Game Thread: Knicks @ Cavs
April 20th, 2012 by Thomas B. | Comments | Permalink |
The Knicks have clinched a playoff spot but there is still work to do. The 6th seed is still in play and the Knicks will need every game–and some help from the Howard-less Magic–to get it.
Oh and this former All-Star forward is supposed to play tonight or something like that. I am curious to see what effect his return will have on the rotation.
Your in game thoughts here.
@Don't bother; I don't tweet
Fire Dolan!
SHUMP SHUMP
Worth pointing out before it all starts–Robert is great on the NBA today podcast. Funny and smart, as always.
Hey a trendsetter!
“Worth pointing out before it all starts–Robert is great on the NBA today podcast. Funny and smart, as always.”
Link?
or a lemming
I’m at the game right behind the basket we are shooting on. I told Allan Houston to help fix labdry’s shot and he smiled and nodded. Lol. He also shook my hand.
When was the last time Knicks won in Cleveland?? 2006??
Thats great!! Houston is my 2nd fave Knick ever after Ewing.
Last League Pass game of the year and I have the Cleveland feed so no Clyde…Disputing and Muting.
Amar’e physically looks fine at least.
My League Pass has both feeds available since there are only a few games tonight.
@4
The podcast has a series of Truehoop bloggers trying to “convince” Henry Abbot why he should root for their team. I think Robert went second.
Thought Amare looked spry at least
Sorry, here’s the link:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/podcast/archive?id=3634017
Nice look Woody. Liking the hat
I’m envious. I’m still at the office so I’m stuck watching on Broadband with no such option as far as I can tell.
I have league pass broadband (intl version) and I am stuck listening to “deep in the Q” unfortunately, it would appear. Every time a cavalier 3-point attempt goes up I pray for I basically say a silent prayer.
Oh yeah, Broadband never has choices. MLB.tv is so much better than League Pass Broadband its a joke.
Samardo Samuels, Hall of Famer.
Typical Knick performance in Cleveland. Which is to say bad so far.
The CLE radio guys just said of Fields that he’s “an improving defender, among the league leaders in steals, who can shoot 3s like layups”. So there you go. (a paid bball mind who sees value, however misguided, in Fields… Told you all they exist out there!)
Cavs have beaten Knicks 9 straight in Cleveland….this game won’t be as big of a joke as I think many predicted (I feared this might be the case going on, hopefully they turn it around in 2nd quarter).
No energy. Ugh. Woody better get on them or I can see us losing this game.
Well, the cavs TV guys were saying Fields shoots the 3 mechanically and something is clearly wrong with his release and they hope he keeps shooting 3′s.
Its been that long huh, I asked earlier in the thread when was last time Knicks won in Cleveland. Last time I remember was in November of 2006. Sounds like 10 games ago lol
This has been a Bulls like ass-whooping on the boards so far.
Well this is uninspiring.
23-7 on boards is that correct???? No varejao….whaaaaaaaaaaaat?
24-7 rebounds for Cle. Let me repeat. 24-7.
They look like they are playing for the 8th seed tonight, not the 6th!
Yeah, well, everybody knows that Dan Gilbert only consults the radio team before making trades.
Yeah, well, everybody knows that Dan Gilbert only consults the radio team before making trades.
Maybe my memory is screwy but it seems like the Knicks haven’t looked this sucky in about a month.
Knicks got back the wrong starter tonight.
A Cavs TV commentator to his colleague: “Knicks look a bit casual to you?”
The same guy did also just say that “nobody plays better under pressure than Manny Harris”.
Me no like what me see so far.
Shit, Knicks 10 for 32 so far tonight.
It has been an all-around terrible effort thus far on both ends of the court and on boards…hopefully they turn this ship around!
Give the ball to Melo, he’s the only one with a semblance of a hot hand.
Knicks must really want to face the Heat.
Side note, but Manny Harris’ full name is Corperryale L’Adorable Harris.
Melo with the hops!!
One of those games where the Knicks could really use a decent PG. Get well soon Lin.
it looks like the rest of the team broke into his stash before the game.
Yes, their “point guards” Bibby and TD just move laterally on perimeter and hand the ball off to a 3-point shooter with little time left on shot clock…not exactly a great offensive strategy for success.
How do you get “Manny” from that? lol
Melo with 12 FGA, 0 FTA.
Doubt we see Toney in 2nd half that dumb three he took early in the clock looking off everyone was so Stupid.
Amare slow on D. Fields still atrocious. This is what scares me. If Melo comes back to earth who steps up? I have no idea.
I
I just Woodson to tell our guys to box out. He gave me a dirty look.
