the rest of the evening. It was a great team effort tonight, but they can not take it easy until that playoff spot is locked up and secure.
-Carmelo Being Carmelo
Carmelo Anthony again came up big for the Knicks, continuing his hot April. He scored 32 points tonight to pace the Knicks on the offensive end but also impacted the game in other aspects. Anthony finished the game with 10 rebounds and continued to show great effort on the defensive end. When your superstar is willing to play defense and give it his all, it sets the tone for the rest of the team. It is one thing to say how you would like to play; it is another thing to show it. Tonight, Anthony showed it and led his team in a must win game.
-Resiliency from J.R. Smith
J.R. Smith had a tough first half, struggling from the field and making a number of bone-headed plays on defense. But he did not let that affect him and came up biggest when the Knicks needed him. Smith knocked down what would turn out to be the game winning shot with 1:04 left in the 4th quarter, knocking down a 3 pointer as the man defending him went underneath a screen.
It was quite an ending for Smith who has struggled in Milwaukee throughout his career, evident by the career 35.4% shooting percentage in the Bradley Center entering tonight. It looked as if tonight would be another one of those nights, as the first half started with a thud. Smith was single handily responsible for running the Knicks offense into the ground, stalling all momentum the team had built. This resulted in 1-4 shooting in the half, 2 bad fouls and a -16 rating as the Knicks blew a 14 point lead.
Credit will deservedly be given to Smith for his heroics, but credit also has to be given to the coaching staff and Mike Woodson. Seeing a player struggle like Smith was you would understand the coaching staff giving up on him and putting him on the bench for the remainder of the game. But they showed confidence in Smith and Smith repaid them in as well a fashion as possible.
-Strong Second Scorer
The Knicks need to find a consistent second scorer behind Carmelo Anthony. Amar’e Stoudemire is improving, but is still considered to be some time away and Jeremy Lin is not expected to return unless the Knicks make a deep playoff run.
Tonight, the scoring came from an unlikely source in Tyson Chandler. In addition to the 11 rebounds Chandler had and countless shots he changed, he scored 19 points on the night. It was an impressive 19 points from Chandler as he scored at least two times creating his own shot, and was perfect in the game from anywhere on the court (6-6 FG and 7-7 FT). It would be nice for Tyson Chandler to provide that offense on a nightly basis, but he is much more important to the Knicks on the defensive end of the court.
-Controlled the Paint, not the Perimeter
The Knicks were able to keep the Bucks off the glass pretty well tonight, as the actually held a slight rebounding edge over the Bucks in the game, out rebounding them 42-39. The Knicks were also able to limit the Bucks second chance opportunities and outscored the Bucks 50-46 in the paint. It was a good performance for the Knicks to build on in the paint, but the perimeter defense was a disaster.
After holding Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis to 8-36 shooting for a combined 19 points and 9 assists, the Bucks backcourt exploded in the game tonight. Jennings and Ellis were as explosive as ever since becoming a tandem tonight. They combined for 24-45 from the field, scoring from everywhere on the court. They combined for 57 points and 17 assists this time around, running circles around the Knicks defense. They were able to take advantage of the switching that the Knicks rely so heavily on while playing defense and were able to take advantage by scoring themselves and getting their teammates involved. The Knicks will need to step up their defensive pressure not only to make the playoffs but if they believe they can actually accomplish something if they make it that far.
The next game for the Knicks is Friday night as they return home to face the Washington Wizards. The game starts at 7:30 P.M. ET.
Wednesday April 11, 2012 8:00 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks
The Knicks are right back at it tonight in what is their most important game of the season to date. The Bucks trail the Knicks by 1 game in the Eastern Conference playoff race and tonight will go a long way in deciding who actually will make the playoffs. The Bucks won 2 of the first 3 meetings between the teams this season, so this is as much of a must win regular season game as the Knicks will have all year. The schedule only gets more brutal after tonight as the Knicks have to play the Heat and Celtics in their next two games. As if they didn’t have enough pressure on them already, knowing the remaining schedule should add even more.
-Who Steps up Tonight?
The Knicks need someone to step up next to Carmelo Anthony. You know what you are going to get from Anthony, but there needs to be another option next to him for the Knicks to succeed. It is always tougher to win on the road, so taking some of the pressure off Anthony will be something the Knicks have to do if they want to come away with what will be a tough victory in a playoff atmosphere.
