Thursday, November 29, 2012

Knicks Outshoot Bucks

The game was close until the waning moment of the first half when the Knicks stretched their lead to ten. They kept expanding the lead early int he second half on route to a wide road victory.

The Bucks defense was porous and the team showed low energy after a 27-point comeback in their last contest. The Knicks took numerous open threes (11 for 21) after simply penetrating and dishing. The Bucks had no answer for Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony was 9 for 18 for 29 points in 30 minutes.Steve Novak shot 5 for 7 from three for 19 points.Tyson Chandler scored a bunch for a second straight game. Raymond Felton dialed down the shots (10 from the field for 12 points). J.R. Smith had an uncharacteristic low scoring night.

The Knicks struggled to score int he fourth, but the game was no longer in doubt at that point. New York won 102-88 and is now 10-4.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Knicks Fall to Nets

The Kncks did not experience their customary scoring balance in Brooklyn against the Nets last night. Carmelo Anthony had a hot and cold 35 points and Tyson Chandler was a magnet to the basket with 28.

Bricks from the outside, a propensity to over dribble, and a sieve-like defense took the Knicks back to the Mike D'Antoni era. The Knicks had 14 assists and 14 turnovers. The Nets only had 12 turnovers. And while the Nets only grabbed one more offensive rebound than did the Knicks, Brooklyn's boards were more timely.

Despite the Knicks poor play, and the notable absence of Jason Kidd, New York was still in the game. With the score tied, Carmelo Anthony inexplicably shot too early. He should have made sure his shot was the final one in regulation. Instead, he pulled up and clanked a jumper. The Nets rebounded the ball, but moved before timeout was called. Had Carmelo made the basket, the Nets would have had plenty of time to score as they would have moved the ball to the 28-foot line after calling timeout.

In the overtime, the Knicks were flat. Brooklyn took the period 12-5. The Knicks lost 96-89. The team is now 9-4.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Knicks Cruise over Pistons

The Knicks ended a two-game slide with a win over the Detroit Pistons in Madison Square Garden. For the first time this season, the Knicks penetrated into the paint and dished out for open threes in the route.

The Knicks three-point shooting was very impressive. They went 17-33 from out there. New York won each of the first two quarters by ten points. Six players scored in double figures. Carmelo Anthony had 29 on 10 for 18 shooting. He was 4 for 5 from three. Steve Novak was 5 for 7 from downtown for 18 points. Rasheed Wallace had 15 on 3 for 5 shooting from three. J.R. Smith had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Raymond Felton had 14 points and 10 assists.

The Knicks only turned the ball over 11 times as opposed to 24 assists. Detroit had 19 turnovers and 13 of them were Knicks' steals. The Pistons were most effective when Greg Monroe had the ball in his hands. He's an excellent passing big man and has superb court vision. But the Pistons go stretches without giving him the ball.

The Knicks won 121-100 to advance to 9-3.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Knicks Fall to Mavs after Uneven Performance

The Knicks stayed in the lead for much of the first half and on into the third quarter. Hot three-point shooting was responsible for the Knicks lead. Jason Kidd (17 points, 5 steals) played superbly in his first game back in Dallas since leaving the Mavs.

The Knicks typical ball movement and pressure defense eluded them from the second half of the third quarter until midway through the fourth. Dallas had a 12 point lead in the final quarter when the Knicks stormed back.

Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and Tyson Chandler added 21 on 8 for 9 shooting. Chandler was on the receiving end of key alley oops in the fourth. Raymond Felton also continued his strong play with 18 points and 11 assists, although he sometimes styles himself as a scorer rather than a distributor. The bench shot only 10-24 and only eight players saw time in this game. it was the first time the Knicks depth didn't come into play this season.

The Knicks nearly came back. Carmelo Anthony made a spinning 180 degree layup as he barreled into a moving Vince Carter. But Anthony was inexplicably assessed with a foul. Later, he glided to the basket before Chris Kaman smacked him in the face.

O.J. Mayo scored 27 for Dallas and Carter added 25 from the bench. Anthony had a chance to win it, but Shawn Marion hung right with him. Anthony was forced to double pump on his jumper and the attempt came up short. Dallas won 114-111. The Knicks are now 8-2.

Head Coach Mike Woodson deserves a ton of credit for the Knicks hot start this season. They're sharing the ball and working hard on defense. The team is 26-8 under Woodson since late last season.

