Knicks Defeat Raptors to End Season on High Note

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16^th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

In the last game of the season for each team, the New York Knicks were able to end the season on a high note, defeating the Toronto Raptors 95-92. It was a strong finish to a disappointing season for the Knicks, who won four straight to end the season, even though they had been eliminated from the playoffs prior to the last three. It was nice to see the Knicks play with some heart and pride, as all four games they won to end the season came against playoff teams that were still playing for seeding. Here are some takeaways from the last game of the season for the Knicks, who will be watching the playoffs from home like the fans.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Jim O'Connor-USA TODAY Sports

W2W4: Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks; April 16th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 16^th, 2014

Toronto Raptors vs. New York Knicks

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will play their regular season finale Wednesday night against the surprising Atlantic Division champion Toronto Raptors. There is a good chance this one, like last night against the Brooklyn Nets, will resemble something closer to a preseason game as the Knicks prepare for the offseason and the Raptors get ready for the playoffs. Here are some things to keep an eye on for the game tonight.

Photo Credit N/A

-How Bench Players React

Knicks Blow Out Nets To Reach 8th Seed in East

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 2^nd, 2014

Brooklyn Nets vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

In what is a stretch of important games to finish the season that the New York Knicks need to win, they came out with the effort and passion of team fighting for a playoff spot, blowing out the Brooklyn Nets 110-81. It was a decisive win for the Knicks, who moved into eighth place in the Eastern Conference with the victory over the Atlanta Hawks, who lost to the Chicago Bulls. The Knicks will look to continue their winning ways Friday night, when they take on the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

William Perlman-The Star-Ledger

Since calling out the team for the lack of heart and urgency that a playoff team shows, Smith has turned things on. His game has improved immensely, and he continued that strong play Wednesday against the Nets. Smith was on fire shooting the ball, making 9-16 shots overall and 6-12 from the three point line. He stuffed the stat sheet everywhere else as well, grabbing eight rebounds and handing out six assists. Smith is dynamic with the ball in his hands when his head is on straight, and is a capable distributor when he wants to be. With Smith playing this way the Knicks are a dangerous team not only finish out the season but possibly in the playoffs as well.

Match-Up of the Game Recap:

Knicks End West Coast Trip On High Note, Defeat Jazz

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 31^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Utah Jazz

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks were able to handle business Monday night, beating the Utah Jazz 92-83. The Knicks knew before halftime that they needed a victory tonight to keep pace with the Atlanta Hawks, who defeated the Philadelphia 76ers earlier in the night. The Knicks were able to do so, and will head back home with a 3-2 west coast trip and one game behind the Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. It was also only the second time this season the Knicks picked up a victory after trailing at halftime. Things will get difficult from here on out for the Knicks, as the remaining opponents on their schedule all hold records above .500. They will get back on the court Wednesday night to take on the cross town rival Brooklyn Nets.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Rick Bowmer/AP Photo

Amar’e Stoudemire was unable to go tonight because of a scheduled day off, so Anthony knew he had to carry the scoring load. Carry the load he did, as he poured in 34 points on 11-19 from the field. Anthony had his jump shot going throughout the evening, knocking down 4-7 from beyond the three point line and sinking all eight of his free throw attempts. Anthony also grabbed eight rebounds to go with three assists, three steals and one block.

-Positives

Knicks Pull Off Big Upset In Golden State Over Warriors

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 30^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors

Post Game Recap

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks were able to grind out a tough, hard earned victory Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors. The Knicks finally looked like a team fighting for their playoff lives as they put the effort and energy in to beat a superior team. The Knicks were able to take control of the game in the second quarter, and would not relinquish it throughout the second half. They bended but did not break as the Knicks were able to pull out the victory. With the win, the Knicks are now one game behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will look to finish the road trip 3-2 Monday night against the Utah Jazz before heading back home.