I missed the first half. I assume this is all Landry’s fault?
This game is over
According to the Cav’s 2011 season review, his father called him Manny after the “Scarface” character. You can’t make this stuff up.
http://www.nba.com/cavaliers/features/review_harris_110516.html
The corpse knocks down a three!
Have a bad feeling this is a preview of what will happen a couple of times in the playoffs vs Bulls/Heat where they will struggle to reach 80 pts. They just are way too dependent on Melo to score points.
Aside from Zombie Bibby, this is pretty embarrassing
Seriously, aren’t the Cavs supposed to be tanking, or are the Knicks tanking?
Cue the NY headlines tomorrow about how STAT ruined all the chemistry…same as when Melo came back after Linsanity.
That cow suit is a crime against humanity
Bibby is the hot hand!
YOU’RE A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY!
Yeah so the switch where Bibby ends up on Jamison… not so good. It’s only happened like 13 times tonight.
Is this all on working Amare back in?
Bibsanity!
If Knicks lose this game it basically makes the remainder of the regular season meaningless. Dont want to have to wait 8 days to watch a meaningful Knicks game :-(
I think you just got mentioned on MSG.
Well, apparently this WAS a meaningless game (to the Knicks)….we just didn’t know it!!!
Novak to the rescue.
This is fucking embarrassing and disappointing.
Seriously looks like one of the games during the 8-15 stretch to start the season…pitiful!
Well at least everyone can rest the next 4 games, nothing to play for
Fields hasn’t made a 3 since April 5th. Of course, that’s not nearly his longest stretch of the season–he didn’t hit one from March 12th-March 31st. Impressive.
Welp.
Am I the only one who wants another look at whether he got that absurd shot off in time?
You know one thing is that I don’t think the players think about or care about seeding or what round they face which opponent. I especially don’t think guys like Melo, Stat and Chandler care at all. They think they can beat anyone. They aren’t sitting around saying “oh I hope we get the 6 seed so we play the Pacers instead of the Heat” or whatever. I just don’t see that.
I haven’t been watching this game but I’m going to guess that this happened when Amare didn’t hedge on screens, letting the switch happen. I have no problem with Amare’s O. It’s the D that changes everything.
Hey, I had a nice dinner with the wife and took the night off. I get back just now and…….WHAT?!?
I thought I could trust you guys to shepherd us through this game.
Let’s just hope there are no playoff games billed as “Friday Night Knicks” games.
Fields has been watching too much baseball.
He’s pitching a PERFECT GAME!
This I totally agree with. Its safe to say us fans worry alot more about this than the actual players do.
Any theories on why they’re not playing Melo and Chandler? Are they trying to get STAT used to running with the second squad? Is the answer to how to get Melo and STAT to play together is to not play them together?
I’m not wearing any pants…news at 11.
I actually was hoping (I know this sounds bizarre) that Milwaukee would win last night so as to make this game meaningful for the Knicks in terms of making playoffs…I think they don’t care much about seeding as well…once they are in they relax, which clearly is what happened tonight.
Hey, Landry Fields looks like a shooting guard.
I blame this on Fire Dolan Shump Shump.
Harrellson played one minute and is +6?
If he played the whole game at that rate, they’d win by 288.
I like Woody keeping Melo and Chandler out btw. Good smart move. He can chalk this up to a mental lapse after they got in the playoffs, get his guys rest like the other teams are doing. Makes it less of a confidence blow.
Douglas and Fields are partying like its 2010.
This would never have happened if they didn’t waive Bill Walker.
That right there is the one thing Landry does better than 95% of the league. He gets so many easy (like so easy even he makes them) buckets on the quick release after a turnover.
Well if we really want to avoid the Heat there is still a good chance they pass the Bulls for the 1 seed.
Ah, the patented J.R. Smith three point foul. Just pick up your option now buddy.
Hahaha the guy running my MSG stream just switched over to the Lakers game.
He may break some kind of a record for number of times fouling a shooter on a 3 this season…btw, TD did a wonderful job completely destroying our little mini-run with a horrible TO on long pass to Fields….just waive the guy…if I never see him again in a Knick game I think I would be better off!
He made some nice hustle plays tonight, actually looked passable. Was the least of our problems.
this is the beginning of the end. thanks stoudemire!
Precisely. Great call.
Silver linings: Stoudemire certainly looked rusty and a step or two slow, which was to be expected, but I was pleasantly surprised with his physical ability. The sixth seed was probably a pipe dream anyway, so now we get three games to experiment and rest.
Oh, c’mon. THis is a little overboard.
thanks for spoiling my weekend… dashing my hope for knicks overtaking orlando… melo, you played worse than stoudemire tonight!
