Live From The Garden: Knicks -v- Pistons

Knicks 104, Pistons 92

Wakey wakey, eggs and breaky. Early one this Sunday, with the Pistons suffering the classic curse of the NY-Noon game. It's hard for the players to resist partying the Saturday night before in the Big Apple. It showed with Allen Iverson and Pistons starting very slow, going down 10-0 before being forced to call a timeout and regroup. More of the same after the timeout, with a very poor showing from Allen Iverson who looked a bit slow and unlike himself. Coach Michael Curry sat Iverson a good chunk in the first quarter, putting in Rodney Stuckey to get the Pistons running some offensive plays, instead of Iverson's ineffectiveness. The first quarter ends, and the Knicks have a commanding lead, 29-12.

In the second quarter, the Pistons were able to get a lot of points, scoring 31 overall. However, there was no D on the Pistons end either, and the Knicks got 36 points, led mostly by timely buckets from Quentin Richardson, and Chris Duhon pushing the Pick n Roll with David Lee on almost every possession. David Lee only finished with 12 points, but his 19 rebounds and overall impact on both ends of the floor was outstanding. The Knicks wound up getting the lead to almost 30 points at one point. Towards the end of the first half, the Pistons went on a mini-run, looking to gain momentum at the break. Knicks fans are used to runs like these, which usually led to a horrible second half, repeating none of the success from the first two quarters. Would there be more of that tonight?

At the break, it was 65-43 Knicks. Looking at the box score, there was something very interesting that popped out. The Knicks were 20-40 from the field, while the Pistons were almost identical at 19-41...yet there was a 22 point lead! Breakin' it down further, you'll see the Knicks success came from the line (were they got 21 shot attempts to the Piston's 9), and from 3-point-land, where they hit 8 of 14. Add to that the great ball control of the Knicks (2 turnovers), and the Pistons looking sloppy (8 turnovers), and there's your lead.

In a game where the Knicks almost dominated from beginning to end, it was Jared Jeffries who was horrid and kept letting the Pistons get back in it. His decisions on offense, including fading, long jump shots (he's never hit one in his life), and repeated offenses charges, were really horrendous and his number should have gotten pulled much earlier. Jeffries was the only one on the team to log a negative +/- for the Knicks. Tempers flared a bit in the 3rd, with Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace both getting techs, but this time that didn't exactly ignite Sheed, and the Pistons were still down 18 at the start of the fourth.

Pretty bad game for the Pistons backcourt, with Iverson shooting 33% from the field, and Rip getting his second technical in the 4th quarter, resulting in his ejection just when the Pistons looked like they could make a run. I thought Michael Curry was supposed to have control over those tempers? Jared Jeffries continued his run of horrible ball in the fourth quarter. Combine that with the refs making even on their ejection of Rip, by giving the Pistons tons of calls in the fourth. Detroit managed to get the lead down to 5 (!), which I'm sure made half the (totally packed) arena think twice about calling this a win.

Tayshaun Prince really piled it on in the fourth quarter, and it seemed like almost every shot he hit was with the left hand, about 3 inches from the hoop (and one big dunk the same way). They probably should have went to that earlier in the game, since it was basically unstoppable. Tayshaun finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals on 11-19 shooting (!). But it wasn't enough for the Pistons, who gave up a huge 3-pointer from Al Harrington with 1:20 left, extending the lead to 9 points, sealing the win.

It was games like this, last year, that were the worst. A huge lead in the first half, leading to a complacent team, horrible second half and eventual loss. But tonight was different, and Coach Mike D'Antoni didn't let the team lose their energy and passion, and they pulled it out in the end in front of a packed Garden crowd. Great game for the Knicks, bouncing back from two tough losses, and they again showed that on any given night, they can compete on the basketball court.

