Why the Knicks Struggled Against the Pacers

www.aparataje.com

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

With the Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat starting their Eastern Conference Finals series tonight, it is finally set in that the Knicks have been eliminated from the playoffs.  It was a rough series against the Pacers as they struggled on both sides of the court for most of the six games and were eliminated by a team that looked like they wanted it more.  Here are some things as to why the Knicks fell to the Pacers in the second round of the NBA playoffs.

-Rebounding

Knicks Season Ends in Game 6 Loss to Pacers

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, May 18^th, 2013

Game 6 Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 99 Indiana Pacers: 106

The Knicks season has come to an end with a loss in Game 6 against the Pacers Saturday night, ending what was their best season in a long time.  It was a tough ending to the season as there were high expectations for the Knicks coming into the season but they did improve upon their prior season for the third consecutive year, so hopefully they will build upon this one next season.  For tonight the effort was just not there consistently enough as it could have easily been a blowout in the Pacers favor if not for a big night from Carmelo Anthony and an inspired stretch in the third quarter when the Knicks got hot.  Questionable coaching decision by head coach Mike Woodson and some interesting calls for the referees were too much for the Knicks to overcome on the court as their season game to a disappointing end in Indiana.   The Knicks will start their offseason program while the Pacers will move onto the Eastern Conference Finals to take on the Miami Heat.

-Positives

Knicks Rolled Again as Pacers Take Commanding 3-1 Lead

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, May 14^th, 2013

Game 4 Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 82 Indiana Pacers: 93

It was the same old story for the Knicks tonight as they trailed the whole game against the Pacers, who took control early and never really let the Knicks back in the game to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.  The Knicks offensive struggles continued as they were unable to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court as the Pacers size still is causing a lot of problems.  The Knicks lineup change to go big did not pan out to well as the defense was not good enough to make up for the poor offense.  The Knicks will hope to extend the series Thursday night back at Madison Square Garden when they take the Pacers on for Game 5, playing for their season.

-Positives

What Impact Does An Amar'e Return Have on Knicks?

Chris Young/AP

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Game 3 Saturday night between the Knicks and Pacers will be an important one as the series is tied at one game apiece and the winner of Game 3 in that scenario more often than not goes on to win the series.  The Knicks will be getting a boost and some help for Game 3 in the form of Amar’e Stoudemire.

Stoudemire will be making his second return from injury this season and could not have come at a better time for the Knicks.  The Knicks have watched J.R. Smith struggle mightily since his one-game suspension for elbowing the Celtics’ Jason Terry so having Stoudemire in the lineup is another player more than capable of picking up the scoring slack.

Knicks Dominate Game 2 in Blowout Fashion

Jason Szenes/EPA

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, May 7^th, 2013

Game 2 Post Game Recap

Final Score: Indiana Pacers: 79 New York Knicks: 105

The Knicks and Pacers are now playing a best of five series as a revived Knicks team came out and blew the doors off of the Pacers in a must win Game 2.  Improved effort in every aspect of the game, especially on defense and executing the offense led to a victory tonight.  The Knicks could not afford to go down 0-2 heading to Indiana for games 3 and 4 and they played like it tonight, looking like a team that would win at no costs.  Iman Shumpert said that the Knicks played pissed off, something they should do the rest of the series if the results will be like Game 2.

-Positives

Knicks Stifled by Pacers, Take Game 1

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, May 5^th, 2013

Game 1 Post Game Recap

Final Score: Indiana Pacers: 102 New York Pacers: 95

Knicks Stifled by Pacers, Take Game 1

If Game 1 is any indication of how this series is going to play out, it will be a long one for the Knicks.  Game 1 brought about a lot of disappointment for the Knicks and their fans as a series opening lost gives the Knicks two straight losses at Madison Square Garden and a deficit in the playoffs for the first time this season.  The last four games for the Knicks have not been very impressive as the offense and defense have both diminished at the same time. The Pacers played an impressive game, stifling the Knicks offense and stopping all of the runs they went on with timely baskets.  The Knicks will look to get their act together Tuesday night back at Madison Square Garden when they take on the Pacers in Game 2 of their series.