Your entire weekend is spoiled?
what do you make of tonite’s loss?
Yeah. Long shot at best. I just like to dream of the Knicks taking out the Pacers rather than losing to the Heat.
what does this loss tell us about melo coexisting with stat? nothing!
Thats the playoffs guys
Not much. Guys not trying to step on each other’s toes. Lack of offensive identity tonight leading to energy deficit. That happens. it will take reps.
With chance still get 6th seed, I think Woodson should least start 2nd half with Stat on bench and Melo 4 spot. See we could make run with starting 5 we been playing with for last 13 games.
I understand not trying to get hurt but not trying to play Indiana is just stupiDEFENCE.
Pacers fans must be drooling, their ticket is punched to the 2nd round of the playoffs
Nah. That would be a panic move. You have to think about it. The team made a very strong push to make the playoffs. Now they’re in; all the other teams are resting.
Things weren’t right tonight, continuing to push and push could have bad consequences.
I think all the starters minutes will be cut to 25 ish as the Knicks play Russian Roulette with the Sixers. Knicks will hedge their bets with another unintentional loss, and then we’ll see if they have to win or lose the final two games.
I think they were trying to play Indiana. But they were also trying to integrate STAT into the line-up. Both are important, but the latter is something the Knicks have full control of.
I like the small lineup better. There is always a threat from the perimeter which is difficult for the opposing team. Woodson should not play stat. And I like stat too.
This was an obvious let down after making the playoffs. Woodson ran a lot of groups that haven’t played together and Amare is working his timing back.
It is what it is.
No need to make any broad judgments about Melo, or Amare or anything.
They’re in, and for this team, and what they’ve been through I’m damn pleased for them. And all these trial revealed a new point in Lin, a strong deuce in Shump, a 3pt god in Novak and had they not had so many issues they might not have signed Smith.
Strangely, they’re better for all these trials.
The Knicks have been pretty poor on the road all season long. They have a 5-5 road record under Woodson, which is an improvement, but that 12-19 road record is a real eyesore.
then they would be morons
D’Antoni should be sued for malpractice. Cannot believe he had this team at 18-24, even with a petulant Melo. That’s how you get bounced in the first round.
I don’t agree that assessment. Mark my words I’ve rather see Melo get 25 pts and hit shooting at 50%. If we lost, then so be it. But to remote chance playoff we going needs Melo continue hot streak. Games like this where barely get his iso play I think going to be horrible for his shooting touch.
if the thread starter doesn’t believe, that doesn’t help. :)
that was one to forget all around, except that Melo’s behind the back flip from like 15 feet after the whistle should have counted for 10 and then it would have been close down the stretch.
NY still hasn’t won in Cleveland since 2006, no LeBron or even Varejao to blame it on this time. I think they could suit up the cast of Major League and still beat us going away…
TD was awful. Awful. Its just that our expectations are so low that if he doesn’t blow wide open layups we think he did well. Kinda like fields hitting more than 2 threes per month or making both free throws. Bib by looked good. TD will be sitting for the rest of the playoffs…. Melo came back to earth and coincidentally offense went to shit. Just one game, but not a good sign
Seriously does Cleveland have some crazy underground nightlife I’ve never heard of?
Agreed melo was in the low post a total of maybe 3 times tonight?
oh, and no more Robert Randolph Friday nights next year. thanks in advance.
Not a game to get too crazy about, but the Magic are highly likely to go 1-3, so it would have been nice to make a run at the 6th spot.
It is bizarre how the Cavs have our number in Cleveland, that half court banker by Manny Pacquiao was the icing on the crapcake.
I agree that you can’t freak out about this loss. Fluke losses happen in the NBA all the time. That said, I just wanted to note that there is absolutely no way that the Knicks were not trying to move up to the #6 seed. The notion that the Knicks don’t care who they play in the first round is just wrong. Teams jockey for the best playoff positioning all the time. They absolutely think about this stuff. Heck, I’ve done at least two Unsung Knick History pieces on this very subject (the time that the Heat and the Knicks both tried to lose to each other in the final game of 1999 so that they could pick their 1st round opponent and the time that the Hornets tanked in 1997 to get the Knicks in the first round).
The Cavs are terrible and the Knicks should feel terrible for losing this game. I don’t care how anybody wants to rationalize this game. Fluke losses are for January, not a playoff push.
Agreed. Being the superstitious person I am, I can’t remember the last time the Knicks won a Friday Night Knicks game.
They won a Friday Night Knicks game just last Friday.
That said, they are a freakish 4-11 in Friday Night Knicks games.