Heat 101, Knicks 83

The Knicks have been, at various times this season, baffling, disappointing, and disheartening. Not until tonight, however, have they actually made me feel sick to my stomach. The Knicks showed up about 10 minutes late for their game against the Shaq-less, Wade-less Miami Heat. The Heat, in what seemed like a matter of seconds, turned an 8 point lead into a 15 point lead into a 26 point lead as New York stood and watched. You read that correctly. They led the Knicks 29-3 at one point in the quarter, eventually ending the period up 40-12. At some point, the Knicks wiped the sleep out of their eyes, stretched, put their sneakers on, and chipped away at the gargantuan lead, even cutting it to 6 at one point. The comeback gave away late in the fourth however, as Jason Williams hit two running daggers from downtown to stifle the Knicks attempt. All but handed an opportunity to beat an under-manned team, the Knicks played the most disgusting basketball I've seen in quite a while. Not to mention that Marbury's injuries finally caught up to him, and he sat the second half. Whatever. Game notes:

- I've never been to American Airlines Arena, but the place looks straight-up goofy. Even when seats are full, there are these huge red swaths of open space between the sections, which make the building look damn near empty. Give the Miami fans credit for getting really loud, though.

- Noticed that the little design shaved into Wade's hairline is a number 3.

- Curry started the game with a resounding swat of an Alonzo Mourning attempt. It was the only play even resembling a defensive effort in the first quarter.

- You know that HIP commercial that bugs me so much? The one with Earl Monroe? Well, I realized that when the lady comes up and challenges the Pearl to a game of one-on-one, and then sinks that shot, she's shooting from fucking halfcourt. That commercial sucks.

- It probably should've happened earlier, but Isiah clearly stirred the Knicks during a timeout when they were down 29-3. He sat them down, and then simply walked away, standing with his head hung as the players frantically coached themselves. I liked it, to be honest.

- The 27 point run was the largest in Heat record and, I believe, the largest in Knicks record. The first quarter was the Knicks' second worst of all time. The largest was a 42-12 deficit against the Pacers in 1980. (From ESPN).

- Watching Alonzo Mourning play basketball makes me want to eat my own eyeballs. He gets away with anything he wants out there, and takes full advantage of it. He had numerous fouls go uncalled (including trying to pluck out one of Channing's eyes), as well as a goaltend or two that just went unnoticed. I've never liked the guy.

You can't see it, but Zo's teeth are sunk into Curry's arm.
- On a similar note, people keep calling David Lee a "blue-collar" player. I can see how someone who doesn't watch him much would have that notion, but think otherwise. Sure, he grabs a lot of rebounds, but he a. plays some pretty-boy defense, and b. always prefers the double-pump tomahawk to the basic stuff. He likes to hustle, but he's got some flash to him too. "Blue-collar" isn't really his game. There are ups and downs to that.

- Some boxscore notes...Curry had 26 points, but played miserable defense...QRich had a rare stinker from downtown, shooting 2-8...Nate made his first noise on offense, with 11, but played miserable defense for most of the game...Lee had 15 boards...Jason Kapono had an efficient (9-14) 22 points for the Heat.

- The Knicks are 2-24 when they trail at halftime. Which means they're 16-1 when they lead at halftime.

- I was trying to think of some sort of visual, artistic representation of the Knicks' performance in this game, but I think it can be best illustrated with Ron Rothstein's necktie.

Tragic.
Anyway, sorry if I'm a little pissed off, but this is the kind of effort that really tries one's loyalties to a sports team. I still love my Knicks, as I stayed with them through the predictable comeback and the inevitable defeat, but it disgusts me to see them put out that kind of effort against a depleted team. Even teams like the Spurs get criticized for mailing it in, so the Knicks certainly can't get away with it. It should be interesting to see how the Knicks fare (presumably without Marbury) on Wednesday against the far superior Phoenix Suns. Until tomorrow, peace.

EDIT: I was happy to see a few comments on the game thread. Keep it up, kids.

Game Thread- Knicks at Heat

Whoa now. Whoa. Settle down. I know it's a little different, but I'm sure you'll get used to it. Yes, the game previews formerly labeled "Knicks-Opponent Tonight" are now "Game Threads". You'll notice that the actual product is eerily similar, but I'm trying to encourage a little more commenting in this house. We'll see what happens.

