Knicks Continue Strong Play at MSG

Sunday, December 9^th, 2012

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Denver Nuggets: 106 New York Knicks: 112

Knicks Stay Undefeated with Hard Fought Victory

In his first game back after a two game absence, Carmelo Anthony returned to the court, helping the Knicks back into the win column.  With the victory, the Knicks continued their home winning streak, winning all their home games thus far this season.  Under Mike Woodson, the Knicks are 19-1 at home in the regular season.  Also, the Knicks continued an amazing stretch in which they have only lost back-to-back games in the regular season only once.

-Positives

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• Anthony struggled early, but got his shot going when the Knicks needed it most; Anthony missed 12 of his first 17 shots. The fourth quarter Anthony finished strong, going five of seven and scoring nine key points as the Knicks were able to hold off a scrappy Nuggets squad.  Anthony finished with 34 points and six rebounds, going 10 of 24 from the field and 11 of 16 from the foul line.  Anthony showed tonight how much he really means to this Knicks team and how much a team can benefit from having a superstar to close out games.

• The ball security was at a premium for the Knicks coming into the game, as the Nuggets thrive in the open court and on fast breaks.  The Knicks were able to limit those opportunities by turning the ball over only nine times.  When the Knicks turn the ball over 12 times or less, they are now 13-0; but when they turn it over 13 times or more they are 2-5.  The Knicks shot poorly from the field, at only 43 percent, but was able to make up for that by not turning the ball over. 

• The Nuggets came into the game as one of the top rebounding teams in the NBA with players like Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee in the middle.  Without Rasheed Wallace tonight and Marcus Camby, the Knicks were dangerously thin up front with only Tyson Chandler and Kurt Thomas, equaling a potentially disastrous situation on the boards.  The Knicks weren’t having any of that though, as they were outrebounded by the Nuggets by only one, 40-39, thanks to a dominant performance by Chandler with a game high 12 and a surprising nine from J.R. Smith.

• Jason Kidd was amazing for the Knicks tonight, showing that age is just a number once again.  As Alan Hahn has said plenty of times, Kidd’s body is 39 years old but his hands are still 24.  Kidd was instrumental in the Knicks coming back tonight and holding onto the lead.  He made timely baskets and led the Knicks with seven assists.  The Knicks look much better on the court when Kidd plays.

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• Chandler continued his spirited play Sunday night, playing with tenacity and energy knowing the Knicks really needed him with Wallace and Camby both sitting out; he responded with another double-double, his eighth of the season.  Chandler finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, changing the Nuggets shots on numerous occasions. 

-Negatives

• The Knicks struggled from the free throw line tonight, but thankfully it did not hurt them at the end.  Even when struggling from the line, going 36 for 27, they made more free throws than the Nuggets, who went 21 for 29.  If the Knicks had knocked down more free throws, the end of the game would not have been so close and in question.  Five of the misses came from Anthony in the first half before he got going and into the flow of the game. 

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• The Knicks got pounded in the paint tonight also, as Chandler was the only big man along with Thomas the Knicks had to employ tonight.  The Knicks were able to keep the Nuggets off the boards pretty efficiently, but they allowed the Nuggets to live in the paint; they scored 62 points in the paint, compared to only 32 for the Knicks. 

• The Knicks were able to pull the game out night, but it should not have been this close.  The combination of poor defense (the Nuggets shot 55.6 percent from the field) and poor shooting (43.0 percent from the field for the Knicks) goes together like oil and vinegar.  Nonetheless, the Knicks scored when they needed to and got the stops that were necessary in picking up the victory tonight.

Next up for the Knicks is round two in the Battle of the Boroughs as the Knicks head to Brooklyn to take on the Nets Tuesday night and will look to exact some revenge from the loss earlier in the season the Nets handed them.

What to Watch For: Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks December 9

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Pre Game News and Notes

Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks

The Knicks saw firsthand Saturday night how tough life can be without Carmelo Anthony and his return could not come soon enough.  Tonight will be the end of a four games in five nights stretch for the Knicks before getting a lengthy stay at home, as they will get to stay in New York for the next 16 days.  But before then, they have to take care of business against the Nuggets; here are some things to watch for:

-Will Melo Suit Up?

Carmelo Anthony has missed the last two games because of a laceration on his left middle finger that required five stitches and the Knicks went 1-1.  Anthony warmed up prior to both games, but decided to sit as the bandage caused Anthony discomfort; he was also unable to catch the ball with both hands.

Unlike the other two games, Anthony has something to prove tonight as the Knicks will be playing against his former team in the Denver Nuggets. 

Anthony is warming up again prior to the game tonight, with a noticeably smaller bandage on his finger.  He is also catching the ball with less of a problem and going through low post moves; I would say there is a high probability he suits up tonight.

-Return to MSG

In the trade for Anthony, the Knicks sent multiple players packing.  Raymond Felton has returned to play for the Knicks, but the others are not as lucky.  Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov and Wilson Chandler will all be returning to the first place they called home in the NBA. 