Player of the Game: The Bench

The bench has been much maligned for the Knicks recently, but tonight they were the catalysts to get the lead in the second quarter. Pablo Prigioni was inserted into the game and brought a different mentality to the team on both ends of the court. He was extremely aggressive and showed leadership by getting into his teammates when they were not in the correct positions. Prigioni wasn’t alone, as Tim Hardaway Jr. delivered a much needed scoring punch off the bench with 15 points. Iman Shumpert may not have shot the ball well, but he was able to stymie the Warriors explosive backcourt when he was in the game. Shannon Brown even gave the Knicks something without playing much in the game, getting the game sealing steal and knocking down two free throws after a clear path foul was called.

Knicks Routed By Suns in Phoenix

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 28^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Phoenix Suns

Post Game Recap

For the second time on this west coast trip, the New York Knicks inexplicably no showed. This time it was against a team that had something to play for still in the Phoenix Suns, and the end result was a 112-88 massacre. The game was never really close, as the Suns got off to a scorching start and never let up on a Knicks team who just didn’t have it tonight on either end of the court. The Knicks once again lost out on a golden opportunity to close the gap between them and the Atlanta Hawks, now sitting two games behind them for eighth place in the Eastern Conference once again. The Knicks will be back on the court Sunday night against the Golden State Warriors.

Player of the Game: None

It is becoming a troubling trend that the Knicks are playing so poorly there is no player worth naming as the player of the game. It was a rough game for everyone on both ends of the court.

AP Photo/Matt York

-Positive

Knicks Have Solid Bounce Back Effort to Defeat Kings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 26^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings

Post Game Recap

Kelly L. Cox-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks made it a lot more difficult than it had to be Wednesday night, but they were still able to pull out a much needed victory over the Sacramento Kings by the score of 107-99. The Knicks and Kings have a history of roller coaster games in Sacramento and tonight was no different. The Knicks led by as many as 24 points but the Kings were able to get it as close as three in the fourth quarter. Nonetheless it was a nice, and necessary, bounce back win as the win puts the Knicks three back in the loss column and two in the standings with 10 to play. The Knicks will continue their west coast trip Friday with a visit to the Phoenix Suns.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Smith was huge for the Knicks tonight, as he caught fire right from the beginning and never slowed down. Smith tied the Knicks franchise record for three-pointers made in a game, draining nine of his 12 attempts from deep en route to 29 points. Smith made timely basket after timely basket in the fourth quarter for the Knicks to help them bring home the victory. When the Kings cut the lead to six with about 9:30 remaining Smith nailed a three pointer to get the lead back to nine. After they got it to four with about seven minutes remaining Smith knocked down yet another three. Finally, with just over four minutes remaining and the Kings on another run knocking the Knicks lead to just two, Smith knocked down his ninth and final three of the game to put the Knicks up five. Smith was very vocal after the Los Angeles Lakers game last night, and he came up big time for the Knicks, backing up everything he said. He also added four rebounds, four assists and a block to round out his stat line.

Erza Shaw/Getty Images

Match-up of the Game Recap:

The center match-up highlighted before the game was dominated tonight by DeMarcus Cousins. Cousins was unstoppable tonight as the Knicks had little answer to slowing him down. With Tyson Chandler dealing with foul trouble Cousins had his way offensively, dominating in the paint and showing off an impressive jump shot. Cousins finished the game with a monster stat line of 32 points, 15 rebounds, a season-high eight assists, two steals and two blocks. Chandler was hampered with foul trouble, but still managed to put up a respectable line with 10 points, eight rebounds and one block in only 29 minutes.

-Positives

Carmelo Anthony put up a solid effort tonight to help get the Knicks a victory. Anthony finished the game with a game-high 36 points on 12-21 from the field, knocking down 5-8 from three point range and all seven of his free throw attempts. Anthony added five rebounds in the process, to go along with two assists, one steal and one block. Anthony had a monster third quarter, scoring 12 points to make sure the Knicks did not have a repeat of the last two games to start the second half.

Seemingly every game this season the Knicks have been at a disadvantage at the point guard position, but tonight they caught a break with Isaiah Thomas being injured, and they were able to take advantage. Rookie and second round pick Ray McCallum got the start for the Kings tonight and the Knicks were able to rattle him early on. He got it going a bit in the second half, but it was too little too late for the Kings. On the other hand, Raymond Felton put together a strong game, handing out 10 assists with zero turnovers and pulling down seven rebounds.

