Gamenight Live: Knicks at Celtics
Hot Rod here. A good test for the Knicks in Boston tonight even if the Celts are minus the Big Ticket. Should be an intriguing one.
Let's get this live game blog cranked up.
End of first quarter: Knicks 28, Celtics 26.
Leading scorers: Knicks -- Wilson Chandler 10; Celtics -- Paul Pierce 9.
What's happening: Quentin Richardson has banged in a couple of threes and even had a nice lefthanded layup (where was that Sunday?) despite getting hacked in the process. Chandler's jumper is money so far and an 18-6 run toward the end of the quarter puts the Knicks in control early. They had seven assists on their first 10 makes.
End of first half: Celtics 56, Knicks 47.
Leading scorers: Knicks -- Chandler 15; Celtics -- Leon Powe 14.
What's happening: Zach Randolph and Powe got into a minor tussle that resulted in double technical fouls. Nothing major, but the Celtics are flexing their muscles on the Knicks. No KG, no biggie. The Knicks transition defense is taking on a swiss cheese look and Boston is getting to the rim with ease. The Celts hit nine straight shots to gain control and took an eight-point lead midway through. Chandler remains hot and is one of the few bright spots.
End of third quarter: Celtics 89, Knicks 77.
Leading scorers: Knicks -- Chandler 17; Celtics -- Rajon Rondo 15.
What's happening: The Knicks are beginning to look like, well, the Knicks. They are a step slow on defense, their offense has no movement and they are settling for jumpers, mostly threes. They've been behind by double digits for most of the quarter and haven't been able to put a dent in the Celts' lead. Pierce and Ray Allen have had relatively quite nights, but their supporting cast is picking up the slack. There's been a lot of jawing with the refs. Mike D'Antoni and Nate Robinson both picked up technicals in the final minute.
Final score: Celtics 110, Knicks 101.
Leading scorers: Knicks -- Chandler 23; Celtics -- Pierce 22.
Final thoughts: After an OK first quarter, the Knicks never got in sync during the second and third quarters, and were down by 15 in the fourth before cutting it to four in the final minutes. Their comeback bid was too little, too late. Very few quality fastbreak attempts until the closing quarter and the Knicks weren't very good in their halfcourt sets, either. The Celtics exposed their lack of an interior presence and it's scary to think what they would have done in the paint if Kevin Garnett wasn't serving his league-imposed one-game suspension. That's two losses in a row for the Knicks, who head to Milwaukee Friday to play the Bucks.
E-mail
Facebook
Digg
Delicious
Comments (27)
WHY IS MALIK ROSE ON THIS TEAM ?????????? SOMEBODY TELL ME WHYYYYYYYYYYYY ???????
this season the knicks are beating the teams they are supposed toooo..
an if they beat the teams they are supposed to beat they will win 35-41 games...
i think jeffries will help in the middle more than alot of people think
cuz he is a defensive minded guy but last year zeke had him all over the place...
Q has to be benched or if u want a tougher lineup start Q at shooting
honestly i think the knicks can win more games with this lineup
jeffries
zach
chandler
Q
duhon--this lineup if mos def tougher...
can't wait for them trades........
stay tuned for more KnowLedge
Nice to see a coach with some passion out there.
Doesn't this bitch Quentin Richardson realize he's a total scrub? He says where he comes from (probably the same bitch hood as Isiah Thomas), they back up their smack. When has Q-Bitch ever backed up his smack? Along with Eddy Curry and Jamal Crawford, this scrub is the face of the Thomas Era and needs to go ASAP. Charles Oakley and John Starks or Anthony Mason wouldn't have been yapping if Pierce annoyed them. They would have dropped him on his head. Q-Bitch tries to be this leader and enforcer and all he is a scrub with a big mouth and no game.
@ Sergio - Agreed!
The Oakley No-layup rule should be instituted, you can go for the ball and still foul hard.