-Positives

• Raymond Felton played another good game for the Knicks, something he has done consistently throughout the playoffs.  The pick-and-roll was defended well this afternoon by the Pacers but Felton still found a way to cause some problems for the Pacer defense, scoring 18 points on eight of 12 shooting from the field.  Felton would add two rebounds and three assists and an important zero in the turnover column; something that is important because of how well the Pacers play defense.  The only problem was Felton was rendered basically useless in the second half and not because of the Pacers defense, instead his own team as Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith became the primary ball handlers and Felton fell into the background, taking only four shots in the second half.

• Iman Shumpert once is being placed in a difficult matchup but is showing once again no task is too tall for him to climb.  Shumpert was matched up this afternoon and most likely for a big portion of the series against 6’10” Paul George, the do-it all small forward for the Pacers.  Shumpert is at a distinct size advantage but holds his own on the defensive end.  Today he held George to five of 14 shooting, five rebounds and four assists.  Shumpert had his struggles on the offensive end, going four of 11 from the field but realistically he is on the court and that is what he delivered today; any offense he gives the Knicks is an added bonus.

• Chris Copeland only played eight minutes but he showed confidence and deserves some more run, especially in a series that offense may be hard to come by.  He scored six points in his time on the court, knocking down two three pointers and also playing some good defense, causing a turnover on one occasion by Ian Mahinmi.  Copeland should have a chance to play again in Game 2 as Steve Novak back is acting up and Amar’e Stoudemire is still at least another game away.

-Negatives

• This was a tough one to watch as a Knicks fan and a reason for that was the domination of the Knicks in the paint by the Pacers.  The Pacers owned the paint, outrebounding the Knicks 44-30 and outscoring them 46-32 in there as well.  The Knicks had a tough night competing with the size of the Pacers frontline of Roy Hibbert and David West and struggled to keep the Pacer’s guards in check as well.  The starting backcourt of Lance Stephenson and George Hill combined for 20 rebounds, 11 more than the Knicks guards Felton, Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith and Jason Kidd combined.

• The offense for the Knicks was abysmal throughout the afternoon in large part because their top guys Anthony and Smith struggled so much. The two combined to go 14 of 43 from the field, a number that is too low for the Knicks to overcome against a team as talented as the Pacers.  On the night the Knicks shot 35 of 81 from the field, good for only 43.2 percent and a decent 36.8 percent from deep, going seven of 19.  The Knicks were unable to compete with the size of the Pacers, as Hibbert and West swatted away plenty of Knicks attempts near the rim, blocking seven shots combined and causing plenty of missed shots.  The Knicks had trouble running their pick-and-roll offense as well, resulting in a number of tough contested jump shots that just did not fall.

• Jason Kidd went scoreless for the fifth straight game and is finally starting to show his age on the court.  Kidd is not having the same impact he had earlier in the season, as teams are no longer even guarding him when the Knicks are on offense, leading to teams loading up on the likes of Anthony and Smith.  Kidd is also being exposed on the defensive end, especially tonight against the younger explosive Pacer guards, as Stephenson and Hill blew by Kidd at will.  Kidd offered little resistance and threw the Knicks rotations out of whack as they had to recover for his inefficiencies.  Stephenson put on a show in his return to Madison Square Garden, a place he has been playing and dominating at since high school, scoring 11 points in addition to his 13 rebounds, adding three assists and three steals as well.  Stephenson is a player that could have easily been on the other bench in this series, as the Knicks had a chance to draft him in 2011 with one of their two second round picks but elected to waste the first on Andy Rautins and elect Landry Fields with the second.

• Mike Woodson needs to start abiding by the accountability that he preaches to his players.  Woodson once again had some questionable rotation decision tonight and will have to break his stubborn streak if the Knicks want to win this series.  He needs to realize that Kidd does not fit this scheme to beat the Pacers and give run to the likes of Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni.  A coach who is admittedly bias to veterans should actually use the one who will help in Marcus Camby.  As the Pacers decimated the Knicks in the paint the defensive minded Camby sat on the bench and watched idly as Anthony got into foul trouble attempting to guard David West and Chandler got dominated by Hibbert. 

• Chandler needs to step his game up if the Knicks are to win this series.  He started the Celtics series slow so hopefully he gets it together like he did against them because the Knicks are going nowhere fast without a productive Chandler.  He is the heart and soul of the Knicks defense and is their anchor; he did not win Defensive Player of the Year for nothing.  Hopefully that Chandler shows up in Game 2 and the remainder of the playoffs and not the one we saw tonight, who was beat handily by Hibbert.  