Knicks Blowout Undermanned Hornets

This was a physical game. The Knicks struggled early, but eventually cruised past the Hornets in New Orleans to start a three game road trip. Carmelo Anthony led the offense early, scoring 19 of his 29 in the first quarter. Anthony shot 12-22 from the field, but there were a couple of plays when he should have passed off. One example was in the third quarter. Anthony took on the Hornets one on four and as a result failed to score.

The Hornets' unheralded bench cut a 14-point lead in the second quarter to crawl back into the game. The Knicks only led by 5 at the half. But the Hornets, without Anthony Davis or Eric Gordon, were no match in the second half. The third quarter decided things. Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith each scored 15. Ronnie Brewer continued his hot three point shooting, going 2-5 and chipping in 10 points.

Steve Novak has struggled to shoot the ball from long range this season. He was a woeful 2 for 10 in this one. But Felton picked him up with a 5 for 6 day from out there.The Knicks continued their ball control ways only turning it over 10 times.

The Knicks won 102-80 to advance to 8-1.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Back to their Winning Ways

The Knicks cruised past the Pacers at home today. After a close first quarter, the Knicks took control in the second. Neither team could put the ball in the basket during the early Sunday afternoon contest. Both shot under 40%. The Knicks took a 41-30 halftime lead.

Carmelo Anthony scored 26 on 9-22 shooting. J.R. Smith made half his shots and added 13 points. Ronnie Brewer had a strong third quarter scoring. Indiana' Paul George had 20 points, but shot poorly.

The Knicks defense has been much improve since Mike D'Antoni stepped down last season. That improvement has carried over into this year. Indiana just had an off game (perhaps after a night on the town) offensively, but it shows the Knicks can win an up-and-down scoring bonanza or a halfcourt slugfest.

The Knicks won 88-76, but the game was never really in doubt from the second quarter on. The Knicks are now 7-1 and in the midst of a grueling part of the schedule. Last week, the Knicks faced two top teams on the road in consecutive days when they faced the Spurs and Grizzlies. This game against a team that made the playoffs last year came 36 hours after the loss to the Grizzlies. Next, the Knicks have three road games this week. It's a good thing the Knicks have sufficient depth.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Knicks Suffer First Loss

The Memphis Grizzlies continued their strong play against the Knicks yesterday. But the Knicks hung tough on the road in the first half . In the second half, the Knicks were the victim of a string of bad calls and did not handle the injustices well.

Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton had the best shooting numbers. Both made 50% of their field goals and scored 20 and 18 points respectively. Felton missed all three of his threes. As a team, the Knicks only made 5 of their 19 shots from long distance.

The Grizzlies dominated down low, but the biggest reason for their win was the roll they went on in the third quarter. Memphis won the third 31-18. The Knicks' bigs got into foul trouble int heat period thanks to a string of questionable calls. But the Knicks also focused more of the refs than on the Grizzlies in that stretch. Cynical laughing could be heard from the Knicks' bench.

The Knicks were assessed four technical fouls. More importantly, the turnover battle was close. For the first time this season, the Knicks committed more.

A road loss to one of the best teams in the NBA is nothing with which to be ashamed. The Knicks showed good fight in the fourth. But the unraveling in the third was unexpected from such a veteran team. Memphis won 105-95. The Knicks are 6-1.

Friday, November 16, 2012

By Limiting Turnovers, Knicks Convince Doubters

The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs on the road last night, a team that had only lost once before yesterday. New York turned the ball over only 7 times on route to a hard fought victory.

The Knicks stayed with the Spurs early, as both teams lit it up. The Knicks hit 7 of their first 10 three-pointers. Both teams scored over 30 points in the first quarter. Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith were throwing up a number of shots. Felton scored 25 points on 20 shots and J.R. smith added 17 points. But the Spurs hung tough and a Danny Green trey actually gave the Spurs the lead at the half.

The third quarter was a scrappy affair. The Knicks showed that they're not simply a three-point shooting team. Ronnie Brewer and Carmelo Anthony were willing to fight for the ball on separate occasions. But in the fourth quarter, the bottom fell out. It appeared that the Knicks' winning streak would end.

Anthony was struggling to score and the Spurs had turned themselves into a well-oiled machine. San Antonio went up 89-77 midway through the quarter. The Knicks couldn't keep Tony Parker out of the lane and couldn't prevent the ball from going to Tim Duncan once he was in it.

That's when the Knicks' three-point shooting came in handy. Jason Kidd went 4-6 from beyond the arc. Rasheed Wallace added 10 points on 2 for 3 shooting from out there. The Knicks had five players score in double figures. That doesn't include Anthony's or Brewer's 9 points.

