Knicks Drop Celtics in Second Preseason Game

Saturday, October 13 2012

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 19^th to play against the Toronto Raptors at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks Pre-Game News and Notes April 17

Tuesday April 17^th 8:00 P.M. ET
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Since becoming Head Coach of the Knicks, Mike Woodson has made it clear that the goal is to win the Atlantic Division and unseat the Boston Celtics.  That would make tonight’s game against those Celtics, and virtually every game the rest of the season a must win game for the Knicks, who currently sit 4 games behind the Celtics for the division lead.  A loss tonight would put the Knicks 5 ½ games behind the Celtics, putting the division out of reach.  The Knicks also sit ½ game behind the 76ers for the 7^th seed in the Eastern Conference and 2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks, so the team realizes the importance of tonight’s game.

-Can they slow down Rondo?

Rajon Rondo is a main reason for the Celtics percolating since the All-Star break.  Rondo is averaging 10 points, 13 assists, five rebounds and two steals in that time frame.  He also shows up for games against the Knicks as he has averaged 13.8 assists per game in his last 10 against the Knicks, including the playoffs.  Let us also not forget the historic game he put up last time out against the Knicks when he tallied 18 points 20 assists and 17 rebounds in a Celtics overtime win.

The onus of slowing down Rondo will fall upon Iman Shumpert.  Shumpert has gained a reputation as one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Rondo tonight. It will come down to a team effort slowing down the dynamic Rondo, but it will start with Shumpert.

-Help Wanted, Capable Scorer

Carmelo Anthony is red-hot this month, scoring 40 points on two separate occasions and averaging 30 points a game since Amar’e Stoudemire and Jeremy Lin went down with injuries.  Anthony will look to continue his streak tonight while at the same time looking for someone to give him some help until injured players return. 

Iman Shumpert offered his opinion and he believes that the team has been caught being stagnant and standing around watching Carmelo Anthony do his thing on offense.  He is definitely right, with Sunday being a good example as Anthony scored 42 points but the rest of the starters could muster only 19 points on 37% shooting. 

Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith have seemed to be rotating who will step up, but neither have done it on a consistent enough basis to help take the onus off Anthony.  Tyson Chandler has given some big games on the offensive end as well, but he is much more important to the Knicks defensive effort to ask him to be the 2^nd option on offense as well.  Who will it be to step up tonight for the Knicks if they are to pull off the victory?

-Bring the Pressure

The Knicks have to take the Celtics out of their comfort zone to be successful tonight.  The Celtics are very methodical in how they go about their business so the Knicks should look to exploit this by playing high pressure defense and forcing turnovers to get into the open court.  If the Knicks are able to control the tempo it will go a long way for them as they are obviously the underdogs against the Celtics.  This will also help because the Knicks and Celtics are known for tight finishes.

The first two meetings this season were decided by 2 points each, with the first on Christmas day coming down to the wire.  The most recent one was an overtime thriller in which the Celtics needed Paul Pierce to knock down a 3 pointer at the end of regulation.  The Celtics then went on to take care of the Knicks in overtime. 

With a close game almost all but guaranteed, the Knicks need to stay composed and not let the Celtics take them out of their game.  The Knicks will have a raucous home crowd behind them and should use that to their advantage as they try to solidify their playoff standing and overtake the Celtics for the Atlantic Division crown. 

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers Pre-Game News and Notes March 11th

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.

New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs Pre-Game News and Notes March 7th

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. 

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics Post Game Recap March 4th

Knicks 111 Celtics 115 OT 

The Knicks and Celtics played another thriller this afternoon to add to the great games throughout their rivalry; and also gave Knick fans another disappointing loss. Paul Pierce knocked down a 3 pointer with under 5 seconds left to tie the game, which ended up going to overtime after Carmelo Anthony missed a jump shot in the corner at the buzzer. Referees were taking control throughout the game, but rightfully swallowed their whistles towards the end letting the players determine the outcome. 

Early foul trouble also hindered the Knicks, as Jeremy Lin picked up 2 early fouls. Baron Davis filled in valiantly off the bench for Lin, but turned the ball over too frequently (Davis and Lin combined for 12 of the 22 Knick turnovers). Carmelo Anthony also had to exit the game midway through the 3rd quarter after picking up his 4th foul. Carmelo's exit coincided with a Celtics run to make a 5 point halftime lead for the Knicks into an 8 point deficit going into the 4th quarter. Reading Carmelo Anthony's final numbers wont wow you, but he came up biggest when the Knicks needed him in the 4th quarter, scoring 11 of his 25 points in the final period of regulation. Same goes for Lin, who had a too many turnovers but did come up big for the Knicks in late game situations showing a lot of heart. It is another learning experience for Lin, who some people still forget is only playing about his 20th game with big minutes. 

- Rajon Rondo is a gifted point guard. At points during the game he took some ill-advised shots, but more than made up for it with his final stat line and play throughout. Rondo finished with 18 points 17 rebounds and 20 assists for his 4th triple double of the season. A game like this, at least 17-17-17, has only happened two other times in NBA history, Magic Johnson, who had 24 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds on April 18, 1989 and Wilt Chamberlain who exceeded Rondo's amounts with 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists on Feb. 2, 1968. The Celtics have to be re-thinking their trade demands for Rondo, as this team just is not the game without him on the court. 

-The Knicks 2nd unit showed up again, outplaying the starting 5 for most if not all of the game. The glaring difference in today's game was the play of the back-court. Even with an off game from JR Smith (2 pts, 1-6 FG, 0-3 from 3pt) the guards still had a great game overall, with Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert combining for a +/- of positive 19, compared to the Knicks starting back-court of Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields for negative 27 (Celtics starting back-court of Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen combined for +27). Also the contribution from Steve Novak for deep (14 pts 4-7 3pt) and Jared Jeffries on defense helped put the Knicks in a game in which the starting unit struggled. The Knicks benched outscored the Celtics bench 45-15, mostly dominating for the portions of the game they were in. It is nice seeing what 2 weeks ago was thought of as the weakest part of the team is now playing great basketball. 

-Amar'e Stoudemire had a decent game overall, going for 16 points on 7-16 FG and 1-2 FT and 13 rebounds. But he still seems without the bounce that made him one of the most dominant players in the NBA over the past seasons. One example would be in OT when he failed to finish his putback dunk attempt. Amar'e from seasons past would have ferociously dunked that ball instead of clanking it off the rim like what happened today. As a Knicks fan hopefully he can get back to his old ways and not look like an over-paid role player he seems to be becoming. 

Things To Take From Game Today: 

-How injured is Tyson Chandler's Wrist? 
Chandler spent most of the 4th quarter run on the bench, subbing in only in the last minute for defense. He did play the whole overtime period, which is a good sign, but was mostly a non-factor outside the 2 offensive rebounds after the game was mostly decided. He finished the game with only 8 points on 3-7 FG and 2-2 FT but did have a team leading 14 rebounds. You have to think Chandler will come out firing facing his old team in the Dallas Mavericks and finally receiving his championship ring. 

-4th Quarter Defense 
The Knicks again came out with fire and intensity throughout the 4th quarter, mounting the comeback to force the game into overtime. You wish as a Knicks fan they would show that same fire and intensity throughout the entire game not just here and there. Some coaching decisions could be second guessed however in the 4th quarter. D'Antoni does not do it often if ever, but you have to consider fouling on that last Celtic possession that resulted in a Pierce game tying 3 pointer. The Celtics cant beat you when your up 3 by making 2 FT's. Something just to consider during late game situations. 

The next game for the Knicks is Tuesday, March 6th @ Dallas Mavericks at 8:30 ET