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 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

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

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.

Knicks Fall to Thunder Behind Near Triple-Double for Durant

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, February 9^th, 2014

New York Knicks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were outmatched in every facet of the game Sunday afternoon as the Thunder defeated them handedly 112-100. The Knicks had a strong first half but closed poorly and the poor play carried over into the second half when the Thunder took control of the game. A game that was billed as a battle between two of the top scorers in the NBA fell short of expectations and judging from the score you know which team’s big scorer it was. The Knicks will look to finish on a high note heading into the All-Star game Wednesday night against the Sacramento Kings at Madison Square Garden.

Player of the Game: Jeremy Tyler

Tyler saw his minutes cut from Friday night’s game but he still gave the Knicks some positive and productive play. Tyler saw only 11 minutes on the court but he made the most of them, scoring 10 points and grabbing five rebounds. He also recorded one block, as his activity on the defensive end is a nice thing to see. With how productive he has been in limited minutes it would be a good idea for the Knicks to start expanding his playing time and see what he could do with more time on the court. Right now he is one of the few bright spots in a dark season.

-Positives

Total Team Effort Results In Blowout Win For Knicks Over Nuggets

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, February 7^th, 2014

Denver Nuggets vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to ride the momentum from their tough game Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers and turn it into a blowout victory over the Nuggets by a score of 117-90. Every Knick had the knack tonight as Walt 'Clyde' Frazier would say, as every player finished with a positive +/- ratio and brought something positive to the game tonight. The offense was rolling for the Knicks and the defense was on point as the Knicks made a very explosive Denver team look like they were stuck in the mud. This was an imperative game for the Knicks on their home court and they delivered a total team effort. The Knicks will look to keep the good play going Sunday afternoon when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in a matinee at 1 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Jeremy Tyler

Joe Camporeale/USA TODAY Sports

With the Knicks looking like they were going to be blown out, the bench came into the game and got things going. One of the catalysts off the bench was Tyler, who recorded his best game statistically with the Knicks, finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Tyler brought the energy and spark to the team tonight that they needed to get going and he was rewarded by Mike Woodson with extended minutes in the first half. He looks like he has fun when he is on the court and it is something that is contagious for the rest of the team. Tyler also added two assists and one steal, which he finished with a highlight dunk to get the crowd into a frenzy. Tyler, along with Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni, finished with a team high +18. He has filled in well with Martin absent and looks like he has earned playing time even once Martin comes back as a spark off the bench offensively and as a rebounding force.

-Positives

Knicks Steamroll Cavaliers For 4th Straight Win

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Thursday, January 30^th, 2014

Cleveland Cavaliers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to keep the good times rolling Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, blowing out the Cavaliers 117-86. The Knicks offense was clicking and they got out to an early lead on the Cavaliers and never let up off the gas; they never were in real danger of losing the game. More importantly the shorthanded Knicks, who had only 10 able bodied players available, were able to get some rest for their starters tonight heading into a big match up with the Miami Heat Saturday. It was nice to see the Knicks come out and handle business against a team they have routinely struggled against in recent seasons as they could have easily looked past this game to the weekend. The win tonight also clinches a .500 home stand at worst, something that did not look remotely close to happening after the first three games. The Knicks will look to keep their winning streak in tact Saturday in the final game of the home stand against the reigning champion Heat.

Knicks Exact Some Revenge and Blowout Celtics

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Tuesday, January 28^th, 2014

Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks were able to exact some revenge on the rival Celtics tonight, blowing them out 114-88; the score does not even do justice to just how much the Knicks outplayed the Celtics tonight. The Celtics came into Madison Square Garden December 8^th and gave the Knicks their third worst defeat in franchise history so tonight put a smile on their faces. It was a solid team effort as everyone did their part tonight to get the victory, the third in a row for the Knicks. The win also evens their win and lose record at 3-3 during the eight game home stand. The Knicks will get back at it Thursday night again at Madison Square Garden against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 PM ET.

Player of the Game: Carmelo Anthony

NBA.com

The Knicks for once did not need Anthony to carry the offensive load himself, as the blowout victory enabled him to get some rest for once. But he was still a catalyst in the blowout victory, as he helped with a little bit of everything. Anthony fueled the blowout with 24 points, nine rebounds, four assists and four steals in only 28 minutes. Anthony got some much needed rest as the Knicks are extremely shorthanded currently in the front court. Anthony scored efficiently and kept his teammates involved, a potent combination for the Knicks this season as they improved their record to 13-3 when Anthony registers four or more assists in a game.