The team defense has been a total team effort; they now just have to pull it together on offense. Fans get mesmerized watching Anthony play offense, and at times so do his teammates. "The guys that we need to be aggressive on the offensive end and take those shots, we need them to do that," he said after the Bulls game. "We were passing up open shots out there that guys should have taken. We can't pass that up.”
-Can Knicks Control the Boards?
The Bucks are a very physical team even playing a smaller lineup. The Knicks will need to stay poised in what will be a very hostile environment because they have to assume the Bucks will come out firing on all cylinders wanting to get into the playoffs. The Knicks need to show they want to be there also.
Much like the Bulls team the Knicks played last night, the Bucks are very good on the offensive glass and scoring on second opportunities (the Bucks average 12.5 and 14.9, both ranked 5th in the league). Amar’e Stoudemire was out in the last match up as well, so the Knicks are capable of controlling the glass without their big man. They will be without him once again tonight and a team effort will be needed to pick up the slack. Some playing time for Josh Harrellson would go along way in cleaning the glass for the Knicks.
-Can the Backcourt Keep Up?
The Bucks had always lacked an explosive scorer to go along with Brandon Jennings. That is no longer a problem as they traded for scoring dynamo Monta Ellis at the trade deadline. It was hard enough for the Knicks to stop Brandon Jennings and now they have to figure out how to stop Monta Ellis as well.
Iman Shumpert will play a big role in containing both Jennings and Ellis. Look for J.R. Smith and Jared Jeffries to also get opportunities in trying to stop the dynamic Bucks backcourt.
-Close out Quarters
The Knicks will need to do their best in ending quarters with strong finishes. They are successful when they are able to do so. This also coincides with not having long stretches in which they struggle to score. If the Knicks go on prolonged droughts of scoring like last night against the Bulls, it will be a struggle. They can not afford to fall down big in the game tonight like they did last night.
One reason they have not been successful at the end of quarters is because the bench has not been playing up to par recently. Steve Novak is on the second longest drought of his career, missing his last 9 shot attempts, going 2 straight games without a 3 pointer. The Knicks rely on his 3 point shooting to give them a spark, and it has been missing recently. J.R. Smith also needs to find his shot more consistently. He has decent scoring outputs, but it’s because of the high volume of shots he takes. Efficient scoring for Smith would go a long way for the Knicks because he is capable of being that second option to Carmelo Anthony.
Final Score: Milwaukee Bucks 80 New York Knicks 89
This was not a game for the faint of heart, but it was definitely easier to handle as a Knicks fan with them pulling out a hard fought victory tonight 89-80 over the Milwaukee Bucks. Without Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin, the Knicks were able to get enough out of the rest of the team to beat a Milwaukee Bucks team they have struggled mightily against. With the victory tonight the Knicks widened their lead for 8th place in the Eastern Conference to 2 ½ games and reached .500 for the first time February 29th against the Cavaliers. They also improved to 7-1 under Mike Woodson.
-Carmelo Anthony Picks Up the Slack
With Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin both injured, the Knicks not only lost 2 starters but two of their top 3 scorers on the season. They needed someone to pickup the slack in the starting lineup, and that is exactly what Anthony did.
Anthony scored 28 points, going 12-12 from the foul line. He also added a team high 12 rebounds to pick up the slack left behind by the absence of Stoudemire. He also put in the effort needed in a game like tonight on the defensive end.
The only setback for Anthony tonight was what seemed to be a re-aggravation of his groin injury. He appeared hobbled at the end of the 3rd quarter, but was able to return in the 4th quarter. Upon returning he was seen clutching his groin multiple times. Anthony said he will go for treatment tonight after the game and tomorrow is another day. Right now there is no definitive answer on the extent of the injury.
-Attacking the Paint
The Knicks came out aggressive in the game tonight, attacking the paint and drawing fouls. Their aggression paid off, getting to the foul line a total of 35 times compared to only 18 attempts for the Bucks. This resulted in a 30-12 edge in points from the foul line for the Knicks, a decisive factor in the game tonight. The Knicks also controlled the boards much better tonight compared to the last meeting with the Bucks. The Knicks out-rebounding the Bucks 54-41 and limited the Bucks to only 9 offensive rebounds this time around, compared to the 13 the Knicks grabbed.
