Things just can’t seem to go the Knicks way so far this season. Thursday night the Knicks played arguably one of their better games in the Garden this season. The team showed heart, toughness and a desire to win that we’ve yet to see from them on a consistent basis. Unfortunately their efforts were in vain as they fell to the Cleveland Cavaliers 87-90. The Knicks led for most of the game, but Cleveland pulled ahead late in the 4th quarter. New York had a 8 second violation called against them that was very questionable. It was debatable whether Shane Larkin had possession of the ball, when in a scramble he threw the ball behind his back to save it. This was pivotal because then the momentum swung back into Cleveland’s hands.
The Knicks still had a chance to tie in the closing seconds, but Carmelo Anthony missed a late contested three pointer. The rebound was back tapped out, and Jose Calderon hit the three pointer after the buzzer sounded, which brought up questions as to who should have taken the last shot. It was a heartbreaking way to lose for both the Knicks and Knicks fans that were in the Garden. It was a game that New York definitely should have won, considering they were in the driver’s seat for most of the game.
Anthony had an off night as he only scored 9 points (10 rebounds) on 4-19 shooting, and Iman Shumpert had a scoreless game in a starting role. You would think this would be a recipe for a blowout defeat, considering these were New York’s two most consistent players this year. However Amar’e Stoudemire had another great game, adding 18 points and 9 rebounds. Stoudemire has proven that when healthy he is a tough person to guard down low, and can still board with the best of them. Tim Hardaway Jr. led the team with 20 points, including 4-8 shooting from downtown. Quincy Acy also had a strong game worth noting. He had 15 points and 6 rebounds, and was tenacious in his defensive efforts.
Kyrie Irving was the deciding factor in the Cavaliers win as he hit a late, tough layup to put them up by 3 points. He finished with 37 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. He was unguardable all game, and really hurt the Knicks with his penetration. Lebron James (19 points, 12 assists) and Kevin Love (11 points, 11 rebounds) added double doubles which helped propel Cleveland to its 10th victory on the season. 42 points in the paint, and New York’s inability to close games is what ultimately led to their demise.
The Knicks would have little time to sulk over their defeat, as they got on the plane and flew to Charlotte for the 2nd game of a back to back to play the Hornets who they had beaten earlier in the Garden this season. This game would be far different from their first game, as the Charlotte Hornets for 3 quarters, out worked and out played the Knicks. Towards the end of the 3rd quarter the Knicks were down 20 points and looked dead in the water. They didn’t look to have the same fire that they had the previous night against Cleveland.
Then Anthony turned on the scoring, and the Knicks slowly crept back into the game. Anthony had 15 points alone in the 4th quarter. Including back to back three’s late in the fourth quarter which put New York up by 1 point. The Knicks stopped Charlotte on the next possession and had a chance to go up by 3 with less than 10 seconds remaining. However, Anthony took and missed a shot that showed poor shot selection. Charlotte would then call a timeout, and win the game on a difficult left hand layup by Kemba Walker in traffic. The 102-103 defeat would be New York’s 7th straight loss, and brought them to a 1-9 road record.
Anthony finished the game with 32 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. He was the only Knick starter over double digits in scoring. JR Smith added 14 points in 31 minutes off the bench. Hardaway Jr. had another double digit scoring game off the bench with 13 points. The scoring on Charlotte’s side was much more balanced as 4 different starters had double digits in points. They were led by Al Jefferson who had a strong double double (16 points, 13 rebounds), and Gerald Henderson’s 22 points. Lance Stephenson, a New York native, always seems to play harder against the Knicks. He filled the stat sheet with 16 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds.
The Knicks can’t keep digging holes for themselves early on in games. It seems as though they don’t start to play until they are down big. They expend so much energy trying to come back, that they don’t have enough in the tank to finish and secure a win. This was the case as they allowed Kemba Walker to drive down the lane and score on New York’s interior defenders. Watching the play unfold, it should have never been allowed especially since New York had a foul to give. Charlotte finished the game with 52 points in the paint, which cannot happen. This is another game where the Knicks allowed an alarming amount of interior points, and needs to be fixed immediately. They have done a better job defending the three point line, but allowing too many free throw opportunities and points in the paint have prevented them from ending this losing skid. It won’t get any easier as they have to face the 15-4 Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night.
Barry Holmes/Pure Sports NY.