Knicks Morning News (Wednesday, May 02 2012)
May 2nd, 2012 by Mike Kurylo | @KnickerBlogger | Comments | Permalink |
Amar’e Stoudemire of the Knicks is the latest in a long line of professional athletes to fight an inanimate object — a fire extinguisher — and lose.
With an impulsive punch on Monday night, Amar’e Stoudemire probably ended his season and surely hastened his team’s exit from the playoffs.
Derrick Rose, who tore an anterior cruciate ligament in Game 1, could only watch as Philadelphia romped against Chicago, which was outscored, 62-37, in the second half.
Maybe they’ll start calling it Piercing.
There wasn’t much for Jrue Holiday to improve on in this game, except maybe one thing.
Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 38 points as the Los Angeles Lakers held off a late fightback by the Denver Nuggets to win 104-100 on Tuesday and take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference quarter-final series.
Kobe Bryant scored 38 points, Andrew Bynum followed up his playoff-opening triple-double with 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers weathered Denver’s late rally for a 104-100 victory over the Nuggets on Tuesday night, taking a 2-0 series lead.
(Reuters) The Boston Celtics held firm while Eastern Conference rivals the Chicago Bulls collapsed as the NBA title contenders handled the absence of their All-Star point guards in different ways on Tuesday.
Tyson Chandler has been voted the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for his impact on the New York Knicks, a person with knowledge of the award said Tuesday.
Jrue Holiday scored 26 points, Lou Williams added 20 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Chicago 109-92 on Tuesday night to even their first-round series in the Bulls’ first game since Derrick Rose’s season-ending knee injury.
Amare Stoudemire’s difficult season may be over.
Gregg Popovich can’t win like the old days. No longer can the San Antonio Spurs simply feed Tim Duncan the ball, let their defense do the rest and ride that game plan to NBA championships.
(Reuters) The Boston Celtics held firm, while Eastern Conference rivals the Chicago Bulls collapsed as the NBA title contenders handled the absence of their All Star point guards in different ways on Tuesday.
Paul Pierce battled through another tough shooting night to score 36 points and the Boston Celtics wiped out Atlanta’s 11-point lead in the second half even without Rajon Rondo, stunning the Hawks 87-80 on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Carmelo Anthony got his playoff pass late Monday night, courtesy of Amar’e Stoudemire. By taking his best shot at that glass door in Miami and cutting his left hand, Stoudemire made this postseason all about him.
Amar’e Stoudemire did not suffer ligament or tendon damage when he cut his left hand punching a plane of glass, a source told the Daily News.
It is not even nearly in dispute that Amar’e Stoudemire did a boneheaded thing with his left hand after the Knicks lost to the Heat again on Monday night.
Tyson Chandler has been voted the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for his impact on the New York Knicks, a person with knowledge of the award said Tuesday.
Amar’e Stoudemire came to New York before the 2010-11 season and proclaimed “The Knicks are back.” He was correct. The Knicks got out to a solid start and Stoudemire was an All-Star and MVP candidate.
Mike Kurylo is the founder and editor of KnickerBlogger.net. His book on the 2012 Knicks, "We’ll Always Have Linsanity," is on sale now. Follow him on twitter (@KnickerBlogger).
Get ready 4 the Knicks 2 get back very very bad return for Amare’. I think he just shoveled the last bit of dirt on his tenure in NY. There’s no way Grunny trades Melo after what he’s shown the end of this season even if he will get a far more superior return package. Stat is stil a valuable player, problem is his value doesn’t match his contract. Me personally, I prefer movin him for Channing Frye and high priced players PHX doesn’t want. I also think he would do well in NO or ATL, but I see no way those 2 franchises would want him. But I have no doubt that Grunny is gonna exhaust every option in trying to move Stat. I couldn’t see this a year ago because he was playing so well, but his presence is handicapping the squad. Before, I didn’t believe he and Melo’s skills overlap..but they do for sure. And with Chandler’s main offensive skill being within the P&R, it renders Stat obsolete in NY. I held onto the idea that Stat and Melo would work for so long because I hoped..err..prayed that Stat would post up more. Nope…as big and talented as he is he just wouldn’t do it. I’m so disappointed. Especially when u consider that Stat’s ego won’t let him become the 2nd option and find a way to fit in next to Melo’s offensive splendor so we can win some ball games. So disappointed. It burns even more to see Melo’s increased activity on D while Stat sleepwalks. So dis…ah f it u get the point.
In my perfect world we’d be able to move him to ATL for Smith. Hell, I might even take Williams and cap fodder. At least Williams would defend and stay outta Chandler and Melo’s way on offense. That said, I have a list, focusing on players who play or can play the 4, whose production doesn’t match their deals. Unfortunately this may be the lot Grunny is forced to choose from unless he wants to trade big for small. Villanueva, Tyrus Thomas, Frye, Chuck Hayes, Blatche, Odom, and to a lesser extent Scola and Okafor. Yuck. But what other options do we have. Chandler and Melo are obviously going nowhere unless another team blows Grunny away with an offer. Good news is Melo doesn’t have to worry about on court chemistry the rest of the series because Stat’s probably done til next season unless we oust Miami. As far as next season, if Stat is moved, I have no problem with building around Melo, Chandler and Lin…that’s nothing to shake a stick at. Those guys are good. So, hope for the future is not lost..especially if we can dump stat. get ready for a crazy offseason..whenever ours ends- I still think we can beat Miami. It’s gonna be super tough..but not impossible since we have good 3 point shooters for Melo to kick it out to and keep the defense honest.
Wow, Beck going a little overboard in his gloom and doom piece today, calling Anthony’s 12-26 shooting “ghastly”
Also, one of the recurring themes in the “Knicks have a doomed future” posts from a prior thread was the fact that we may lose both Smith and Novak next year. I love Novakaine, but when it comes to playoff basketball, it’s become pretty apparent his value diminishes significantly. And look at guys like Anderson and Korver, who do pretty much what Novak does – make 3′s. They’ve basically been non-factors in their series as well. And JR? Yeah, he’s a nice guy to have come off of the bench, but there are nights when he will just kill you with bad decisions and bad shots.
Both of them are replaceable, IMO.
“Many great/efficient offensive players combine their own-shot making with easier looks created from penetration by others.. melo is not affforded those right now.”
Ruruland – I thought we weren’t posting about Melo?
If people didn’t post about Melo, even if it is the same argument day after day after day, there would be very little activity on the non-game threads beyond the occasional trade, can we resign Novak/JR inquiries.
No, I know. Ruruland committed to not discussing Melo until the end of the Knicks playoff run. Having a bit of trouble with that….
I am going to keep up my end, and refrain from discussing him. Doctor’s orders also….
From Mike Lupica
“All we know is that before Jeremy Lin and before Carmelo, Stoudemire was The Man around here, if briefly.
Stoudemire was the first to change the worst and most dismal basketball culture in the history of the place.
Stoudemire was the one who came here and said all the right things and played his ass off and began to remove the stink of the Isiah Thomas era from the Garden. . . .
“Yeah, Stoudemire looks older than his years, and beat up. But he sure was something those first few months after he hit town, had them chanting “MVP” at the Garden. So go ahead and run him out of town now if you want to. Or pile on. It just means you don’t remember what things were like before he got here, the Garden not a mecca of basketball. Just a dump.”
Mike Lupica has been brain-dead for decades.
We absolutely agree on that.