The Knicks got much better results from their bench tonight. They were still outscored by the Kings bench, but they got positive contributions from the players who came into the game. Pablo Prigioni delivered seven assists in 16 minutes, while Iman Shumpert provided some solid defense and Tim Hardaway Jr. provided a dagger basket on the last possession. Cole Aldrich should also be applauded for being ready to play once Amar’e Stoudemire and Chandler got into foul trouble.

Erza Shaw/Getty Images

-Negative

While the Knicks were able to pull the victory out tonight, they made it much more difficult than it had to be. Once again this team lacked the killer instinct to put away a team, as the Kings bounced back from a 24-point deficit they faced halfway through the third quarter. If not for the sharp shooting of Smith and timely baskets from players like Anthony and Hardaway Jr. this would have once again been an embarrassing and disaster of a loss for the Knicks.

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings; March 26th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 26^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Sacramento Kings

Pre-Game News and Notes

The New York Knicks will look to bounce back from possibly their most embarrassing performance of the season Tuesday against the Sacramento Kings tonight. The Knicks were handled with ease by the Los Angeles Lakers, and will look to get back on track with only 11 games remaining on the season and their playoff hopes on life support. The Knicks will have revenge on their mind tonight as well to help add fuel to the fire, as the Kings won the first meeting this season at Madison Square Garden. Here are some keys to the game tonight.

Match-Up of the Game: Tyson Chandler vs. DeMarcus Cousins

cowbellkingdom.com

Chandler was non-existent in the game Tuesday night and will have to step his game up against the Kings and Cousins or else he will get embarrassed. Cousins is one of, if not the most, talented center in the NBA. He leads the Kings in points, rebounds, steals and blocks on the season, showing how great he is on both ends of the court. In the first match-up this season Cousins went for 19 points and 14 rebounds, even though he was unable to finish the game because of injury. Chandler had a strong game as well, going for 17 and 11. Cousins is prone to fouling, so if the Knicks can get Chandler involved in the offense through the pick-and-roll it could frustrate Cousins and get him in foul trouble.

-Player News and Notes

Knicks Playoff Hopes Delivered Big Blow With Embarrassing Home Loss to Cavaliers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

AFP Photo/Don Emmert

The New York Knicks playoff hopes suffered a big blow Sunday night, as they suffered an embarrassing loss at home to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 106-100. A 15-point halftime lead was not enough for the Knicks, as they imploded in the second half and reverted back to playing how they did prior to their eight-game winning streak. It was a heart breaking loss for the Knicks as the Atlanta Hawks had lost earlier in the day to the Toronto Raptors, presenting an outstanding opportunity for the Knicks to climb closer to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The loss tonight ends the Knicks winning streak at eight, with their next game being the start of their west coast trip Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

Player of the Game: None

Mike Woodson's Poor Decision Making Almost Costs Knicks 8th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, March 21^st, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers

Post Game Recap

The New York Knicks almost saw their playoff hopes dashed tonight in extremely embarrassing fashion. The Philadelphia 76ers cut a 15 point Knicks lead to 2 in the last four minutes of the game, making what should have been an easy victory into a nail biter. Both teams were desperate for a win for different reasons, and it showed the last couple minutes of the game. With the victory the Knicks winning streak reaches eight games, and with the loss the 76ers are closing in on the NBA All-Time record for losses in a row 23. The Knicks also move to three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, as the Hawks dropped their game against the New Orleans Pelicans tonight.

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

 

Matt Slocum/AP Photo

Stoudemire continued his strong play for the Knicks since being inserted into the starting lineup. Tonight he led the way offensively for the Knicks, scoring 22 points on 10-15 from the field. He was also a force on the boards, grabbing 10. Stoudemire looks like a different person since being inserted into the starting five and the Knicks have benefited greatly from it. Stoudemire may have to sit a game now and then to rest his knees but if he keeps putting forth performances like tonight it is worthwhile.