Even Zach got lazy and watched a couple dunks and lay-ups, when he should have been laying down the hammer hands to forbid them.
I've been looking forward to a Knicks team that doesn't include Rose or Q for some time. The problem for D'A is that he's inherited a team that is low on useful parts. Even the starters are far from a balanced group - is anyone surprised that the likes of Perkins have big games against the smurf-sized, defenseless Power Trio of Zach, Lee and Rose at the 4/5? To their credit, the Knicks are playing with more intensity then last year and pushing the ball, which is exhausting. Even with a short rotation you need subs. Keeping Balkman might have helped here, and Jeffries will at least bring NBA height when he comes back. In the short term though, D'A only going to play the guys who at least try and fit into his system, which means minutes for Q, Rose, Mardy (gasp) and even the deer in the headlights with a guarantee, Roberson. This should gradually change over the next couple of seasons as the roster is turned over.
Frustrating loss last night after seeing what defensive intensity there could have been the whole game.
While Q might be a decent defensive player, we can't have him in there at the end of games. This is two games in a row now where he missed clutch layups down the stretch.
I'm an eternal optimist, but think there's real reason to feel OK about this one though. They lost, but they battled. Showed some fight.
That tells me that the culture has changed at least. Last year's Knicks would have quit.
Do you realize that Jared Jeffries is NOT a shotblocker? If Malik Rose annoys you, wait until you see Jeffries. He's probably the most unskilled player in the NBA next to Jason Collins.
@ Matt B -
It is also good to see D'Antoni so into the games...I guess not seeing Phx games, I din't realize he was that crazy.
He basically told one of the refs, "F*** You" about 6x for his consistently bad calls.
I love D'Antoni's intensity. And that he seems to know when and how hard to ride the players when they mess up too.
Last night when he got that technical, it almost looked like a baseball manager getting thrown out of the game to rile up his guys. Seemed to work too. Knicks took it to another level the more and more heated he got.
Hopefully it carries over into the next few days. Nice chance here the next couple of games to stay above .500 before Cleveland comes into town.
Throw me in any category you want Dajoka but when we suck at the end of this year and next year and have no cap room to sign anyone then you will know your a moron. We have beaten the only teams that are worse than us and now we will continue to lose to anyone half way decent whether the have their stars healthy or not. Get a clue, this team sucks and will suck past 2010 if something isnt done before all of the guys value go back down after the give up at the all star break.
Setting morons straight
and keeping 2010 alive
with some Bulljive
Last night - was an ugly game the Knicks were strangely flat in the second, and I thought that those two huge Lee turnovers at the end of the third when it was down to single digits were killers. I'd like to see Chandler get to the line more, although he continues to show promise. The culture has changed, but I agree with Bulljive that big personnel changes have to be made. I figure this team for about 30 wins as presently constructed, an improvement over last season, but probably the ceiling for this group. Last year, Q was the worst starter in the NBA, and while he's improved a little, he lacks explosiveness, is undersized, remains a terrible shooter and despite whatever "intangibles" he brings, is too much of a liability for a team as flawed as the Knicks to compensate for. The problem, is that there is no one else - maybe Gallo was supposed to get those minutes. It is ironic that so many people slammed the Gallo pick because of a so-called glut of small forwards. What I do know is that listening to a scrub like him, who ideally would be a 10th man at best, spouting off about champions and all-stars doesn't look tough, but small and delusional.
Sergio - Trust me, I know Jeffries isn't scaring anyone inside, but at least he has a reputation of being solid defensively (from his Washington days - he stank last year) despite the alligator arms. Maybe a live body?...
Rose and Q-Rich are on the team because they make too much to dump and they are over the hill and have no trade value, and D'A likes their toughness and maturity/leadership. They'll be gone by next year.