The SPurs had no answer as their lead gradually chipped away. It seemed as if they were powerless to do anything about it. The Knicks continuously finagled their way into open threes and the Spurs failed to adjust. The Knicks won 104-100, but the Spurs were destined to lose once the Knicks had pulled ahead late int he fourth. The Knicks are now 6-0.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Knicks Win in Different Ways

There was no three-point barrage. The scoring was far from balanced. And yet, the Knicks still managed to find a way to win against the Orlando Magic last night.

Limiting turnovers, working the ball inside, and playing ball-hawking difference were the keys. The Knicks, who only shot 9-24 from beyond the arc. By the Knicks managed to force 20 turnovers while only committing 9 themselves. The Knicks have often utilized a swarming defense where two players crowd the man with the ball. It takes precise ball movement to beat it.

Carmelo Anthony had a marvelous offensive game, which was aided by his hot stroke from mid-range. He finished with 25 points on 11-25 shooting. The only downside was his inability to draw fouls against the smaller Magic. He shot only three free throws. Raymond Felton turned shooter and added 21 points with 5 assists on 9-23 shooting. J.R. Smith is still on fire. In 14 attempts, he made 9 of them for 21 points. He made both of his threes.

The Knicks got off to a- what is become- customary slow start. Orlando was at their peak. A team without stars, 7 men scored in double figures. New York has tended to surge late int he first quarter and did so again. At one point, the Knicks held a ten point lead. But that lead vanished as quickly as it was built.

Despite lackluster play in the first half, the Knicks stayed close with the surging Magic. The third and fourth quarters were turnover filled for the Magic and Smith filled for the Knicks. New York won 99-89 and is now 5-0.

One final note: Magic broadcaster Matt Guokas simply killed Tyson Chandler. He said Tyson whines and cries. He said Tyson was playing terrible and didn't deserve to be defensive player of the year last year. He said if someone came to this planet and were told that Chandler was the reigning defensive player of the year, that martian wouldn't believe it. It was relentless, puzzling, unprofessional, and uncharacteristic of Matt Guokas who is usually a good announcer.

Saturday, November 10, 2012

The Knicks Stay Hot

After trailing to the Dallas Mavericks in the first half thanks to O.J. Mayo's hot shooting, the Knicks gradually worked their way back and took the lead. By the fourth quarter, though the game was still close in margin, it was obvious Dallas wasn't going to win.

Mayo got into foul trouble which hurt the Mavs. Carmelo Anthony did as well. Anthony still played 34 minutes and scored 31 points on only 22 field goal attempts. The Mavs threw out several players to try and stop Anthony; none of them had the least bit of success.

Jason Kidd took over the game at the beginning of the the third quarter thanks to two impressive steals and drawing a foul on a jumpshot. But he only player 15, albeit productive, minutes. J.R. Smith continued his hot shooting ways with 22 points and Ronnie Brewer has been proficient from three point range. He had 13 points on 2-4 shooting from distance.

The Knicks have still moved the ball effectively. In this game,.they actually shot fewer three-pointers than their opponents for the first time this season. And Marcus Camby saw his first action of the season. Raymond Felton added 9 assists and only 2 turnovers as the Knicks cruised to a 104-94 victory at home. The Knicks are now 4-0.

Friday, November 09, 2012

Schadenfreude

Rarely do I feel pleasure from the pain of others. I often hope people with misplaced values learn their lesson, but I don't wish harm on them. But Tuesday night, the crumbling of two terrible men brought me so much enjoyment.

Karl Rove had a mental breakdown as he witnessed over a hundred million dollars of money his Super PACs had raised squandered dramatically thanks to the will of the American voting public. I once saw Rove screaming at an Iraqi student during a question and answer session. The student had dared to question Rove's worldview. Instead of engaging with the student on any kind of intellectual level, Rove screeched at the student that Saddam had rape rooms and the student's sister and mother would have been raped if the U.S. had not invaded.

I haven't heard a worse comment in private, let alone a public setting. It showed me that Karl Rove does not have the ability to emotionally or intellectually process a challenge to his beliefs. This was exposed on Tuesday night. Rove challenged mathematics and looked like a fool in doing so. When the reality of the election did not fit what he believed would happen, he couldn't accept blame as would an emotionally well- adjusted person. He whined and pouted and cried bloody murder. To see a man like that falter before our very eyes on national television filled me with an unimaginable glee.

During the campaign, Roscoe Bartlett compared federally funded student aid programs to the Holocaust. Holocaust comments tend not to offend, me but this one did. I wrote Congressman Bartlett a letter. The octogenarian congressman from Maryland replied in such a callous manner as to add to the original offense.

