Month: March 2016

Thursday's Knicks Links: Afflalo, Rambis not on the same page

Arron Afflalo is confused why Kurt Rambis claims there was a conversation about his demotion to the bench.

Phil Jackson is either completely tone deaf or a diabolical genius daring James Dolan to give him upwards of $30 million to leave New York.

Kristaps Porzingis’ spectacular rejection made the highlight show rounds and also sent him to the injured list.

Appropriately, with Cowboys QB Tony Romo on the sideline, Carmelo Anthony choked it away.

Australian basketball great Lauren Jackson announced her retirement on Thursday after doctors said her battered knees were not up to the rigors of contesting for a fifth Olympic medal in Rio de Janeiro this year.

After all the drama of another miserable day for the Los Angeles Lakers, Julius Randle’s graceful spin move for the winning basket was a splash of pure beauty.

It wasn’t easy, but the Golden State Warriors earned an impressive franchise record on Wednesday.

The Warriors’ countdown to become the winningest team in NBA history is down to five.

The San Antonio Spurs set the NBA record with their 38th straight home victory to open the season and matched the highest win total in franchise history.

The playoff chase wouldn’t have died if the Dallas Mavericks lost at home to the lowly New York Knicks on Wednesday.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points, 10 rebounds, five steals and four blocks, and the Sacramento Kings dealt a blow to the Washington Wizards’ playoff hopes with a 120-111 victory on Wednesday night.

The Memphis Grizzlies are struggling, and their slide could hurt their position for the playoffs.

J. J. Barea made a go-ahead layup with 49.9 seconds left and finished with 26 points for Dallas, now tied for the seventh-best record in the West.

J.J. Barea scored 26 points and made the go-ahead layup with 49.9 seconds left as the Dallas Mavericks rallied in the fourth quarter to beat the New York Knicks 91-89 on Wednesday night.

Los Angeles Lakers rookie point guard D’Angelo Russell admitted he felt “sick” during a public apology he issued on Wednesday for secretly filming team mate Nick Young talking about women other than fiancé Iggy Azalea.

Khris Middleton scored nine of his 26 points in the final 7:31 and Jabari Parker added 21 points in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 105-94 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.

Chris Paul had 20 points, 16 assists and eight rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers bullied the young Minnesota Timberwolves in a 99-79 victory on Wednesday night.

D’Angelo Russell knows he must rebuild the Los Angeles Lakers’ trust in him after the rookie guard’s unflattering video exchange with teammate Nick Young ended up on social media.

DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points, Jonas Valanciunas added 19 points and nine rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors earned their franchise-record 50th victory of the season Wednesday night, 105-97 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Four fans trying to get an autograph from Stephen Curry fell out of the stands when a railing dislodged before the Utah Jazz hosted the Golden State Warriors.

Chris Paul announced Tuesday that he’s withdrawing from the Olympics this summer because his body requires rest.

Arron Afflalo’s move to the bench is now accompanied with a bizarre conflict of stories between player and coach.

A day later, Carmelo Anthony was still grateful for the hug and any concerns of a security breach were alleviated by the trespasser’s age.

Steve Kerr and his do-everything superstar, Stephen Curry, expected Golden State to build on its championship run of last season.

The Golden State Warriors finally got their defense in high gear Tuesday night, limiting the Washington Wizards to 41.9 percent shooting en route to their 54th consecutive home-court win, a 102-94 victory over an Eastern Conference playoff contender.

Stephen Curry knocked down six 3-pointers on the way to 26 points, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Washington Wizards 102-94 on Tuesday night to stay on pace for the all-time wins record.

Houston rallied from a 20-point deficit for a road victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James Harden scored 27 points and the Houston Rockets rallied from a 20-point deficit for a 106-100 victory Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rested LeBron James.

There would be no apologies from Stan Van Gundy after his Detroit Pistons caught a break against Oklahoma City.

James Harden scored 27 points and the Houston Rockets rallied from a 20-point deficit for a 106-100 victory Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rested LeBron James.

