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.
Final Score: Detroit Pistons 79 New York Knicks 101
The Knicks made sure to not let another lottery bound team roll them over tonight, hammering the Detroit Pistons 101-79. The Knicks took care of business and improved to 24-25, moving closer to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks are now 6-1 under Mike Woodson and are rolling going into a huge game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
-Inside Dominance
The Knicks dominated the paint tonight, leading to easy buckets and a blow out victory. Tyson Chandler came out like a man possessed after back-to-back lackluster performances. He came out aggressive and took advantage of a small Pistons front court to the tune of 15 points and 17 rebounds. When Chandler is worked into the games, slashing to the basket for easy lay-ups/dunks and making an impact in the paint, it gives the Knicks an edge in their games. As a team, the Knicks out-rebounded the Pistons 54-30 and outscored them in the paint 52-30.
-Bench Production
After struggling against the Raptors on Friday night, the Knicks bench went back to doing their thing. Steve Novak continued his hot shooting, knocking down 2 more three pointers in the process and J.R. Smith added 14 points and a surprising 7 rebounds. Josh Harrellson added some much needed muscle in the minutes he received because of Jared Jeffries injury, grabbing 7 rebounds and playing good defense. It is also nice to see players at the end of the bench Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby and Jerome Jordan get some action.
-Amar’e Dominates Again, Injury Looming?
Amar’e Stoudemire had another dominant game, scoring 17 points to go along with 8 rebounds in only 25 minutes. He brought energy and intensity on the defense end of the court as well, having another 2 blocked shots and playing stellar defense against an over-whelmed Pistons front line. The only negative was that Stoudemire headed to the locker room towards the end of the 3rd quarter with what they are calling a sore lower back. Coach Mike Woodson says his back stiffened up on him, it was not a specific play in which he was injured. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow and will hopefully come out to good news because with how he has been playing he is an irreplaceable player for the Knicks.
-Carmelo Finding His Niche?
Carmelo Anthony went through yet another rough first half tonight, shooting 1-7 and scoring 7 points. He was seen smiling at one point as to say give me a break. But coming out for the 2nd half his mindset was different. The Knicks got him more post-up opportunities and had Anthony working closer to the basket, which made for easy scoring opportunities resulting in 4-5 shooting and 8 points in the 3rd quarter. It was encouraging to see him work closer to the basket because it not only makes it easier for him, but also opens up the offense for his teammates.
-Turnovers Again a Problem
At times the offense lacks cohesion, which is expected with a coaching change because there will be a time period needed for adjustments and new plays. But that is no excuse to turn the ball over 22+ times in consecutive games to inferior opponents. The Knicks had 14 turnovers in the first half; the Pistons just were not able to take advantage. Knick players at time are looking more hesitant and uncertain at times in the new offense, which leads to the turnovers. The Knicks need to fix that up heading into the stretch run of the season because better teams will take advantage of such short comings and bury the Knicks.
The next Knick game is Monday, March 26 against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden at 7:30 P.M ET. It is probably the biggest game of the season for the Knicks, who will go into the game 1 ½ games ahead of the Bucks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference.
Saturday, March 24th 7:30 P.M. ET
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks
The Knicks look to bounce back from their first loss under interim coach Mike Woodson against the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks took a tough loss against the Raptors and are looking to bounce back against a Pistons team coming off a loss of their own the night before against the Miami Heat. The loss last night dropped the Knicks to 23-25, holding a half game lead over the Milwaukee Bucks for 8th place in the Eastern Conference. They vowed to mirror the mindset developed during the 5 game winning streak and get back to playing dominant basketball starting tonight against Detroit.
-Injury Updates
Right as the Knicks were finally finding the right rotation and pushing the right buttons, Jared Jeffries suffered an injury. His injury comes on the heels of Baron Davis’ return and is the last thing the Knicks need. Jeffries will miss at least the next 2 weeks because of inflammation in his right knee. His return cannot come soon enough as the Knicks defense, at least through one game, was a mess without him.
