NBA Midseason Award Winners and Losers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

The NBA season has officially hit the midway point as multiple teams have started their second half of 41 games. This season has been one of the craziest so far as some teams have risen to the top quicker than expected, others have bottomed out and some are riding roller coasters that would make the people of Six Flags blush. There have been almost as many individual surprises throughout the NBA as some youngsters have burst onto the scene and fans around the world are beginning to take notice. Check out the midseason award winners, losers and biggest surprises, both positive and negative, of an exciting first half of the NBA season.

http://video.news.com.au/v/158111/Is-LeBron-James-Sold-on-His-New-Nike-Sneaker

MVP – LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat

Pacers Run Knicks Out Of Indiana In Blowout

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 17^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were embarrassed Thursday night in Indiana as the Pacers blew them out 117-89. The Knicks were a disaster after a strong first quarter as the Pacers eventually forced their will upon the Knicks. It was the second consecutive poor performance for the Knicks who had looked to have finally turned the corner after a strong Texas Triangle road trip. The Knicks were awful Thursday night but will have a chance to get things back together as they will be right back at it Friday night at Madison Square Garden to take on the Los Angeles Clippers.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

Brian Spurlock/USA TODAY Sports

Anthony looked to be the only Knick who showed up to Indiana ready to play a basketball game. Like plenty of times this season Anthony attempted to put the team on his back and carry them; against lesser teams he is capable but not against a team as strong as the Pacers. On the night Anthony scored 28 points (8-17 FG, 3-3 3pt, 9-9 FT), grabbed eight rebounds and one assist. The Knicks need to offer Anthony more help if they ever expect to beat or even at least keep pace with the Pacers.

Match-Up of the Game Recap

W2W4: New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers; January 16th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 16^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers

Pre-Game News and Notes

The Knicks will look to get back into the win column Thursday night against the Indiana Pacers after a lackluster performance Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. The Knicks will have their hands full against the top seeded team in the Eastern Conference, as the Pacers currently hold a 30-7 record. The Knicks looked tired against the Bobcats and cannot afford to come out with the same energy against the Pacers or they will be blown out of the gym. The Knicks usually get up for games against top teams, evident by the start to 2014 they have had. Here are some things to keep an eye on during the game.

-Player News and Notes

Tyson Chandler was limited to only 16 minutes in Tuesday night’s loss in his first game back from an upper respiratory infection. He will have to give the Knicks more tonight against a very talented and deep front line the Pacers deploy. Pablo Prigioni still is in street clothes and his return is unknown. The Pacers have no reported injuries and will have their full compliment of players tonight.

-What’s Up with J.R.?

Knicks Give Extreme Effort, But Fall In OT To Pacers

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Wednesday, November 20^th, 2013

Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

When quite possibly the best game you play in the season results in a loss you know things are going tough and that is exactly how it is going for the Knicks tonight after they lose their fourth straight game, fifth at home, to the Pacers 103-96. The Knicks effort was there from the start as they jumped out to a 13-0 lead but the little mental things that separate a contending team from a pretender reared their head again as the Knicks were unable to get over the hump and take down the Pacers. Morale victories do not help much in the standings but the Knicks do reside in what is the worst division in the NBA right now so they are right there in the standings. Hopefully this game shows them how they need to play in every game and they can build something positive from it. The Knicks will have a couple of days off before embarking on a road trip that starts in Washington to take on the Wizards Saturday night.

Player of the Game: Beno Udrih

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Udrih had a horrendous game last night against the Detroit Pistons but bounced back in a big way tonight against the Pacers. Udrih filled the stat sheet unlike any point guard had for the Knicks this season, scoring 19 points, handing out four assists and grabbing eight rebounds. Udrih was aggressive on the offensive end and made a number of circus shots as he oozed with confidence as the game went on. He shot eight of 15 from the field, including three of four from the three point line. The offense also looked good with him on the court as he has the versatility to run a number of different things from the point guard position and mesh with his teammates. For one game, and hopefully for the near future, Udrih looks like the point guard the Knicks have been seeking.

Nets Fall to Unbeaten Pacers

By Ryan McDonald(@RonnieMac90)

Coming off a depressing defeat to the Washington Wizards in overtime, the Nets did not right the ship in Brooklyn against the Pacers; losing 96-91 on Saturday. Both teams were on the second half of  a back to back. The Nets had an opportunity to send the game into overtime in the final seconds but Joe Johnson couldn't connect with an open look from 3.