Match-Up of the Game Recap

Knicks Blow Celtics Out For 5th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to go into Boston and handle business Wednesday night, coming away with a 116-92 blowout victory over the Celtics. It was a total team effort tonight from the Knicks on both ends of the court overall as they took control of the game right from the start. The victory tonight moves the Knicks to three games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and alone in ninth place. The Knicks will take their five game winning streak into a matinee with the Milwaukee Bucks Saturday night and look to inch closer to the playoffs.

-Player of the Game: Cole Aldrich

 

Jared Wickerham-Getty Images

With Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire both sidelined for tonight, the Knicks needed someone to step up and try filling the void. That person tonight was Aldrich, who made his first NBA start and put together a great game in the process. Aldrich recorded a double-double, scoring a career-high tying 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. He also brought intensity and production to the defensive end, blocking three shots. Aldrich knows his role with the team and that he probably will not play much, if at all, when all the regulars come back, but for one night Aldrich was called upon and he showed up. This is a good thing all around as the Knicks now know what Aldrich can give them in a pinch and Aldrich now has the confidence that he can come in and produce.

-Positives

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics; March 10th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 12^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks and Celtics will be facing off for the fourth and final time this season in Boston. The Knicks will look to even the season series up at two, as the Celtics won the first two meetings pretty handedly and the Knicks won in blowout fashion in the most recent meeting. This is an important game for the Knicks as they continue their playoff push, as they cannot afford to lose to teams below them in the standings to move up. The Knicks will look to continue their four game winning streak and here are some news and notes for them to do so.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks will be extremely short-handed in the front court tonight. Tyson Chandler will not be with the team for the second consecutive game as he deals with a personal problem. The Knicks will also be without his frontcourt mate in the starting lineup in Amar’e Stoudemire. Stoudemire will miss tonight’s game for precautionary reasons; he has played 56 minutes in his last two games after being on a strict minutes limit throughout the season.  One of Jeremy Tyler or Cole Aldrich will most likely find themselves in the starting lineup and both getting increased minutes tonight. Earl Clark will more likely find his way into the rotation tonight as the backup big man off the bench.

For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo will not be suiting up. Rondo played 41 minutes last night against the Indiana Pacers and will be held out. Rondo is still not playing back-to-backs for the Celtics, who have very little to play for so pushing Rondo makes little sense. The Knicks catch a break as the inexperienced Phil Pressey will take over the starting point guard duties.

-Match-Up of the Game: Carmelo Anthony vs. Jeff Green

NBA.Com

Strong 4th Quarter Pushes Knicks Past 76ers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 10^th, 2014

Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to run their winning streak to four games Monday night with a 123-110 victory. It was a total team effort for the Knicks, who got a little something from all the players who stepped on the court tonight to help get the win. The Knicks are now sole owners of ninth place in the Eastern Conference, percentage points ahead of the Detroit Pistons. They now sit 3 ½ games behind the Atlanta Hawks, who were able to hold on and defeat the Utah Jazz tonight. The Knicks will look to continue their strong play Wednesday against another divisional foe in the Boston Celtics.

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

 

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Stoudemire has found his groove and is dominating for the Knicks. This is as close he has looked to the Stoudemire of his Phoenix Suns and first season with the Knicks days. Tonight he scored 23 points to go with six rebounds and one block. The impressive thing about his scoring output is that he did it on only 10 shots, making nine and connecting on five of eight free throws. Stoudemire is the most efficient scorer the Knicks have and he has shown time and time again when given the minutes he can still produce offensively. Recently Stoudemire has been playing better on the defensive end as well, enabling Mike Woodson to use him more minutes during the game.

-Positives

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers; March 8th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, March 8^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to continue their winning streak in what is their biggest game of the season to date against the Cavaliers tonight. The Knicks, who enter the game 4.5 games behind eighth place in the Eastern Conference, have the Cavaliers right ahead of them in the standings. A victory over them tonight would pull the teams within a tie and that much closer to a playoff spot. The Cavaliers will be sure to get up for the game as longtime center Žydrūnas Ilgauskas will have his number retired prior to the game. Here are some things to look for in the game tonight.

Match-up of the game: Raymond Felton vs. Kyrie Irving

Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

Felton has turned things around the last two games for the Knicks and not coincidentally both games have resulted in Knicks victories. Felton has done well getting into the paint and breaking down the defense, opening up easy scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. When Felton is causing havoc in the paint it opens up rolling opportunities for Tyson Chandler and Amar’e Stoudemire to the rim for alley-oops and open jump shots for Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith.