-Limiting the Turnovers
The Knicks need to limit the turnovers if they want to get back into the win column. Last night against the Raptors the Knicks had 22 turnovers, never being able to get into a rhythm and letting the Raptors control the pace and tempo. Detroit ranks 26th in steals per game, so the Knicks should be able to set the tempo as they want without much pressure from Detroit.
-Get Carmelo Involved
Against a weaker Detroit team, the Knicks need to get Anthony going early and often. Anthony has been in a shooting slump virtually the whole season, and needs a game where he can get easy buckets. Detroit should be the perfect antidote for Anthony to start getting out of his slump, as Detroit is allowing teams to shoot 47.3% from the field.
-Bomb squad Impact
The Knicks need their bench to be more involved in the game tonight than they were against the Raptors. When the Knicks are playing well, the bench usually is the catalyst bringing in the energy and effort that gets the crowd going. Tonight against Detroit, the Baron Davis, J.R. Smith and Steve Novak need to provide a scoring spark tonight and improve upon the 5-28 shooting from 3 point land against Toronto.
-Stop Ben Gordon
The Mount Vernon product always gets up for games against his hometown Knicks. Ben Gordon has always played well against the Knicks, especially in Madison Square Garden. Gordon is also coming off a career night earlier in the week against the Denver Nuggets in which he scored 45 points and went 9-9 from 3 point field goal attempts. Taking him out of the game should be near the top of the Knicks game plan along with stopping rookie Point Guard Brandon Knight and combo guard Rodney Stuckey.
Final Score: New York Knicks 79 Toronto Raptors 96
Like they say, all good things must come to an end. For the Knicks, that meant the winning streak under interim Head Coach Mike Woodson. The Knicks struggle in Toronto, and did not help their cause coming out flat. They mounted a comeback going on a brief 8-0 run in the 2nd quarter, but the offense and defense only got worse for the Knicks as the game went on, as the Raptors went on to blow the Knicks out.
-Amar’e Dominates Again
For a 3rd straight game, Amar’e Stoudemire lived up to his nickname S.T.A.T (Standing Tall and Talented). Stoudemire was scoring with explosiveness on the block and on the fast break, leading to 17 points. Stoudemire also showed up on the defensive end, having 2 blocks. Stoudemire is finally starting to bring the emotional energy on a nightly basis that he had last season when he was a part of the MVP conversation.
-Out Hustled and Muscled
The Knicks were unable to dominate the paint as they are capable of doing. The Knicks were outscored in the pain 44-42 and out-rebounded 46-39. The loss of Jared Jeffries was glaring, as the Knicks were unable to keep the Raptors on the perimeter. DeMar DeRozan and Gary Forbes were able to penetrate the paint at will with little resistance, making it difficult for the Knicks to mount any type of comeback.
Carmelo Anthony was able to work well in the paint along with Amar’e Stoudemire because the outside shots were not falling for the Knicks. Anthony took his frustrations out around the basket after struggling in the first quarter, especially on the break. Anthony finished with 10 points in the first half, but was quite in the 2nd half along with the rest of their Knick teammates.
Tyson Chandler had possibly his worst game of the season also, scoring only 2 points and missing numerous shots around the basket. He was able to grab 11 rebounds, but did not have as big an impact on the game as normal. He cannot be the only person on the defensive end protecting the rim.
-Live and Die by the 3
Steve Novak continued to stroke it from deep, going 5-9 from 3 point land. The rest of the Knicks were not as successful, combining for 0-19. J.R. Smith led the building of the brick house, going 0-5 followed by 0-4 from Carmelo Anthony and 0-3 from Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert. The Knicks will struggle to win games combing poor shooting like that will lackluster effort on the defensive end.
