Yea...So That Didn't Go In (AP)

Box Score

The 2010-11 regular season goes into the books with a tiny thud as the Knicks lose a semi-meaningless game to Boston four days before the two teams meet in the first round.  I say “semi” meaningless because even though between these two teams Amar’e Stoudemire was the only impact player who saw the court, the Celtics bench players—who had been struggling—were given a little confidence boost. But it isn’t something to read into or worry too much about. Take the jump to read more ’bout it. (more…)

The First Time Anyone's Ever Passed With Jared Jeffries Defending Them (AP)

Box Score

If basketball games were 24 minutes long, the Knicks would be feared. Nobody would want a piece of them—Carmelo, Amar’e, even Toney Douglas—come early May. But alas, the game isn’t 24 minutes, it’s 48. Through the first half tonight, New York looked dangerous and effective on both ends of the floor. Their offense was clicking, the ball was moving, and defensively they controlled the game’s pace. Then halftime happened.  (more…)

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Melo had 34, and the Knicks needed every one of 'em.

My last regular-season recap means my last chance to use bullet points instead of a real recap.  In the playoffs that just ain’t gonna cut it, but tonight I can’t pass up the opportunity at one last run of non sequiturs.  Earlier today the Celtics were trounced in Miami, reinforcing my opinion that we should all be pulling for Knicks-Celts in round one.  Will the Knicks come through?  Let’s find out.

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(Aside: this is the best way to guard the Celtics anyway, and I’m surprised at how few teams seem to realize it.  The Knicks have given the Celtics tough games under Mike D’Antoni because he has always used Duhon, Douglas, Felton or Billups to chase Allen while a longer defender – usually Jeffries – slacks off Rondo.  Most teams use their point guards to play ten feet off Rondo, but then when he penetrates they aren’t long enough to contest him at the rim.  (Aside to the aside: this is probably the only thing D’Antoni does defensively that’s better than most of the rest of the league.)  Ok, rant over.)

From a seeding perspective, the Knicks need two wins from their final three games to secure the sixth seed.  The Celtics play the Heat today (3:30 on ABC) in a matchup of our prospective first-round opponents.  The loser of that game would be one game behind the winner in the battle for second, with just two games remaining apiece.

Tonight’s game is on NBA TV if you’re not local.  Enjoy the game, and I’ll have a proper recap tonight to make up for this slapdashery.

Melo drives by Mario West during the Knicks win last night. Until yesterday I had never heard of Mario West.

Box Score

Is it just me, or is this the most ho-hum six-game winning streak ever?  In a way I think that’s what excites me the most about it: the feeling that, unlike the winning streaks in November, this team isn’t growing into itself or coming together or overachieving – they’re just taking care of business.  Ho-hum.

And that isn’t the only sign of the increased maturity of this group.  Carmelo Anthony could’ve celebrated Amar’e Stoudemire’s absence by hoisting 25 shots; instead he took a fairly typical 18 and grabbed 14 rebounds.  Overall the Knicks scored a rare double-digit victory in rebounding, 48-38.

And say what you will about Brook Lopez, but he worked really hard for both of those rebounds.

In my post yesterday I mentioned how much I was looking forward to seeing the role players in extended burn.  It seems most of them were as excited as I was – after Carmelo helped the Knicks to a fat first-quarter lead, it was the role players who came in and put this baby to bed.  Let’s go one by one through those battling for playoff PT and see if they earned any tonight:

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If you're hoping to see either of these two guys, you're in the wrong place.

I remember going to a Mets game about a dozen years ago and being shattered that Mike Piazza wasn’t in the lineup.  Nothing against Todd Pratt, but it just wasn’t the same.  I had and would continue to see Piazza hit every day for years afterward, but as any fan knows it’s less the performance and more the little things that make seeing your heroes in person so special.  I could turn on the Mets any day and see Piazza drive one out to right center, but I wanted to see him drag the bat from the on-deck circle to home plate like some prehistoric war club, take off his hat to wipe his brow and show everyone his hideous blond highlights, even fire a few lasers down to second base between innings that made everyone wonder, “Why the hell can’t he do that in the game?”

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Me, I’m a Celtics guy.  I watch that team every night and I believe they can be had.  They haven’t jelled since the trade, they aren’t likely to get anything out of Shaq, and Jeff Green looks like a totally different player.  They started Jermaine O’Neal last night, and they’re getting minutes from Sasha Pavlovic, Carlos Arroyo and Troy Murphy.  Outside of the big four there isn’t one guy, Glen Davis included, who is making a genuine contribution every night.  I know we can take them.

As for tonight, Philly returns home for this game off a shellacking last night in Boston highlighted only by one of the best performances of Evan Turner’s young career (21 points, five assists).  There’s more time for Turner now that Lou Williams is done for the regular season with a hamstring injury.  The 76ers will start Jrue Holiday, Jodie Meeks, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, and Spencer Hawes.  Iguodala didn’t practice Monday to rest a sore knee but did log 33 unassertive minutes last night.  Brand’s numbers have taken a nosedive in the last month, and he recently revealed to the New York Times that he’s played the last month with a fractured hand.  Thad Young is your nightly Knick opponent that makes you wonder, “Does he grab this many rebounds every night?”  Enjoy the game if possible, and Mike will have some recapping along at bedtime.

Chauncey Billups looks on in horror as Toney Douglas takes his $14.2M option and lights it on fire. TD had 28 points, five assists and no turnovers in 25 minutes.

Box Score

We’ve got playoff basketball to look forward to, and I’m looking forward to this game more than any in quite a while.  Our boys are in the dance!  Will they celebrate in style, or will they play like they’d rather be celebrating?  (Post-game note: they mixed in a little of both.)  Let’s find out with some bullets.

First Quarter

• The Knicks went two for three on the Raptors’ game-time decisions: Bargnani in, Barbosa and Calderon out.  Also, I’m watching the TSN feed for this game; the commentators are the barbershop duo of Matt Devlin and the NBA’s Bing Crosby, Jack Armstrong.  All in all, a very enjoyable tandem, especially relative to the assclownery on  the mics around this league.
• Amir Johnson needed 18 seconds to commit his first foul.  James Johnson, the ball’s in your court.
• Chauncey Billups runs a sweet pick and roll with Jared Jeffries, who’s getting the start tonight with Toronto lacking a legitimate post presence.  Jeffries did actually finish that play with a layup, if that last sentence was unclear – off the backboard, into the basket, the whole kit and caboodle.  Knicks out to a quick 7-0 lead, timeout Raptors.

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DeMar DeRozan, here working to improve his shooting range.

Tonight the Knicks take a victory lap at MSG, celebrating their first playoff berth since 2004 against the Raptors.  These two teams haven’t met since December, but Toronto never seemed to have much of an answer for our heroes, losing all three games in rather convincing style.  Can the Knicks make it a season sweep?  Will both teams combine for 300 points?  Can Reggie Evans set a record for most single-game rebounds without scoring a point?  Let’s answer none of those questions right here, right now.

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Chauncey Was Able To Score From Wherever He Wanted Tonight (AP)

It’s been seven years of excruciation. 492 games with hardly a meaningful, progressive, or positive moment to be found at any time. Tonight, after a commanding win against the Cleveland Cavaliers (finally) combined with the Washington Wizards picking up their third road win of the season in Charlotte, all of that is washed away; the 38-38 Knicks are guaranteed a playoff spot. The Knicks are 4-6 in their last 10 games, but are beginning to construct something productive together—tonight was their third win in a row.

Now for some thoughts on the victory.

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This is Manny Harris. His game will make you throw up.

Good afternoon errrbody.  Tonight the Knicks face what I’m pretty sure is the ’86 Celtics in what’s sure to be the grudge match of the year.  To me, games like this come down to how seriously a team takes its job.  I’m watching the Spurs as I write this – their businesslike mentality is palpable and it reflects in their play.  They’re running their sets, preparing themselves for the playoffs and establishing their baseline of intensity so that come playoffs time, that intensity is rote.  As my college baseball coach would say, they know no other way.

The Knicks know a dozen ways.  They’re competitors with a sense of the moment like everyone else, and I’ve harped endlessly about “the switch” that we’ve seen them flip when it’s time to strap in against the elite teams.  But they don’t have the mentality we see in the Spurs, Celtics, Lakers, etc. – they don’t treat every game like it’s their job.  They treat every fourth game like it’s summer camp.

With a win tonight, New York would be within one win or Charlotte loss of clinching a playoff spot and a chance to topple the Celtics or Heat.  How strange, then, that it’s taking care of business against the league’s worst team that might do the most to convince me they can match intensity with the league’s best.

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Carmelo Was Hypnotic In The Third Quarter (AP)

Taking a page from Will’s brilliant recap the other night, tonight’s will read like a live self-chat had with myself; bullet points galore. Heeeeeere Weeeee Goooooo!

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That fire will get its first heat check tonight at the Garden against our cross-river “rivals” the Nets.  The Netsies threw together a five-game winning streak against some bad teams and the Celtics, and besides that they’ve lost 14 of 15, with their only win outside the streak since February 7 coming against Cleveland.  And on February 7, they beat Sacramento, so maybe we shouldn’t count that one either.  The point is, this team is pretty bad.  Let’s remind ourselves why.

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Rather than a traditional recap, we’re going with bullet points tonight!  Aren’t you excited?  I know I am, until I see Shawne Williams guarding Dwight Howard.  That’s when I start to get bitter.  But on with the recap!

First Quarter

• I may be a little distracted because The Hangover happens to be on HBO right now.  Although, to be fair, most of the Knicks would probably be pretty distracted by it too.
• Mike D’Antoni is starting Shawne Williams: Interior Defender.  Dwight Howard should enjoy that.  Okay, turning the snark off now.

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Melo and the Knicks want you to know that they have to win this game. But if they don't, it's not a big deal.

Ok, Knicks fans.  You’ve seen the worst.  You’ve been to the lowest depths.  You’ve witnessed rock bottom.  I know this because Carmelo Anthony has branded this game “almost a must-win for us.”  Whoa!

Anthony went on to say in this article, “I want to approach this as a must-win game for us.”  So, it’s something almost resembling a game that ideally they’d like to view through a must-win lens.  Got it.  So if Dwight Howard runs out of teabags at halftime because he already handed them out to Amar’e Stoudemire and Shawne Williams, just relax, Knicks fans – it’s only almost a must-win game.

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Basketball Jesus? Not Quite, But Close.

Basic logic says that despite being on the road, the Knicks would win this game. The combination of their coming off another embarrassing loss last night to Milwaukee (their second in less than a week to the Bucks) and Charlotte’s emotional road victory against Boston, which also happened last night, had the Knicks looking like the team who’d be on the winning end of things. What instead happened was a time capsule game for the ages in proving just how important defense is in the NBA. After building a one point lead after the first, the Knicks faced a 13 point deficit at halftime. Much of this was due to dazed efforts on the glass (Dominic McGuire had five offensive rebounds in three second quarter minutes) and pathetic defense. If any adjustments were made at halftime, they were blatantly ignored as Charlotte pushed its lead to 20 midway through the third quarter and despite Carmelo Anthony’s (13-25, 36 points) best effort down the stretch, helping the Knicks cut the lead down to four late in the fourth quarter, this game never looked like one the Knicks had a chance of winning. Let’s look at the case study that was tonight’s Bobcats/Knicks game to discover why:

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Brandon Jennings was the best point guard on the floor tonight. The best shooting guard too, for that matter.

Jerry Seinfeld has a famous bit about how when you root for a pro sports team, you’re essentially rooting for laundry.  I’ve never agreed with that, and I think the current Knicks show why it’s a flawed premise.  I wrote in my preview earlier that as fans we need to hit the reset button and keep in mind that this team is headed for a puncher’s chance in round one – trade or no trade, losing streak or no losing streak.  We’re getting there one way or another, so there’s no use getting bent out of shape about short-term growing pains.

And if we were really cheering for laundry, it would be pretty easy; we’d shelve our emotions and sit tight for the playoffs.  But we’re cheering for people, like every other NBA fan, except the people wearing our laundry don’t deserve to be cheered for.  As terribly as this team is playing, I don’t think there’s anything that could happen (short of injury) that would make me write the Knicks off as a first-round upset candidate, but this team is making me question whether I even want an upset to happen.  That probably sounds crazy, and I say it partly out of frustration from another agonizing loss, but consider: If this lack of effort keeps up through the end of the season, would I be the only one watching a potential round-one upset thinking, “These guys don’t deserve this?”

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Carlos Delfino, el asesino

It’s fitting, maybe, that the last time the Bucks came to Madison Square Garden was the last time the Knicks had a fresh start.  They had just acquired Carmelo, nobody knew quite what to expect, and the team delivered a flawed but passionate performance to get the Melo era off on the right foot.  It seemed like a taste of many nights to come where a great team doesn’t have its best game but dispatches a lesser side and protects home court, the way elite teams always do.

Today the Knicks again face the Bucks at home, and again we’re reaching for the reset button.  But that’s the thing – this time, it’s we who need the fresh start, not the team.  The team looks tired, confused, unsure of each player’s role, but in a few weeks they’ll be in the same spot they would’ve been in without Carmelo: on the road, against a better team, with two chances to win a game that brings a playoff series back to MSG tied 1-1.  We, on the other hand – bloggers and readers alike, who need little nuggets and insights into our team’s future every day – can’t seem to reconcile the abhorrent on-court product with what figures to be the same end-result.