Thursday Wake n Break

*Rajon Rondo was the man tonight in Boston, leading the Celtics to a victory fo the Pacers. Rajon picked apart the defense all game, finishing with a VERY impressive triple double: 16 points, 17 assists, 13 rebounds (add 3 steals to that). WOW. The Celtics also took advantage of Indiana's small lineup, by out rebounding them 54 to 31, and shooting 19 more free throw attempts. Had to figure this was going to happen, with the Pacers just coming off of beating the LA Lakers, and were victorious in their last game against the Celtics. The juices were flowing tonight for the C's. Celtics 114, Pacers 96

*Speaking of the Lakers, Kobe and Co went into Philly tonight, to face the struggling Sixers. Lakers were just ridiculous. Huge dunks all night, not missing anything, shooting 58% from the field (!). Then with 2 minutes left...Kobe Kobe Kobe. Disgusting stuff. First a pair of free throws, then a spinning layup, then a 3-pointer, all within 1 minute. That was just mean. I've said it before and i'll say it again, if the Sixers don't get some outside shooters soon, they won't be int he playoffs. Moves need to be made. Lakers 114, Sixers 102

*Last week LeBron James came to the garden, and of course all the talk was about 2010. Not the same in Cleveland, where they stick mostly the basketball (and LeBron gushing). However, the outcome was the same; total Cavs domination from the get go. The Cavs lead after the first half 61-35. The Knicks are starting to lose steam, from playing so many minutes and so few players, made even worse by Quentin Richardson getting tossed with logging only 16 minutes. They'll need another guard soon (Cuttino Mobley??) if they want to compete. Lets get this guy on the court already. Cavs 118, Knicks 82

*The Suns were without Steve Nash and Shaquille O'Neal, so it was smooth sailing for the Hornets at home, winning few bumps in the road. Lot of Chris Paul and Peja Stojakovic. CP3 finished with his usual 24 points, 15 assists and 3 steals and later said, “When he’s shooting like that, we’re almost unstoppable,” referring to Peja. Although I'd take out the 'almost,' because between Tyson Chandler alley-oops , David West spot up jumpers on the pick and roll, and of course CP3's disgusting offensive repertoire, there's no way you're going to win if Peja is training them like he did tonight. Hornets 104, Suns 91

*All Dwayne Wade in Utah tonight. I can't believe how good he is. You should probably go see the highlights for this. In fact, here ya go. D.Wade finished with 23 points, 5 boards and 5 assists, but most impressive is the 4 steals and 2 blocks. It's become every game at this point, with Wade averaging close to 2.5 steals and 2 blocks. The Jazz are really struggling without a healthy Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer out of the lineup with injury. Paul Millsap tried his best to cover for him, scoring 20 points and getting 13 boards, but too much D. Wade all game. Heat 93, Jazz 89

*The Wizards improved their loss column to 13, while the Blazers won their 6th straight. Antwan Jamison on Brandon Roy (sums up the whole game): “It wasn’t going well for him in the first half. He didn’t force it— continued to plug away. And the last four or five minutes of the game, who had the ball in their hands? Who made plays? Who won the game? It was him.” Gotta love the props from your peers/competition. Blazers 98, Wizards 92

*Another horrible sooting night from Ron Artest, going 5-15, and 33% for the season. It didn't stop the Rockets from getting a win at home against the Clippers. Zach Randolph continued his strong play with the Clips (on the offensive end), going for 23 points and 11 boards, but Baron Davis launching brick after brick (5-15 from the field) didn't help their production. Even without Tracy McGrady, the Rockets still got enough scoring from Rafer Alston, and Yao Ming (especially at the free throw line, going 12-13). Alston flirted with a trouble double in this game, finishing with 21 points, 8 boards and 7 dimes. Rockets 103, Clippers 96

*JJ Redick got the start tonight in Orlando, which means their backcourt troubles are really, REALLY, bad. In JJ's 30 minutes of play, he was able to get only 5 points, while his backcourt teammate Anthony Johnson only scored 2. But I guess that doesn't matter, since te Magic's all-star players Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard, and Hedo Turkoglu were in the house. Dwight got his usual 23 points, 17 boards and 6 blocks (!), with Rashard and Hedo chipping in for 23 and 22 respectively. Kevin Love, total monster on the offensive boards, finishing with 8 for the game, but helping the Wolves get a big advantage on the field goal attempts 87-65. But their horrid shooting, they actually finished with one less field goal made overall (37-36). Magic 100, Wolves 89

