Knicks Team Report
GETTING INSIDE
Mike D’Antoni recently took note of how his team’s performance in December effectively saved the season. He then said that it was vital that his team had a good January, as well, “because November (stunk).”
The team’s franchise-record 1-9 start dug such a hole that the Knicks can ill afford the usual bad nights –- schedule losses, which can happen in the second game of a back-to-back, for instance -– that come at the mid-season.
The 2009 portion of their schedule is now complete and the Knicks (12-20), who didn’t make up any ground in their winning percentage since the poor start, can at least point to a 9-6 record in the month of December as a reason for optimism. It represents the franchise’s best month since a 9-5 effort in March 2004. That happens to be the last season this team reached the playoffs.
Though it looks good on paper, the reality is the month had to be successful, considering the softness of the schedule. The Knicks had a stretch of six consecutive games against teams under .500 and won four of them. To a man, the Knicks would probably admit they should have won all six, with blown leads in back-to-back losses in Charlotte and Chicago. Those games cost the Knicks a chance at clinching the franchise’s first 10-win month since Jan. 2003. They might have also cost the team a chance at moving up the playoff standings, which seemed an improbable goal during the worst of times in November.
January is also relatively light schedule-wise, with just five of the 15 games in the 31 days against teams with a record over .500 (Atlanta, Houston, Oklahoma City, Lakers and Dallas). If this team is going to make a run at a playoff berth and, perhaps climb closer to the .500 mark, this is the time.
Nets 104, Knicks 95: The Knicks’ 11-game streak of holding opponents under 100 points came to an end against the NBA’s worst offensive team. The Nets shot a blistering 61.9 percent from the field in the first half to take a 60-53 lead and cruised to the win, their first in 11 games. Al Harrington(notes) scored 25 points to lead the Knicks (12-20), who looked fatigued in the second game of a road back-to-back, which followed an emotional win in Detroit the night before. Yi Jianlian(notes) led the Nets (3-29) with 22 points.
NOTES, QUOTES
• The loss to the Nets also cost the Knicks an opportunity to move into the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference standings by percentage points over the Milwaukee Bucks, who also lost. The Knicks haven’t been in the top eight –- which represents the playoff seeds—after 30 games since March 10, 2007, when they were in the eighth spot for a matter of 24 hours.
• C David Lee(notes) had 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, as he fell just two helpers shy of his first career triple-double. The Knicks haven’t had a player record a triple-double since Feb. 28, 2003, when Latrell Sprewell had 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists against the Orlando Magic.
Quote To Note: “I think it’s so important to come off a back-to-back road game with a high, high energy level early in the game and we didn’t do that. We got back on our heels and they attacked us and once that happened, it was hard to stop them.” –- F Jared Jeffries(notes), on the Knicks’ poor defensive effort against the Nets.
ROSTER REPORT
Rotation: Starters—Point guard Chris Duhon(notes), Shooting guard Wilson Chandler(notes), Small forward Danilo Gallinari(notes), Power forward Jared Jeffries, Center David Lee. Bench—Forward Al Harrington, Guard Larry Hughes(notes), Guard Toney Douglas(notes), Forward Jonathan Bender(notes).
Player Notes:
• F Al Harrington’s 25 points represented all but eight of the Knicks’ bench scoring in the game.
• F Danilo Gallinari’s shot has been extremely inconsistent and against the Nets he made just three of nine shots from the field. He also had three turnovers in 31:13.
• G Chris Duhon made four of his first five attempts from three-point range, but then missed his next four from beyond the arch and all seven of his shots for the rest of the game.
Medical Watch: None.