A key to slowing down the Cavaliers is containing Irving, which is easier said than done. When Irving shoots at least 40 percent from the field, the Cavaliers are 20-20 on the season; when he is below that they are 3-17 according to STATS LLC. The Knicks have struggled all season containing point guards, but have done a good job in the last two games against Ricky Rubio and Trey Burke. If they are able to contain Irving tonight in any capacity it would go a long way in picking up their third consecutive victory.

-Starting Lineup Clicking

Mike Woodson made yet another change to the starting lineup this week, inserting Stoudemire and Smith to go along with Felton, Anthony and Chandler. Since the change the Knicks have played much better basketball, getting out to strong starts and outscoring opponents 105-66 in the first quarters. The last two first quarters the Knicks have tied and set the highest scoring quarters for the season.

The change to the lineup has gotten the Knicks best players on the court to start the game and the results have been positive. The Knicks aren’t falling behind early, instead taking the control early on and forcing their opponents to climb out of deep holes. The cohesion in the starting lineup is something the Knicks have lacked all season but look to have gotten in the last week.

-Bench Play

With the changes the Knicks have made to the starting unit the bench has suffered. Tim Hardaway Jr. has become the biggest threat off the bench, a large drop-off from Smith and Stoudemire. It is hard to ask Hardaway Jr. to pick up the slack of both those players. One player who could help a lot if Iman Shumpert. He needs to pick things up and help carry the bench scoring load with Hardaway Jr. looking to slow down at times recently.

On the contrary, the Cavaliers have a strong option off the bench in Dion Waiters. Waiters is an explosive scorer and is capable of running the offense as well when needed. Anderson Varejao is also expected to return tonight. It will be in a limited basis, but his return to the court will give the Cavaliers a shot in the arm as he brings a lot of energy and intangibles fans of the Cavaliers have enjoyed watching over the past couple of seasons when he is healthy.

-Keep Momentum Going

The Knicks are in the middle of the softest part of the schedule. Eight of the next nine games the Knicks play are against teams with a combined record of 137 games below .500. If they are to climb into the playoff race and keep their slim hopes alive there is no better time than now to do so. The Knicks have shown under Woodson when things starting clicking they are capable of getting into a groove. If they are to sneak into the playoffs, no matter how undeserving or poor they have played this season, it has to start tonight. On the road in Cleveland is most likely the toughest task the Knicks will have in the next nine games outside a meeting with the Indiana Pacers.

Knicks Snap Losing Streak With Win Over Timberwolves

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 5^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to get a much needed victory and snap their seven-game losing streak Wednesday Night in Minnesota against the Timberwolves 118-106. It was a great team effort put forth by the team tonight as they got going right from the start, never trailing in the game and being engaged from the opening tip through the final whistle. The victory moves the Knicks record to 22-40 on the season and moves them to within six games of the Atlanta Hawks, who play at the Portland Trail Blazers Wednesday, for eighth place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks will look to keep the positive play going Friday night against the Utah Jazz at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: Raymond Felton

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Felton had his best game in a long time and arguably this season as he scored 18 points to go along with eight assists, three rebounds, four steals and one block. Felton played with supreme confidence and energy tonight as he attacked the basket and created easy opportunities for himself and his teammates. Felton’s aggressiveness makes things immensely easier for the Knicks as easy baskets and open jump shots become more readily available. As Felton goes the Knicks go and if they are to make a final push for the playoffs to close the season Felton needs to continue playing close to what he did tonight.

-Positives

Knicks Losing Streak Hits 7

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, March 3^rd, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons

Post Game Recap

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

This was a rough game to watch for fans of either team, but it hurt a little more for Knicks fans as they fell to the Pistons 96-85 Monday night. The Knicks didn’t not put forth the effort once again and were once again embarrassed by their opponent. The focus and attention to detail just are not there for this team as a playoff run looks as out of the question as ever now. They have completely collapsed after a strong January and look to just be going through the motions as the positives needed to win basketball games are coming far too sporadically for this team. The Knicks losing streak now hits seven as they have lost 13 of their last 15 games and fall to 21-40.