*Josh Smith's return tonight for the Hawks, and they face the Grizzlies in the ATL. All 5 Hawks starters got into double figures, and had fantastic efficiency from the floor (56%, and that includes Mo Evans going 0-7!). Hakim Warrick was big off the bench for the Grizz, getting 20 points on 8-12 shooting, but they've been spoiled by OJ Mayo's scoring spree, and is low total of 11 points wasn't enough to get the job done. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 26 points on 10-15 shooting. Hawks 105, Grizzlies 95

*In their previous game, the Thunder won for the first time since....i have no idea. So can they make it two in a row against Charlotte? Yea, right. Russell Westbrook is totally locked in as their starting point guard, logging 36+ minutes for the night. Too bad he didn't make enough out of it, going 2-9 from the field, with 10 points and 5 turnovers. That's a rookie starting point guard for ya. Larry Brown sticking to, basically, a 6.5 man rotation, and it worked well in this one with all of the Bobcats playing together well for the second time in two games. In OKC, it doesn't sound great, with Kevin Durant saying, “Tonight was better than most losses because we did some things well.” Damn, I'd hate to be in THAT boat. Bobcats 103, Thunder 97

Wednesday mini-Breakdown

Not much going on today....I think everyone's getting ready for a big 10-game night tonight...but here's a few interested stories/links:

Breakin' News: The Raptors fire coach Sam Mitchell. Eddie Jordan's looking for a job. Avery coming back? Do any of the big names available even want to be in Toronto (in the winter?). Who do you think might be the replacement???

Ken Berger, CBS Sports, on two of the league's hottest rookies, Greg Oden and Derrick Rose.

Up close and personal with Zach Randolph, video interview.

Tuesday Breakdown

Have to run, but a few links for tonight's breakdown...

How Allen Iverson got his crossover.

More in depth look at the Triangle Offense

The actual conversation between Donnie Walsh and Stephon Marbury...!!

Thanks to Ballerblogger.com for findings these two gems: First a SLAM interview with Derrick Rose, and then a Charlie Rose interview with Magic Johnson discussing all things basketball and business.

Chatting hoops with well-known coach Mike Moreau at HoopsWorld.com

Lunch Break: Reader Rant

Breakin Down The Game reader, Willie, sends us his thoughts on the Marbury situation:

Just when you thought the knicks would be competitive in 2008/2009 with a new coach, a new gm, and a new " attitude" they go and pull an "isiah" (new slang word for a total cluster f-ck). They trade their 2 best players in lieu of a 2 year wait for Lebron or Bosh or Amare, or Wade. Key Words , "In lieu". The nba is about winning, and any player that is a free agent will look to go to win a ring before their careers are up.
ie. garnett, and allen last year. What's the lure here, for those superstars, a knick uniform, a starting spot on the NY knicks, a home called Madison square garden, all garbage if you cant get a ring. you need to surround yourself with winners, a supporting player staff and a great management team, none of which i see here in NY.
Now I have to sit through a "marbury" fiasco on top of all this? Dam, I want my money back, (season ticket holder). This is not what I bargained for. Take this marbury incident as the latest fiasco: sit him, sit him sit, berate ,berate, berate him, now go and ask him to play for you because you have no one else? Great , just great planning on walsh's and dantoni's behalf. you alienate the team against the guy when he refuses to play, you completely emasculate the guy ,and then you let him poison the locker room. What else can you do to screw this up?
I know, bring back isiah, at least we can expect this craziness from him, but not from these 2 hand-picked NBA "geniuses".
Dam, I'm frustrated, and embarrassed to be a knick fan today. I can only hope that in my life time i get to see this storied franchise come back to its glory past, a la, the 69 and 72 teams..
sincerely,
Willie