Defense Leads Knicks to Game 1 Victory over Celtics

AP Photo/Kathy Willens

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, April 20^th, 2013

Game 1 Post Game Recap

Final Score: Boston Celtics: 78 New York Knicks: 85

It was a tale of two halves this afternoon between the Knicks and Celtics as decently paced, high scoring first half turned into a drag-em out physical game in the second half.  The second half was a flashback for Knicks fans who have been relating this team to the 90’s Knicks as both teams struggled to put the ball in the basket as defense became the name of the game.  This was a game the Knicks needed to have to maintain home court advantage in the series and to not give the Celtics any momentum.  The next game in the series will be Tuesday night at 8 P.M. ET in Madison Square Garden.

-Positives

W2W4 Series Preview: New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

knickswag.com

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

After a 19-year wait the Knicks once again sit atop the Atlantic Division as champions, fitting that their first round matchup will be against the Boston Celtics, winners of the past four Atlantic Division crowns before this season.  This will be one of the more entertaining first round series of the NBA Playoffs this season as the rivals thoroughly dislike each other and there will be even more emotions after the tragedy in Boston Monday afternoon.  Here are some things to keep an eye on for throughout the series:

-Which Melo Shows Up?

Knicks End Regular Season on High Note, Drop Hawks

Jesse D Garrabrant/Getty Images

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 17^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Atlanta Hawks: 92 New York Knicks: 98

The Knicks ended their most successful season in 16 seasons with a win against the Hawks Wednesday night giving them some momentum heading into the playoffs. It was a tough game to watch at some points as the Knicks only had seven players appear in the game tonight, ending with only six available. The Knicks finish the regular season with a 54-28 record, going 31-10 at Madison Square Garden.  The Knicks will head into the playoff series against the Celtics, which starts Saturday night, on a roll winning 16 of their last 18 games. 

-Positives

W2W4: Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks

www.goldstar.com

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, April 17^th, 2013

Pre-Game News and Notes

Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks

Wednesday night will be the last regular season game for the Knicks and Hawks before heading into the playoffs, but will be taking different approaches into the finale.  The Knicks have literally nothing to play for, as their seed is locked in and are just looking to get to the playoffs without suffering anymore injuries.  As for the Hawks, they are playing for the fifth or sixth seed.  If they win tonight they will face off against the Nets in the first round, if they lose and the Bulls win they will face off against the Pacers. This will be third time that the Knicks and Hawks faceoff this season, with the Knicks winning the first two meetings.

-New Face, Same Place

Short-Handed Knicks Fall in Charlotte

AP Photo/Chuck Burton

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, April 15^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 95 Charlotte Bobcats: 106

The Knicks went into the game tonight with nothing to play for and it showed with who actually took the court tonight as the Knicks fell to the Bobcats to end the season 23-18 on the road, their best road record in 16 seasons.  Only six Knicks saw the court today, one of them being Rasheed Wallace who played for only four minutes and Jason Kidd who played only 21.  The starting lineup of Chris Copeland, Steve Novak, James White, Pablo Prigioni and Iman Shumpert all logging at least 41 minutes played.  Expect much of the same Wednesday night when the Knicks return home for the last regular game of the season before starting the playoffs this weekend.

-Positives

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Anthony Gruppuso/ USA TODAY Sports

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Monday, April 15^th, 2013

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Bobcats

Coming off a big win in clinching the second seed in the Eastern Conference yesterday afternoon against the Pacers, the Knicks will get right back at it tonight against the lowly Bobcats and keep building on their momentum into the playoffs.  Tonight’s game could be a hard one to watch as many of the Knicks rotation players are expected to sit out as the Knicks can no longer accomplish anything in the regular season; they just hope to get through this game and Wednesday against the Hawks without any more injuries occurring.  Here are some things to watch for in the game tonight:

-Who Is Playing?

Knicks Fall in Chicago, 13-Game Win Streak Snapped

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, April 11^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 111 Chicago Bulls: 118 OT

The Chicago Bulls did it again, as they ended the Knicks 13-game winning streak tonight after ending the Miami Heat’s 27-game winning streak a couple weeks back.  The Knicks opened up a huge lead, going ahead 23-6 to start the game and going up by as many as 15 points in the third quarter but were unable to hold the lead both times.  Fatigue was an obvious factor in the game tonight, as the Knicks dressed only nine players with only eight of them getting time on the court; getting to overtime was surprising enough for the Knicks with a stretch they went on during the third quarter. The Knicks will have a quick turnaround, as they will play in Cleveland tomorrow night but might have some help in the way of new signee James Singleton.