Player of the Game: None

There was no Knicks player that brought it on both ends of the court tonight. The closest person was Jeremy Tyler, who came in and continued to give the energy and competitiveness he has shown all season. With the season all but down the drain he should see his minutes increase. You could also say that Shannon Brown and Earl Clark were players of the game as they didn’t give any negative plays to the Knicks on the court being stapled to the bench and receiving DNP-Coach Decision.

-Positives

Knicks Blown Out By Heat Behind James, Wade

Thursday, February 27^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat

Post Game Recap

The Knicks came into the game with the best winning percentage against the Heat since the start of last season and left with it dropping a little bit. The Knicks were handled rather easily tonight by the two-time defending champs, getting blown out 108-82. It was tough to watch at points if you are a Knicks fan and it reached a low when they actually went away from the game for a bit in the fourth quarter to watch the end of a the triple-overtime thriller between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. If the season hadn’t hit a low point yet, having a game switched over to a less than marquee match up like that should do it. The Knicks will be back at it again tomorrow night at Madison Square Garden to take on the Golden State Warriors.

-Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

As it has been too often this season, Anthony looked to be one of the few Knicks to come in and try tonight. Anthony tried once again to put the team on his back tonight but he was unable to do it alone against one of the best teams in the NBA. Tonight Anthony finished with 29 points on 11-20 from the field, including 3-8 from the three point line and 4-6 from the foul line. He also added seven rebounds, two assists and one resounding block of LeBron James. He also had another highlight play with a dunk over James early on in the game. It was another efficient scoring night that has gone to waste as the Knicks got blown out.

-Positives

Knicks Downed At Buzzer by Dirk Nowitzki Jumper

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, February 24th, 2014

Dallas Mavericks vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

Grass is green, the sky is blue and the Knicks suffered yet another disappointing loss. Tonight the Knicks suffered the tough loss at the hands of the Mavericks by the score of 110-108 by the way of Dirk Nowitzki buzzer beater. The Knicks fought back and came up short like they have so many times this season, wasting yet another outstanding performance from their leading man Carmelo Anthony. As the losses continue to pile up, the reality is beginning to set in that the playoffs will be out of reach. With the loss tonight the Knicks record drops to 21-36 and six games out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

EPA/Jason Szenes Corbis OUT

For a player who has a reputation of being a gunner and nothing else, Anthony has disproved that all season. He has continued to put up the monster scoring numbers but he is the only Knick player you can honestly say has shown up night in and night out during this forgettable season. Tonight Anthony did it again, pouring in 44 points on 14-29 from the field (7-12 3pt, 9-9 FT) as he was on fire all night. He kept the Knicks in the game single handedly multiple times throughout the night as the offensive side of the ball looked to be the only place anyone looked interested in playing. Anthony added nine rebounds, four assists and one block to round out his stat line for the night. It has been nice watching Anthony throughout the season as he has proven time and time again he is one of the best players in the NBA and with every passing loss not only do the Knicks playoff hopes diminish the likelihood of Anthony staying seems to go with them.

-Positives

The Future For Carmelo Anthony

Written by Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

ESPN.GO.COM

Carmelo Anthony has come out and said that he will not be traded at the NBA Trade Deadline next week and that he also wants to remain with the New York Knicks. He went as far as even saying that he will take a pay cut to stay with the Knicks if it meant getting some more talent around him. That is quite possibly the best thing that has happened for Knicks fans this season, as the Knicks already have more losses this season before the All-Star break than they had all of last season.

Even with what Anthony has said, the Knicks will be hard pressed to make changes to the roster. The Knicks are not holding a strong hand from the asset position, having no draft picks to trade until 2018 and not many players other teams want. For this season the Knicks will need a turnaround from the players they currently have to sneak into the post season.

