New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks Pre-Game News and Notes April 22

Sunday April 22^nd 1:00 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. Atlanta Hawks

The Knicks suffered a debilitating loss on Friday night at the hands of the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers and look to bounce back against the Hawks Sunday afternoon.  This is the 3^rd meeting of the season between the Knicks and Hawks, with each team winning on their home court in the previous match-ups.  It will be interesting to see how much energy and effort are put into the game because both teams are pretty much locked into their current spots in the playoffs with such a little amount of time left in the season.

-Playoff Picture

The Knicks now have a slim to none chance of moving up in the standings with only 2 games left after Sunday afternoon.  They no longer control their own destiny, needing the Magic and Celtics to both lose all of their remaining games in addition to the Knicks not losing for seeding to change in a positive manner.

The Knicks could conceivable move down in the standings, which may not be a bad thing. They currently hold the 7^th seed in the Eastern Conference, matched up against the Miami Heat.  This brings up an interesting debate to be had.  Do the Knicks play out the season and most likely get matched up against the Heat, or do they tank games and allow the Philadelphia 76ers to move ahead of them making for a series against the Chicago Bulls?  Seeing how things go in Atlanta will be a good indicator in which direction Mike Woodson will have the Knicks heading. 

Players are confident in the team and are saying they do not care who they match up with.  Tyson Chandler is just fine with facing the Heat in the first round.  "I'm OK with it," Chandler said earlier this week. "They've beaten us, obviously, every game that we've played them. But I don't feel like we've necessarily made the adjustments to that team. That's a team that you have to make adjustments (to) and make them pay for how aggressive they are. And we haven't done that yet in any of the games that we've played. We have to be willing to, if that's our match-up, to sit down, break down tape and really focus in." 

Chandler is not alone in not caring about match-ups, as the same sentiment can be felt by Jared Jeffries.  "If we keep shooting the ball the way we are, then definitely we're one of the top teams," Jeffries said Friday afternoon on ESPN New York 1050's "Ruocco & Lundberg" show. "I think against Miami's defense, I think you have to have a team that can shoot the ball very well. The way we're shooting the ball right now from outside, I think it'll be hard for a team like Miami to show on pick-and-rolls and rotate early to get to our shooters. So I think we're definitely one of the teams that they would be concerned about." 

-Continued Work to Cohesion

The game against the Cavaliers Friday night was a disaster right from the start with the Knicks looking out of whack on the offensive end and lacking the same intensity and cohesion they have been showing in recent games on the defensive end.  One reason behind this could be the return of Amar’e Stoudemire.  The Knicks need to get him up to speed and quick.  They are a much more dangerous team with him no matter how well Carmelo Anthony played when he put the team on his back.

For Carmelo Anthony, he needs to again readjust.  The Knicks play well when the offense runs through him and he gets touches every possession.  They need to continue to do that even with the return of Stoudemire.  They were unable to do that consistently enough on Friday, as Anthony had the same amount of shot attempts in the 2^nd half as points after the 1^st quarter, which was one.  

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Post Game Recap April 20

Final Score: New York Knicks 90 Cleveland Cavaliers 98

The Knicks had a chance to take advantage of losses by teams ahead of them in the standings tonight and were unable to do so.  They came out flat and were unable to recover against a lowly Cavaliers team in Amar’e Stoudemire’s return to action after missing the past 13 games.  The Knicks will now have a difficult time overtaking the Boston Celtics or Orlando Magic to improve their playoff seeding.  A win by either team or loss by the Knicks will lock them into the 7^th seed at best. 

-Lack of Urgency

The Knicks came out flat and complacent against a lottery bound Cavaliers team after learning about their playoff spot being locked up the night before.  That was the feeling that head coach Mike Woodson took out of the game.  "I've seen this happen over the years that I've been in this league," Woodson said.

"You clinch a [playoff] spot and it's like a sigh of relief and they stop playing. And then they think that they can gear it back up. There's nothing about tonight's game that I liked at all." 