Jimmy Butler made a tiebreaking jumper with 3.7 seconds left, and the Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 98-96 on Tuesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.

Aaron Gordon had 20 points and Elfrid Payton had 11 points and 12 assists as the Orlando Magic scored a season high in defeating the Brooklyn Nets 139-105 on Tuesday night.

Nicolas Batum had 19 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists for his second triple-double of the season, leading the Charlotte Hornets to a 100-85 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.

Boryla buoyed two franchises three decades apart — the Knicks as a player and coach in the 1950s and the Denver Nuggets as the general manager in the 1980s.

Wednesday's Knicks Links: Afflalo's uncertain future with New York

Kurt Rambis doesn't plan to change the starting lineup or rotation much now that the Knicks are officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Carmelo Anthony experienced a serious case of mixed emotions Sunday evening. Not long after his Syracuse Orangemen reached the Final Four, the Knicks were eliminated from the playoffs for the third consecutive year.

Sadiki Fuller played the role of the trampoline-bouncing, basketball-dunking Thunder — the now-banished Warriors mascot — during some lean years for the franchise.

Doc Rivers couldn’t resist needling Los Angeles Lakers’ fans after Paul Pierce went down with an ankle injury Monday night.

In the midst of a rough stretch, the Dallas Mavericks were searching for a little more energy and athleticism.

DeAndre Jordan had 15 points and 13 rebounds, Chris Paul added 13 points and 14 assists and the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 114-90 victory over the Boston Celtics on Monday night.

Jrue Holiday returned from a toe injury and took a hard shot to the eye for his trouble. Still, he managed to provide the Pelicans with some relief from their recent rut before absorbing the latest blow to his health.

Carmelo Anthony says he was momentarily “shocked” when he felt someone grasping at his thigh as he stood near the top of the key in the final minute of the New York Kicks’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.

Rodney Hood will never forget the night Kobe Bryant requested to guard the second-year player because he was virtually unstoppable. That’s a huge compliment from the future Hall of Famer.

Reserve Allen Crabbe scored 21 points and the Portland Trail Blazers cruised to a 105-93 victory over the short-handed Sacramento Kings on Monday night.

As strange as it sounds, Atlanta Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer prefers that his players experience a close game every now and then.

Hassan Whiteside added a career-high 27 points off the bench for Miami. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points.

Jrue Holiday returned from a toe injury to score 22 points for host New Orleans while Carmelo Anthony had 22 for the Knicks.

A 20-point lead had disappeared in a matter of minutes, and the Minnesota Timberwolves were in danger of succumbing to the small-ball Phoenix Suns for the second time in just over two weeks.

Rodney Hood scored 30 points and the Jazz turned Kobe Bryant’s last visit to Utah into the worst loss of his career with a 123-75 victory on Monday night that matched the Lakers’ largest defeat in franchise history.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points and 13 rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 101-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.

Dwyane Wade found out before the game he would be without his point guard, then was worried in the first quarter about the pain shooting through his left hand and wrist.

Jeff Teague scored 26 points, including two free throws with just over six seconds to play, and the surging Atlanta Hawks fought off a furious Chicago rally for a 102-100 win Monday night.

Russell Westbrook had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in his 16th triple-double of the season, Kevin Durant scored 34 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Toronto Raptors 119-100 on Monday night for their eighth straight victory.

The Knicks coach said his starting lineup will remain the same despite the team being eliminated from the playoffs.

In a span of roughly 30 minutes, Carmelo Anthony’s embrace of a glorious past was smacked with the reality of his depressing present.

It started with Frazier throwing freezing water on a discussed alliance of James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul

A young boy, unchecked by security at the Smoothie King Center, ran onto the court and hugged Carmelo Anthony.

NEW ORLEANS — Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, a member of Steve Kerr's 2015 title-winning coaching staff at Golden State, said Luke Walton will be "a terrific coach” and Knicks' team president Phil Jackson knows it. In fact, Gentry got his hackles up because he did not believe Walton got enough credit for guiding the Warriors…

Tuesday's Knicks Links: Rambis sticking with what doesn't work

Melo 'shocked' when kid ran on court to hug him

Carmelo Anthony finally has reason to celebrate.