Tuesday Wake n Break

*Everything clicked for Charlotte tonight against Minnesota. Raymond Felton was distributing the ball well, finishing with 14 assists. Jason Richardson is back and healthy, going for 19 in the first half, finishing with 25 on some high percentage shooting (including 3-4 from downtown). On the Wolves side, Mike Miller had a big first half, but didn't get much of an offensive flow in the second half. Same with Al Jefferson, who had 6 blocks for the night, but only 8 points on 3-11 shooting. Emeka Okafor had a big night for the Bobcats, with 24 points, 10 boards and 5 blocks, making sure to impress the part-owner and basketball god sitting on the sidelines. I'm sure Michael was happy with their performance, but you can't be impressed until they do it against someone a little tougher than lowly Minnesota. Bobcats 100, Wolves 90

*You know it's going to be a tough night for Orlando, with Hedo Turkoglu running the point. The Magic need backcourt help quick, with all of the guys on their depth chart hurt, and to be honest, they suck when they're there anyway. The Jameer Nelson experiment has to end, he's not good enough to take the Magic to the promised land. In this game, Sam Cassell managed to play zero minutes, but still get two technicals and the resulting ejection. The Celtics started pulling away from the Magic in the third quarter, led by Paul Pierce who finished with 24 points, 17 of which were in the fourth. While he only finished with 11 points, Eddie House had the two biggest shots of the game, the first with 8:30 left bringing the lead to 16, and then again with 6:40, extended the lead to 17. From there it was just garbage time, since the C's defense wasn't going to let the Magic come back. With Hedo and Courtney Lee running the point in Orlando, they didn't have a chance, but hung in there the first half. Celtics 107, Magic 88

*It was Jamal Crawford's debut last night at home for the Warriors, and he really lit it up in the first half, going for 19, after some great moves inside and outside. Steven Jackson had an off shooting night, going 2-11, but really helped out especially in the fourth quarter with some great passes to Andres Biedrens in the lane, and finishing with 11 assists overall (but only 8 points). Jamal didn't stop with the hot hand, finishing with 40 points overall, on 11-22 shooting, 4 three pointers, 14-16 from the free throw line with only 1 turnover and 7 assists (wow). Jamal logged 50 minutes in this game, since it went into overtime following an offensive rebound and putback by Udonis Haslem in the final seconds. All that Jamal wasn't enough to stop Dwayne Wade, who finished 37 points and 13 dimes, continuing his MVP type season. The Warriors had a few mini collapses, the worst throwing away the inbounds pass at the end of overtime to Michael Beasley who got to the line to take the lead and eventually the win. Jamal had one more shot to be the hero, but it trickled out and the Warriors lost their 7th straight. Heat 130, Warriors 129

Monday Breakdown

* Week 5 of the Power Rankings, from both NBA.com and ESPN.com. The Nets are on everyone's radar at this point, playing fantastic with Devin Harris leading the show. Portland, Orlando and Denver are all moving up the rankings. It's funny to see both of these powerhouse sports websites still disagreeing on who's #1.

*Stephon Marbury has been banished from the Knicks, reports ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan. Ken Berger at CBSSports says, It's officially ridiculous.

*There was a time when MJ considered NY too, says Ballerblogger.com

*Derrick Rose breakin Andre Miller's ankles....ouch, via Ball Don't Lie. Staying with BDL, an exclusive interview with one of the best, hottest, young players in the NBA, Danny Granger.

*Haven't quite figured out what they're trying to say in this video at Dime Mag. Basically another MJ vs Kobe video, but lets get serious, no way Kobe can reach Michael status now that he has TWO quality big men, right??? I don't care how many rings he gets at this point, it's not worthy to compare.

*Real GM reports that one of our favorite bloggers, X-Coach Eric Mussleman, wants back into the NBA.

*Amare Stoudamire is a lil jealous of D-Wade, LeBron and co, reports SLAM. Also from SLAM, Michael Beasley is okay with the sixth man role for the time being.

*The Mavs have quit on the Princeton offense, reports InsideHoops.com. Why do i feel like Dirk Nowitzki is always whining, complaining and sounding like a wuss? I just can't help feeling that way about him...sorry.