Oh, and it drives us crazy.  I mean, I’m the guy who just wrote 1,300 words as Carmelo Anthony; nobody’s having more trouble coming to grips with this than I am.  We all want to think each game points us in a new direction or reveals something new about the team, and it’s frustrating to realize that no matter what happens, we’re probably headed to the same conclusion.  They’re going to have a puncher’s chance, same as before.  They aren’t going to get blown out in both road games – one is going to be close.  And in a close game, it may come down to just one shot.

I don’t know what Mike D’Antoni can do right now to make sure that one shot goes in.   I do know that we can’t do anything, though, so let’s hit our own reset button.  With 11 games to go, it seems as good a time as any.

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The Wind Left Chauncey's Sails At Halftime (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Box Score

The losing streak drags on; the Knicks have fallen below .500. The story, once again, is the team’s inept play when the game’s up for grabs and both teams have a win in their sites—otherwise known as the fourth quarter.  Tonight, after forfeiting a four point lead at the half, the Knicks found themselves down only one point heading into the final period, and, you guessed it, the Knicks were outscored, out-hustled, and outplayed to the tune of a 32-21 deficit.  Hop the turnstile for a few points on the big three…

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I know there’s been a lot of haters out there talking about the way the team’s been playing.  People are talking like, “You were brought here to win, but now you don’t want to play defense,” and, “You just wanna get your shots up,” and, “Your wife is distracting my eleven year-old.”  And to those people I say, hey, you barely know me.  I mean, my wife didn’t play defense when I first met her either, and besides, she doesn’t distract me from getting my shots up, so why does your eleven year-old have a problem?

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A Dejected Carmelo Looks On As New York Fails Down the Stretch (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Demoralizing. The word’s five syllables roll off the tongue sounding exactly like what they mean. As far as regular season losses go, this one is flat out demoralizing. Coming off two pretty bad losses to some pretty bad teams, the Knicks looked like a team that almost didn’t respect their opponents. Tonight, they knew what they were up against and they responded admirably early on, playing up to their competition and leading after the first three quarters, including a 51-37 halftime edge.  But after Carmelo Anthony—who fought through foul trouble all night and still managed a team high 22 points—cut the outer edge of his eye open on a collision with Rajon Rondo, the Knicks looked like lost puppies.  With five fouls on him for much of the fourth quarter, Anthony was reduced to defending Rondo on the perimeter instead of his man, Paul Pierce. This is an understandable strategic move, but putting Billups or Fields on Pierce in turn makes very, very little sense.  The Celtics captain went on to absolutely destroy New York in the final quarter, and with Amar’e Stoudemire continuously trying to attack the strength of Boston’s defense on the other end, the Knicks had no chance against one of the league’s best teams.

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Ron Burgundy, I hate you. At the bottom of my gut, with every inch of me, I plain, straight hate you. But dammit, do I respect you!

I guess the good news about these next two games is the Knicks won’t have to face .500-ish struggling to make the playoffs and playing their hearts out to beat a more talented team.  Instead, they just have to play elite teams who are cruising to the playoffs and play their hearts out to beat a less talented team.  Oh, crap.

Still, I’m as excited for these next two games as any since the Melo trade because now, finally, we get to find out what we really have with this team.  I’ve talked incessantly about their ability to flip the intensity switch to suddenly morph themselves into a playoff winner; we’ve seen it in patches lately – like the third quarter yesterday – but never over a whole game.  I wasn’t a supporter of the Melo trade but I’ve adamantly stated that these new Knicks have the power to turn it on when necessary.  Well, now we get to find out if I’m right.  If the Knicks still don’t defend, if Carmelo keeps reacting to screens like he’s velcroed to Kevin Garnett’s chest, if Ray Allen comes open time and again with the closest Knick wearing warm-ups and sitting in a folding chair, we’ll know the truth about this team.  We can call the coroner and make an appointment for late April.

If they can’t bring it tonight, they can’t bring it at all.  They have responded before in these situations – and not just with energy, but with ball movement, defense and discipline – but that was before the trade, and after watching these last few games, it’s possible this new group can’t cultivate the chemistry the old team had.  I think they’ll respond, but it’s anyone’s guess.

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Tonight’s game starts at 7:30PM, and you can catch it on NBA TV if you’re not local.  My cable company tragically took away my NBATV last week and I am thus forced to watch the CSN New England feed with Mike Gorman, whose disdain for other parts of the country is so casual you almost miss it, and Tommy Heinsohn, who is raising his third generation of young Bostonians who are convinced that the referees are biased against the Celtics, all in the name of schlocky cranky-old-man commentary.  They’re celebrating 30 years behind the mics together, and all I can say is if they worked in New York – the only place where you can’t call players by their first names no matter how in love with Glen Davis you are – they wouldn’t have made it 30 days.

Boston’s projected starters are Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Krstic.  I remember Krstic from his days with the Nets; I’m mostly unfamiliar with the other guys but I don’t think we should take them lightly.

It appears both teams are catching each other at the right time, as the Celtics recently suffered an embarrassing loss to Houston and then needed a furious comeback to defeat New Orleans, totaling just 166 points over the two games.  As a team they look a little tired and appear to have packed it in to prepare for the playoffs.  Of course Boston is an elite team, so by that I mean “They’ve still trying really hard to win every game and actually have to stop themselves from overexertion.”  As opposed to the Knicks, who appear to define “pack it in” a little differently.

Like the Knicks, the C’s are facing some rotation questions of their own.  Boston’s New Big Three of Carlos Arroyo, Sasha Pavlovic and Troy Murphy all registered DNP-CD’s against the Hornets, and still the Celtics managed to win.  They’re either being rested for the playoffs, or they’re all horrible – you get one guess.

Speaking of Troy Murphy, I love talking to people from Boston who think their love for Brian Scalabrine had nothing to do with the fact that he was white.  No city is in more denial about its love for white athletes than Boston – there’s a lot of living vicariously through them out of some white underdog fantasy – and the way they’ve adopted Murphy (sorry, “Murph”) as their new white American hero has been hilarious to watch.  They’re basically reenacting scenes from An Officer and a Gentleman together.  Seriously, listen to the Boston crowd next time Troy Murphy shoots a three.  It’s the sound you would hear if the Patriots and Red Sox were about to win championships at the same time.  And then, when it rims out, the groan sounds like Danny Woodhead accidentally ran over Dustin Pedroia.

Finally, what I’ll be watching for tonight is the contrast in defensive styles.  About the only thing these two teams have in common defensively is that their shot-blocking is inversely proportional to their overall defensive ability: the Celtics won’t block many shots but allow the fewest points in the league by simply staying long and contesting penetrators at the rim.  They also show hard on high screens and make offenses start from as far away as possible, burning up as much of the shot clock as they can.  They also don’t crash the offensive glass in an effort to put the clamps on opponents’ transition games.

As you can see, I hate the Celtics.  This post could’ve been a thousand words longer with all things I despise about them.  I guess it’s just my way of saying how much I respect this team and the way they play.  This is a great litmus test for our Knicks, and one way or another, I think tonight will be highly informative.  Enjoy the game, if possible, and Mike will have the recap for you this evening.

Sorry for the slight delay on this recap, my effort today has been slightly on par with Carmelo Anthony’s. It’s incredibly difficult to come back from a 32-9 deficit—what the Knicks faced after one quarter—and make a basketball game competitive, so hats off to New York for doing just that. But that’s about the only positive to be taken from this Sunday matinee. The first quarter saw apocalyptic level shooting from just about every Knick player—they shot 4-25 in the first 12 minutes and didn’t seem interested in switching up the offensive game plan. The much maligned defense played like its described, specifically in the transition game. On one early Chauncey Billups miss, the Bucks quickly pushed the ball up the court and, with three Knicks back and ready on defense, found a wide open Carlos Delfino whose facial expression said “why isn’t anyone guarding me”. Coming off a game two days ago where he hit eight three-pointers, Delfino, of course, drained the shot. His first of six behind the arc for a career high 30 points.

Behind Chauncey Billups (21 points) and the usual suspect, Amar’e Stoudemire (25), the Knicks were able to cut their 23 point deficit to six by halftime. Most of it was due to an outstanding protection of the basketball. (The Knicks only had six turnovers in the game.) But none of that really mattered. The team shot 38.6% on the day. When your interior defense is a Kleenex, it’s very difficult to win any games shooting the ball like that.

* Carmelo Anthony had 23 points on 14 shots, five rebounds, and one assist. Not to pile on the poor guy, but the numbers have a difficult time describing how terrible a performance this was. Defensively Anthony was atrocious. His main assignment, Carlos Delfino, was the one flaunting the superstar swagger Anthony normally hones. Delfino was open all day long. It’s like Carmelo doesn’t know guarding players when they don’t have the ball counts as “playing defense”; I don’t understand it. Taking pride in your defense doesn’t mean your man goes off for a career high scoring performance when you’re guarding him. Hopefully he ratchets it up come playoff time.

* Landry Fields was a ghost today, but I have a difficult time putting blame on his shoulders. Nobody’s sacrificed more in the field of scoring points than the rookie, and it seems he’s having a difficult time finding shots within the flow of the game. He had 0 assists, and due to an inability to defend John Salmons (the Knicks reluctantly switched Turiaf onto the Bucks shooting guard on a few plays), only played 21 minutes. New York usually loses when Fields has games like this one.

* D’Antoni started Shelden Williams at center. He played the first six minutes, then watched the following 42 from the bench. What the hell is the point in doing this? Williams was his usual terrible self in his minutes on the floor, adding further evidence to the “Shelden Williams isn’t an NBA player” argument.

* BOX SCORE

* Toney Douglas is getting floor time for his defensive abilities, but it’s his offensive play receiving a majority of the scorn/praise. Today it’s mostly scorn. He had nine assists, but shot 3-13 from the field for seven points. Douglas has become the team’s true X-factor, and his up and down play has been symbolic of the team’s, so usually when he either shoots lights out, plays solid defense, or just makes solid decisions, the Knicks contend. Today his shots weren’t falling. Result: loss.

I don't remember this play specifically, but I'm guessing it ended in a turnover. Just playing percentages.

Okay, so let’s try to put this in perspective for a second.  This was a road back-to-back, third in four nights, and a game in which the Knicks showed serious energy in spurts.  They put the clamps on a Pistons team in the third quarter when it looked like they might let another one slip away with little resistance, silencing the home crowd amid a 15-0 run.  And then, behind great fourth-quarter performances from Will Bynum (who played the entire fourth quarter after sitting the first three), Tayshaun Prince and Chris Wilcox, Detroit rallied and nosed out the Knicks in the final two minutes.

I’m not trying to obfuscate the fact that this is an awful, awful loss.  Much like Tuesday in Indiana, and every loss from here on in, it’s not really that they lost that’s so bothersome – they’re allowed to be tired after this stretch, and truth be told there were a couple of things to like tonight, which we’ll discuss below.  But as far as I’m concerned, these remaining games exist only as a distillation of our answers to the following questions: a) did they look somewhat interested in defending? b) did the new-look rotation look any more cohesive than the previous game? and c) how was the crunch-time execution?  To me, these are the things to look for as we ponder this team’s chances in April.

Defensively, the Knicks flipped the intensity switch in the third quarter during their big run, and it looked like the Pistons would never score again.  Overall Detroit shot 48% from the field, but to my eye they missed some open jumpers that would’ve sent us all to our blogs to bitch and moan about the lack of D.  Call it a wash and, again, they’re allowed to be tired after this stretch, and that will manifest itself in the defense.

As far as the rotation, as I noted in today’s game preview, I think it’s time to ask: Why on Earth does this team look better with Toney Douglas running the show?  Toney didn’t see everything tonight – he keeps his head up but looks like he has tunnel vision, much like a rookie quarterback taking just an instant too long going through his progressions – but his athleticism and penetration repeatedly broke down the Pistons’ defense to create shots for his teammates (11 assists in 33 minutes).  Billups (four assists, eight turnovers), by contrast, looked like he forgot which uniforms he was passing to.  I don’t really want to rag on him because apparently he just lost his grandfather and tried to play through the grief.  Suffice it to say, though, he was forcing passes where they didn’t belong, and his missed shot and getting beat up court by Bynum late was inexcusable from a ten-year vet.  He looks more than a step slow.

And then we hit crunch time.  You know, Carmelo has said all the right things about giving up their own shots for the good of the team, and for about 40 minutes tonight, they held true to that.  Midway through the fourth quarter, Carmelo was 2-7 and seemed to understand that tonight wasn’t his night, that the Knicks were going to win with him mostly as a decoy.  By game’s end, of course, Melo was 2-12 as the Knicks offense stagnated down the stretch and let the Pistons sneak in to steal the win.  I have nothing to say about this other than what you probably screamed at your television 30 minutes ago.

It’s Friday night, time to put a bow on this recap with some bullets:

• I know Billups needs to get to know his new teammates, but “not setting up Jared Jeffries under the basket” shouldn’t require a ten-game learning curve.
• Stoudemire’s dunk over Monroe reminded me that one of my aborted ideas for this site was the Amar’e Teabag-o-Meter, to tabulate Amar’e’s various teabags that take place throughout the season.  We were going to have a little picture of the guy getting teabagged, with a nice team-colored teabag next to his face.  As usual around here, it was going to be high-brow stuff.  Maybe next year.
• To borrow from James Toney, I think it’s time to christen our young point guard Lights Out Toney Douglas.  Is it clever?  Eh.  But I think it works.
• Melo commits an offensive foul in the fourth quarter in which he barely grazed his man, but that doesn’t stop the Pistons color guy from calling it “a vicious elbow.”  I think that line will be on his WWE audition tape.
• Is there any great spot-up shooter who gets wide open as often with so little movement off the ball as Shawne Williams?  I give Mike D’Antoni all the credit for this: Williams’ skill set would be utterly useless to some teams, and yet D’Antoni finds ways to just park Shawne in the corner and get him wide open
• Douglas’ excellent job in the drive-and-kick game enables him to get an uncontested layup in the halfcourt late in the fourth quarter.  The Pistons finally had given up so many threes that they had to respect the kickout.  When a player’s dribble drive is getting that kind of respect, you may have a real point guard on your hands.

