NY Knicks: On a day the Knicks would begin a home and home series with the division leading Raptors, reports surfaced that Knicks Chairman, James Dolan met with the team prior to Thursday’s practice and offered support for his beset head coach and players, reportedly telling them there would be no coaching change or any trading of players despite the current 9-19 record.
Carmelo Anthony missed his second consecutive game with a sprained ankle.Despite having eight, 1st quarter turnovers New York would lead by 7 going in to the second. Playing in his first regular season game against the franchise that drafted him as the #1 overall pick in 2006, Andrea Bargnani had a fine first half scoring 14 points to go along with 9 rebounds. This following his season low 16 minute performance on Christmas Day versus Oklahoma City. Bargnani has been struggling of late but looked to have a little more pep in his step facing his former team.
New York went led by as many as 12 points in the third but with 2:27 remaining and leading 69-61 Amar’e Stoudemire and JR Smith would combine to miss four consecutive free throws. This was the turning point of the game as Toronto from that point would outscore the Knickerbockers 34-14. Poor free throw and 2 point shooting did the Knicks in as they shot just 62% and 33% respectively. Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas each had double-doubles for the Raptors while Demar Derozen was the game’s leading scorer with 25.
Coach Woodson believes fatigue played a factor in them not being able to close out the game adding that K-Mart & Stat would receive more minutes in tomorrow night’s game, north of the border. Bargnani would follow up his superb first half with a paltry 4 points and 3 rebounds. After the game he wouldn’t use fatigue as an excuse putting it simply “we were not able to finalize the game, they played better at the end.”
Following the trip to Toronto, NY will then head to Texas to run the gauntlet against San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. They have a collective home record of 33-12.
Notes:
Carmelo Anthony has already been ruled out of Saturday’s game. Andrea Bargnani makes the first regular season trip to the place he once called home. Bargnani was booed vociferously by the Toronto fans in the preseason. Beno Udrih recorded his first double-double of the season. NY shot 53% from behind the arc.
Photo: Brad Penner USA TODAY Sports
Wilson Caicedo:PureSportsNY