-Taking Care of the Ball
The Knicks played sloppy tonight, evident by the 22 turnovers. The Raptors were not able to convert those turnovers into points, scoring only 12 points off the Knicks turnovers. The turnovers just killed any momentum the Knicks were building. Turnovers not only kill a team’s momentum, but also their collective spirits. The Knicks never hung their heads, but were not able to overcome the turnovers and lack of perimeter defense.
The Knicks get back at it tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden against the Detroit Pistons at 7:30 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs
Wednesday, March 7th 8:30 ET on MSG
After dropping the last two against the Celtics and Mavericks, the road does not get any easier tonight in San Antonio against the Spurs. The Knicks are on the second night of a back-to-back while San Antonio should be well rested, last playing Sunday afternoon losing to the Denver Nuggets. Here are some things to watch for in tonight’s game.
Changes to the Starting Lineup?
-The starting lineup has been playing lackluster and uninspired basketball since the all-star break, putting the team in a whole right from the beginning sometimes too deep to recover from. Sluggish play from superstar Carmelo Anthony and a wearing down Jeremy Lin have contributed to the slow starts. Landry Fields also has not been playing well, seeing his minutes cut drastically with the addition of JR Smith and the emergence of Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak off the bench. So is tonight the night Mike D’Antoni finally makes a change to jumpstart the starting five? There are rumblings that a days after saying he will not shake up the lineup, that that is in fact what will be done. Iman Shumpert is expected to take over the starting Shooting Guard spot tonight for Landry Fields. This should help kick-start the Knicks earlier in games because of the intensity and energy that Shumpert brings to the game, especially on the defensive end of the court.
Pick and Roll Defense
-The Mavericks thrived against the Knicks in pick and roll situations. Jason Kidd was knockdown like normal from deep, going 3-6 and scoring a season high 15 points and dishing out 6 assists. Dirk Nowitzki also did his thing, scoring 28 points. The pick and roll defense will have to improve, and it starts with Jeremy Lin. For everything positive that Lin has brought the Knicks, he also comes with some negatives. One of those is his lateral quickness on defense. Lin at times seems he would have trouble guarding a garbage can. Opposing Point Guards have torched the Knicks in recent games, from Deron Williams scoring 38 to Rajon Rondo’s historic triple double, making Tony Parker who the Knicks should key in on tonight’s game. The Spurs are a lot like the Knicks in the offense they run, mostly pick-and-rolls-and-space-out offense, currently sitting 2nd in the NBA in 3point shooting percentage (39.6) and 3rd in makes (299). One thing the Knicks should stop doing to improve their defense is stop switching on the pick-and-rolls. The Knicks have a habit of switching at almost every opportunity, no matter which players are that are switching, which causes terrible match-ups for them. You will notice multiple times throughout the game Iman Shumpert or Jeremy Lin getting stuck guarding big-men on switches leading to easy baskets for the opposing team. Switching on defense is a good tactic when used sparingly and in certain situations, not as the game-plan.
When Will We See The Old Carmelo Anthony?
-The Knicks have to make it a point to get their struggling and seemingly disgruntled superstar more involved in not only the offense, but the game as a whole. Carmelo usually has big games after poor ones throughout the season. When he scored 13 points on Dec. 28 against the Warriors, he had 27 one night later against the Lakers. When he scored 13 points on Jan. 7 against the Pistons, he had 22 two nights later against the Bobcats. And then when he scored 12 points on Jan. 18 against the Suns, he had 35 two nights later against the Bucks. Can only hope for more of the same this time around, and hopefully another win as the Knicks are also only 1-2 in those Melo bounce back games. To get the offense moving, they need to get Melo moving. He is capable of getting easy baskets; he just has to be willing to get them. Melo thus-far has been settling for too many deep 2point shots, resulting in his worst season statistically in his career. If the Knicks want to get back to having sweet harmony on the offensive end during the beginning of Linsanity, they have to make it more of a point to get Melo involved in the offense, not have to make the offense himself.