Kristaps Porzingis, who has benefited greatly from Carmelo Anthony’s presence, made a plea for the All-Star to stay with the franchise.

The Knicks are officially headed to the lottery without a draft pick.

Dwyane Wade will never forget his first meeting against Kobe Bryant.

John Wall had 22 points and 13 assists, and Marcin Gortat added 16 points and 10 rebounds in the Washington Wizards’ 101-88 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night.

Klay Thompson got an earful from Draymond Green for his two-game total: 80 points and one assist.

The Clippers beat the visiting Denver Nuggets, 105-90, on Sunday to become the fourth Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot.

The odd adventure that has been the Indiana Pacers’ 2015-2016 season was on display in all of its glory — or inconsistency — on Sunday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse against the equally up-and-down Houston Rockets.

Paul George did the bulk of his work for the Indiana Pacers early on, and then Monta Ellis and Ian Mahinmi came through at the end.

The Hawks will have a chance to measure themselves against the Eastern Conference’s top contenders this week, including Friday’s game against Cleveland.

Rookie Willie Cauley-Stein followed a breakout offensive performance with 21 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 20 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings over the Dallas Mavericks 133-111 on Sunday.

Monday's Knicks Links: Officially eliminated from the playoffs

As usual, with the clock winding down and the game tied, the Portland Trail Blazers looked to their backcourt to save the day. The player who stepped up to make the save was unexpected.

Isaiah Thomas scored 28 points against his former team, and the Boston Celtics held off the Phoenix Suns 102-99 despite almost blowing a 21-point lead Saturday night.

The Nets beat the Indiana Pacers, 120-110, on Saturday night at Barclays Center.

The Thunder chose rhythm and the Spurs chose relaxation Saturday night in Oklahoma City.

Quietly and efficiently, the Atlanta Hawks keep piling up victories. The team that headed into the Eastern Conference playoffs last season as the top seed could be this season’s darkhorse.

Three terrific quarters from Paul Millsap were enough for the Atlanta Hawks.

LeBron James is feeling stronger as the season gets shorter.

The Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves both trudged into Target Center with heavy legs and foggy heads.

Two nights after a surprising win over the Bulls, the Knicks fell back to earth, as LeBron James and Cleveland routed them at Madison Square Garden.

Nicolas Batum scored 23 of his 25 points in the first half and the Charlotte Hornets used a 3-point barrage to rout the Milwaukee Bucks 115-91 on Saturday night.

Kevin Durant scored 31 points and Russell Westbrook added 29 to help the Thunder defeat the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 111-92 on Saturday night.

DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, Patrick Patterson had 16 and the Toronto Raptors snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 115-91 on Saturday night to tie a franchise record with their 49th victory of the season.

Orlando journeyman center Dewayne Dedmon scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Jason Smith added 14 off the bench and the Magic dealt the Chicago Bulls a blow to their fading playoff hopes with a 111-89 win Saturday night.

Brook Lopez scored 23 points, Bojan Bogdanovic added 18, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Indiana Pacers 120-110 on Saturday night.

LeBron, Cavs throw down week's frustration on Knicks

J.R. Smith's latest off-the-court issue isn't affecting his performance on it. The former Knicks guard continues to play well for the Cavaliers after he was sued earlier this week by 19-year-old Justin Brown, who accuses the 11-year veteran of choking him and striking him in Chelsea last November, according to police sources. There were not…

Rookie Jerian Grant is giving his 3-point shooting more than the old college try. The Knicks have recently put more of an emphasis on improving the former Notre Dame point guard's stroke from downtown. During his days with the Irish, Grant said he had a propensity to take step-back and fade-away 3-pointers. That formula hasn't…

LeBron James was in town. James had just scored a triple-double. The Knicks had just lost for the 44th time in 74 games. So the question went to Carmelo Anthony. Would you be willing to waive the no-trade clause if it meant playing with LeBron in Cleveland? "I don't want to talk about that man,…

Carmelo Anthony might be going through purgatory on Earth with the Knicks, but LeBron James has his own matters to deal with — namely getting the Cavaliers ready to win a championship. "I believe in what we have,” James said. "And I know we can win a championship with the group we have. And I'm…

LeBron James strapped on his cape, bullied one Knick to the rim and embarrassed two — including Kristaps Porzingis — when he got there.