MVP Candidate Paul George put in 24 points and was clutch down the stretch hitting big shots. David West put in 18 points as well, and seemed to have an open jump shot the entire night. Whether giving West that shot was by design or simply missed assignments I couldn't tell as it happened so often.

Positives -

The Brooklyn Nets bench continued to impress. Thought to be their weakness going into the season has turned into one of their strengths. It was their bench that saved the Nets from the game turning into a blowout early in the first quarter. Mason Plumlee out worked his counterpart Ian Mahimi for 3 rebounds and 6 points. Livingston showed once again that he can run the 2nd unit effectively. Unfortunately, other than the stretch of play in the 1st and 2nd quarter, the 2nd unit was not seen again.

Brook Lopez fended off Roy Hibbert fairly well. Hibbert shot 7-17 from the field and finished with 15 points. Post defense against elite centers is something Lopez has struggled with. Lopez was dominated by Marc Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins a season ago, so it's nice to see improvement. Hibbert's not exactly the offensive dynamo like those two, but Lopez made Hibbert work on every shot.

Negatives -

Kevin Garnett continued his struggles on the court. He shot 3-7 from the field for 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 turnovers. Garnett missed a couple of routine jump shots that he normally drills. This has been a theme so far in the early season and hopefully it can be fixed shortly.

 The Nets continued their late game struggles as they did against the Wizards. After managing to cut down the Pacers 4th quarter lead of 10 to 2, the Nets turned the ball over 3 times in the final 3 minutes of play. One was by Paul Pierce with under a minute to go as he was running to the corner in transition. Deron Williams also fouled George Hill on a 3 point shot with under 2 minutes to play. The Nets have been in games late 3 out of their 4 losses only to throw it away with bad mistakes.

Hopefully with time and as chemistry develops between the new pieces the Nets acquired, they'll be able to fix these late game issues.

NBA: Eastern Conference Predictions

By Ryan McDonald (@RonnieMac90)

With the start of the NBA season just around the corner, it's time to play psychic with the regular season standings of the Eastern Conference.

The Miami Heat were the 1 seed last year, can they claim the 1 seed this year? Do they even care about being the 1 seed? I don't think so. Thus, this leads to the new 1 seed..

1. Indiana Pacers - (Last Season: 49-32) - Lost in the return of Derrick Rose is Danny Granger, who is returning to the Pacers after missing all but 4 games of last year. Once thought to be their franchise player, Granger will now hopefully come off the bench in a 6th man role.

In addition to Granger, they also added C.J. Watson and Luis Scola to their bench. Watson is the backup point guard the Pacers desperately needed in their series against the Miami Heat last year. Struggling to bring the ball up the court on numerous possessions, Watson looks to fix that problem and also bring some three point shooting as well. For Scola, he might not fit what they want in terms of defense, but he'll be able to replace the post scoring ability when Hibbert and/or West when they sit down.

Expect Paul George to continue to emerge as a star in this league. One of the best two way players in this league already, if he can improve his offensive game from last year, he can be one of those guys that fight for 2nd place votes in the MVP race (LeBron's winning again). And finally, one of the main reasons the Pacers only had 49 wins last year was due to Roy Hibbert's god awful play in the first half of the 2012-2013 season. Hibbert was shooting 41% from the field during that time. For a 7'2" center, that is god awful. It was mostly rectified in the 2nd half of the season, and especially during the postseason where he seemingly dominated a former defensive player of the year in Tyson Chandler. If Hibbert can average 48% from the field which is close to his career average, the Pacers should be able to attain the 1 seed with their top 5 defense.

Expected Record - 60-22

2. Miami Heat - (Last Season: 66-16) - The Heat didn't make any moves this off-season that improves their team unlike last season where they added Ray Allen. They'll have a full season of Chris Andersen instead of half, but everyone on this team is now a year older. Shane Battier and Ray Allen were considered old last year. As well as another year of wear and tear for Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

They still have LeBron, whom I expect to somehow improve like he does every season. However, I think they'll take more of a San Antonio Spur approach to the season which means lots of rest. They may have taken this approach if not for that 27 game win streak with their other players, especially Dwayne Wade who looked gassed in the postseason.