Knix lost to the Celts because of lack of big man toughness. Too much Powe and Pierce. Sorry for being a broken record, but more than anything else the Knix need big, quick, tough forwards who play tenacious D. This is the one reason to get Ewing Jr. on the roster. Will the return of Jeffries help? A little, not enough. How sad that fat, care-free hulks J-Snax and Lard-ass Curry are of no use to a team that desperately needs a huge, middle-clogging, intimidating monster center. Gonna be a long year.......forget about the playoffs.....pray for big men.
DTR
Eddy Curry - The Round Mound of sit down?
long year? forget the playoffs?
let's keep it in perspective. the knicks lost to the nba champs on the road. it's early in the season, but they're looking like a .500 team -- winning games they should win and losing games they should lose.
while it might not be great or anything worth celebrating, .500 ball means you could watch every night rooting for a win and you can hope to battle for playoff spot in the crowded east.
Hey DaJoka: Zach is not Brand b/c he is a one way player and not a leader. You and I agree that Zach is the best player on the Knicks right now, but to me that is more of an indictment of the Knicks and how one dimesional this roster is. You want PFs better than Zach, how about Bosh, Garnett, Dirk, Gasol, Duncan, Brand, Al Jefferson, and Boozer. That's just off the top of my head. All those guys play both sides of the ball.
Q-Rich is the least of our problems. He fought his way back from energy, makes an effort out there every game and tries to play both sides of the ball. Last night, Q did miss a terrible layup, but where was everybody's hero Jamal Crawford. He is so horrible defensively that he can't even contribute in crunch time anymore. I can't fault guys like Q. Mardy had his usual disgusting fall on the floor turnover, Lee looked lost, Duhon after beating his man passed up on layups to make bad passes and Chandler carried us. Q is just past his prime but the effort is there and he wasn't making mistakes. My problem with Q and Crawford is more the lack of energy the team had. A big game against a division rival and Nate and Chandler were the only ones who really were bringing it. Well Zach too but he always brings it, on the offensive side.
Lol @ Sergio: it is funny that we are all waiting for Jarred Jeffries to come back and be the Knicks savior inside. Ah well, we knew it was going to be a long year.
If I see Duhon shake hands with any more Boston fans or players after they just trashed his team I'm going to hurt him.
Remind me again why we won't waive Jerome James fat a$$
Thank you Knicks4Life for bringing some sense here. Everybody's knockin Q while Crawford was his usual defenseless self, minus any scoring this time.
I want one win against Boston almost as bad as a winning season.
The fact that Jamal is the worst defensive guard in the league with an unreliable offensive game and a maddening tendency to get caught in the air has nothing to do with Q being woefully substandard at the 2, the 3 or anywhere else. He may earn an A for effort, but I doubt his explosiveness is ever coming back or his shooting is going to get more accurate. Hearing a big talk small result scrub who's never sniffed the finals run his washed up mouth is weak to the point of being pathetic. I don't like seeing Duhon being buddy buddy with the C's either, but if you're going to pop off, at least have the game to back it up.
Some of us have been going on for ages that the Knicks need a major overhaul at most every position, and this season, despite the enjoyable start, has done nothing to suggest otherwise.
Q whining to the media was a disgrace. Right now the Knicks don't deserve respect, they have to earn it. My point about Q though was unlike 1/2 our roster he gives effort every game and fought his way back from injury when other guys take a whole half season off. Part of Qs ineffectivenes might actually be that we are using him as a 3pt gunner. The old Q (LAC days) had a very good post up game and mid range jumper. He was also a great rebounder. I don't know if that is gone now or what with the injury, but I think he can do more than what we having him do now and he and Duhon (Chanler occasionaly) are the only ones who play D in that starting linuep. Who are we benching him for?
The comparison between Q and Crawford is about effort on both sides of the ball. At the end of the game against a good team and division rival, D'Antoni looked to Duhon, Nate, Chandler ,Zach and Q because Crawford doesn't give you effort at both ends of the floor. Hey I like Crawford, but he has to become more of an all around player and leader.