Anyway, the Knicks head to Miami tonight to start off a very tough week. The Heat are coming off a tough loss to Dallas yesterday, and Dwyane Wade has been playing like hot fire as of late. Miami has a great shot-blocker in Mourning and some longball marksmen in Kapono, Posey, and Walker, so this is gonna be a toughie for the Traveling Pants. Stephon Marbury is sore like a mofo, but will be suiting up. Hopefully, Steph can show Dwyane Wade the same kind of white-on-rice business that he brought to Ray Allen and Gilbert Arenas in the past few weeks, even through the pain.

It's gonna be a tough one, but let's see what deez Knicks can do. Recap after the game. Later.

EDIT: New Carnival of the NBA today at Detroit Bad Boys, and it's a great one. Check that out.

EDIT: I said "tough" 4 times in that post. Tough tough tough tough tough tough.

Sunday Lookalikes

This one comes straight from Your NYK reader The District Celtic, who has a Celtics blog that is so choice. If you have the means, I highly reccomend checking it out.

From the mind of DC...Gerald Green vs. Chris Brown




Run it!

Knicks 108, Pacers 106

Ahhh. The Knicks nearly blew another close game, but just pulled one out in Indiana, winning by two. While numerous travels and backcourt violations in the final minute nearly gave the game away, Nate Robinson hit 3 of 4 clutch free throws to win it. I actually managed to catch the latter 3 quarters of this game. Game notes:

- This may have been one of the worst officiated games I've ever seen. I swear nearly every call was wrong.

- I wish Ike Diogu went to a team that was gonna play him. He got 5 minutes off the bench, but I think that kid could be something given the minutes.

- I'm sure you've heard me rip on Bruce Bowen and Paul Pierce, but Mike Dunleavy is definitely an outside shot for my least favorite player in the NBA.

- Did you know that Isiah, Mark Aguirre, and Herb Williams were all in the same (1981) draft class? I did not.

- Marbury did something to his leg last night against the Nets, and did something more tonight. He was in quite a bit of pain, and was icing down his left knee on the bench. Don't be surprised to be hearing about this by tomorrow morning.

- Do you think that when Europe was writing "The Final Countdown", they envisioned it being played in every single clutch setting of every basketball game in the country?

"Vad är basketboll? "Låta oss gå äta något Swedish Fish."
- Curry only had 1 rebound, but looked more like himself with 26 efficient (10-12) points, even in foul trouble.

- My face turns bright red during Knicks games. It used to happen just at the Garden, but now I can be alone in my home and be bright red by the final buzzer.

- David Lee led the Knicks with 44 minutes, and dropped 20 and 16, walloping Jeff Foster (6 and 3 in 19 minutes) for the crown of MVFFRWG (Most Valuable Fan-Favorite Rebounding White Guy).

Suck it, Jeffrey.
- After the opening night embarassment, Isiah said that the Knicks would get revenge on Indiana. Considering that this was a real sacktap of a loss for the Pacers, I think Zeke got what he wanted.

Anyway, it was far from perfect, but the Knicks finally closed a game. The schedule gets tough this week, as they face a formidable Suns sandwich on some Miami Heat bread (that's MIA, PHO, MIA for those of you too dense for my poetic skillz). Back tomorrow with some Lookalikes. Peace.

Knicks-Pacers Tonight

First of all, a few things about the Nets game.

- Maybe Channing should stop shooting at halftime, and Crawford should start shooting at halftime? Maybe?

- Curry Mittens had 11 boards, but missed the biggest one at the end. He also only took 7 shots and had 4 turnovers. I promised myself I wouldn't cry.

- Man, both of those final possessions in both of the last two heartbreakers were kinda rough. Both times, the defense really held up until the last second. On Wednesday, Curry helped out too soon, leaving Butler open. Last night, Curry couldn't quite box out Splifford Robinson, who got the tip-in.

- As you could tell by last night's post, I was pretty distraught after the game. I went downstairs and watched the T-Wolves lose to the Pistons in 2OT after a glorious show without Kevin Garnett, though. That made me feel a little better. (Speaking of Garnett, does he ever win fights? Remember when Anthony Peeler elbowed him in the face?)