The Heat are no stranger to the 2 seed, in the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 season, they finished in the 2 seed. They went on to the NBA Finals each year. They're an older team, they can't afford to exhaust themselves in the regular season when it's championship or bust.

Expected Record - 58-24

3. Chicago Bulls - (Last Season: 45-37) - The Bulls get their former MVP back in Derrick Rose. So clearly they're going to improve as long as he stays healthy.

The Bulls won the 1 seed when Rose was healthy the last two years, so why are they in the 3 seed now? Well, the other teams around them have improved since last Rose played. The Heat won 2 championships, and the Pacers who are in the Bulls division have gotten significantly better.

They'll still contend for the 1 seed, I just don't think they have enough to make it.

Expected Record - 55-27

4. Brooklyn Nets - (Last Season: 49-33) - This team improved the most this offseason with their blockbuster trade with Boston. Acquiring Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry, and signing Andrei Kirilenko. However, their seeding is the same, 4.

The reason for this is because the teams above them aside from the Heat improved as well. They lost to a Roseless Bulls team in the playoffs, which was an embarrassment. Rose is now back.

KG gives them a great interior presence and Brook Lopez did improve in his help defense, but their backcourt struggled last year keeping bodies in-front of them. Paul Pierce and Jason Terry will only add to that problem.

Furthermore, the Nets hired rookie head coach Jason Kidd to lead the team. I like Kidd, I think he'll be a great head coach someday. But with this roster, and this pressure filled situation where it's championship or bust, is not great to learn coaching on the fly.

KG and Pierce will probably only play 20-25 minutes a game. Infact, I expect Kirilenko to average more minutes a game than Pierce does.

Expected Record - 51-31

5. New York Knicks - (Last Season - 54-28) - Last year, they were the 2 seed. How did they fall 3 seeds in one season? Last year, for the first quarter of the season, Carmelo Anthony was on fire. An early MVP candidate, Melo led the Knicks on a hot start but fell back to normal later. He suffered injuries late in the year which plagued him in the postseason. Melo rehabbed and looks back to his normal self. But is it enough?

Amar'e Stoudemire will most likely be on a minute cap of 20 for the entire season. JR Smith will be out the first month of the season recovering from offseason surgery. They lost Jason Kidd to retirement (and to the Nets).

They gained Andrea Bargnani who will look to start at the power forward position, moving Melo back to the small forward position. They also signed Metta World Peace to backup Melo.

 Bringing in Bargnani spreads the floor on offense as he can shoot the 3, but he can't rebound or defend. Amar'e, another power forward, also can't really rebound or defend. Kenyon Martin can do both, but can he get the minutes he deserves with these two on the roster? I guess you could play Martin or Amar'e at center to backup Tyson Chandler, but Martin would be undersized and Amar'e is just awful playing defense at center (great offensively).

Coach Mike Woodson will have to find a good mix with this roster.

Expected Record - 50-32

6. Washington Wizards - (Last Season - 29-53) - The Wizards. 6th. Someone had to be I guess. There's 5 teams I see fighting for the last 3 spots. I look at the Wizards roster and I think it's the best out of these teams.

John Wall hopefully will stay healthy this season and finally live up to all that potential he has. Bradley Beal will continue to improve off a strong rookie campaign. The drafting of Otto Porter Jr. gives them a good wing player and moves Trevor Ariza to the bench where he most likely belongs. They also brought in Eric Maynor to be their backup point guard which is a good signing.

No more 50 win teams though, that stops here.

Expected Record - 42-40

7. Cleveland Cavaliers - (Last Season - 24-58) - Where to start? They signed Andrew Bynum, they drafted Anthony Bennett. They get back Anderson Varejao from injury last year. They're one of the youngest teams in the league. But injuries.

Bynum is a huge question mark but what goes under the radar is that Kyrie Irving has yet to play a full season. Granted, he's only been in 2 seasons, but he also had an injury at Duke. He's injury prone. This is really a hit or miss team. If they can stay healthy, they'll make the playoffs easily, but it's a big if.

People forget however that Varejao was a beast before he got hurt. So I expect Bynum to only play 20 games (I'm probably being generous), I still think they make the playoffs with Varejao. They have a good young core and I expect Kyrie to play at least 70 games.

