Any of the residual gratification felt by the New York Knicks and their fans was quickly erased Sunday when the Indiana Pacers came into Madison Square Garden and manhandled the Knicks to take away home court advantage. Indiana’s top-ranked defense protected both the rim (eight blocks, five by Roy Hibbert) and the arc (the Knicks made just seven 3-pointers, one less than the Pacers) as they led for the entire second half and took away many of New York’s secondary weapons.
Who cast a first-place vote for Carmelo Anthony for Most Valuable Player, denying LeBron James the honor of being the first unanimous selection in NBA history? It was Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe. [Read more…]
BROOKLYN — On the bright side, the Nets’ season ended with a playoff game, in a new arena, in a new home, with a young, urban crowd decked out in black Brooklyn gear. Walking through the Barclays Center during the night, I counted one — yes, just one — “New Jersey” jersey being worn by a fan — equaling the number of “Sex and Drugs and Rap” t-shirts I saw. Sitting to the right of me near the mid-level press row
My pick lies within this podcast with Richard Neer of WFAN Radio in New York: [Read more…]
If lessons have been learned, we should not expect the Knicks to dress in all-black, we should not expect Mike Woodson to be kept in the dark about his players’ pre-game plans, and we should not know what to expect — good or bad on any given night, no telling which will come when — from J.R. Smith. We also should not expect a suspension for Smith for throwing a flagrant elbow. But then again, when you are playing against a team
That photograph (screen shot, to be exact) to your left is the key factor in this series. Russell Westbrook will be walking to the arena on crutches, watching either from behind the bench at home or in a luxury box when the games move to Memphis. And you know what Mike Conley needs to do? Send a thank you note to Patrick Beverly. Let me tell you a story: The year before the Donnie Walsh era in New York began, I was
Vinny Del Negro will be coaching his final game with the Los Angeles Clippers tonight when they lose Game 6 to the Memphis Grizzlies. Wait a minute, is that fair to say? And is that fair to surmise? No, and maybe. This much we know: The Clippers have lost three in a row, Blake Griffin is iffy with a sprained ankle, the Clippers are getting virtually nothing from anyone not named Chris Paul or Jamal Crawford, and the time to take desperate measures
The New York Knicks spent the offseason – and the regular season – adding playoff-hardened veterans to challenge the Miami Heat for the NBA title. But it is some of those same veterans who are showing inexcusable immaturity in their first-round series vs. the proud Boston Celtics. Whether it be unnecessary elbows or dressing for a funeral or failing to defend their home court, the Knicks have let the Celtics back into the series. What once looked to be a sweep now