Tonight's game will be missing two familiar faces.

Well, the Knicks said all the right things about defense and communication, and then went out and drained 20 three-pointers.  Is it makeup on a pig?  Is it whipped cream on cabbage?  Is it LeBron James on the Cavaliers?  We don’t have to wait long to find out!

If the Knicks are to prolong this latest era of good feelings, they’ll likely have to do it without Chauncey Billups, who according to the Detroit Free Press will miss the game to attend his grandfather’s funeral. 

Projected Starters:

PG – Rodney Stuckey: Wednesday against Toronto: 27 minutes, 0-1 FG, 14 assists.  Looks like somebody’s trying to shed a reputation.  Stuckey didn’t start the game but figures to move back into the first five with Rip Hamilton missing tonight’s game with the passing of his grandfather.  “I know I’m the starting point guard, but it is what it is,” Stuckey said of not starting.

SG – Tracy McGrady: Whenever his name comes up I feel compelled to mention his passing, which was such a pleasant surprise in his short stay with the Knicks.  I just never noticed how well he sees the floor, and no number of knee surgeries is ever going to take that away.

SF – Tayshaun Prince: 17 PPG in March, with just one made three-pointer all month.

PF – Greg Monroe: Stats rising every month, and if he keeps up this passing he’ll soon be challenging Horford and Gasol as the league’s best passing big man.

C – Ben Wallace: Smaller and strong, the kind of defender Amar’e has had trouble against in isolation.  (I feel like I say that all the time, but Wallace is a prime example.)  Also an excellent jump-shooter and dribble penetrator.

…Just keeping you on your toes.

So Really I’m Just Guessing: Pistons coach John Kuester has used 18 different starting lineups this season, and with Hamilton out I’m assuming Stuckey finds his way back in.  Kuester has been pretty volatile with his lineup and rotations all year – we all heard about Hamilton’s forced exodus when he appeared to certain to be involved in the Carmelo, but Kuester has recently been dogged by repeated rumblings that he’s a poor communicator and his players are unclear about their roles.  Kuester seems irked by the notion, but given the Hamilton row and now Stuckey’s insistence he’s the starting point guard after coming off the bench, it seems “communication issues” might be putting it mildly.

There are 12 Pistons who have seen steady minutes this year, with two others having missed the whole year due to injury.  Basically, everybody plays but DaJuan Summers.  Sucks to be him, I guess.

Knicks Rotation: Assuming Billups is out of the lineup tonight, Toney Douglas will look continue his three-point apocalypse in a starting role.  To me, if Douglas plays well again tonight, we can officially ask the question, “Why does this team look as good or better with Douglas at the helm?”  My short answer for the time being: Because Billups is having trouble overpowering smaller guards, who are locking him up.  And as anyone who has watched Billups in Denver or at the World Championships knows, he’s getting his 10-12 shots up, come hell or high water.  If his defender is playing in his shirt, well, that’s just too damn bad.  He is Mr. Big Shot, you know.

Scoreboard Watching: The 76ers are in Sacramento this evening, while the Hawks host the Heat.  You may have rooting interests based on their effect on the Knicks’ playoff seeding.  Maybe you think Orlando is in disarray.   Perhaps you’re encouraged by the Knicks’ two impressive victories over Chicago. 

Or maybe you don’t care at all.  Frankly, I stopped having an opinion on our first-round playoff matchup a long time ago – this team has proven it can beat anybody and lose to anybody in the same breath, often regardless of our preconceived matchup advantages.  There’s a certain pride in getting the highest possible seed, especially since this team went underrated by the drive-by national media’s preseason predictions.  But I’m not pining to face any one team.

Defending with the Stars: On paper the Pistons have a couple of strong defenders at the Knick stars’ positions in Wallace and Prince, but both are a step slower this year.  Wallace has regressed to the mean after a resurgent 2009-10 and his blocks per game are at a career low, while Prince’s back problems are beginning to wear on him once again.  Tayshaun hadn’t missed a game this season until a few weeks ago, when a flare-up in his back shelved him for four games.  Again, this should be one of those nights where Amar’e and Melo have to suck it up and keep the ball moving, but I suspect we’ll find out early on if either Wallace or Prince is vulnerable in isolation defense.

Hopefully It's A Sadder PIcture After Tonight

“I Do This.” These were the last words Memphis Grizzlies players heard as they sulked off the court with their heads hanging low one week ago. It was New York’s highest point of the season; a moment within a game that came damn close to completely validating trading three core players for one superstar.  Things were good then. People were giddy.

My, how a week’s time can change everything. So it would turn out, since Carmelo deposited that game winning jumper deep into the eye of Trick or Treat Tony Allen, the Knicks haven’t given their fans an ounce of reason to celebrate. The loss to Dallas was upsetting yet understandable—the Mavericks are one of the most talented, deep, composed teams in the league, and to face them in their building on the second night of a back to back is begging for demolition—but falling in back to back games against the Pacers? Giving up 59 points to Tyler Hansbrough? Let’s hold the phone on that one.

Tonight, a symbol of hopeful happiness enters Madison Square Garden with a record of 37-31. Clinging to a two game lead on Utah for the eighth seed in the west, look for the Grizzlies to match the Knicks intensity level—New York should be fuming after those two Indiana related debacles.

Memphis Starters:

PG—Mike Conley Jr.: With Toney Douglas covering him in the last go, Conley was beautiful, scoring 20 points on 7-13 shooting with six dimes. Not sure that happens tonight.

SG—Tony Allen: Trick or Treat’s been on a little hot streak this month, lighting up the Thunder and dropping 22 on the Knicks last week. Defensive is his specialty, though, and look for him to guard Carmelo on the late possessions that matter.

SF—Sam Young: A likely starter…should be the third or fourth guy off their bench.

PF—Zach Randolph: Words can’t describe how far Randolph has come since his days as a Knick. Right now he’s their most valuable player and should see a high usage rate against New York’s weak front court.

C—Marc Gasol: Keep your eye on the younger Gasol brother. A restricted free agent next season, he’s exactly what the Knicks need to take that next step. Tomorrow night he should pose a major problem.

Rotation: OJ Mayo’s coming off a terrible shooting performance in their win against the Clippers two nights ago, but Memphis’ most notable bench asset is Shane Battier.  Fortunately for the Knicks, in the nine games since returning to the Grizzlies Battier has played the worst offensive basketball of his career. Also, look for the lanky Darrell Arthur to create a few problems. (If the gym’s janitor were lanky, I’d say the Knicks need to worry about him, too.)

New York Starters:

PG—Chauncey Billups: Right now he’s easing his way back into the swimming pool. Not sure what you can expect from Billups at this point; let him find his legs a little bit before pointing at a falling sky.

SG—Landry Fields: Last week against Memphis he went 7-8 for 16 points with six rebounds and six assists; the rook defines consistency.

SF—Carmelo Anthony: I don’t think Memphis is looking forward to seeing Carmelo tonight. To put it appropriately: “He Does This.”

PF—Amar’e Stoudemire: This season he’s shooting 48.5% on the road and 54% at home, but he’ll have his hands full against a beefy Memphis front line that’ll look to get him in foul trouble.

C—Shawne Williams: He’s started over Ronny Turiaf/Jared Jeffries these past couple of games, and his shooting has not wavered. But I’m not sure how much I like having him get reps in the starting lineup when come playoff time he’ll be used as offensive firepower off the bench.

Rotation: Toney Douglas has been playing the nicest basketball of his career over these past few weeks. I’m not sure he could consistently contribute for somebody as a starter, or if his role as Knicks backup is more appropriate, but regardless I’m feeling more confident with him running the offense than ever before.  Elsewhere the defensive play of Jeffries and Turiaf will be huge tonight; the Knicks will probably need all 12 of those fouls.

Overview: The Grizzlies still don’t have Rudy Gay, their best player, but remain one of the feistier teams out west. The key matchup in this one—as it is in almost every Knicks game—will be Amar’e and whoever starts beside him against Randolph, Gasol, and Arthur. The Knicks did a pretty good job last time on the boards (winning the battle 31-30) and if they want to get the same victorious result they’ll be sure to focus in on that department one more time. Defensively New York has been atrocious these past few games. Abysmal in every aspect. The Grizzlies will surely look to exploit down low all night long. New York, on the other hand, has Carmelo Anthony. As good as Shane Battier is on the defensive end, at 32 he’s losing a step. And Tony Allen’s too small. With no capable defenders able to slow him down, Anthony is clearly the great offensive advantage. So it goes with New York, if they can string together a few stretches of capable defense, Memphis shouldn’t be a problem.

Danny Granger with the dagger

Things we learned tonight:

• The Knicks do not come motivated to every game.
• Against less than elite opposition, the Knicks’ best motivation seems to be a desire not to be lambasted in the media for lack of effort.  They approach these games by shrugging their shoulders and saying, “Oh, fine, we’ll try tonight.”
• Nobody outside the league’s elite puts a run together like the Knicks, and as quickly.
• The Knicks have a switch they can flip to increase the defensive intensity and move the ball on offense.  Fans have to trust that they will flip that switch during the playoffs.
• Their poor defense is alternately a problem of poor effort and poor communication, and of course, sometimes both.
• They are as scary in crunch time as any team in the league.
• Just based on the way the game ended, I feel obligated to point out that Shawne Williams can’t defend anyone.  Good team defender, and obviously an incredible shot by Granger, but after seeing Williams foul Hansbrough about seven times, you had that sinking feeling seeing him out there against Granger.

In other words, we didn’t learn anything tonight that we didn’t already know.  Honestly, I don’t know where we go with this team for the rest of the regular season.  We know the intensity switch exists and we’ve seen it flipped.  We know, frustrating as it is, that this is very likely not the team we will see in the playoffs.  We know that these games are more about a process of cohesion than they are about winning games to improve seeding.  What we don’t know is whether the process is going well enough to make us think we have a chance in the playoffs.

The way the game ended…I don’t think we can be too bothered with it.  Granger made a great shot and ripped our hearts out – it happens.  I don’t even think he’s a good enough player that you necessarily have to force the ball out of his hands.  How we got there, of course, bothers all of us to no end.  I’m always of the opinion that you can’t lose both games of a home-and-home without some serious chemistry and effort problems – remember, the Bobcats lost a back-to-back with the Knicks before Larry Brown got fired – and the Knicks showed both in spades tonight.  After mailing one in Sunday night (and even Indiana’s announcers said they gave a poor effort, where usually home announcers are falling all over themselves to praise their own guys), they blatantly mailed in the first half and most of the third quarter, as evidenced by a second straight career-high for Tyler Hansbrough.

Under normal circumstances, I’d say that’s a fatal flaw for a team; you’d never see the Lakers, Celtics, Mavericks, etc. losing like that.  But after what we’ve seen from this team, we have to assume that at the very least they’re what everyone says they are: the team nobody wants to play.  The problem with that role, of course, is that eventually someone plays the team nobody wants to play, and usually beats them.  No matter how bad things get in the next month, we’re still going to be the team nobody wants to play.  They just don’t need any more games like tonight to convince me they won’t be anything more than that.

A few quick hitters before we all go sleep this one off:

• I don’t believe anyone who is top five in the league in blocks can be considered a “poor” defender (although “mediocre” is definitely in the conversation), but Amar’e Stoudemire needs to challenge a player like Tyler Hansbrough to beat him straight-up, instead of busting his head on the roof for every ball fake.  When you have a relatively untalented offensive player, your advantage is precisely in that you don’t need to take those kinds of risks to prevent scoring.  These Knicks take those risks far too often.
• I like that Mike D’Antoni has engineered his rotation so that every second quarter we get a lineup of five guys who don’t want to shoot.
• I hate griping about the referees because they’re equally terrible for every team in the league, but I thought the Knicks, and particularly Amar’e, were the victims of some very poor officiating over this home-and-home.
• Shawne Williams got the start over Jared Jeffries tonight, and celebrated by immediately: a) not stepping up to Hansbrough, who shot over him uncontested; b) fouling Hansbrough on an entry pass; and c) fouling Hansbrough in the act of jump-shooting.  Not killing the decision to start Williams, but after a career night from Hansbrough on Sunday, I have more trust in J-Double not to let it happen again.
• In the Toney Douglas point guard watch, tonight he ran a pick and roll…with Jared Jeffries…and fed Jeffries on the roll.  Not a good sign for Toney’s future as a decision-maker.  Try and stay seated for this next part: Jeffries turned the ball over.  It all happened so fast, Phil Weber didn’t have time to get out the lasso and hogtie him.  I know, the room is spinning.  It’ll go away, I promise.

Yeah, a lotta that going on tonight.

…are greatly exaggerated.

Danny Granger was ill and missed tonight’s game; supposedly he was receiving IV’s all day.  The Knicks must have been angry there weren’t any bags left for them.  They didn’t show up tonight and allowed a struggling Indiana club to get a road win as easy as can be had.  Your final score: IND 106, NY 93.  Here’s the box.

I’m always trying to rationalize and explain these games, even when most times things can’t be explained or are just beyond me.  Tonight I’ve got nothing.  A comprehensive loss to Dallas, a return home after two days off, an opponent with a six-game losing streak and missing its best player, knowing they need to hold serve for their road game in Indy on Tuesday…how can you explain this?