That being said, doesn't take much to snag one of these lower seeds in the eastern conference. Guess Cavs should be happy they're not in the West.

Expected Record - 39-43

8. Atlanta Hawks - (Last Season - 44-38) - They lost Josh Smith to free agency, still don't know why they didn't trade him. To fill the void, they signed Paul Millsap. Certainly a different skill set, and you lose something on the boards and defensively, but Millsap is the better offensive player currently.

They still have Al Horford, who is one of the better centers in the league. Elton Brand was also signed who is a serviceable big man at this point in time to come off the bench. Jeff Teague is a young point guard who can still improve.

Louis Williams should return mid-season from an ACL tear as well.

The negative is they're probably going to start Kyle Korver at small forward. They don't really have anyone better for the position, but Korver should be coming off the bench.  

Expected Record - 36-46

As for the snubs,

Detroit Pistons - (Last Season - 29-53) - They signed Josh Smith. They're going to play him at small forward. They're going to play Stuckey at shooting guard. This means, out of their starters, only Brandon Jennings can shoot threes effectively and he sometimes shoots too much.

The floor spacing is going to be terrible. Their frontcourt seems dominate on paper, with Smith, Monroe, Drummond. It's monstrous, but how effective can it be when 4 defenders have a foot in the paint at all times?

Expected Record - 34-48

Toronto Raptors - (Last Season - 34-48) - They get Rudy Gay for a full season, he's a solid player. I don't think he's a franchise player though, nor can he carry a team. Jonas Valanciunas had a decent rookie year, but I can't see him emerging as a legitimate post threat which is what the Raptors need.

Perhaps their season rests on the development of DeMar Derozan who's better known for his athleticism. If he can improve his range on his jumper, they'll do better than I expect.

Expected Record - 34-48

As for the Charlotte Bobcats, Milwaukee Bucks,  Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic, and Philadelphia 76ers, they'll be competing for the number 1 pick.

Knicks Replace Glen Grunwald as General Manager

KnicksGM.com

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

The New York Knicks, on the verge of training camp opening up next week, have made yet another change to the organization. The move has an impact on the whole organization but is not directly related to the roster as it was not a player being replaced; instead General Manger Glen Grunwald was replaced as GM and reassigned to an adviser role. Grunwald, who had been GM of the Knicks for the last two seasons, will be replaced by Steve Mills.

Hold on one second, that can’t be, no please don’t tell me; yes, that is the same Steve Mills who previously worked with the Knicks for 10 years as president and GM and hired Isiah Thomas. Thomas, who might be the only person unanimously disliked by the whole Knicks fan base, oversaw one of the least, if not the least successful stretch in Knicks franchise history. Nothing positive came out of the Mills tenure the first time around so it is fair that Knick fans are already becoming leery and nervous heading into a season that some people had high hopes for just a few days ago.

End of Season NBA Power Rankings

Derek E. Hingle/USA Today

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

With the NBA season officially coming to end Thursday night with the Miami Heat defeating the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals here are the final power rankings for the season.

1.) Miami Heat (66-16) – NBA Champions for the second consecutive season lands the Heat in the top spot. Was Game 7 the last time we will see the Big 3 of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh? But as long as Lebron James is on the team they will be title contenders.

2.) San Antonio Spurs (58-24) – They gave the Heat all they could handle in seven games but ultimately came up short. Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard put themselves on the NBA map and look poised to take over even more next season. Manu Ginobili’s struggles bring up the question of retirement for him as well.

3.) Indiana Pacers (49-32) – A surprising season in Indiana ended with a tough loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Paul George has emerged as a legitimate star taking over for the injured Danny Granger. Finding a way to get David West back into the fold and improving the bench will improve the Pacers’ chance of besting the Heat next season.

4.) Memphis Grizzlies (56-26) – A surprising sweep at the hands of the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals does not diminish a franchise best season in Memphis. How different will they look next season though in a full campaign without Rudy Gay and with a new head coach as Lionel Hollins was not retained?

5.) New York Knicks (54-28) – Some people are disappointed with a second round exit at the hands of the Pacers but it was yet another season of improvement for the Knicks. Bringing in another point guard and infusing some youth is a must for the Knicks to improve next season. Carmelo Anthony finally taking that next step wouldn’t hurt either.