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls

USA TODAY Sports

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, April 11^th, 2013

Pre-Game News and Notes

New York Knicks vs. Chicago Bulls

The Knicks head into Chicago tonight looking to extend one streak, their 13 game winning streak, and end another, their losing streak to the Bulls.  The Knicks have yet to beat the Bulls this season, going 0-3 against them thus far this season and losing four games in a row overall.  This will be an extremely difficult game for the Knicks even if the Bulls do not have the services of Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose because of how physical they play.  Another reason will be because of the players that the Knicks have available to them tonight, one of the things to keep an eye on for the game tonight. 

-Lineup Changes

Knicks Roll Wizards for 13th Straight Win and Atlantic Division

AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, April 9^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Washington Wizards: 99 New York Knicks: 120

It is a great time to be a Knicks fan, the first time a person could say that in a very long time.  With the rolling of the Wizards the Knicks did tonight, they run their win streak to 13 games and also clinched their first Atlantic Division title since the 1993-1994 season.  The Knicks did it in convincing fashion tonight as they came out hot and just kept piling it on the poor Wizards.  The Knicks were unconscious from the field on offense and never let the Wizards get into the game.  The Knicks will have a little time to celebrate the Atlantic Division title but there is still work to be done as the second seed in the Eastern Conference is still up for grabs, but at this point looks like the Knicks have a stranglehold on it.  The Knicks will start a back-to-back in Chicago Thursday night; the same place the Miami Heat lost their lengthy winning streak a few weeks back.

-Positives

Knicks Top Thunder as Win Streak Reaches 12

AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, April 7^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 125 Oklahoma City Thunder: 120

The Knicks were doubted by many people heading in Oklahoma City today but left the arena by putting the rest of the Eastern Conference and NBA on alert; this is a team that means business.  The game was billed as Carmelo Anthony vs. Kevin Durant but it turned out to be much more than that as the Knicks needed a total team effort to drop the Thunder today.  The win today brings the Knicks to 50 on the season, the first time they have reached that plateau since the 1999-2000 season, and puts their magic number for the Atlantic Division at one.  The Knicks will look to extend their win streak and lockup the division title Tuesday against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden.

-Positive

Knicks Hold On Despite Furious Memphis Comeback Attempt

Photo Credit: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 27^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Memphis Grizzlies: 101 New York Knicks: 108

The Knicks came out on fire against the Grizzlies Wednesday night and cruised to a victory at Madison Square Garden.  The Knicks led by as many as 30 points but allowed the Grizzlies to get as close as five points in the fourth quarter after taking their foot off the gas.  The win ran the Knicks winning streak to six games, currently the longest in the NBA with the Heat’s 27 game winning streak ending tonight at the hands of the Chicago Bulls.  With the win the Knicks will be guaranteed to stay ahead of the Nets by at least two games and as many as three depending on how the Nets fare in Portland against the Trail Blazers.  The Knicks will look to extend their winning streak Friday night against the Charlotte Bobcats.

-Positives

• J.R. Smith is in the midst of quite possibly his best stretch of his career.  Tonight was the second straight game he scored at least 20 points in a half and second in a row he went for over 30, the first player to do that off the bench since Al Harrington in February of 2010.  Smith also tacked another game onto his game streak of shooting 50 percent or better.  Smith made a living at the free throw line tonight, knocking down 12 of his 13 attempts en route to a game high 35 points.  He shot 10 of 18 from the field and once again cut back on his three point attempts, taking only seven and knocking down three.  Smith also tied for the team high with seven rebounds and handed out two assists.  The Knicks have to love what they are getting from Smith right now as he is finally using his athleticism to his advantage.

• The Grizzlies disrespected Shumpert by putting slow footed power forward Zach Randolph on Iman Shumpert and he responded with as well as any player could have as he hit his first six shots of the game, four of which were three pointers.  Shumpert ended the game with 16 points, as he failed to score after making those first six attempts.  He added three rebounds, one assist and two steals as his hot start set the pace for the Knicks and was a big reason why they blew the Grizzlies out in the first half.  

• The Knicks defense in the first half could not have been any better.  They were rotating and closing out on three point shooters and shutting down the Grizzlies attack.  They allowed the Grizzlies to score only 41 points in the first half.