Justin Brown, 19, claims in a new suit that Smith attacked him outside Artichoke Basille’s Pizza in Chelsea last November.

The Golden State Warriors took advantage of a short-handed Dallas Mavericks squad to record a 52nd consecutive home-court victory, riding another record-setting 3-point-shooting performance to a hard-earned 128-120 win.

A vintage second half by Kobe Bryant wasn’t nearly enough to counteract a steady night of excellence from the Denver Nuggets.

After a record-setting night of 3-pointers for Golden State, coach Steve Kerr’s focus was more on deficiencies at the other end of the court that nearly cost his team a game against an undermanned opponent.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 16 of his 21 points in the second half and the Detroit Pistons extended their winning streak to five games by holding off the Charlotte Hornets 112-105 on Friday night at The Palace.

DeMarcus Cousins had 29 points and 11 rebounds and the Sacramento Kings beat the Phoenix Suns 116-94 on Friday night.

The San Antonio Spurs continue to roll no matter who’s on the floor.

The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Memphis Grizzlies, 110-104, on Friday night to match the best home start in league history with their 37th in a row.

Marcus Morris and the Detroit Pistons are on quite a roll offensively, and each win moves them another step closer to a playoff spot.

James Harden had his third triple-double this season with 32 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to help the Houston Rockets snap a three-game skid with a 112-109 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday night.

Hassan Whiteside isn’t starting. He’s finishing, though, and that’s far more important to the Miami Heat these days.

Jeff Teague scored 12 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Atlanta Hawks overcame poor 3-point shooting to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 101-90 on Friday night.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves dealt a blow to the Washington Wizards’ playoff hopes with a 132-129 double-overtime victory Friday night.

Can you imagine the great LeBron James, the King of subliminal social media messages, coming to New York and leaving winless?

The last two nights, the Knicks have played like the team they were earlier this season, when they looked as if they could compete for a playoff berth. Kristaps Porzingis also has seemed to regain the bounce and form that made him the NBA's next rising star.

The old standby is: It doesn't matter who starts but who finishes. Well, Arron Afflalo did his very best to present a diplomatically correct acceptance of that adage after recently going from starter to sixth man for the Knicks. "I guess it's just my job to be professional and give the team whatever they feel…

Nine games are left after the Knicks completed a home-and-away sweep of the fading Bulls on Thursday to get to 30 wins — awash in Garden cheers. Their first back-to-back triumphs since mid-January were meaningless in the standings for the Knicks but meaningful in the tweaks management is trying to incorporate under interim coach Kurt…

It had been two long months since the Knicks won back-to-back games.

As they reel to mediocrity without Tom Thibodeau, Bulls players provided glowing referrals and reviews for their former coach.

Russell Westbrook’s triple-double rampage has overshadowed Kevin Durant’s emergence as a dominant passer.

J.J. Redick hit a 21-foot jumper as time expired to lift the Los Angeles Clippers to a 96-94 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.

James played down the criticisms he has recently faced, which include unfollowing the Cavaliers’ Twitter account.

Oklahoma City has been on winning streaks before. In fact this season alone, they have had runs of six consecutive wins twice.

With his parents in town to help celebrate his 20th birthday, Indiana Pacers rookie Myles Turner wanted to mark the significance of the day with specific numbers Thursday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New York Knicks are playing spoiler — at the Chicago Bulls’ expense.

Two straight victories over the Bulls created a bright spot for the Knicks in an otherwise gloomy season.

LeBron James was so good for three quarters that the only one who could stop him was his own teammate.

Indiana Pacers rookie Myles Turner had the perfect vision for his 20th birthday bash.

Friday's Knicks Links: Porzingis leads New York over Bulls again