Tyson Chandler chalked up the game to players feeling fatigued and tired.  Whatever the reason behind the lackluster performance, the Knicks need to turn it around and come out ready for their next game Sunday afternoon at the Atlanta Hawks. 

-Out Hustled and Muscled

The rebounding numbers were absurd in the game tonight.  The Knicks got out rebounded 52-32, getting beat to all the loose balls by a Cavaliers team that has nothing to play for but come out with more energy than the Knicks.  The domination did not stop there for the Knicks, as they were outscored 42-28 in the paint by the Cavaliers. 

One glaring stat when looking at the final score sheet is how badly the Knicks frontcourt was outplayed.  Tyson Chandler, Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony were out rebounded by the smaller and less talented Cavaliers front court of Antawn Jamison, Tristan Thompson and Anthony Parker 19-12. 

You know it was a tough night for the Knicks when your backup point guard is your leading rebounder.

-Showing Up in Short Notice

With Baron Davis being a late scratch due to the stomach flu, Mike Bibby was thrust into action on short notice.  The short notice did not seem to have a negative effect on either Bibby or his backup for the night Toney Douglas.  Bibby scored 12 points and added four assists.  Douglas added six points, six assists and a team leading nine rebounds off the bench. 

-Gotta get the cohesion and rhythm back

Right from the start you could tell something was a little different about the game than it had been in the last few weeks. With the return of Amar’e Stoudemire there will be a period of time they will need to work the Kinks out. Stoudemire struggled for most of the night being plagued by foul trouble.  He managed as many field goals as fouls (five). 

The Knicks tried to work Stoudemire into the offensive flow early and often, but was unable to get anything going.  It seemed to also ruin the offensive games of everyone but Carmelo Anthony, who scored 11 of his 12 points in the first quarter.  Anthony only had 1 attempt after halftime, sitting the whole 4^th quarter as the Knicks were unable to mount much of a comeback.

The Knicks have three more games on the season to figure things out with Stoudemire returning from injury.  The first game is Sunday afternoon in Atlanta against he Hawks at 1:00 P.M. ET.

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Pre-Game News and Notes April 20

Friday April 20^th 7:30 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Knicks awoke tonight to the news that they are now definitely playoff bound.  With the loss suffered by the Milwaukee Bucks last night to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks locked up a playoff spot for the second consecutive year.  The Knicks cannot take it easy now, as they need wins if they want to win the division or move up the standings.  The Knicks will finish up the regular season by traveling to Atlanta for a game Sunday then finishing up with two home games against the Clippers and Bobcats next week. 

-Team News and Notes

With Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup tonight, moves and decisions had to be made.  Stoudemire will be inserted into the starting lineup from the start, which means someone has to go back to the bench.  Mike Woodson has decided that man will be Landry Fields, leaving Iman Shumpert in the starting lineup along with Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.  Fields can still be in for big minutes because Davis and Stoudemire will be on minute restrictions to start. 

The Knicks also made some front office decisions today.  Jared Jeffries is expected to sit out the remainder of the regular season in hopes that his knee will heal in time for the playoffs.  With this news, the Knicks made a roster move, signing Dan Gadzuric.  Gadzuric will add a big body and depth to the Knicks for the playoffs and end of the season.  He is very active around the basket and is very aggressive on the boards.  This is something that the Knicks desperately need facing a potential first round match up with the Chicago Bulls. 

To make room for Gadzuric, the Knicks waived Bill Walker.  Walker was just returning from left elbow surgery and had not been receiving minutes upon his return. 

-Get off to a quick start

Much like Wednesday night when the Knicks jumped out to an early 21 point lead over the Nets and cruised to a win, doing the same tonight would be beneficial.  If they jump out to an early start they can ease their way to victory in a game which is expected to be lopsided in favor of the Knicks.  Getting some rest for players like Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler would also be very beneficial for the playoff stretch.