Chandler will not be playing because of injury, but Gallinari and Mozgov will be suiting up.  Gallinari is coming to the Garden this time on a cold streak; having shot only five of 20 in his last two games and is shooting a putrid 37.5 percent on the season.

Returning to MSG might bring out the best in Gallinari though, as last season in a double overtime victory Gallinari scored 37 points and pulled down 11 rebounds.

-Felton Bounce Back

Felton has been relied upon heavily by the Knicks with Anthony sitting out because of injury.  He scored a team high 27 points in both games; each being much different 27 point games. 

Felton was super efficient Thursday, knocking down a career high six three pointers, but was off Saturday making only nine of his 30 attempts.  Which Felton will show up tonight?

Felton will have his hands full again in guarding the blur that is Nuggets’ point guard Ty Lawson.  You know Felton will bring his A game though, as he will be motivated to play against his former team and bounce back from his poor performance last night.

Raymond Felton Looking For Bounce Back Season

Playing for the New York Knicks is something that only a select few individuals get an opportunity to do.  Rarely do players get a chance at multiple runs with the Knicks, but Raymond Felton is a player that has a second chance.

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When Raymond Felton signed with the team as a free agent before the 2010-2011 season he was living out a dream of being a Knick.  Felton went on to build a great relationship with newly acquired Amar’e Stoudemire, putting up career high numbers in nearly every statistic, averaging 19 points, nine assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 38.4 minutes per game.  He was becoming the leader of a young Knicks roster looking for leadership, proving to be more than capable of playing Mike D’Antoni’s up temp, fast paced type of basketball.

Felton only played 54 games with the Knicks in his first go-round as he got traded to Denver as part of the blockbuster trade that bought Carmelo Anthony to New York.  Felton was disappointed by the trade and his numbers reflected that as he became a backup to young gun Ty Lawson in Denver.

Following the 2011 playoffs, Felton was again on the move in another three-team trade, this time landing in Portland.  The trade happened before the lockout was put in place and Felton suffered.

Felton struggled mightily in his season in Portland, coming in overweight and out of shape.  His stats plummeted, as his work ethic and conditioning were questioned throughout the season and he was used as a scapegoat for the underachieving Trail Blazers. 

Felton did not seem to be engaged since leaving the Knicks, disappointed that he was traded after showing such willingness to play for the organization and with how well he performed.  New York is where he wanted to be and luckily for him, the Knicks wanted him back as well.

This off-season, Felton was reacquired by the Knicks in a sign-and-trade the Trail Blazers in which the Knicks also landed former Knick Kurt Thomas.  Thomas was quoted as saying, “He’s definitely motivated, he’s definitely excited, he definitely wants to come back to New York. He’s looking forward to this season.”

After hearing about the trade, Carmelo Anthony offered his opinion on Felton, who has been playing against for most of his basketball life.  “He wants to prove everybody wrong,” Anthony said.  “He loves to win.”  That competitiveness is something that Anthony loves about Felton, adding, “When (Felton) was here in New York, they were rolling.  He was having an All-Star year when he was here.  So, to bring him back (to New York is) an extra incentive for him.”

“I am hearing from everybody, ‘He wasn’t in shape last year,’” Felton said.  “I played in the league seven years, about to be eight, came in out of shape one year and that’s all everybody wants to talk about. … I look forward to this year and shutting up everybody’s mouth.”

Felton has a lot to prove this season in New York and is motivated to get it done.  He will be under the microscope and under immense pressure from the start.  The Mecca of basketball is not an easy place to play, but Felton already has experience playing here and knows what winning can do for the fan base

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The pressure does not stop there for Felton, as he is the person being asked to replace the sensation that was “Linsanity”.  If Felton struggles at all, the fans will be calling for his head and further question the front office’s decision to let Jeremy Lin walk in favor of Felton.  Replacing Lin is the easy part if you ask Felton himself, as he said that he is a competitor and better player than Lin is. 

Felton has a full plate this season with the Knicks, as the fan base and organization is expecting to take a step forward with him at the helm after what Lin did last season.  Felton will be given the responsibility of running the first team offense, as Felton is expected to be named the starting point guard in a lineup that will also include Anthony, Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. 

I am a believer in Felton, as the intangibles he brings to table is a great fit for this team.  For one, he runs the pick-and-roll game very well.  The chemistry he developed with Stoudemire his first run with the team will hopefully carry over and turn Stoudemire back into the dominant force that he was and not the shell of himself he looked like at times last season.

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Felton also adds another tenacious defender in the backcourt, something the Knicks lacked from the point guard spot.  Felton will take pressure off the big men like Chandler and Marcus Camby because he is not the revolving door at the head of the defense that Lin was last season.  The competitiveness that Anthony was so excited about from Felton really comes out on the defensive end.

Head coach Mike Woodson will look for Felton to be a leader on the court as he has been thrown into one of the toughest situations in the NBA.  Felton has to figure out a way to get both Anthony and Stoudemire playing their best on the offensive end while both on the court, not taking turns with one or the other on the bench.  No other player has seemed to be able to do so yet, but Felton is more than ready for the challenge and he will take it head on to prove everyone wrong about him once again.