Week in Review with Kenny and Nick: June 2nd, 2013

This week on the Week in Review with Kenny (@teapester725) and Nick (@ziggy26x) on the Bob Sullivan Show (@BobSullivanShow) everyone's favorite radio hosts talks a little about the NBA Draft Lottery and a little preview of some players to keep an eye on and the early direction some teams are leaning on which players to take.  After they will get into the Eastern Conference Finals and break down everything you need to know heading into the winner takes all Game 7 between the Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers for the right to take on the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals.  Finally they talk about the week in baseball, including the hottest and coldest teams and Nick will use his powers to call out teams to start playing better or tell them to slow it down a bit.

Follow the link below to listen in to the whole show!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/the-bob-sullivan-show/2013/06/02/week-in-review-with-kenny-and-nick

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

Knicks Offense Crumbles as Pacers Take Game 3

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Saturday, May 11^th, 2013

Game 3 Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 71 Indiana Pacers: 82

The three day layoff between Game 2 and 3 did not play out as the Knicks had hoped as they struggled to do much of anything in Game 3 against a stingy Pacers team to fall down two games to one in the series.  Even the return of Amar’e Stoudemire was not enough for the Knicks tonight, who just could not get it going on the offensive end tonight to get a victory.  It was a tough game to watch as the pace was very slow and deliberate, playing right into the Pacers’ hands.  The Knicks will need a much more spirited effort in Game 4 Tuesday night to avoid going into a deep 3-1 hole in the series.

-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.  

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers Matchup Preview

ESPN MediaZone

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

After exorcising some demons with their first round victory over the Boston Celtics, their first playoff series in 13 years, the Knicks will be taking on the Indiana Pacers in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.  This will be a tough, grind it out series just like the first one against Boston as the Pacers are not afraid to slow the game down and ugly it up by throwing it inside and letting their big men do their thing.  Both teams finished off their first round series in six games but took different paths getting there.  Here is a rundown of the matchups in the series and which team holds the edge.

Knicks Knock Off Celtics to Move onto 2nd Round

http://twitpic.com/cnz5l6

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, May 3^rd, 2013

Game 6 Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 88 Boston Celtics: 80

The Knicks have finally ended their 13 year draught and have advanced to the second round of the playoffs after a hard-fought series against the Boston Celtics.  The Knicks experienced almost everything a team can in a playoff series and will hopefully put this to use as a lesson heading deeper into the playoffs against better teams.  The Knicks almost squandered a big lead in the game tonight becoming complacent after going up 26 points in the fourth quarter.  The Knicks will take on the Indiana Pacers in the second round as they advanced past the Atlanta Hawks tonight as well and will get that series underway Sunday at Madison Square Garden.

-Positives

Nets Clinch 4th Seed with Win Over Pacers

indycornrows.com

By Nick Ziegler (@Ziggy26x)

April 12th, 2013

Brooklyn Nets vs. Indiana Pacers Post Game Recap

Final Score: Nets 117 Pacers 109

The Brooklyn Nets picked up a big win on Friday night against the likely third seed in the Eastern Conference in the Indiana Pacers. The win by Brooklyn guarantees that in just their first season in their new home the Nets will have home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Positives:

As it has been most of the second half of the season the Nets were led by Point Guard Deron Williams, and the win against the Pacers was in large part due to the great play from Williams. Williams scored a game-high 33 points on 10 for 23 shooting to go along with 14 assists. 20 of Williams points came in the second quarter making it the third time this season that he has scored 20 or more points in a quarter. Williams was unable to finish the game however, as in the final minute he hurt his left knee, and was forced to leave the game with a limp to the locker room.

Knicks Bounce Back Against Cavs Behind Melo and J.R.

AP Photo/Mark Duncan

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, April 12^th, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: New York Knicks: 101 Cleveland Cavaliers: 91

The Knicks had a great bounce back game against the Cavaliers tonight after a hard fought game in Chicago Thursday night.  The Knicks were able to get their main players some rest tonight, something that are very important as the playoffs approach and the Knicks cannot afford to suffer anymore injuries in the last three games before the playoffs start.  With the win tonight coupled with the Pacers loss to the Nets, the Knicks magic number for the second seed in the Eastern Conference sits at one game.  Ironically enough, the Knicks can clinch the second seed Sunday afternoon against the same Pacers team chasing them for it.

-Positives