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With their season dwindling, a looming 5 game west coast trip and a 7 game gauntlet to end the season all versus current, eastern conference playoff participants, the New York Knicks hosted a struggling, shorthanded Cavaliers team, one that was coming off a loss to the Rockets the night before and would be without the services of all-star PG, Kyrie Irving. Iman Shumpert would miss the game for the Knicks with the flu.
New York came out strong taking an early 7-0 lead but neither team would do much on the defensive end resulting in a fast paced, high scoring 34-27 first quarter lead for the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony in particular was cooking after misfiring on his first field goal attempt. Anthony then connected on 6 straight and JR Smith beat the buzzer with a long 3 point make.
During the Knicks current 8 game winning streak, 6 of those games culminated in double digit victories and for a while in the first half it looked like that’s the way this game was heading as well. New York ramped up its intensity defensively and was proving to be too much for Cleveland on the offensive end. That was nothing new to the Cavs as they had allowed Houston to amass 101 points through three quarters, Saturday night and with only 9 players in uniform one had to imagine if Cleveland would just pack in it.
Well, within 45 seconds after the half, Mike Woodson was compelled to call a timeout because Cleveland had cut their 15 point halftime deficit to 10 and before New York would get on the board the lead had would be only 6. Just like that those positive feelings New York had heading into the third were nullified with the Cavs emphatically proclaiming there were not there to just lay down for the playoff hunting Knicks. New York’s offense reverted back to the one on one mentality often resulting in ill-advised three’s or contested jumpers. No more ball movement or continuity with many trips being of the one and done variety.
That’s about the time where Jarrett Jack decided to take the game over. Neither, Raymond Felton or Pablo Prigioni could keep the former Georgia Tech guard out of the paint and with the Knicks now paying focusing most of their attention to Jack, Luol Deng briefly put Cleveland up 93-92 with a wide open three pointer. On the Cavs next possession Jack nailed a deep two putting his Cavs up for good as they would eventually open up a 6 point lead. With the Knicks now hoping for a comeback Jack hit the dagger, a pull-up jumper to seal the Knicks fate. Jack finished with the game with 31 points, 10 assists and 5 rebounds.
It was puzzling to see New York become so stagnant offensively refusing to ever feature Amar’e Stoudemire down the stretch even though he had 12 points on 6-10 shooting and has been one of the key contributors during New York’s, 8 game winning streak. The loss kept New York at 3 games behind Atlanta who lost earlier in the day for the 8th and final playoff spot.
Final
Knicks 100 Cavaliers 106
Notes:
Cleveland only had 9 players in uniform
Cleveland shot 61% from the field for the game including 77% (23-30) in the 2nd half.
Carmelo Anthony connected on all 12 of his free throws but missed all 5, 4th quarter field goals
New York had 5 players in double figures
Wilson Caicedo: PureSportsNY