-Positives

The offense was clicking for the Knicks tonight, as they shot an impressive 53.7 percent (44-82) on the night, knocking down half their three pointers (10-20) in the process. Four other Knicks including Anthony scored in double figures, including a career high 17 points from Jeremy Tyler. Tyler has performed well in his limited minutes this season and looks to be a viable option for head coach Mike Woodson with all of the injuries ravaging the front court currently. Chandler added 12 to go along with 13 rebounds to give him his third double-double in his last four games as he continues to round into shape. J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. were the other Knicks in double figures, as the two are becoming a potent backcourt combination off the bench, scoring 17 and 16 points respectively. This was the second game in a row that the Knicks had five players score in double figures.

NBA.com

The defense was as effective as the offense through the first three quarters when the regulars were in. The Celtics were as cold shooting the ball as the temperatures outside, missing 12 of their first 15 three point attempts. On the night they shot 39 percent overall and an unsightly 27.3 (6-22) from the three point line. This looked nothing like the Celtics that routed the Knicks in December, as no one was able to really get going for Boston. Jeff Green led the way with 14 points.

-Negatives

It wasn’t all positive for the Knicks Tuesday night, as the injury bug reared its ugly head again. Kenyon Martin was returning from a five game absence and was barely able to make it through a half as he had a reoccurrence of his left ankle pain. Martin returned to the bench and was said to be able to return, but with the game in hand Woodson did not risk it, but the fact he had to leave the court at all is not good. Iman Shumpert was also injured in the game with a right shoulder injury. The Knicks could be without Shumpert for an extender period of time as the severity of the injury is not yet known, but he was not able to return to the court tonight.

W2W4: Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks; January 26th, 2014

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Sunday, January 26^th, 2014

Pre-Game News and Notes

Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks

The Knicks and Lakers will be playing a Sunday matinee at Madison Square Garden as the Knicks will continue their eight game home stand. This will be the Lakers sole visit to New York this season and the first time the two teams meet this year; the second will be in late March in Los Angeles. Here are some things to keep an eye on for this afternoon.

-Player News and Notes

The Knicks front court will be in dire straights once again as Amar’e Stoudemire, Kenyon Martin and Andrea Bargnani will all be out again. Metta World Peace will not suit up tonight either, leaving the Knicks with only 11 healthy bodies heading into the game and a dearth of depth at the forward spots. Jeremy Tyler expects to see minutes again, as should Cole Aldrich.

For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant will obviously not be gracing Madison Square Garden with his presence today, at least on the court as he recovers from knee surgery. He is expected to return before the All-Star break. It would have been quite intriguing to see what Bryant would have done after Carmelo Anthony broke his MSG scoring record Friday night. Xavier Henry, Steve Nash and Jordan Farmar will all also miss the game today as well.

Clippers Molly-Whop Knicks As Losing Streak Hits 3

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

Friday, January 17^th, 2014

Los Angeles Clippers vs. New York Knicks

Post Game Recap

The Knicks struggles continued Friday night as the Clippers defeated them at Madison Square Garden 109-95. The score does not do justice to just how poorly the Knicks performed as they were lucky to only lose by 14. The Clippers struggled to shoot the ball throughout the night, missing numerous open jump shots as the Knicks once again looked disinterested in the game. The shorthanded Knicks were unable to get anything going throughout the game on the offensive end as the Clippers stifled them throughout the night. The Knicks will look to right their wrongs Monday in a matinee affair with the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets at 2 PM ET at Madison Square Garden on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Player of the Game: J.R. Smith

Smith was inserted back into the rotation by Mike Woodson and he responded with one of his better performances of the season. Smith shot the ball efficiently, virtually the only Knick to do so, knocking down 9-18 from the field (3-7 3pt, 3-4 FT), adding four rebounds and two assists. Smith was game all night, playing tough defense and administering hard fouls to make the Clippers earn their points from the foul line instead of laying the ball in the basket. Smith, at least for one night, looked zoned in and ready to contribute to the team again after having a tumultuous season and especially last 10 days.

Match of the Game Recap:

Knicks Release Chris Smith, Sign Jeremy Tyler

By Kenneth Teape (@teapester725)

thatsenuff.com

In a move that should have never had to been made the New York Knicks recently released guard Chris Smith. Smith’s contract was guaranteed at $490,814 so the Knicks will not be saving any money in the transaction, just opening up a roster spot. Smith’s inclusion on the Knicks roster was not met positively by very many people. Many people believe Smith was added to the roster as a favor to JR Smith, the older brother to Chris.

Fans were not the only ones unhappy with Smith being on the Knicks roster as even an NBA player took notice and made his feelings known on twitter. Detroit Pistons point guard Brandon Jennings questioned Smith’s credentials compared to other players he felt were more deserving. The tweet drew the ire of JR, who was fined $25,000 for what many felt were threatening tweets at Jennings.