One of the keys I focused on in the preview, as ever with this team, was defensive communication.  Indiana’s 57% shooting is a pretty strong indicator of poor communication. You could argue they just got hot based on the peripheral numbers – the Knicks won the free throw and rebounding battles and committed the same number of turnovers –but the naked eye sees all the open shots and penetration the Knicks allowed tonight.

To try to take away those open looks we saw much more of that 2-1-2 zone the Knicks have been trotting out, where Jeffries is the point man and has to flow up and down the lane as the ball moves.  To me, the zone fails because Jeffries doesn’t seem to be comfortable knowing when to step up and guard at the top of the paint, and when sit back and protect the rim.  We saw too many open looks at the free throw line, and Jared was out of position far more often than normal.  Not saying the zone can’t work for this team in stretches, but once again the communication and chemistry needs time to improve.

Carmelo Anthony kept the Knicks afloat with a huge first half, going 8-14 with 20 points.  He was unstoppable in isolation, but in the second half the Knicks went to the isolation well far after it had run dry.  Melo was 1-8 in the second half with approximately 17 offensive fouls.

The other big story looking forward was the return of Chauncey Billups, and like everything else tonight, it disappointed and had no energy.  Billups shot poorly (4-14) and looked like he wasn’t used to his teammates – of everything that happened tonight, Billups is the one I’m least worried about.  The shooting and his chemistry with teammates will come as he gets reacquainted.

A few other notables:

• The balance of minutes between Shawne Williams and Jeffries is going to continue to be a big decision for Mike D’Antoni going forward.  Williams shot well and earned his 30 minutes, while Jeffries looked more lost and missed more layups than usual.
• I was heartened to see Bill Walker come in and make a couple of threes, if only because I think he’s straight-up better than Roger Mason.  Mason tonight: 0-3, 0-2 3PT.
• The second Billups comes back, Toney Douglas goes from Point Guard of the Future to Backup Point Guard of Someone Else’s Future.
• After teasing a halftime interview with Ne-yo (pronounced “ne-YO” by Kenny Albert), Clyde conducts haberdasher 101, narrating a montage of fans wearing interesting hats.   Then Kenny, just to remind us how out of it and how incapable of impromptu conversation he is, ties the whole thing up with, “Of course, many fans sporting traditional baseball caps around the arena.”  Good to have you here, Kenny.

More than anything, a game against Indiana is an opportunity to give thanks that the Knicks did not draft Lance Stephenson.

The Knicks are healthy (almost), the playoffs are guaranteed (almost), and the opponent can’t catch us (almost).  Tonight the Knicks start a home-and-home with the Indiana Pacers, and two wins would put the Knicks out of their reach.  Two losses would leave them six games back of New York with one head-to-head remaining, and as the Sixers have shown that deficit can close awfully fast, even so late in the season.

After a fast start under interim coach Frank Vogel, whose head is too small for the rest of his body, Indy has been passed by Charlotte for the eighth seed in the East.  Have they quit, or will they be even more motivated?  Here’s their cast of characters:

Projected Starters:

PG – Darren Collison: Do you think he and Toney Douglas have a lot to talk about? Or is it like when you see someone who looks just like you and you immediately want to get out of there?

SG – Danny Granger: Of the league’s “stars” – being a little generous there – Granger seems to be the one least apt to go off looking for his own shot.  Amid an abysmal March, though, he looks like he’s forcing things a little, most notably in a 2-19 showing in Minnesota.

SF – Paul George: Looking like a player in the league, but isn’t his skill set a little too similar to Granger’s?

PF – Tyler Hansbrough: Averaging 22 PPG and 59% FG over his last three games.

C – Roy Hibbert: His up-and-down year appears to back on the way down.  Just in time!

Pacers Rotation: Jeff Foster did an outstanding job on Amar’e Stoudemire the first time these teams met, and averages a crazy three offensive rebounds per game in just 17 minutes.  T.J. Ford has been so ignored that Indiana didn’t even bother to buy him out; the smarter, slower, larger A.J. Price took his minutes behind Collison.  I would expect more Brandon Rush than Dahntay Jones as Indiana tries to keep up with the Knicks offensively.  Josh McRoberts fills in for Hansbrough on white four duty.

Since Frank Vogel Took Over: The Pacers have: won seven of eight games; enjoyed growing fan and media sentiment that they’d waltz into the playoffs, and that the NBA is so much better off when such a basketball hotbed has a good team; lost some tough games to Miami; realized, “Hey, maybe beating the Raptors and Bobcats says more about them than us;” lost eight of their last nine, and when the schedule began to let up they threw in a blowout loss in Minnesota in which Kevin Love had 21 rebounds.

Any of that sound familiar?

Last Time against Indiana: The Knicks played a lethargic matinee and eked out a 98-92 win after Amar’e woke up with a few late baskets.  It was one of those “How is this game still close?” games.  And just from looking at the box score, it appears to have been one of those “Why did Danilo Gallinari only take eight shots?” kind of games as well.  Remember those?

What I Hope Is Our Final Chauncey Billups Update: If you missed the news, Chauncey is back and raring to go.  What’s more, it seems Anthony Carter missed yesterday’s practice with a touch of illness.  Please don’t tell anyone I poisoned his apple sauce.

Numbers!: Surprinsgly (to me), Indiana is fourth in the league in pace – I suppose they have Collison and, before January, T.J. Ford to thank for that.  They’re a less surprinsing 24^th in offensive efficiency.  They also have a propensity for turning the ball over, at nearly 25% of possessions.

*************************************************************************************

I’m most interested to see the balance of minutes between Shawne Williams and Jared Jeffries.  You would think this would be a time to run Shawne out there and hope his hot shooting keeps up, but Hansbrough’s recent surge may require the missed layups and defensive stylings of J-Double.

Another player I’m eager to see is Ronny Turiaf.  Turiaf is the only player with the size and muscle to even think about checking Hibbert in the post, but as I mentioned in a recent recap, his minutes seem to be predicated more on when he’s able to play rather than when he’s needed.

Finally, a big key tonight will be (duh) communication on defense.  I mention this in particular because the Pacers are very clever about using double screens, off-ball screens and back cuts to create mismatches and baskets.  With George, Granger and Hansbrough in the lineup, the Knicks can probably get by on switching these screens as they usually do, but Indiana is smarter than your average bear and it’s going to take consistent communication to switch all these screens without anyone getting bottled up.  Usually when the Knicks are allowing easy baskets early, we take it as a sign that they don’t have their energy.  Tonight, we may have to give them a slight pass in the early going if they have trouble communicating.

Still, I’d be disappointed if the Knicks didn’t throw some dirt on the Pacers in these next two games.  Enjoy the game, and I’ll have the recap for you tonight.

That’s how I feel about getting a win in Dallas: it seems like a decent chance – we can make the throw to second – but so many things just have to go right.  Going into tonight, we saw one team coming off an emotional win, another taking exception to its coach calling his players “soft,” and many of us thought, ok, we can maybe steal one here.  Then Amar’e goes 1-7 in six minutes before getting hurt, and we’re reminded how the elites of this league play.  One shoe drops, the whole thing collapses, and we’re left to wonder why we thought we could win in the first place.  You walk a tightrope when you play these teams, and the margin for error demands a consistency that this team isn’t always going to show…yet.

Amar’e never goes quietly, and came back to have an outstanding second half, finishing with 36 points on 12-27 shooting.  But we saw what happens when you give an elite team the chance to run and hide: they take it.  By the time the Knicks gained their sea legs and started playing on Dallas’ level, the game was out of reach.

So, lesson learned.  This wasn’t like last night’s game, where the Knicks were challenged to match energy with a high-intensity, less talented group (without Gay).  Tonight the Knicks were outclassed by a better team that was too good to tolerate anything less than the Knicks’ best effort for 48 minutes.  The Knicks showed in the second half that they’re capable of playing with this team, but it’s the maturity to play 48 solid minutes on the back-to-backs and third-in-four-nights that currently separates the Knicks from the true class of the league.  Boston has it, and Dallas, and the Lakers…the Knicks, as we seem to say every night, are still growing up.

Here are a few other thoughts I managed to jot down while plotting ways to duct-tape Anthony Carter to his folding chair:

• First things first: Amar’e Stoudemire picked up his 16^th technical of the season, and unless the league rescinds it he’ll be suspended for Sunday’s game against Indiana.  I won’t describe what happened except to say that you were probably more physical getting onto a packed 4 train this morning.  It had better be rescinded.
• I had to fire up my League Pass Broadband and various shady websites in a panic because Lakers-Heat wasn’t ending in time for tipoff.  Turns out they push it back to accommodate TNT.  These are the things that happen when you can’t remember the last time your team was on national television.
• Does Memphis’ PA guy also work for Dallas?  Are they related? Or does every southern team want a guy who sounds like he’s working a monster truck rally?
• Corey Brewer strips Anthony Carter and gets an open jam.  Nice to see the guy who got released embarrass the guy who should’ve gotten released.
• The Knicks got killed on the glass tonight: they were out rebounded 47-37 and allowed 17 offensive rebounds.  This was one of those games where I start to wonder where Ronny Turiaf is.  It may be just me, but he never seems to play when we need him; Mike D’Antoni seems to just rotate him in and out irrespective of the matchups on the court.
• Landry Fields finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four steals – if anybody could explain to me why he played seven minutes in the first half, I’m all ears.
• I wish I could’ve found a picture of Phil Weber’s suit, because he was clearly ready to hit the Dallas club scene.  You just know he’s giving out room keys like takeout menus right now.
• We’re often hearing the phrase “solid minutes” with Anthony Carter’s name.  Tonight, amid yet another one-turnover-per-five-minutes showing, Carter insanely fed Amar’e while he was running the wing, setting him up for a charge that was incorrectly called a blocking foul, and then threw one away while looking for Amar’e on the break to end the quarter.  In the fourth quarter, Amar’e got the ball on the right elbow, and J.J. Barea simply left Carter wide open at the top of the key to double Amar’e.  Again, there was no ball screen or anything…Barea simply left Carter standing there all alone.  What’s more, Amar’e didn’t feed Carter, and what’s even more, nobody watching wanted him to feed Carter.  In what way are these solid minutes?
• And now your three worst defenders of the evening.  Number three: Ronny Turiaf, for doubling no one in particular to leave Jason Kidd wide open for three.  Number two: Toney Douglas, for getting beat backdoor by Beaubois and for giving up a transition layup after a Fields breakaway dunk, which I didn’t even think was possible.  And number one: Mr. Carmelo Anthony, for playing a Nowitzki screen under freeze tag rules and just standing there as Corey Brewer sailed in for a dunk; and for letting Marion beat him to a spot underneath the basket, assuming he’d make the layup, then somehow being out at the free throw line as Marion grabbed his own rebound for the tip-in.  It was a banner night for the D’Antoni haters; I sincerely hope the Knicks will stop giving these people ammunition sometime soon.
• Let’s end on a positive, which is the rest of Toney Douglas’ game.  18 points on 6-12 FG, eight assists, and zero – count them, zero – turnovers.  Is anyone else as excited about this as I am?!  No?  We just got beat by 18?  Oh.  Well, I’m happy about it anyway.  Take solace in the continued development of our young point guard – I think we can call him a point guard now, right?  He ran the pick and roll well tonight and is growing up before our very eyes.  It will take time, but just like the rest of this team…process, process, process.

An oldie, but a goodie.

Tonight’s matchup features two teams that have had a very similar last few days, right down to the final second of last night.  Both have been hot of late, both are playing a back-to-back and third in four nights, and both played tough road games last night against Western Conference teams scrapping to make the playoffs without their best player, and blew double-digit leads in the fourth quarter.

The difference? Melo’s went in – Dirk’s didn’t.

Dallas has had a bit of a makeover of late, inserting Peja Stojakovic and Roddy Beaubois into the starting lineup, but they haven’t missed a beat.  They’re 19-3 since January 22, with all three losses coming by just one point.  They have lost two out of three, however, and they’re an older team with a late flight back home last night – maybe the Knicks are catching them at the right time.

Projected Starters:

PG – Jason Kidd: Shooting numbers are significantly worse on back-to-backs; also coming off an 0-7 FG performance last night.

SG – Beaubois: Has played ten games since returning from a broken foot; he isn’t filling up the box score but looks as athletic as ever.  He would put a bell on Toney Douglas while Kidd checks Landry Fields.

SF – Stojakovic: Was inactive last night, but it was for a stiff neck, so I’m assuming he shakes that off to get out there tonight, especially with Shawn Marion questionable with injured ribs.  Has started all 13 games with Dallas, but is only averaged 21 minutes.  Shooting a career-low 31% 3PT.

PF – Dirk Nowitzki: With whom you’re familiar.

C – Tyson Chandler: Made his return last night after missing three games with an ankle injury.  Dropped 16 and 13 on the Hornets in 25 minutes last night.

Statistician Trivia: Last night, Mike Breen mentioned an interesting discrepancy between college and pro basketball: in college, a five-second inbounds violation occurs when the inbounds pass is not touched by its receiver (or a defender) within the allotted five seconds, whereas in the NBA the passer needs only to release the ball within five seconds.  So, your question: when a five-second violation occurs on either level, how do you score it?