-Maintain Rhythm

The Knicks have been in a nice groove on the offensive end running the offense through Carmelo Anthony.  They must figure out a way to continue this with Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup.  The Knicks at times struggle with both Anthony and Stoudemire on the court together, looking confused and lacking an idea of how to score.  They have a total of four games to start getting it together before the playoffs start. 

-Continued Bench Production

With the playoff now a lock, bench production will become even that more crucial.  The presence of the bench will be very important if the Knicks want to make some noise during the post season.  The Knicks have compiled a very deep bench with the possibility to cause problems for opposing teams.  Specialists like Steve Novak and Jared Jeffries and instant offense from J.R. Smith are all important when it comes to playoff time.  Mike Woodson will be looking to tighten his rotation and really set up playing time and situations for players in these last four games.  

New York Knicks vs. New Jersey Nets Post Game Recap April 18

Final Score: New York Knicks 104 New Jersey Nets 95

The Knicks leave New Jersey for the last time with fond memories.  The Knicks jumped out to an early 21 point lead and never looked back cruising to the easy victory in their last match up with the Nets before they move to Brooklyn.  The win kept the Knicks lead over the Philadelphia 76ers for 7^th place in the Eastern Conference at a game and gained another game on the Milwaukee Bucks who sit 3 ½ games behind the Knicks with 4 to play.  The Knicks continued their spirited play under Mike Woodson totally turning around their season.   They have gone from six games under .500 on March 14^th when he was hired to a season-high four games over .500, running their record to 15-5 under Woodson.

-Carmelo Stays Hot

Carmelo Anthony has been lights out basketball for a couple weeks now, and he continued it Wednesday night.  It took Anthony no time to get going against the Nets, scoring 21 points in the 1^st quarter alone.  The 21 points was only one less than the whole Nets team was able to muster for the quarter.  His first quarter included 4 three pointers and his first six shots of the game.  He made 5-7 from the 3 point line scoring from anywhere and everywhere.  Anthony has scored at least 30 points in five straight games. 

-Giving Anthony Some Help

Tyson Chandler had yet another efficient game for the Knicks tonight.  He had another double-double, going for 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Chandler did most of his damage from the foul line, going 8-11 from the line and 5-7 from the field. 

J.R. Smith also had a nice game off the bench, scoring 15 points and adding eight rebounds of his own.  He struggled from the field, going 6-16, but did not let that effect the rest of his game.  Smith has struggled from the field at times this season, but still helps the team in other ways.  For example, tonight he had the 8 rebounds, good for 2^nd most on the team.  Earlier in the month he set a career high with 9 assists in a win over the Magic.  One consistent for Smith though is that he will give effort on the defensive end.  Even when he’s struggling on offense, the defensive pressure will also be given.

-Unable to fully avoid Complacency

The Knicks were able to come out strong and set the tone early in the Nets, evident by the 21 point lead they built.  They were able to control the game throughout the whole first half, but once the 2^nd half started they seemed to lose their edge.

The Knicks made only one field goal through the first 7:49 of the third quarter.  This enabled the Nets to get back into it, cutting the Knick lead down to five with 2:31 left in the quarter.  Overall, the Knicks shot a poor 4-17 from the field and was outscored by the Nets 24-14. 

Play coming out of the half is something the Knicks have to figure out and address with the season coming to an end and the playoffs right around the corner.  The 3^rd quarter has been the Achilles heel for the Knicks all season, but has been less problematic since Mike Woodson took over as head coach.  The Knicks start games off strong and should try doing the same things when coming out to start the 2^nd half.

The next game for the Knicks will be Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cleveland.  If all goes well Thursday, Amar’e Stoudemire is expected to make his return to the lineup and start.  Stoudemire has missed the last 13 games for the Knicks, who have gone 9-4 in his absence.  

Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks Pre-Game News and Notes April 8

Sunday, April 8, 2012 1:00 P.M. ET 
Chicago Bulls vs. New York Knicks 

The Knicks continue their tough stretch of games this afternoon, in the first game of a home and home series against the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks are coming off another blow-out win of the Orlando Magic on Thursday night and look to continue their hot play of late. This is the 3rd meeting of the season between the Knicks and Bulls, with the Bulls taking the first 2 games. Each of the first 2 games was close, coming right down to the end. 

-Injury Updates 

This afternoon, both the Knicks and Bulls are expected to have people return to their lineups. The Bulls are expecting MVP Derrick Rose to return this afternoon from his 12 game hiatus because of a strained groin. It could not have been worse timing for the Knicks, but they have some players of their own returning that should help the cause. Jared Jeffries is expected to play on Sunday, giving the Knicks another defender to throw at Derrick Rose. Bill Walker is also expected to see his role expand, as he received only 16 seconds of token garbage time against the Magic on Thursday. 

-Contain Derrick Rose 

The Knicks have struggled all season containing the opposing teams’ guards, more specifically the Point Guard. Derrick Rose has been no exception, going for 32 points in each game. It was not the easiest 32 points in his career, but 32 points is still 32 points and the Knicks have to find a way to better contain him. With Iman Shumpert now in the starting lineup, the defensive assignments will be something to watch throughout the game. The emergence of J.R. Smith off the bench and the return of Jared Jeffries gives the Knicks plenty of capable defenders to throw at Rose throughout the game. 

-Control the Paint 

With Amar’e Stoudemire being out, the Knicks have gone with a small starting lineup. It is something that works against certain teams like the Magic, Bucks, and Cavaliers who do not employ the most conventional lineups such as the Knicks. But the Bulls play bruising Power Forward Carlos Boozer and high energy Center Joakim Noah. The Knicks will have their hands full throughout the game with those two, and will need a collective effort from everyone in controlling the paint. Again, the return of Jared Jeffries can not be overstated because this is yet another area in which his return will be a great help in. The Bulls are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA, dominating the Knicks on the glass in the last meeting between the two teams which ultimately led to the Knicks demise. 

-Bench Play 

The Bulls bench has gotten some great experience because of injuries throughout the season to the starting lineup. They have more than serviceable big man Taj Gibson, sharp shooter Kyle Korver, and battle tested Ronnie Brewer. The Knicks bench will have to bring energy and toughness tonight to match-up with the Bulls tonight. Look for J.R. Smith and Steve Novak to come out firing to contend with the lack of size the Knicks have in the middle. 

Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks Post Game Recap March 26

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.

New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors Pre-Game News and Notes March 23

Friday March 23rd, 7:00 P.M. ET 
New York Knicks @ Toronto Raptors 

The Knicks look to continue their stellar play under Mike Woodson tonight in Toronto going for their 6th straight victory. A win tonight will being the Knicks back to .500 for the first time since the last night of February when the Knicks defeated the Cavaliers. 

-Loss of Jared Jeffries 

The Knicks will be without defensive stalwart Jared Jeffries for tonight’s game, and also Saturday night. The Knicks will miss his presence on the defensive end, but Jeffries brings more to the table than just taking charges. For more of what Jeffries brings to the Knicks, check out this link: espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knic 

Steve Novak and Josh Harrellson area expected to pick up the minutes available with Jeffries on the shelf. Novak will have to continue his great shooting while Harrellson brings an added dimension of a versatile big with 3 point range. Harrellson is valuable because he is not afraid to mix it up in the middle with opposing bigs, and also has quickness you would not expect from a player of his stature. 

-Continue to Dominate the Paint 

The Raptors do not have much when it comes to big men, lacking size when it comes to the paint. Andrea Bargnani is their starting Center, but he like a lot of European players prefers to play on the perimeter. The Knicks should be able to exploit this with Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. If the Knicks can dominate the paint it will lead to easy looks for snipers J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. 