Alright, onto tonight's game. The Knicks get to show their real resiliency, as they face the new-look Pacers the night after a draining loss (although I did hear Kenny Smith on TNT say that back-to-backs were easier than normal games). I think I've been hexing the Knicks by saying that these games are important, so I'll go ahead and tell you that this Pacers game is totally meaningless. So there. Pay attention to the battle of David Lee against Jeff Foster. Whether or not these guys are guarding each other, it's gonna be a fucking war for rebounds around the basket.

David Lee, you have met your match.
One more thing. As a few people have noticed, I tend to miss a lot of games, even important ones, on the weekends. The fact is that I've gotta get out of the house sometimes, and weekends are the time to do it. I often cut things short or skip out on people so I can watch at least SOME of every game, but I apologize for what I miss. I really do try. And I always watch Knicks in 60 if they end up winning. On that note, I wouldn't be surprised if I missed quite a bit of the game tonight. I implore any of you who are watching these games to get on the comments section and spill your thoughts. I might even start calling these things Game Threads, to really get that across. This is Your New York Knicks, everybody. I wanna know what you think.


Go Knicks. Peace.

Nets 101, Knicks 100

Ugh. I'm not in much of a mood to recap. I caught most of the second quarter and the fourth quarter. This sucks. We'll talk tomorrow.

Knicks-Nets Tonight

And here it is. My least favorite team on the planet, the New Jersey Nets, come to the Garden tonight to take on the Knicks, who are probably still reeling from their painful loss to the Wizards. The Nets' best center is Mikki Moore (read: sucks ass), so Curry's gotta step up his game from his shit performance on Wednesday. The Kidd-Marbury matchup is always fun to watch.

Anyway, I'm gonna try and catch as much of this game as I can, and I'll certainly hit up the Knicks in 60 if they win the thing. Recap of whatever I see coming lataz. Go Knicks. Peace.

Knicks-Wizards Crumbs

A few links floating around the internet after last night's heartbreaker...

-When the game is tight the Knicks should definitely play Marbury, Crawford, Lee, Curry, and...who? Brian Cronin at Knickerblogger wonders.

- The Bullets Forever recap of last night's game

- Isiah doesn't appear to be looking at any deals. I think that's good.

- From J.E. Skeets at the Fanhouse, Mark Cuban wants a "Hoops Day in America". Every day is Hoops Day at Your New York Knicks.

That's it. Nets tomorrow, kids. Peace.

EDIT: If checking out my visitor stats is your cup of tea, note that my Site Meter is about 9 hours slow. Don't let the small numbers deceive you, I got mad visitorz.

Wizards 99, Knicks 98

Ohh it hurts. Well I guess it was time. The Knicks have had their share of dramatic wins...I suppose they were due for a dramatic loss. Oh well. The Knicks turned a 14 point deficit into a 1 point lead with 12 seconds remaining (on a Crawford leaner), but a defensive breakdown led Caron Butler to put in a game-winning dunk for the Wiz. QRich was fantastic with 35 points and 10 rebounds, while Caron Butler led Washington with 27 and 10. Game notes:

- Arenas had on some bright green Gil Zero's in the first half, but switched to blue ones after the break. He had a pretty boring game.

- Jared Jeffries heard some pretty vociferous boos from the Verizon Center crowd. Why? I don't remember the departure being messy, or him having any issues with teammates.

Gilbert welcomes Jared back to D.C. with a hearty dry hump.
- In the first quarter, Steph picked up a tech for arguing, and Isiah immediately went up to the ref and started mouthing off. He even seemed to implore the ref to T him up too. And he got it. It's a nice gesture to stick up for your guy, but enough is enough, man.

- David Lee had a sick bank shot tip-in at the end of the first half buzzer.

- Gus Johnson is hilarious. Q had a nice tip-in off a Curry miss, and Gus all but shit his pants, belting out a startling "BAWW!" that nearly broke my television. Gotta love that enthusiasm...

Easy there, buddy.
- Curry just looked tiiiired. He was playing most of the first half just like his early-season self...the same type of play that made me start calling him "Mittens". If he falls into a slump, I'm gonna be so sad.

- GJ pointed it out, but Caron Butler has an offensive game very similar to Carmelo Anthony's. He likes to square up, measure the shot, and then release it lightning-quick in the defender's face. He looked awesome.


- Crawford had one of the shittiest games I've ever seen. Like the last game, he hit some clutch shots, but he spent most of the game traveling and hanging up one-handed passes.