Your Chauncey Billups and Co. Update: As Mike noted this morning, today’s news is that not only is Chauncey still feeling pain in his thigh, but his knee has also begun to swell over the course of treatment.  Mike D’Antoni did say yesterday that Billups would be a definite for Sunday against Indiana, but he remains questionable (read: doubtful) for tonight.  Bull Walker was active last night but didn’t play, and it’s unclear if he’s still battling his sore knee or if his role has simply been usurped by Roger Mason.  Ronny Turiaf looked spry in minutes last night, and should be fine going forward until he gets hurt again next week and we start the cycle over again.

When the Going Gets Tough: Last night, while Melo was playing hero, the Mavs were busy blowing a lead of their own, being outscored by 11 in the fourth quarter and allowing the final eight points in a 93-92 loss to New Orleans.  Perhaps most egregious amidst the collapse was Kidd’s foul on Jarrett Jack’s three-point try with seconds remaining – the ensuing free throws swung the game for the Hornets – and their allowing Marco Belinelli to score 21 points in a league-sanctioned game.

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle called his team “soft” in the closing moments and said, “We just got to be tougher.”  Chandler and Jason Terry are none too thrilled.  The Dallas Morning News is also on the case with this follow-up.

Mavs Rotation: If you’re wondering about former Knick great Corey Brewer, he’s been getting spot duty since joining Dallas but did not enter last night’s game.  As mentioned above, Marion is questionable tonight, and nobody’s mistaking Peja for a Melo-stopper, so Brewer may get an extended call.

Elsewhere, the Mavs are one of the deepest teams in the league: Terry doesn’t start but usually finishes, DeShawn Stevenson had established himself as the starting two-guard before Beaubois came back.  Brendan Haywood will take a few laps around the court as well.  And somehow, although it’s mostly due to injuries now, Brian Cardinal still gets minutes on this really, really good team.

A Leftover Nugget: Forgot to mention in last night’s recap that the Knicks allowed just five offensive boards in Memphis, two nights after giving 22 o-rebs to Utah.  Obviously, that’s a great number.  The Knicks are currently 28^th in the league with 12 offensive rebounds allowed per game, and tied for 23^rd in the league with a defensive rebound rate of 72%.  Dallas is tied for 28^th in the league, ripping down just 23.4% of their missed shots.

Statistician Trivia: A five-second violation is actually a team turnover, not a turnover to the inbounds passer.  A scorer may charge a turnover if he feels one player was especially responsible for the violation.  Interestingly, the same logic (and accompanying wiggle room) applies to both ten/eight-second half court violations and shot clock violations.

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I’m interested to see if Mike D’Antoni starts Fields on Kidd and Douglas on Beaubois.  D’Antoni will be aware of Kidd’s poor shooting last night and in back-to-backs and may be keen to let the future HOF-er prove he can stroke it before he puts his best perimeter guy on him.  Meanwhile, Douglas would be tasked with keeping Beaubois out of the paint, which keeps our bigs in good box-out position, etc.  You know the drill.

The Knicks will be riding a wave of good vibes into Dallas for this one, and rightfully so.  I was one of the detractors of the Melo trade, but say this for him: a few weeks ago, a win in Dallas would have seemed a bridge too far.  Now, it looks like anything is possible.  That may be more perception than reality, but even perception has its value now and then.

Enjoy the game, enjoy the national spotlight, and I’ll have the recap for you in the wee hours of tomorrow.

Carmelo Anthony: Crunch-Time Killer

Since the Melo trade, Mike D’Antoni has preached that it’s all about just getting to the playoffs.  I’m sure privately he tells his team differently, but he’s been very careful to maintain a public veneer of being satisfied simply to show his face in mid-April.

Of course, and especially after tonight’s win, we all know better.  We know the rest of the regular season isn’t about going with what works – Melo in isolation – to make the playoffs, but about finding a winning process, finding a chemistry, working the new players in and slowly but surely getting everyone accustomed to the D’Antoni offense.  And most of all, it’s about hopefully seeing some growth so that when April comes, this team isn’t just the Amar’e and Melo show.

That’s why this win has to be so sweet.  It isn’t just that Melo proved his crunch-time chops for the first time as a Knick, and isn’t just that the big two once again looked completely unstoppable both solo and in tandem.  Tonight the Knicks played 48 minutes of basketball at playoff intensity against a team fighting for its own playoff life out west.  Usually when Breen and Frazier feel compelled to point out the opponents’ defensive intensity, a) the Knicks didn’t just finish putting up 61 points in a half, and b) they’re getting outhustled and run off the floor.  Neither happened in this game; the Knicks led nearly the entire game and, despite ten first-half turnovers, looked ready to match intensity from minute one.

As for the game-ending dagger…what can you say?  Melo is amazing, we knew he was amazing when he got here, he’d been unconscious all game…he’s the best in the world at winning games in the closing moments, and he plays for our team.  This just makes it real.

Again, there’s something to savor here for the short term and the big picture.  Don’t let the Melo heroics obfuscate what we learned tonight: this team has a switch to up the intensity – it does exist, and this isn’t January when they could get run off the floor by any old team that came in with a surge of energy.  This game easily could’ve been the Sacramento/Cleveland/Clippers redux we all hope we’ll never have to see again, and it wasn’t.  They won’t get beat that way anymore – not now, and certainly not come April.

Some other notes I jotted down as they happened:

• Memphis’ crowd looks like a Broadway theater 30 minutes before curtain.  I think their attendance problem has something to do with their PA guy, who sounds  like he’s working a monster truck rally.
• Very surprised that Shawne Williams (22 minutes, five points) logged more burn than Jared Jeffries (21 minutes, 2 points, 42 missed layups).  Williams not only couldn’t defend Zach Randolph but actually let the big guy beat him to spots underneath the basket.  It’s one thing to let Z-Bo bully you, but Shawne was straight ignorant on more than one occasion.  Jared wasn’t much better – although he deserves praise for being alive to the Grizzlies’ failed alley-oop that ended the game – but I was hoping he would have entered before Memphis’ fourth-quarter run, not after.
• When I see Roger Mason and Anthony Carter check into the game, I feel like Captain Hadley in Shawshank Redemption: I want to storm down to Bill Walker’s and Chauncey Billups’ cells and scream that they’d better be sick or dead in there, so help me God.  Obviously, if Mason is shooting it like he was tonight, he can get some time, but I think the ship on Carter has about sailed.  He had a stretch tonight where he put up an air ball, for some reason went to double-team Sam Young which allowed an open layup, and then put up a floater that Marc Gasol blocked with what I believe was his armpit.  The guy has a terrible track record as a shooter, he’s a turnover machine, and there’s nothing he does defensively that Toney Douglas isn’t doing better.
• Speaking of Toney, not only did he set a career high with ten assists, he never even had ten dimes at Florida State.  He’s obviously shooting the lights out, but I like that he’s improved his penetration so that he can suck in the defense to set up teammates.  If he’s going to make a bid to be this team’s point guard of the future, that’s the skill that’s going to get him there.
• Landry Fields: 7-8 FG, six rebounds, six assists.  Yawn.
• After ten turnovers threw a wet blanket over the Knicks’ 61-point first half, the Knicks were sitting on just two TO’s for much of the second half before the Grizzlies stormed back.  They finished with 16 for the game.  Not trying to turn 16 turnovers into a positive, but I appreciated that the Knicks were able to tighten themselves up after halftime.
• Once again, the big two was utterly unstoppable.  Carmelo forced a couple shots in the third quarter but otherwise worked to find himself quality looks, and kept Memphis honest with six assists.  As for Amar’e, honestly I can’t tell if he’s just scorching hot or if the matchups with Melo have left opponents totally unable to deal with him.
• Memphis made two runs in the fourth quarter.  The first was an 8-0 run to begin the period – after a timeout the Knicks got a stop, and Shawne Williams buried a three off Douglas’ penetration to swing the momentum.  The second run came with a couple minutes left, and Amar’e responded by drawing a double team and throwing up a fadeaway 18-foot brick.  So, call it 1-2 on showing poise in the face of a comeback run, tough defense and a home crowd.  Not bad, but not great.  This is a process, after all.

And still, no one goes to their games.

No two teams show the difference between hope and expectation quite like the Knicks and Heat.  The possible first-round playoff opponents both emptied the cupboard to acquire multiple franchise players, and each faces questions of how those stars will mesh.  The Heat immediately became the NBA’s public enemy number one, and the Knicks, should they win a playoff series this spring, wouldn’t be far behind.  We forget this as Knicks fans because of how bad the team has been, but it won’t take America long to take the Knicks from “upstart comeback story” to “Evil Empire.”  The more they win, the shorter our honeymoon as NBA darlings.

The difference, of course, is that Heat fans expected an easy ride to the ‘ship from the second LeBron Decided.  We’ve been so downtrodden, so geared to expect the worst that it’s unnatural for us to expect anything at all.  And of course there’s a tactical difference as well: our two superstars’ skills don’t overlap as much, and the third of our Big Three doesn’t need to be told it’s more of a Big Two.

So far the Knicks, like the Heat back in October, are saying all the right things about ball distribution, not caring who takes the final shot, etc.  I sense that Knicks fans as a whole – myself included – don’t expect any chemistry issues to crop up with this team.  We’re not necessarily expecting a title in the short term.  We’re soaking up the good vibes right now, and deservedly so – we’ve suffered long enough.  But don’t let the vibes fool you – we may not be under the weight of expectation right now, but we are not as different from Miami as we’d like to think.  America loves nothing more than a great comeback, but a close second is the David and Goliath tale; the Knicks are David in round one, Goliath ever after.

Like the rest of America, I laughed a hearty, guttural bellow of a laugh when I saw this story in ESPN’s Heat Index this morning.  Maybe one day we’ll all read this same story about our Knicks.  We won’t read it this year, though, and that’s the advantage we have over Miami – that’s why, before America turns us into the Heatles 2.0, I want them now.

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Oh right, they’re playing Memphis tonight.  I should probably get to that.  Tonight’s game is live on NBA TV if you’re not local.

Projected Starters:

PG – Mike Conley: 30 for his last 62 3PT.

SG – Tony Allen: Has been playing out of his gourd lately.  Making a bid to become the first ever underrated former Celtic.

SF – Sam Young: Could be a tough check on Carmelo; Young will burn most of his calories at the defensive end.  A fantastically poor ball-handler, but hard-nosed at both ends.  Not a deep threat but shoots a good percentage for a nominal two-guard.

PF – Zach Randolph: Has 13 steals in his last four games.  I’m going to assume this is a coincidence, based on past experience with the man.

C – Marc Gasol: Wait, we have to box out both of them?

Your Chauncey Billups and Co. Update: Mark Hale reports this morning that Bull Walker and Ronny Turiaf are likely to play tonight, but Chauncey will miss his fifth straight game with a contused thigh.

A Few Good Sentences about: Allow me to piggyback on Mike’s post last night regarding our apparent starting center of the future, Jared Jeffries.  Like Mike, I think this is absolutely the right move for this team, if only by default of other options.  Turiaf can’t be counted on for starter’s minutes, and Shawne Williams gets himself to the right spots but can’t help out once he’s there.  J-Double, more than his overall defensive skills, makes sure the team as a whole doesn’t take those eight-minutes defensive sabbaticals that have defined this group.  He keeps the energy up and never stops contesting.

Plus, his entertainment value on offense has to be worth something. Team morale, and such.

Grizz Rotation: Rudy Gay will not feature in tonight’s game or next week’s tilt at the Garden as he recovers from a partially dislocated left shoulder.  Memphis is 5-3 in his absence, with a road win in Dallas and home triumphs over San Antonio and Oklahoma City.  Allen has started in his place and moved Young to the three.  Leon Powe was active Monday and could make his Memphis debut tonight; he signed as a free agent on Saturday after being waived by Cleveland, and has been recovering from a knee injury that’s plagued him for over a year now.

Ovinton J’Anthony Mayo might be angry about coming off the bench, or it could just be the steroids.  Shane Battier has also come off the bench, and it will be interesting to see whose time gets cut once Gay returns.  Ish Smith and Jason Williams make the coolest backup point guard tandem in the league, and one of the least effective.  Greivis Vasquez was just as bad, and has lost his opportunity for the moment.  Darrell Arthur is your backup big, and I have nothing interesting to say about him.  Which is his fault, I think.

76ers West: Much like our enemies in Philadelphia, Memphis is riding a (semi-) new coach that emphasizes defense, and is about average in just about every category other than defensive efficiency, in which they’re tenth.  Also like Philly, none of their young talent really made an immediate impact but all have become established contributors, and they’ve supplemented their young guards and wings with a veteran reclamation project at power forward.  And, also like Philly, it’s working: Memphis is eighth in the West, leading ninth-place Phoenix by 1.5 games.  That would match them up for a first-round matchup against the Spurs, whom they defeated a week ago.  The way this season has gone, I wouldn’t count out any of these Western Conference teams.

Two Good Notes: Tonight the Knicks play a team for the first time…for the last time.  Just three of the Knicks’ 20 remaining games are inter-conference matchups; the Knicks will finish their Western Conference schedule one week from tomorrow at home against Memphis.

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Memphis looks like it’s gotten its act together, going 9-3 over their last 12.  Like Monday’s Utah game, this is another Knicks frontcourt diagnostic: a chance to see if they can hang with two intimidating post presences at once.  Although they depantsed the Jazz, Al Jefferson did have 36 and 12 on 17-26 shooting, and Utah had 22 offensive rebounds.  There’s still plenty of work to be done in the trenches; we’ll see another chapter tonight.

Amare – 12-15 FG, 31 Pts in 24:13 (WOW!)