-Pick-and-Roll Defense 

The last time the Knicks and Raptors met the Knicks struggled with guarding the pick-and-roll throughout the last game in Toronto, until the Knicks made a concentrated effort to stop it in a ferocious 4th quarter comeback. Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani work well on the pick-and-roll because of Bargnani’s deadly outside shooting. If the Knicks can contain these two, a win should not be far behind. 

-Get into the Open Court 

The Knicks have been successful all season forcing turnovers and converting those turnovers into points. The Raptors struggled with the defensive intensity the Knicks brought to end the game in their last meeting in Toronto, so bringing that intensity should be at the top of the Knicks to do list for this game. If the Knicks are able to open up a big lead from the start, it should deflate a Raptors team heading for yet another lottery bid this off-season. 

-Carmelo Anthony’s Shooting 

Carmelo Anthony has been struggling with his shot since spraining his wrist against the Memphis Grizzlies on January 12th. It will be interesting to see how Anthony bounces back after a 5-15 shooting performance Wednesday against the 76ers. One positive thing about Anthony’s performance is that he has not let it affect the rest of his game. He has shown much more effort on the defensive end, and is still continuing to rebound and be a part of the offense, evidence of the 4.4 assists per game since Woodson took over as head coach. 

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Philadelphia 76ers 106 New York Knicks 94 

There are quite a number of teams that are grinning ear to ear after this game. The Milwaukee Bucks and Cleveland Cavaliers both logged victories Sunday, pulling within 1 game of the 8th place Knicks. The Knicks lost their 5th straight game, and have fallen to 5 games under .500 with an 18-23 record. The Knicks scored only 94 points, as they gave up over 100 for the third straight game. This was a great opportunity for the Knicks to not only pick up ground on the division leader but also turn their season around. Instead, they came out flat and unable to match the 76ers intensity, whom ran the Knicks off the court. 

-Perimeter Defense Again a Problem 
Evan Turner continued his hot play, torching the Knicks for 24 points and 15 rebounds. Landry Fields could not stop him from the start, as Turner scored 7 points in the first quarter and never got out of rhythm. Like every other game during this tough stretch for the Knicks, an opposing Point Guard went off on the Knicks. Lou Williams scored 28 points in 28 minutes off the bench, facing very little resistance by the Knicks. There were a number of defensive lapses throughout the game which Coach Mike D’Antoni and players had talked about, but did not fix. “Swiss-cheese defense,” as Walt Frazier put it was all the effort the Knicks put into that end of the floor. The Knicks did play well on pick-and-roll defense, allowing only 5 assists and forcing 5 turnovers by 76ers Point Guards, just the effort was not there consistently. 

-Carmelo Anthony Strong Performance 
Carmelo Anthony stepped up to the pressure, giving the Knicks their only source of scoring for most of the game. Anthony started the game hot, scoring 12 points on 5-7 shooting, and was aggressive getting to the rim, a result of his 11-12 free throw shooting. He was inexplicably benched twice though by Coach Mike D’Antoni, to start the 2nd quarter and the whole 4th quarter. Amar’e Stoudemire was also on the bench throughout the whole 4th quarter; just sitting there with his arms crossed watching the Knicks blow a great opportunity. Having your two highest priced superstars sitting on the bench for the better part of games is no formula for winning. 

-Offensive Continuity 
The Knicks will not win without Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire leading the way on the offensive end. There is a lot of work that needs to be put into this team, and it starts with the coaching staff. They have to light a fire underneath these players who believe they are above playing full games of basketball. A solid rotation has to be set so players know their roles and can start to become comfortable in them. They cannot expect to win many games with Jeremy Lin taking the most shots on the team like this afternoon against the 76ers, when he went 5-18. That is double the amount of shot attempts that Amar’e Stoudemire took and 5 more than Carmelo Anthony. As the point guard you have the ball in your hands the most, but that does not mean they should take the most shots. With the players on the Knicks roster, Lin should look to distribute more and set up the superstars which will make for a more cohesive offensive unit. 

The Knicks have a quick turn-around, playing Monday, March 12th at the Chicago Bulls at 8:00 P.M. ET