-Defense Corrals Big-Named Bucks
Outside of Mike Dunleavy’s unconscious play throughout the game, the Knicks were able to shut down the rest of the Bucks. They were able to keep Brandon Jennings in check for the first time this season, holding him to 15 points on 6-22 from the field. The Knicks were able to keep his new running mat Monta Ellis to an even quieter game, holding him to 4 points on 2-14 shooting. The Knicks starting backcourt of Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert had a much bigger impact on the game on the defensive end than normal starting backcourt made up of Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields.
The next game for the Knicks is Wednesday, March 28th at 7:00 P.M. ET in New York against the Orland Magic.
Monday March 26th 7:30 P.M. ET
Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks
The Knicks responded well off an ugly loss to the Raptors last week blowing the Pistons out of the water 101-79. The Knicks will have to bring that same mind-set into the game tonight as it is their most important game to date this season. The Knicks currently lead the Bucks by only 1 ½ games for 8th place in the Eastern Conference, and have lost the first two meetings this season to them. But this is a new Knicks team under Mike Woodson so hopefully the results can be different.
-Injury Concerns
The Knicks are already without defensive specialist Jared Jeffries for the game tonight and the next two weeks, but could possibly be without both starting Point Guard and Power Forward Jeremy Lin and Amar’e Stoudemire. Both players started experiencing pain during the 3rd quarter of the Knicks game against the Pistons on Saturday.
Jeremy Lin was dealing with a sore right knee, but participated in the morning shoot around so his status is more promising than Stoudemire’s. Stoudemire experienced pain in his troublesome lower back, and stayed home to undergo treatment Monday morning. Stoudemire also needs to have an MRI, which will hopefully result in good news and not serious injury.
-Defending Brandon Jennings
Brandon Jennings has averaged 30 points per game this season against the Knicks, always showing up for games against the team that passed him up in the 2009 NBA draft. The Knicks will have to find a way to lessen his impact in the game as well as trying to stop newly acquired Monta Ellis. Expect to see a lot of Iman Shumpert even if Jeremy Lin is healthy. The Knicks will reply upon his and J.R. Smith’s perimeter defense to help slow down the Bucks backcourt.
-Get To the Line, Control the Paint
The Knicks need to attack the paint and get to the foul line against this Bucks team. They are small upfront, starting 6’9 Drew Gooden at center. If the Knicks are able to attack the rim at consistent basis that should open up good looks for the Bomb Squad (nickname for the Knicks bench).
The Knicks also have to do a better job on the boards against the Bucks, as they were badly out rebounded last time around. If the Knicks are able to control the paint better this time around it will limit 2nd opportunites for the Bucks and allow the Knicks to better control the pace and tempo of the game, which should have a playoff atmosphere tonight at the Garden.
-Carmelo Anthony’s Impact
Carmelo Anthony has struggled with his shot as of late, but has not let it effect the rest of his game poorly. He is working his teammates into the game on offense, and is still rebounding well. It is also encouraging to see him playing hard on the defensive end of the court, something he had been hesitant to do since coming to the Knicks. Anthony has to get out of his funk to have the Knicks reach their full potential as a team, but also because he will be called upon to carry the team tonight if Amar’e and Lin are in fact out. This would be a great time for him to break his slump, against the team he had such a marvelous debut against last February.
Philadelphia 76ers vs New York Knicks
Sunday March 11th 12:00 P.M. ET
The Knicks look to end their 4 game losing streak in a Sunday matinee against division leading and rival Philadelphia 76ers. Tyson Chandler is probable, while Jared Jeffries will again be out of action. This will be the second of three meetings between the Knicks and 76ers. The Knicks won the first meeting in a defensive struggle, 85-79, and will play one final time in Philadelphia on March 21st. Philadelphia enters the game on a 2 game winning streak, hoping to increase their division lead over the Knicks. The 76ers have a young athletic team and the Knicks have to match their intensity and energy in an early start if they hope to come out with a win and the end of their losing streak. This game has the potential to be ugly because of the early start so whichever team adapts to the changes will come out on top.