Carmelo – 12-16 FG, 34 Pts in 30:11

When asked in the post game press conference whether now we should expect nights like this on a regular basis, Carmelo laughed at the silly question, looked down at the box score in front of him and said something to the effect of, “Ain’t gonna be too many nights that the two of us miss only 7 shots”. Damn right about that, but it was pretty damn fun to watch anyway. You can credit the awful Jazz defensive effort some for the inflated stat line, but clearly Anthony and Stoudemire are tow of the most gifted offensive talents in the NBA and are capable of combining for 65 points on any given night.

Here are a few other intriguing things that came out of Carmelo’s mouth. He talked about how he and Amar’e are beginning now to play off of each other. This revelation was apparent very early on in this beatdown, as Melo assisted on three Amar’e buckets in a 3-minute stretch of the first quarter. The best part of Carmelo’s dishing and Stoudemire’s swishing was that STAT’s buckets came from different spots on the floor. One 19 footer, one layup at right next to the rim, one short 7-footer.

To me, this showed that Melo is beginning to recognize where Amar’e is on the floor on different offensive sets and he using his ability to draw attention of more than one defender to “get” Amar’e open. In fact, Anthony said as much in his post game comments, explaining that since defender tend to gravitate toward him and not leave him to double team someone else, other guys (Stoudemire and Toney Douglas) will be open. It’s just a question or them knocking down shots, which they did early and often tonight.

Stoudemire actually took to the podium first. He basically brushed off the astounding shooting performance by the two stars and said, “Myself and Carmelo can score one-on-one with ease. Offense is not a problem for us”. It most definitely was not against a seemingly disinterested Utah squad that is obviously in shambles since Jerry Sloan stepped down and Deron Williams was dealt to New Jersey. Amar’e went on to echo some of the same sentiments as Carmelo in regards to the two of them being able to open up shots for the rest of the guys:

“The goal is to always keep the ball moving, and always keep the defense on [its] toes. They can’t quite guard us. If we keep the ball moving like we did tonight and other players get involved and make open shots, then it’s going to be hard to guard us”

Landry Fields put it best in the locker room when asked about his two superstar teammates, something to the effect of, “When STAT and Melo are playing like that, there’s not much anyone can do. Toney Douglas acknowledged that he knew it was up to guys like to knock down open shots when Melo and Amar’e are cooking like they were last night, because there would be opportunities aplenty.

I know it’s one game and the Knicks still have a ton of holes on defense and still struggle against squads/players with a big interior presence (case in point: Al Jefferson’s 36 pts tonight), but when was the last time this team had a laugher like this? After so many nights I sat in MSG, cringing at the poisonous atmosphere created by the Isiah’s Thomas’ reign of terror, last night was a blast. The always heady Garden fans chanting for Andy Rautins to enter the fray. Watching Stoudemire cheer lead for his boys continuing to pour it on the hapless Jazz in the final quarter. Seeing Renaldo Balkman swish a trifecta, fresh off the bench. Pure joy.

Yes this team has been enigmantic, and will likely continue to be so through the last 20 games of the regular season, but the the Knicks are relavant once again. Going to a game at Madison Square Garden is special again, and that’s the damn way it should be in this hoops town.

(Eds. Note: This recap will be particularly short due to B.O.B. staff writer Adam Garnett’s more in depth follow up later on tonight. Enjoy them both.)

The New York Knicks and the Utah Jazz: two teams who symbolize the vast spectrum of unfair disparity currently existing between small and large market NBA franchises. When the current CBA expires and both parties are drawn to a negotiating table, if you’re the players, I don’t think bringing a tape of tonight’s game would play out in your favor. New York, two pricey superstars and all, thoroughly dominated the Jazz, playing them like a fiddle to the tune of a horribly mismatched 131-109 blowout—the Knicks hit the century mark with two minutes left in the third quarter. Also, Andy Rautins played…and scored!. It’s games like this that should motivate the Eastern Conference’s top four teams to position themselves away from facing New York in the second round. Now here’s a brief little breakdown of how some Knicks performed. Needless to say I could sum it up in one word: Well.

* Sometimes I think Carmelo Anthony doesn’t make the right basketball play. Whether it be an extra pass to a wide open shooter in the corner or driving into a double team and forcing up a tough shot.  Then I realize he’s Carmelo Anthony and he can shoot whenever he damn well pleases. Anthony scored 34 points on 12-16 shooting. He made 4 threes and absolutely dominated every poor defender Utah threw at him. Consider his migraine left in Atlanta.

* Amar’e was equally ridiculous. In 24 minutes, STAT scored 31 points on 12-15 shooting. He only had four rebounds, but that was probably due to the fact that New York missed a total of 3 shots. Also, Stoudemire was on the receiving end of a few pick and rolls with Carmelo. Nice to see that.

* It’s obvious Toney Douglas has a green light, and this fact should make fans a little nervous, but when he’s on, as he was in the first quarter, scoring 12 points on 4-5 from the field and 3-4 from deep, he’s a very useful and important player. He hit 5 threes on the night and notched all 20 of his points in the first half.

* Landry Fields needs to patent his jump stop.

* This game got so out of hand that in the fourth quarter Shelden Williams had enough confidence to not only catch the ball, but dribble it between his legs. Jaw dropping. Williams played over 25 minutes and scored 13 points; both might be career highs. (Just kidding, Shelden!)

* With the score 87-62, Jared Jeffries chased down an errant Shawne Williams jumper, corralling it at the baseline and slamming it off a Jazz player’s leg. That’s what he’s here for. Offensively he really, REALLY struggles—Jeffries missed a bunny in the second quarter and struggled to even catch an entry pass on several occasions. He was the only Knicks player who didn’t score and in all honesty he should refrain from shooting. Even though this makes the Knicks play teams four on five on one side of the floor, they can afford to do so with all that offensive firepower. He’s a hustling machine and is playing to his strength, which is crucial.

* Heading into tonight’s game, Utah’s strategy was to pound it inside with their two solid rocks: Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap. Unfortunately, only Jefferson showed up, scoring a game high 36 points and grabbing a game high 12 rebounds. Elsewhere in Utah’s starting five, Raja Bell and Devin Harris had a combined 2-14 showcase. This might help explain the loss.

This look says, "D-Will, just get the hell out already."

Quick. Dirty. Preview.

Projected Starters:

PG – Devin Harris: Not a point guard, says I to literally anyone who will listen.  I was once spent 20 minutes arguing with an invalid on this topic, such is my passion for it.

SG – Raja Bell: Tough matchup for Fields tonight.  Bell will match strength with him and be smart about when to double-team and risk leaving him open in the corner.

SF – Andrei Kirilenko: Absurdly consistent given his troubles staying on the floor.  Speaking of which, he was a game-time decision tonight with back spasms, but he will play.

PF – Paul Millsap: Also will play tonight despite a sore knee.

C – Al Jefferson: Has scored at least 19 points with at least 50% FG in each of his last eight games.

Maybe I Should Just List Who IS Playing: The Knicks will once again be without Chauncey Billups, Bill Walker and Ronny Turiaf.  The latter two both have sore left knees.  Utah will be missing Kyrylo Fesenko, Mehment Okur, Ronnie Price and Francisco Elson with various maladies.  Average PER of the four: 8.32.  Well, I’m sure they’ll be missed in other ways.

Last Time against Utah: Walker will be bummed about missing the return engagement of his and Shawne Williams’ coming-out party – the two combined for 10-13 3PT in a 131-125 loss in Utah.  In one of the stranger games of the year, Turiaf and Amar’e Stoudemire grabbed just five rebounds combined over 49 minutes, Roger Mason copped his last 14 minutes until this past Wednesday, and I didn’t see a minute of it because NBA League Pass decided to inform me of the score as I was logging in to see the replay.  Because as we all know, everyone buys League Pass just to see the score, not to watch the actual game.  Thanks again, NBA.

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Obviously the Jazz feature two elite low-post players, so the onus will be on the Knicks to clamp down on the inside game.  We saw a rare bit of zone defense from Mike D’Antoni last night; I’m interested to see if they trot that out again to take the sting out of Jefferson and Millsap, and let the Utah wings shoot over them.  These are two teams coming off franchise-altering trades, and two teams struggling to find themselves.  Utah has won just three of its last 12, and two of those wins were against Sacramento – they’re 1-3 with Harris and Favors.  Then again, the Knicks haven’t won consecutive games in the Melo era, they had a late flight back into New York last night, and of course we never know which Knick team will show up.  Sounds like a close game to me – let’s hope home court wins out.

No punches were thrown. No trash talking, flying elbows, or blood splatter. But in a game between two teams who see themselves as overlooked threats once the playoffs start, this was a bitter one. The game was a back and forth battle for three quarters. New York had a two point lead at the half and watched the Hawks wrestle it from them throughout the third quarter. Shots were made and missed rhythmically by both teams as it looked like whoever had the ball last would win. Then the fourth quarter happened. New York was very aggressive on defense, forcing 19 turnovers, and offensively they were dynamite, scoring 30 points and closing the game on a 28-16 run. No sequence framed the Knicks late game dominance better than this one: With the ball in his hands at the elbow and time running down on the shot clock, Amar’e Stoudemire (game high 26 points) put his head down and drove towards the basket, into the arms of two waiting Atlanta defenders. Noticing he was stuck, Stoudemire flipped the ball over his head in ridiculously pretty fashion to a wide open Shawne Williams who patiently stood directly in front of the Hawks bench. Williams caught the pass, planted his feet, and watched his third three-pointer of the night (he finished with four) swish through the net just as the backboard’s light went on.  The shot put the Knicks up by 12 and all but decided who the victorious mid-level playoff participant would be.

*It was good to see the Knicks get a win despite one of their all-stars having a rough go. After getting poked in the eye elevating on a jumper in the first quarter, Carmelo Anthony didn’t look right. He permanently removed his headband and safely settled on a steady diet of jumpers for the rest of the game. Anthony had an abnormal stat line: 14 points on just 6-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Five of those dimes came in the first quarter alone.  Not sure if it was the poke that affected him so much as it was just an off night from the floor, but in the third quarter it looked like the Knicks were a better team with Anthony on the bench.

*Jared Jeffries made his second straight start while Ronny Turiaf was out with a knee injury. He was his usual boring, but helpful self; like a rusty toolbox. In 26 minutes Jeffries took only 1 shot and didn’t score a point. His box line will never make your eyes pop, but he’s not a “box score” kind of player. Jeffries brought defensive intensity and with his length and versatility, allowed New York to pack the paint when he was in the game, forcing Atlanta to take a whole bunch of jumpers which more times than not didn’t fall. In his first 15 minutes on the floor, Jeffries had a plus/minus of +11; the only player on both teams to be on the plus side in double digits in the first half.

*Landry Fields had another solid outing (15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 39 minutes) but his defense on Joe Johnson was spectacular.  The Hawks leading scorer had just 14 points and was never able to find a suitable shooting rhythm.

*In all seriousness, where the hell was Al Horford? Just a few nights ago he had the best game of his career, all huffing and puffing against Chicago. Tonight? In a game high 40 minutes? 4 points and 7 rebounds. Facing an opponent with no real frontcourt presence, I expected Horford to be one of the Knicks biggest problems tonight. He definitely wasn’t.

*With Chauncey Billups out for the third straight game, the Knicks backcourt was expected to be stretched thin, but just like Toney Douglas did New Orleans, Anthony Carter did Atlanta. He was the Knicks can of Red Bull, making several huge plays to fuel New York’s late game run. The first came when Jeff Teague, who looks like he could be Carter’s son, came charging full speed and was comically stripped by the 12 year veteran, who took it the other way for a floater. Carter also coolly drained a deep three with just 3 seconds remaining in the third quarter.  Tonight he was a dagger in Atlanta’s back and I’m kind of hoping D’Antoni can find him some minutes once Chauncey returns.

You won't see a more intimidating yellow sweater vest all day

Friday the Knicks proved themselves of punting a game if they feel like it.  Well, ok, they’ve already proved that a few times this year.  But their effort against Cleveland showed that, if this team bears any comparison to the pre-Melo squad, it’s that they’re both eminently capable of the old-fashioned, Marbury-era no-show.

I raise the point because tonight the Knicks are in Atlanta for a game which may not be well worth winning.  A win would bring the Knicks to 2-2 against the Hawks this year, and just three games back of them in the loss column.  A loss, by contrast, is a double whammy: New York would be six games back of ATL for the fifth seed, and the Hawks would hold the tiebreaker.  (Even with a loss the Knicks would still be 5.5 ahead of ninth-place Charlotte, over whom the Knicks hold a tiebreaker.  This team will make the playoffs.)

That fifth seed is no-man’s land for these Knicks.  It seems ridiculous to be griping about playoff matchups after a third embarrassing loss to Cleveland, but to me Orlando, the likely fourth seed, is the worst of all first-round matchups for the Knicks.  New York has two wins each over Miami and Chicago (although they haven’t beaten Boozer and Noah together), and they’ve given the Celtics all they can handle—aren’t these all better matchups for this team?

Here’s the problem (insofar as we can call this a problem): this is the kind of game where these Knicks usually show up.  Tonight’s matchup features a national spotlight on ESPN, some trash-talking and even some fisticuffs.  Those have been pretty heavy motivating factors thus far in the Amar’e era.  I’m happy with a win, as always, but for the first time in many years, the Knicks have other concerns.

Projected Starters:

PG – Kirk Hinrich: Dropped 21 on Oklahoma City Friday after a few subpar games since joining Atlanta.  Has suddenly become a much better shooter in all facets at age 30.

SG – Joe Johnson: Averaging just 17 PPG since February 1.

SF – Marvin Williams: Has the size and agility to bother Carmelo Anthony.

