NEW YORK CITY- Monday afternoon the New York Knicks came in with a 16 game losing streak, which was the franchise’s longest in team history. The team had been playing with a lack of effort, and were getting blown out in most games they played. New York’s last win had been in Boston back in early December of last year. You have to go even further back to late November, to find the last home game that the Knicks won (against Philadelphia).
Martin Luther King Day has been not only a holiday, but also a Knicks tradition as well. They have been playing on MLK Day at home for the past 28 years. This year was a sellout, and their opponent was the New Orleans Pelicans. New Orleans would be without their two main stars Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis.
This game had a very different feel right out the gate. New York played with an intensity that we have not seen from them in months. The Knicks were hustling on defense, getting rebounds, and the offense actually looked fluid. It is not a coincidence that this happened while the Knicks started their two 10 day contract guys, Langston Galloway and Lou Amundson. They brought energy and passion that the rest of the team seemed to feed off of. The team cohesion that has been absent all season, put them up 53-41 at half.
The 2nd half, the Pelicans managed to creep back and made it very interesting down the stretch. However, the Knicks did not fold and were able to hold off the Pelicans 99-92, to end their 16 game losing streak. The key moment in the game was when Carmelo Anthony passed out of a double team to find an open Jose Calderon from downtown, which sent the Garden into a frenzy and sealed the deal. It was a great feeling to see the Garden faithful showing appreciation for how hard the team played and the energy was deafening.
The Pelicans were led by Tyreke Evans (23 points, 9 rebounds) and Eric Gordon (20 points, 5 assists). Omer Asik added a double double (11 points, 17 rebounds) as well, but it was not enough for a win.
New York was led by Carmelo Anthony (24 points, 9 rebounds) and Langston Galloway (21 points, 5 rebounds) who at times received “MVP” chants from the Garden. He has really provided the Knicks with a spark, and something positive to look forward to watching this season. His energy and fight to stay on the roster contract to contract has been infectious on the whole team, and it showed Monday with how hard the Knicks played. They will need to play with the same fire and desire when they face the 76ers Wednesday night in Philadelphia.
Barry Holmes/PureSportsNY