-Have To Play Defense
The return of Tyson Chandler will undoubtedly help the Knicks on the defensive end of the court. The Knicks have been beaten up in the paint without the presence of Chandler in the middle, giving up 110 points in the paint during the process. The Knicks were also out-rebounded by a total of 15 rebounds in the 2 games without Chandler. The 76ers will be without starting Center Spencer Hawes again, meaning the Knicks should be able to attack the middle of the 76er defense. The Knicks out-rebounded the 76ers 46-37 in the first meeting and another dominant performance like that should result in a Knicks win along with more urgency being shown on the defensive end of the court.
-Point Guard Play
Point Guards have been getting up to play against Jeremy Lin and the Knicks recently. According to ESPN Stats & Information, seven of the last eight starting point guards the Knicks have gone against have scored more than their season averages for points. Here is the list of Point Guards the Knicks have gone up against.
Brandon Jennings: 25 (18.9)
Tony Parker: 32 (19.5)
Jason Kidd: 15 (5.6)
*Rajon Rondo: 18 (13.6)
Kyrie Irving: 22 (18.3)
Mario Chalmers: 8 (10.8)
Jeff Teague: 18 (12.4)
Deron Williams: 38 (22.0)
* - Rondo also had 20 assists and 17 rebounds
The 76ers have the up-and-coming Jrue Holiday as their starting Point Guard, who is no slouch. Jeremy Lin is not the best defender in the NBA, but the rest of the Knicks have to do their part and help out in stopping the opposing point guards. The Knicks help defense at the rim has to become more consistent, which should be aided by the return of Tyson Chandler.
-Bench Play
The Knicks bench had been playing well before injured to Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries caused changes to be made to the rotation. Steve Novak has provided consistent 3 point shooting off the bench, but the Knicks have struggled to find contributions from anyone else on a consistent basis. J.R. Smith has been inconsistent and Iman Shumpert seems to have hit a rookie wall of sorts, playing only 5 minutes in the game against Milwaukee. Baron Davis is starting to round into shape, and the Knicks better hope it it happens soon because they will need it against Philadelphia. The 76ers sport one of the best benches in the NBA, led by team leading scorer Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young. Young center Nikola Vucevic, who the Knicks had their eyes on with their pick in this years past draft, is also starting to come on for the 76ers. The Knicks have to mach their intensity if they have any chance of winning.
Final Score: New York Knicks 114 Milwaukee Bucks 119
The game could not have started and ended any worse for the Knicks. Right from the beginning you knew this would be a crazy game seeing the starting lineups both teams were throwing out there. Neither team disappointed, delivering a fast pace game with lots of excitement. But, like in good ole Knicks fashion, they could not deliver 4 solid quarters of playing. After starting the game hitting their 11 first shots, the Knicks still managed to trail going into the 2nd quarter and for the remainder of the game. It was only one game, but this looks like a team that is not built to play at an up-tempo pace for a full 48 minutes. This is the 4th straight loss for the Knicks, who are losing their grip on the 8th seed in the playoffs. They are 1-4 since the All-Star break, seemingly losing all momentum after going on a 7 game win streak in mid-February. They now lead Milwaukee for the last seed in the playoffs after losing 7 of their last 10 games overall.
-No Chandler, Jeffries=No Defense
For a second straight game, the Knicks sorely missed the defensive presence of Tyson Chandler in the middle and Jared Jeffries on the perimeter. The Bucks shot 48 percent from the field, including a lights out 13-26 from 3point range. The overall shooting percentage is scary enough to look at as a Knicks fan, but the inability to stop them from the 3 point line is even more startling as the Bucks entered the game ranked 19th in the NBA in 3 point shooting, averaging only 6.6 makes per game. Iman Shumpert you would think could help solve that problem, but he only played 5 minutes total early in the game. It is unclear if Shumpert was injured or benched, but one has to think he would have slowed down the Bucks a little on the perimeter. The Knicks were also out-rebounded 39-34 overall, and 17-9 on the offensive glass. Chandler is hopeful to return for the Sunday afternoon match-up against division leading and rival Philadelphia 76ers. A return for Jared Jeffries is not as clear.
-Flashback to 2005
Baron Davis put on a show for Knicks fans in the 4th quarter, delivering his best game as a Knick putting up 9 points 9 assists 5 rebounds 2 steals and only 1 turnover. It seemed that Baron Davis got pumped up after his ex-teammate Stephen Jackson was talking trash from the Milwaukee bench. Davis playing well off the bench will help the Knicks immensely as his shot improves because of the problems the Knicks sometimes have executing their offense.