PF – Josh Smith: Has missed two games with a knee injury, but it looks like he’ll play tonight.  Jason Collins has started in his absence.  Hey, remember when he’d stopped shooting threes because he was terrible at them?  Yeah, he couldn’t fight that feeling anymore.  He’s slightly less terrible these days, though.

C – Al Horford: Is not afraid of Amar’e Stoudemire.

Your Chauncey Billups Update: It’s not looking good for our grizzled war admiral as his thigh remains deeply contused.  The various beat reporter Twitters are using words like “game-time decision” and “unlikely.”  We shall see.

Hawks Rotation: If you spent the three days after the Melo trade wandering the streets in an LSD haze, as I did, then you may have missed the Hawks’ acquisition of Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong in exchange for Mike Bibby, a first round pick and cap fodder.  The trade leaves the rotation much the same as before, with Hinrich’s strong perimeter D an upgrade over Bibby’s air traffic controller approach.  Jeff Teague goes a million miles an hour as the backup point guard, Damien Wilkins spells the wings, and the incredible combination of Armstrong, Collins, Zaza Pachulia, Etan Thomas and Josh Powell…probably spend a lot of time staring at each other and feeling the doppelganger effect.

…And yet the Knicks would probably welcome any of those five guys.

Hawks Schedule: The good news for Atlanta is that they’re in the midst of a stretch of 10 out of 11 games at home.  The bad news is they have the Thunder, Lakers, Nuggets, Heat, and three games with the Bulls in the span.  They also have the Knicks, if you would consider that bad news.

The Hawks have still played the league’s easiest schedule by a surprising margin given it’s already March, and strength of schedule isn’t the only metric that makes one question if they’re for real.  Not only have they had the league’s easiest slate of opponents, they haven’t actually beaten them by very much, with just a +0.81 point differential.  The Knicks’, by contrast, is +0.63.  The next month may show whether this team is a threat – beating the Knicks would be a nice start for them, and as discussed above, it might not be so terrible for the Knicks either.

Before last night’s loss the Knicks did a lot of talking; too much talking against a team 27 or so organizations in this league should beat on a consistent basis. As if losing to Cleveland twice in two weeks wasn’t bad enough, newly acquired Cavalier (now self made martyr) Baron Davis got into some boasting of his own late last night. From the Daily News:

“It’s always great to win in the Garden. The Garden is special, especially playing against a team that is getting a lot of coverage,” Davis said. “They were prepared to beat us down. This victory was very sweet because there’s a sense of a miniature rivalry growing here.”

First of all, a rivalry? Things can definitely get more embarrassing after a regular season loss, but I can’t think how off the top of my head. Despite the Knicks’ best (or 1A) player scoring 41 points, they still lost. Despite all the pre-game talk of payback and how beating Cleveland in a re-match would taste like champagne, they still lost. Despite the day of rest and the crowd at their back and the two best players in the gym on their side, they still lost. It’ll be interesting to see how New York responds on Sunday against an Atlanta team one up on them in the standings. Now that’s a legitimate team the Knicks should push themselves to form a rivalry with. Not Cleveland. Not now, not ever.

"This feels so good. We should give every player on both teams the chance to feel this feeling I'm feeling right now."

Tonight the Knicks committed 28 fouls, allowed 16 offensive rebounds and double-teamed like they were defending Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony.  I would expound on this topic, but I already did about 12 hours ago, two posts down, when I was talking about the game they played last week.  Unlike their previous bouts, this game had the feeling of a relatively solid Knick victory, and after this sucker punch and at this hour I can’t say my long-form essay recapping skills are intact.  Fortunately I scribbled some notes on the back of an amazon.com receipt before I knew the punch was coming.  Wanna relive this game?  Of course you don’t.

Box Score

First Quarter

• Heard as Landry Fields snatches another easy free throw rebound away from a big man: “God dammit Landry!”  I’ve long wondered if Landry’s frontcourt teammates are irked when he comes flying in to steal an easy rebound after a free throw.  I hope real journalists further investigate this story so that I may blog about it for all of you in the future.
• Jared Jeffries takes a charge, then grabs an offensive rebound and, at 6’11″, does not even consider shooting.  Not judging either way, but Toney Douglas would’ve immediately thrown the ball back at the basket as if the shot clock did not reset.
• Jeffries then does exactly what I hoped would happen in my game preview: he stands his ground and simply lets J.J. Hickson miss a layup.
• Speaking of Hickson, he already has two offensive rebounds over Amar’e and just beat him down the floor for an alley-oop.  Don’t these guys read Buckets Over Broadway?
• Bull Walker enters, promptly misses an open three and then forgets to box out Manny Harris.  Looking back, not surprised we didn’t see much more of him this evening.
• Christian Eyenga must’ve changed something, because he’s been hot from three lately after a terrible shooting year.  Let’s keep an eye on that the rest of this game…that we’ve all already watched.  Dammit.
• Your score is 32-32 on matching 22-10 runs after one quarter, although Baron Davis hit two threes so I actually count that as 32-26 Knicks.  Melo was 5-6 in the quarter.

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With Antawn Jamison out, the Toon Squad will look for quality minutes from Bill Murray.

One of my great pet peeves in any sport is when a superior team plays unaware of its own superiority.  Last night’s St. John’s-Seton Hall game was a good example: St. John’s tried a full-court press, committed stupid turnovers on low-leverage passes, fouled 80 feet from the hoop, and generally took gambles that made you think they were the unranked minnow taking on the #15 powerhouse, rather than the other way around.  Granted, Seton Hall was pouring them in from deep – although they probably hadn’t been so wide open all season – but St. John’s gave them the chance to make plays because even though the Johnnies were better, they refused to dare the Hall to outplay them.

The same goes for the Knicks and Cavaliers.  Seeing the Cavs scoring 115 points on the Knicks, you probably thought they shot 55% from the field.  In reality?  42%, to go along with 44 free throw attempts and an incomprehensible 19 offensive rebounds.  Rather than stand their ground and play solid defense, the Knicks fouled guys who aren’t likely to have made the shot.  Rather than get in good position for a rebound, the Knicks tried to block shots that weren’t likely to go in, and left themselves vulnerable on the offensive glass.  When you’re up against inferior opposition, your advantage is that you don’t have to take those types of risks; instead, New York acted like playing an inferior team meant those risks no longer carried consequences.

Preachery and philosophizing over.  It’s only been a week since these teams last met, so we’ll go light on the info have a little fun with this one – read on, won’t you?

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IN CASE OF CHAUNCEY BILLUPS INJURY, INSERT TONEY DOUGLAS. Like a faulty fire extinguisher, this probably won’t work on a consistent basis, but tonight it was all powerful.  Douglas started the game for Billups, who hurt his thigh last night in Orlando, and played like he never wants to give up the starter’s spot. In 32 minutes the former Seminole finished with 24 points on 10-13 shooting (4-6 from deep), five assists, and four rebounds.  From the opening tip he was aggressive, blowing by Chris Paul (who, for small stretches, played like he wished he were on a different team) several times and finishing at the basket with ease.  After Douglas and Stoudemire, who had 24 points of his own, were through with them, the Hornets looked about as demoralized as a professional basketball team can be. By midway through the third quarter they weren’t boxing out on free throws or closing out on wide open Knick shooters, and on the offensive end their strategy was “watch Jarrett Jack take a jump shot.” (Jack finished with a team high 21 points.)

Paul finished the game with a season low four points on 2-7 shooting.  He managed his usual 10 assists, but really failed to insert himself into the game’s narrative at any point.  New Orleans’ other weapons were also out of ammo: David West was 6-16 and Trevor Ariza only attempted four shots.

The whole night was a real feel good affair; the Knicks held a consistent 20 point lead throughout the second half.  At one point the crowd at MSG started a Jared Jeffries (more on him later) chant, and then followed it up with a call for Roger Mason. Mason, who’s tallied four total points on 1-16 shooting this season, entered with four minutes left and the game all but decided, and proceeded to sink the two shots he took, one of them from downtown.  Every Knick on the roster saw the floor, including the recently acquired Derrick Brown and the recently decomposed Shelden Williams.

Before the game Mike D’Antoni told reporters he thought that since Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups came aboard, the remaining role players were caught standing around too much on offense, watching those two great additions do their thing, “like it was an All-Star game.” The Knicks did a great job of moving the ball around tonight, and not just in transition.  In particular, I’d like to point out my man Landry Fields.  He instinctively sniffs out open floor space like a slot receiver weaseling his way through the zone defense on a football field. As great as he is without the ball on offense, he’s just as good with it, taking (and mostly making) uncontested three-pointers, grabbing the ball in transition and advancing it via the un-fancy but effective chest pass without hesitation. In terms of seeing a decrease in shots, no New York starter was affected more by the Carmelo trade, yet Landry still manages to put his thumbprint on almost every basketball game he plays in.

Jared Jeffries got into the game and wasted no time nestling himself into the role of pestering offensive rebounder and defensive glue guy. Best case scenario for the Knicks? He becomes a poor man’s Joakim Noah. Even with a 23 point lead late in the contest, Jeffries was still hustling for loose offensive rebounds. Then again, you, the reader, could’ve grabbed an offensive board or two at that point.

Shawne Williams is a very good three-point shooter.  Probably the best on a team loaded with them.  His defense is prone to create serious match-up issues, but when he’s hot Williams can NOT be left open. He went 4-6 from deep tonight and scored 16 points; New Orleans didn’t get the scouting report.

Guarding Carmelo Anthony is like trying to solve a sticky Rubik’s cube. He might not score the most points in the league, but he can attack in the greatest variation of ways. When you think of Anthony putting the ball in the hoop, you picture him out on the wing, steady, in the triple threat position, facing his defender with 47 different options on which he’s choosing his plan of action. Tonight he showed serious effectiveness in transition, making the right decision in almost every given opportunity and making the result a positive one for New York.

So what did we learn tonight? Well, for starters, we now know that the Knicks are capable of moving the ball in the half court, which is very important if they want to see success in the playoffs.  Another is that heading into his match-up with Chris Paul, Toney Douglas was mad. Mad at Mike D’Antoni for giving Anthony Carter more minutes than him two games ago. Mad at himself for playing so poorly against Orlando. Mad at the crowd for giving Chris Paul a warmer ovation than their own starting point guard.  But after watching the brilliant performance he staged tonight, right now you’ve got to think Toney Douglas isn’t so mad anymore. After draining what would be his last three of the night late in the fourth quarter, he landed on a Hornet defender’s foot and stumbled back into the scorer’s table.  Douglas then shot the closest referee a look that asked, “Where’s the call? Nobody told you it’s my night?”

"Yeah, I don't know why Willie Green starts either."

What a strange game last night.  Orlando really wanted the Knicks to have it (honestly, I think we learned more about the Magic last night than the Knicks – something is seriously missing there) and our boys just couldn’t break through.  But, as the great Manny Trillo once said, “The great thing about baseball basketball is you can do something about yesterday tomorrow.”  Tonight the Knicks return home for the Hornets, who after winning ten in a row have lost 11 of 15 and, like the Knicks, are playing a back-to-back and third in four nights.

Projected Starters:

PG – Chris Paul: With whom you’re familiar.

SG – Willie Green: Huh.

SF – Trevor Ariza: Remember when trading away young players was cool?

PF – David West: His FG% and PPG numbers have fluctuated by no more than 3% and one point, respectively.  Although I guess it’s easy to be so consistent when you see who’s getting him the ball.

C – Emeka Okafor: Playing his fourth game after missing almost a month with an oblique injury.  Averaging a double-double (barely).

Who Gets a Uniform?:  Derrick Brown and Jared Jeffries are expected to be in uniform tonight to add defense and glue and bluecollarty and whatever the hell else they’ve been brought in to do.  The big news, however, is that Chauncey Billups is out tonight after taking a thigh contusion from Dwight Howard late in last night’s game.  That means more minutes for Toney Douglas, Bull Walker and The 800-Pound Anthony Carter in the Room.

Hornets Rotation: You might be thinking, who in the hell would back up Willie Green?  Would anyone even accept the ignominy?  You enter every game with a huge mess to clean up, but because you’re Willie Green’s backup, you’re totally incapable of doing anything about it.  Anyway, Green’s backup is Marco Belinelli – I’m pretty sure this is what immigration people are referring to when they talk about jobs Americans aren’t willing to do.

New Orleans will also feature deadline acquisition and Knick abuser Carl Landry, who spearheaded a Hornet bench that went off for 49 points last night.  If Landry performs to his previous numbers against the Knicks, there may be no such domination of the second unit as we saw in Orlando.  Jarrett Jack will also get heavy time spelling Paul and cleaning up after Green.

Confounding Rebounding:  Despite being outrebounded overall (37% FG will do that), last night the Knicks grabbed 11 offensive boards against the best defensive rebounding team in the league.  Tonight they face…the second best defensive rebounding team in the league.  A repeat performance would be a pretty significant step forward for one of the Knicks’ biggest weaknesses.

Last Time vs. New Orleans: Chris Paul never got out of third gear and the Knicks earned a surprisingly comfortable 100-92 road win.  Amar’e Stoudemire abused Okafor with 34 points on 15-22 shooting, and Shawne Williams took advantage of his first extended minutes of the year with three treys.  Remember when he used to hit those?

A Few Good Sentences on: Bull Walker.  As alluded to above, I am fearful that Billups’ absence tonight will lead to far more Anthony Carter than either Douglas or Walker, both of whose play has improved of late.  Walker in particular looks like a different player since the trade – the effort level appears to be up, and it looks like he may have realized that with just a team option for next season, it may be now or never for his career in New York.  He still can’t get to the hole or shoot off the dribble, but if he keeps the energy up, he can be a rotation player in the league.  If he wants to jog from arc to arc and jack threes, well, I’m sure the Belgian scouts are drooling.