The Knicks can shop Iman Shumpert around again, but his stock is at an all-time low currently; the Knicks have already had trades with the Denver Nuggets for Kenneth Faried and Timberwolves for Derrick Williams, who was traded to the Sacramento Kings, declined. At this point it may be best just to keep Shumpert and hope he can rekindle some of the magic he had during last season’s playoffs. There are no other players on the roster currently that would bring back much in the way of trades, as players like Beno Udrih and Metta World Peace would just bring back filler or maybe a second round draft pick.

Knicks Fall in Overtime to Western Conference Cellar-Dwelling Kings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, February 12^th, 2014

Sacramento Kings vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks will be heading into the All-Star break with a lot of negativity surrounding the team after a 106-101 overtime loss to the Kings Wednesday night. The Kings have the worst record in the Western Conference and had lost seven in a row on the road, including last night by 10 points in Cleveland, but were unfazed coming into Madison Square Garden. These are the kind of losses that can result in people losing jobs and players being moved. This could very well be the last time we see Mike Woodson on the sidelines as the Knicks coach and some players wearing a Knicks jersey. By this time next week and into Thursday there is a good chance this team will look much different. The Knicks will start their All-Star break now and will be back on the court Tuesday in Memphis to start off a four game in five nights stretch that will take place in four different cities. If this isn’t rock bottom for the Knicks they are definitely close.

Jim McIsaac

Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire

Tonight Stoudemire turned back the block and the Knicks needed every bit of it. Stoudemire played 37 minutes, scoring 20 points on 10-15 from the field and grabbed eight rebounds. He also had one assist and two blocks on the night. Stoudemire was the only Knick with the knack in the fourth quarter as he picked up all the scoring slack being left behind by Carmelo Anthony, who didn’t score in the fourth quarter or overtime. Stoudemire is by far the most efficient scorer the Knicks have yet for some reason he is not relied upon on by Mike Woodson unless there is a necessity to use Stoudemire, such as injuries like there was tonight.

Match up of the Game Recap:

Tyson Chandler and DeMarcus Cousins did not disappoint tonight as both came to play. The only problem was that Cousins was unable to make it through the full game. He did his damage even with only getting 33 minutes, scoring 19 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Chandler was not far behind, scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds of his own. It was a hard fought match up between the two, but it seemed like a blessing in disguise for the Kings when Cousins went down; on the night they were -17 with him on the court.

-Positives

Anthony’s first quarter. He was on fire out of the gate, scoring 17 points in the first quarter. He knocked down his last seven shots of the quarter, finishing 7-9 from the field for the quarter. The Kings threw a number of people at Anthony to slow him down but none were able to do the job. The only player able to stop Anthony was himself and Woodson; will be touched on later on.

Jeremy Tyler received only 11 minutes but he once again made the most of them. He did not score tonight but he had five rebounds in his time on the court. The Knicks actually out rebounded the Kings tonight, a surprise given how strong of a rebounding team the Kings are, ranking 13^th in the NBA in rebounding per game compared to 26^th for the Knicks.

-Negatives

Anthony the final three quarters of the game did not help the Knicks out too much. After a scorching first quarter he finished the game 12-28, going 5-19 after the first quarter. He missed his final six shots and didn’t score in overtime when the Knicks needed him most as he continued his troubling trend of shooting worse as the game went on. He also played 48 minutes in the game, something that could play into why he struggled so much in the second half as he became fatigued.

Jim O'Connor/USA TODAY Sports

The shooting guard play was bad for the Knicks tonight. What made it worse, Iman Shumpert was having a good game before he was forced to leave with a hip pointer in the third quarter after knocking down a three pointer. With no J.R. Smith tonight the onus fell on Tim Hardaway Jr. and he did not step up tonight. He finished with a poor shooting night, going 3-12 overall and 1-6 from the three point line. He was unable to also stay in front of whoever he was guarding as the Kings picked him out and went at him whenever they had the chance.

The Knicks defense again was mind boggling, as they double-teamed mindlessly leaving shooters open throughout the game. Tonight it was New York native Jimmer Fredette. Fredette scored 24 points, going 9-14 overall and 6-8 from deep; when I say deep I mean deep as Fredette was knocking down jumpers feet behind the three point line. The embarrassing part about this is that Fredette has barely been able to crack the Kings rotation recently as he hadn’t even scored 24 points in the month of February combined.