-Little Production from the Wings
Once again the starting Shooting Guard position for the Knicks had very little production. Landry Fields scored only 4 points against the Mavericks on Tuesday night, and Iman Shumpert had half of that against the Spurs when he drew the start on Wednesday. Tonight, J.R. Smith drew the start at the 2 and managed only 3 points. Fields started at the 3 tonight, his natural position, and scored 18 points.
-Superstars Show up…For Half the Game
Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony had arguably their best game while playing together this season, combining for 49 points. Stoudemire took advantage of the pick-and-roll opportunities presented to him tonight with the absence of Chandler, shooting 11-15 from the field. The only problem was they gave up that much, if not more on the defensive end of the court, showing little to no urgency until the last 4 minutes of the game. The Knicks were unable to stop Mike Dunleavy, Carlos Delfino, or Ersan Ilyasova, who combined for 24 makes from the field, resulting in 65 points between them.
-Lin Bounces Back On Offense, Stays Consistent On Defense
Jeremy Lin had his strongest game during this tough stretch for the Knicks, finishing with 20 points and 13 assists, but also had team high 5 turnovers. Lin and Davis played in the backcourt together for a period of time and ran the team with some success, cutting a 15 point lead for the Bucks in the 4th quarter to 1, but weren’t able to get all the way over the hump. Again, Lin struggled on defense though, unable to stop Brandon Jennings. Jennings seems to play differently against the Knicks compared to other NBA teams, presumably because the Knicks passed him up in the 2009 NBA Draft for Jordan Hill. Jennings finished with 25 points and 10 assists, putting on a show to start the 2nd half when he knocked down multiple straight buckets and handed out a number of assists leading to a 32-18 edge for the Bucks in the 3rd quarter. Add Jennings to the list of PG who has torched the Knicks recently in lop-sided affairs.
New York Knicks vs. Milwaukee Bucks 8:30 P.M. ET
The Knicks look to end a 3 game losing streak tonight in Milwaukee against a Bucks team looking to bounce back after a tough loss Wednesday in Chicago. For a second game in a row, Tyson Chandler will not be playing because of a hamstring injury he suffered earlier in the week. Iman Shumpert will also be moved back to the bench out of the starting lineup because of the Chandler injury. The Bucks beat the Knicks earlier in the season 100-86 behind 36 points from Bucks Point Guard Brandon Jennings.
-Inconsistent Rotation
The Knicks again will be without Tyson Chandler and Jared Jeffries because of injuries. This causes yet another shakeup of the Knicks lineup and rotation. The Knicks will trot out their 3rd different starting lineup in as many games, going with Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Josh Harrellson. Iman Shumpert will move back to the bench, along with J.R. Smith, Baron Davis, and Steve Novak. Expect a spirited effort from Novak tonight as he is playing in front of family and friends returning to Milwaukee where he was born and raised.
-Can Knicks Contain Brandon Jennings
Since Brandon Jennings was passed up by the Knicks in favor of Jordan Hill in the 2009 NBA Draft, he has torched the Knicks to the tune of 20.1 points per game. In the eight games, the Knicks are 1-7 against the Bucks, with the lone win coming in Carmelo Anthony’s Madison Square Garden debut last season. Overall, the Bucks have taken 11 of the last 13 games from the Knicks. For the Knicks to win tonight they have to contain Jennings. He scored a season high 36 points in the first meeting this season in a blowout win for the Bucks.
-What Happened to the Defense?
The Knicks have struggled recently on the defensive end of the court, with the drop coinciding with the return of Carmelo Anthony. While Melo was sidelined, the Knicks gave up 90.2 points per game and in the seven games since that average has jumped to 102.1 points per game. During that seven game stretch the Knicks are 2-5. The Knicks also allowed 94 points per 100 possessions during Anthony's absence (which includes the win over Utah as Anthony played just six minutes due to injury). In the last seven games, the club has allowed 100.6 points per 100 possessions, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Bucks are 18th in the NBA in offensive efficiency, so the Knicks will have to tighten things up if they hope to come out with a victory against a team they have struggled mightily against.