What’s Wrong Different with CP3?:  Something appeared to be up with Chris Paul in the Hornets’ December loss to the Knicks: he looked two steps slow, didn’t seem to want to call his own number, and was a shadow of the guy we’d come to know.  He looked like he was either carrying injury or wanted to be traded immediately, and yet his numbers are holding steady.  Well, Ryan Schwan conveniently posted this article to TrueHoop today about how CP3 is getting it done differently post-surgery.  Worth a read.  My take: that Paul took almost no time to make wholesale adjustments to his style shows how special he really is.  How many guys’ production wouldn’t even take a dip during something like that?

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New Orleans is second from the bottom of the league in pace, and scored just four fast break points last night against Toronto. In early December the Knicks easily adapted to the Hornets’ style of play, forcing 19 turnovers and grinding it out in the half court against a team without a dominant big.  This Knicks team should be even better suited to do the same.  David West didn’t play last time, and Chauncey Billups won’t play this time, but this is still a game where the Knicks ought to be able to rely on their stars to defend home court.  There will be times in April where the team will have to do just that; with every passing game, we’re beginning to see if they’re up to the task.

Tonight the Knicks started in a hole, climbed their way out, then fell back in. Forget Dwight Howard (30 points, 16 rebounds) and Jameer Nelson (26 points, 23 in the second half) as individual entities, the Knicks were defeated by an inability to defend the high pick and roll that those two pulled out of a bag in the fourth quarter. Apart from the 19,200 people in attendance who knew what was coming, it played like an unstoppable secret weapon. With the game teetering back and forth heading into the final quarter, New York had no answer for Nelson—scorer of 11 straight Magic points at one point—who kept taking screens from Howard and knifing his way towards the hoop. The Knicks defensive priority seemed to revolve around preventing Howard from rolling to the basket, opening up the lane on almost every trip down the court for Nelson.  Whether for a mid-range jumper or lay-up at the rim.

This sounds bad but after watching the first quarter, things in this one looked like they were headed for much, much worse pastures. We’re talking epic slaughter status. With Shawne Williams starting over Ronny Turiaf for the second game in a row, Dwight Howard had an absolute field day. His first quarter stat line of 17 points on just six shots (!) and seven free-throws was truly as dominant as it sounds. The Knicks threw Williams, Turiaf, and Shelden Williams at him. They doubled down with Landry Fields and Carmelo Anthony. Nothing worked. (When your supposed solution to a basketball related problem is Shelden Williams, it’s time to hit the drawing board.) With a couple backdoor alley-oops and marksmanship from the charity stripe, Orlando’s dominant center played the entire opening 12 minutes like a wrecking ball MVP candidate, but when he came out to rest, the Knicks saw their opening and struck back.

Trailing 32-21 heading into the second quarter, Amar’e Stoudemire went to work on a Howard-less painted area, scoring eight of his 30 total points in rapid fire before Howard could get back into the game. STAT thoroughly abused the likes of Earl Clark and Ryan Anderson with a barrage of quick ball fakes and an explosive first step that at times doesn’t seem worth the effort of defending. By halftime the Knicks mounted an 11 point advantage of their own.  Howard began to slow down and Chauncey Billups began to heat up. Big Shot had 16 very quiet points through the first 24 minutes, which led all Knicks.  The second quarter saw New York outscore the Magic 37-15, but after watching the way Howard had his way with New York’s frontline in the first set, if fool’s gold had a scent, the Knicks second quarter performance would’ve reeked of it.

As dominant as Dwight Howard was in the first quarter, the third was Carmelo’s time to operate. With a wide array of whirling dervish face to the basket spin moves, Anthony made Magic defenders (Jason Richardson, I’m looking at you) look like they were wearing the new Nike Hyper-Cement sneakers. But Anthony finished with 25 points on 24 shots, and only recorded two assists. As the game began to seep away down the stretch, Anthony began to force his dribble into the teeth of Orlando’s defense. To sum it up, this wasn’t his night. By this point Jameer Nelson had begun his take over, and after the Knicks failed to rotate on a couple Ryan Anderson three-pointers, the game was all but over.

Quick Hits:

* With four minutes left in the second quarter, Hedo Turkoglu was given his second technical…from the bench. His emotional reaction was embarrassment. His physical reaction made his face turn a light shade of purple. SVG had to take him by the arm and lift him off the chair like a teacher would do to an unruly student.  Turkoglu had 0 points.

* Combining to shoot 3-15 from the floor, Bill Walker, Anthony Carter, and Toney Douglas were dreadful. Their shots were either rushed, out of the offensive flow (a very tough thing to do in this system), or simply hideous. Douglas was the first guy off the bench of the three, and in 19 minutes of court time he registered a plus/minus of -16. Explanation should come tomorrow as to why Corey Brewer was let go from a team that might need him in this roll.

* The game featured 56 fouls, five technicals (one on Turiaf and one on Walker), and a league-wide, season high 97 free-throw attempts—the most since February 15, 2007. Not pretty.

* On the positive, Chauncey Billups and Amar’e Stoudemire ran their own share of mid pick and rolls to perfection. On one such play, Billups slipped the ball between his own legs to a streaking Stoudemire who finished with a nifty finger roll at the rim. Definitely the highlight of the night for Knick fans.

* They say if you live by the three, you die by the three. In the middle two quarters, the Knicks were living by the mid-range jumper, but by the fourth quarter it slowly killed them.

* Landry Fields grabbed 11 rebounds, but only had six shot attempts. It seems that since the big trade, he’s really struggled to fit in on the offensive end.

* Chauncey Billups banged his knee trying to fight through an Orlando screen late in the game. Not sure what his status is, but he looked fine.

UPDATE: Chauncey’s thigh is bruised.

To think, the Magic aren't taking this guy seriously as a leader...

Before Friday’s game in Cleveland, Mike D’Antoni assured reporters that priority number one was simply to make the playoffs.  He wasn’t going to make sure all his new guys got a look, or insist on running his own offense to acclimate the players for the playoffs.  It was Play Your Game, Get Wins, and Let’s Get to the Dance.

It’s easy to say the Knicks took that game for granted, but I think they did it in more ways than one.  You don’t lose to Cleveland a second time without some mental lapses, sure, but did they even post up Carmelo Anthony once? Did Renaldo Balkman show anything at all either in Cleveland or Miami? (To be fair, he was +15 in 8 minutes, though I’m chalking that up to coincidence.)  I think D’Antoni used Friday night to try to work out some offensive kinks, and realized by Sunday that if he didn’t let this nucleus play its own style, he might have a serious losing streak on his hands.

And really, he’s allowed to think that way – he doesn’t want to say it, but this team is going to the playoffs, and they probably don’t care whom they face in round one.  We saw more isolation against Miami, and tonight they face Orlando in another game the Knicks probably can’t afford to use to iron out the Seven Seconds or Less.

Projected Starters:

PG – Jameer Nelson: Shooting has taken a slight dip in the last month, and he won’t compensate by shooting less.  Good strength for size but much like Brandon Jennings, a good post-up candidate for Chauncey Billups should the Knicks desire.

SG – Jason Richardson: Whose stats have dipped nearly across the board despite receiving more minutes since arriving in Orlando.

SF – Hedo Turkoglu: Ten for his last 17 3PT.

PF – Brandon Bass: From John Hollinger’s Bass bio: “I’ve been told he fell out of favor [last season] because he couldn’t remember the plays.”

C – Dwight Howard: With whom you’re familiar.  You may not be familiar with his much-improved post game, and if so it’s my hope that you’ll be no more familiar with it after tonight.

Who is Derrick Brown?: If you missed Mike’s updates earlier today, the Knicks made a roster move in the wake of the Kelenna Azubuike release, claiming Derrick Brown off waivers.  Brown, who won’t be available for tonight’s game, is a 6’8” second-year forward from Xavier who started one game in his two seasons with Charlotte.  Brown is most noted for his leaping ability, but for a little more detail let’s see what John Hollinger had to say in his bio written before the season:

Brown offers some promise and could emerge as a rotation player this season. His rookie numbers indicate several strong, positive markers — sixth among small forwards in free throw attempts per field goal attempt, fourth in offensive rebound rate and passable ballhandling numbers.

Physically, it’s obvious how he’d take a step up. He can really jump and had some wicked finishes at the basket, and his length helps him challenge shots. He’ll be able to play a lot of four once he fills out, and while his shooting numbers last season weren’t good, he doesn’t look hopeless out there.

Considering Hollinger spends most of those bios making fun of players and using words like “comical” and “horrendous,” I consider this an encouraging sign.

Waiting…: Just when I think the Knicks are good, I remember how eagerly we’re all awaiting the arrival of Jared Jeffries, who recently completed his buyout with Houston.  Jeffries would clear waivers today and is expected to sign with New York, but wouldn’t be eligible to suit up until tomorrow night against New Orleans.

We Don’t Want to Get Technical: Tonight’s game features four of the top six technical foulers in the league.  Howard and Amar’e Stoudemire are each one T away from suspension with 15 for the year, while Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups have 10 apiece.  Interestingly enough, rounding out the top six are Stephen Jackson (14) and Kobe Bryant (12).  Shocking.

One Matchup to Like: Anthony on Turkoglu.  With the caveat that if Hedo gets lazy, he may just let Anthony shoot over him, and then it’s up to Melo to bring his mid-range game.

One Matchup to Hate: Howard vs. anyone.  Obviously.

Don’t Do It!: Within this video, Melo attempts to offer Dwight Howard some advice as he approaches free agency.  The Orlando Sentinel tried to twist Anthony’s response of “Don’t do it!” to mean “Make your decision as soon as possible,” but the way Melo said it came off more like “Just don’t be a basketball player in the first place, and you’ll never have this problem.”

Magic Rotation: In two of the great mercy killings by good teams in recent years, Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson now make only cameo appearances, if they even take off their warm-ups at all.  Orlando remains one of the deepest teams in the league, bringing the likes of J.J. Redick and Ryan Anderson off the bench.  Of course, we’ll also see the God-awful Gilbert Arenas, whose FG% sank under 30% for the month of February, although he nevertheless managed to average 9 shots in his 21 minutes a night.  Before going 4-6 3PT Sunday against Charlotte, Gil had missed 38 of his last 41 treys, and his last 18 in a row.  Arenas should get about 20 minutes; the PT hasn’t really declined despite the poor play.

Aside: I’m interested to see if Earl Clark gets some burn against a depleted Knicks front line.  Clark has seen increased action lately and has even been used over Anderson in the rotation on a few occasions.  This might be a good time for Stan Van Gundy to get him some more confidence.

Trap Game? Please?: The Magic have hit a rough patch in the schedule of late, and we can only hope they’re looking ahead to their back-to-back against Miami and Chicago this Thursday and Friday, and their west coast swing that begins soon after.  Tonight’s game finishes off a seven-game homestand on which Orlando is 4-2, with losses to New Orleans and Sacramento.  Surely with those losses they can squeeze one in for the Knicks!

Questions for Orlando: I’ve been there twice, and I never got the sense I was actually in Orlando – or in a city, for that matter – the entire time I was there.  Is it an actual city?  Are there people who live there, or is it just a bunch of golf courses and convention centers?  Is there a downtown where you can get someplace without a 15-minute drive?  Do they pack the arena’s upper tank with tourists to make it seem like there are people there?  And doesn’t the name “Magic” only make one more apt to think that there’s nothing more to this town than Disney World?

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After the Magic began the second half of the year with a home loss to Sacramento, Dwight Howard privately scolded his teammates for a lack of intensity, in what Orlando seems to have dubbed “The King’s Speech.”  First of all: ugh.  Second of all, maybe if Dwight Howard didn’t define leadership by grinning like an idiot all game, they wouldn’t have letdowns in intensity.  Just a thought.  Anyway, much like the Knicks, the Magic seem to be slowly figuring out how to win with their new alignment.  This will be the toughest test yet for the new Knicks frontcourt, but after Sunday we know this team has the ability to raise its game. Plus, they should be amped for the opportunity to leave Florida with two wins.

Actually, if you ask me, they should be amped for the opportunity to leave Florida in general.  Just secede already.  Anyway, enjoy the game – Mike will have the recap on the other side.

Start of the third quarter

Greg:  Carmelo says don’t bring that weak assed $H!+ up in this humpty dumpty

Will:  Melo and Paul Pierce, as Jon Barry would say, are two of the great scorers that WE have in OUR league

And both are just nailed to the floor

I think that was Melo’s max vert

Greg: Say what you want about Dampier

Will:  And I will

Greg:  But his breasts look fantastic tonight

Will:  Biggest cougar in the building

Greg:  LeBron’s mother might have a bone to pick with that comment

Will:  Wouldn’t be the first time

Greg:  Hiyo!

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We’re trotting out a new idea that may or may not become a recurring theme as the year comes to a close: the live-blog. Instead of a normal recap, BoB contributor Greg Marino and I are here to provide our thoughts as they happened.  And if they suck, we’ll never do it again.  Sound like a win-win? Let’s find out:

Will:  There he is!

Greg:  Here we go. Eddy Curry doing a fantastic sorority “skinny arm” in that pose

Will:  First of all, you arrived before 85% of the Miami crowd. So congrats on that. And secondly, Shawne Williams is starting

Greg:  I would’ve been later but the mojito’s at my mother’s house were terrible

Will:  Sounds like my prom night

Greg:  I still can’t believe I let you take her

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