• The rebounding for the Knicks tonight was also very good.  They were outrebounded 34-31 but that has to be taken as a positive for the Knicks who were shorthanded to start the game up front and got even smaller when Marcus Camby was ejected from the game early in the third quarter.  Kenyon Martin was in foul trouble for most of the night leaving the Knicks scrambling with lineups including Chris Copeland, Steve Novak and Carmelo Anthony playing center.  For all of the problems they faced, losing the rebounding battle 34-31 is a win in my book.

• The offense, even with the struggles they had in the second half, ended up with very good percentages.  The Knicks shot 51.4 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from the three point line.  The hot start enabled the Knicks to open up a huge margin over the Grizzlies, maybe too big of a margin as the Knicks took it easy in the second half and had to fight towards the end to pull out the win.

-Negatives

• The effort in the second half on both sides of the court was not there for the Knicks in the second half.  They did not have the same energy or focus as they allowed the Grizzlies come within five points in the fourth quarter after being up by as many as 30.  The Knicks offense stalled while the defense relaxed, as the Grizzlies outscored the Knicks 60-39 in the second half.  The Knicks will need to give effort for all four quarters if they expect to make noise in the playoffs, playing only half of the game will not cut it.

·         The Knicks fouled too often in this game, a big factor in the Grizzlies getting back into the game.  On the night the Knicks had 25 fouls, equaling 35 free throw attempts by the Grizzlies.  The Grizzlies were able to take points off the lead without time running off the clock as the Knicks got into the penalty with less than three minutes passed in the third quarter.  The Knicks also lost their composure for a little while in the second half, as Marcus Camby picked up two technical fouls early in the second half and Anthony followed that up with one of his own when he felt the referees weren’t giving him enough calls.

  

W2W4: Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks

Bleacher Report

Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, March 27^th, 2013

Pre-Game News and Notes

Memphis Grizzlies vs. New York Knicks

With all of the attention being on the Heat currently and their 27-game winning streak it is understandable that people are not aware that the Knicks actually hold the second longest win streak in the NBA currently at five games.  The Knicks will look to run that streak to six games tonight with a win against the Grizzlies.  This is the second matchup between the teams this season with the Grizzlies taking the first meeting 105-95 all the way back in November.  Here are some things to look for in the game tonight.

-Can Knicks Compose Themselves?

The last time these two teams took the court together the game was very physical with little altercations taking place throughout the game.  The Knicks were unprepared for this and let it get the Grizzlies’ physicality and the referees get into their head and throw them off their game.

J.R. Smith got into it with Jerryd Bayless and picked up a technical foul and head coach Mike Woodson also picked up a technical for arguing calls.  The Knicks were unhappy with how physical the game had gotten and how the referees handled it and did not respond in a good manner.

Throughout the season the Knicks have been rattled by teams that play them physically and get under their skin.  Will that continue tonight?  Both teams will look different tonight on the court with plenty of roster moves and injuries changing the landscape of both teams.

Rasheed Wallace said it best after the first game, “They’ve still got to come to the Garden.”  The Knicks should respond differently tonight being home and prepared more for what to expect.

-Injury Concerns

For the second night in a row the Knicks will not be the only banged up team taking the court.  The Knicks will most likely be without All-Star center Tyson Chandler again as he told reporters earlier today that he was most likely sitting out with pain still lingering in his neck. 

Thankfully for the Knicks they will be going up against a team for the second straight night without their best big man as the Grizzlies’ starting center Marc Gasol will miss the game with an abdominal injury.  Gasol is a vocal point in the Grizzlies’ offense and he will be missed a lot on the court; but not by the Knicks.

The Knicks should let Chandler rest as much as he needs.  The playoffs are much more important than these games currently right now and they haven’t missed him too much on the court, going 5-2 without him with big contributions from his fill-in Kenyon Martin.

-Bench Brings It

The Knicks have fared quite well in the second games of back-to-backs, going 10-6 thus far this season.  One reason for this is a strong bench, something the Knicks have.  The Knicks bench averages 40.8 points per game, second best mark in the NBA.

Led by J.R. Smith the Knicks bench is capable of carrying the offensive load for long periods of time.  They will need Smith to have an efficient game again like he did last night against the Celtics as the Grizzlies are second in the NBA in defensive efficiency.  He will not able to do it alone and will need help from the likes of Steve Novak and Chris Copeland if the Knicks are to score enough to beat the Grizzlies.