Milwaukee Bucks vs. New York Knicks: Postgame grades following Knicks win
By Matt Shetler
The New York Knicks used a strong second half Friday night to make it three wins in a row as it looks like the Knicks are getting hot once again heading into the All-Star break.
The Knicks big win, coupled with the Miami Heat’s loss to the Indiana Pacers leave the Knicks just one game behind the defending champs in the Eastern Conference.
February 1, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) lays it in against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With that being said, let’s take a look at how each Knicks’ player graded out in their 96-86 win over the Bucks.
Raymond Felton (14 points, 5-of-8 shooting, 8 assists, 2 rebounds)
The Knicks floor general looked as good as he has since coming back from injury. He knocked down two of his three attempts from behind the arc and his plus-15 mark showed how well he played. He banged up his pinkie finger late in the game which is a concern, but otherwise Felton was in total control all night. His eight assist was the third consecutive game he had dished out at least eight dimes. Grade: A-
Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)
Kidd didn’t have his usual impact on the game and was on the bench for most of the Knicks’ comeback. All five off his attempts were from behind the arc and he only knocked down one, but overall Kidd didn’t do much in his 24 minutes. Grade: D+
Iman Shumpert (7 points, 3-of-7 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assist)
Shumpert didn’t really have much of an impact in his 19 minutes on the floor, but did knock down a corner three and grab a few rebounds. Grade: C
Carmelo Anthony (25 points, 7-of-22 shooting, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, 7 turnovers)
It wasn’t a good shooting night for Anthony but he did what it took to win, including keeping his teammates involved, rebounding and getting to the free-throw line, where ‘Melo knocked down 8-of-12 attempts. He saved his best scoring of the night when the Knicks needed him the most, scoring 10 points in the third quarter. It wasn’t his best night but still a solid performance. The seven turnovers are concerning though. Grade: B
Tyson Chandler (9 points, 4-of-6 shooting, 20 rebounds, 2 blocks)
Chandler absolutely owned the pain Friday night against a big Bucks team. Of his 20 rebounds, eight came at the offensive end giving the Knicks a ton of second possessions. Overall, just another dominant night for the first-time All-Star. Grade: A+
Amar’e Stoudemire (17 points, 5-of-10 shooting, 7 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block)
Another solid game off the bench for Stoudemire, who looks more and more like he is embracing his role. I will take 17 and seven off the bench every night and be happy. Grade: A
J.R. Smith (17 points, 6-of-14 shooting, 5 rebounds, 1 steal)
Smith chucked up 13 shots from behind the arc in 36 minutes. He did make five of them though as the Knicks look like they will live and die with Smith’s streaky shooting. Grade: B
Pablo Prigioni (0 points, 1 assist)
Prigioni didn’t do much in his 11 minutes, but he was able to spell the starting guards and despite not showing up on the stat sheet he didn’t have a bad night. Grade: C
Steve Novak (3 points, 1-of-3 shooting)
Novak did knock down a three in limited minutes, but didn’t have much of an impact. He is a guy who if he is not getting shots, could see his minutes decrease if the Knicks are winning games. Grade: D