Tuesday night, Roscoe Bartlett suffered a defeat he thoroughly deserved. He is a man, though old enough to have lived during the Holocaust, who could not understand how hurtful and despicable his comments actually were. He thought politics was a game and the people his pawns. Bartlett was wrong. The people didn't want him. They reminded old Roscoe that he has truly outlived his time. And I couldn't be more glad.

Tuesday, November 06, 2012

Maryland Ballot Iniatives

Here's a helpful friendly voter's guide to enable you to sift through the morose language of the ballot questions in Maryland.

Question 1 and 2: For because judges should probably have law degrees.

Question 3: For because if an elected official is convicted of a crime, why wait until sentencing to oust him? Get that sucker out as soon as he's convicted.

Question 4: For because if someone pays state income tax, they should be allowed to pay in-state tuition if they fail to get into Brown and have to settle for their safety school, UMBC.

Question 5: Against because these gerrymandered districts are ridiculous. Did you know that Washington and Harford Counties are in the same congressional district as northern Montgomery County (you know, where people actually live), because apparently those bumpkins are supposed to have similar concerns as us.

Question 6: For because as long as I'm not forced to marry a man, I don't care if you do... as long as I don't have buy a wedding present, I have to do enough of that already.

Question 7: Against because the way I see it voting for question 7 is for people who love the debaucherous shithole that is Charles Town, West Virginia, but wish it was closer to home.

Monday, November 05, 2012

The Knicks Grab Third Straight Blowout Victory

The Knicks are 3-0 after defeating the Sixers 110-88 in Philadelphia. After trailing 14-4 early, the Knicks used ball movement, hot shooting, and toughness download to storm past the 1-2 76ers. The Knicks had 7 players score in double figures. Carmelo Anthony struggled shooting early, but ended with a team high 21 points on 7-16 from the field.

Raymond Felton had another strong game with 16 points and 8 assists. J.R. Smith continued his strong shooting with 17 points and added a thunderous "and 1" dunk in the fourth quarter. Rasheed Wallace added 10 and Pablo Prigioni scored 11.Ronnie Brewer was 3 for 4 from long distance and Tyson Chandler added 14 points.

Two strengths of this team is toughness down low and ball movement. Both can be attributed to the veterans the team has added. Jason Kidd, Prigioni (a 35-year old NBA rookie), Kurt Thomas, and Rasheed Wallace have helped to change the culture. Anthony and Chandler are also intimidating presences in the paint and Felton has shown a propensity to make the extra pass.

Crisp offense, efficient shooting, and hardnose defense are a recipe for a an excellent season. The question is whether or not the team will be able to work in some injured pieces when they become available.

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Knicks Route Sixers With Long Range Bombs

The Knicks stayed undefeated after two home games against playoff teams. Today, they defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 100-84. In this game, the Knicks shot 11-27 from three-point range, although a few late misses lowered the team's percentage.

For the second consecutive game, the Knicks forced more turnovers than assists given up. Philly had 18 TOs and 14 assists. The Knicks' numbers in those stats were reversed. The Knicks had four players score in double figures led by Carmelo Anthony's 27. He shot 10-18, which was much more efficient than his performance in the season debut.

J.R. Smith was hot, scoring 20 points on 4 of 5 shooting from long range. He added 9 rebounds. The elders, Jason Kidd and Kurt Thomas contributed in their own ways. Kidd had a couple of slow-developing drives that ended in lay ups. It was a welcome change from the long range barrage that defined this game. Thomas added 5 points and 5 boards in 18 minutes. His toughness and grit around the basket clearly helped the club.

The Knicks are shooting too many threes, but as long as they go in, New York will continue to win. The ball movement from the team was especially impressive, but it would be better to work the ball to the open man down low, rather than so far away from the basket.

Saturday, November 03, 2012

The Knicks Win Season Debut

The Knicks walloped the defending champion Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden last night, 104-84. While it was an impressive win, the Knicks relied too much on outside shots. They shot 19-36 from three-point range.

Carmelo Anthony was solid with 30 points. He often took open shots, although he shot a paltry 10-28 from the field. But the Knicks were +24 when Anthony was on the floor. At one point, he decided to pull up far outside the three-point line, ascended into the air and knocked down the long range bomb.

All in all, the Knicks had six players score in double figures. The Knicks piled up 27 assists and only turned over the ball 12 times. The Heat, on the other hand, committed 21 turnovers and dished only 18 assists.

The Knicks are now 1-0, but need to work the ball inside more often to achieve similar success forthcoming.