Yeah, the Knix do need better players at every position. The year we can at least be happy we got rid of a joker of a coach and GM and got a professional coach and GM who have brought stability and some sanity to this mess. Walsh is a business man. If u think like a businessman and want to keep your job you don't just dump huge contracts like an idiot and pay people to go on vacation for a year. He has nothing to lose in keeping J James, Curry and Starby around for a while while he waits for some suckers to take them out of desperation so the Knix can get something back instead of nothing. It's called being patient. We'd rather be rid them, but Walsh has to show Dolan he is not an idiot who flushes million dollar mistakes down the toilet when there is a some chance that the Knix can get something back for them. I think that is prudent from a business standpoint. The NBA is a business and Walsh is not an impulsive joker like the last exiled knucklehead.
DTR
Knicks4Life - that's the problem - there is no one to bench him for. I agree with you on the effort guys - its just depressing that trying hard is the standard now.
Things had fallen so far here that the franchise can't be rebuilt quickly. The last couple of seasons, it was hard to even evaluate a player, since the management and coaching was so dysfunctional. I've criticized Donnie for not moving faster, but I'll give him credit for at least establishing a legit professional organization, where evaluation is actually possible. At least now, the Knicks can identify what they need (a lot) and make trades, signings, drafts or cuts with a big picture in mind.
Knicks4Life - that's the problem - there is no one to bench him for. I agree with you on the effort guys - its just depressing that trying hard is the standard now.
Things had fallen so far here that the franchise can't be rebuilt quickly. The last couple of seasons, it was hard to even evaluate a player, since the management and coaching was so dysfunctional. I've criticized Donnie for not moving faster, but I'll give him credit for at least establishing a legit professional organization, where evaluation is actually possible. At least now, the Knicks can identify what they need (a lot) and make trades, signings, drafts or cuts with a big picture in mind.
I hate to keep harping on this
But this why our #6 pick was so important this year
The knicks need a fusion of new blood
Q is run down
Curry is fat and lazy
Crawford is Hit and miss
Zach is one dimensional
Wilson Chandler is part of the new blood
Lil nate also
but other than that every other player
have been here for the entire losing culture
of the isiah era
i was hoping that our #6 pick
would bring some optimism
but now Gallo our #6 pick is injured
with some kind of chronic back problem
and i watch every other team that drafted in front
and behind the knicks
have their pick contribute to their teams
it pisses me off that Walsh
drafted Gallo and he may never be 100%
their was so much talent in this year's lottery
and our pick may be damaged goods
look at golden state...
they signed a undrafted rookie
marrow from G-tech
and he comes in and drops 37
and helps them beat the Clips
and we watch our #6 pick
in street clothes
what does this say about our GM
and our scouting department?
New York Knicks
Incoming Players
Cuttino Mobley
Salary: $8,925,000 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 12.8 REB: 2.7 AST: 1.2 PER: 9.47
Marcus Camby
Salary: $10,000,000 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 7.7 REB: 9.6 AST: 1.0 PER: 18.80
Tim Thomas
Salary: $6,049,400 Years Remaining: 2
PTS: 10.3 REB: 4.8 AST: 1.0 PER: 11.27
Outgoing Players: Eddy Curry, Malik Rose, David Lee, Jamal CrawfordLos Angeles Clippers
Incoming Players
Eddy Curry
Salary: $9,723,983 Years Remaining: 2
Malik Rose
Salary: $7,647,500 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 1.6 REB: 2.1 AST: 0.4 PER: -5.08
David Lee
Salary: $1,788,033 Years Remaining: 1
PTS: 11.3 REB: 6.6 AST: 1.9 PER: 13.68
Jamal Crawford
Salary: $8,640,000 Years Remaining: 3
PTS: 19.6 REB: 1.5 AST: 4.4 PER: 16.42
Outgoing Players: Cuttino Mobley, Marcus Camby, Tim Thomas
PETE NEWELL - may he rest in peace.
Perhaps the best & greatest big man coach/trainer of all time.
R.I.P.
Mustafa - Amen.