- The Wizards dancers are NAKED.

¡Dios mio!
- I doubt I'll be able to find a picture, but Kelvin Cato was sporting a full-on Andre 3000 getup, with this dark gray kinda patterned-looking suit and a vest or some shit. I only saw it briefly, but the damage was done.

- Marbury, as he's been doing, played fantastic off-the-ball D on Arenas. Everyone else kinda sucked.

Anyway, it was a painful loss for the Knicks but, now that I think about it, that might've been the first really heartbreaking loss of the season. And instead of chipping away at the big lead, and then falling back, they actually almost won the damn thing. So that's good. The Nets come across the river on Friday, and that game is enormously important. Curry's gotta bring the heat. See you tomorrow. Peace.

Knicks-Wizards Tonight

The Knicks face Roger Mason and the Wizards this evening. The game tips off at 7 o'clock D.C. time (same as here, but it sounds cool). Wizards über-blogsmith, Pradamaster, sent me some Knicks-related questions for his blog, Bullets Forever. My answers are over there. Two can play that game, so I sent him some questions of my own. Here's what he had to say:

Your NYK: Gilbert Arenas keeps making bold predictions and turning his back on airborne game-winners, but he always pulls through. When and if Gil misses one of these ballsy shots, how are Washington fans going to react?

Bullets Forever: First off, I don't think he's going to miss unless teams try to double team him at the end of games, but I'm sure he'll pull a Matt Hasselbeck at least once and fail to pull through on a guarantee. I'm guessing Wizards fans will probably gasp in shock if Arenas misses agame-winning shot. It's become that much of a certainty.

On a slightly different note, none of Arenas' game-winning shots have been the difference between a win and a loss. Not once have the Wizards turned to Arenas to hit the game-winner when they're trailing this season. Arenas' game winners against the Bucks and Jazz were both with the game tied. I know he had that shot in the playoffs last year, but it'll be interesting to see if he has the same swag when the game is really on the line.

YNYK: Who's the second banana on this team: Butler or Jamison? Or are they of equal significance?

BF: Butler is the second banana, no question. In the midst of all the Arenas hoopla, Butler is having a monster season. He's upped his scoring average to nearly 21 points per game, and he's grabbing over 8 rebounds, an astounding number for a small forward. More importantly, Butler is the only man in the starting lineup other than Arenas that can always be relied on to create his own shot. That's really important, especially in the Wizards' offense.

Jamison has really become a glorified third option at this point. He gets most of his points on spot up jumpers and those funky looking floaters in the lane. I recently wrote about how there's no way Jamison deserves the type of minutes he gets, and while he's still an important piece, it's impossible to argue that he's more valuable than Caron.

YNYK: Have you gotten to see any Andray Blatche? Before he got shot, I thought he might be a sleeper from that draft class.

BF:I've argued many times for more playing time for Blatche, but he's still very raw and makes a ton of mental errors. However, this is what you should expect from a high-school player who was shot only a year ago. The Wizards lack a real spark off their bench, which is proving to be a real shortcoming. Blatche is the only player who can really provide that, and he doesn't need to play much to potentially make an impact. The problem is that Eddie Jordan yanks him too quickly when he makes a mistake, which is the wrong way to go. Blatche ideally should be playing 10-15 minutes a game behind Jamison.

YNYK: If you got to vote one player (and their contract) off of the Wiz, who would it be?

BF: Jarvis Hayes. No question. Many Wizards fans would say Brendan Haywood, but his production is not bad considering his price tag and the price tag of comparable centers on the open market (see Samuel Dalembert, Nene). With Hayes, however, it's really time for him to go. He takes ill-advised shots on offense and doesn't do enough defensively to merit the time he gets. The Wizards are forced to play him simply because they have nobody else. Hayes is shooting below 40 percent, yet still frequently launches 10 shots a game, many of them contested. He's done with his rookie contract after this season, and I really hope Ernie Grunfeld will let him go and use his money to sign a more defensive-oriented wing backup.

YNYK: Finally, where would you rank the Wizards among Eastern Conference teams? Are they contenders to go deep?

BF: The Wizards have the potential to beat anyone in the East, but because of the nature of their game, they can also lose to anyone in the East. They're going to benefit heavily from the East's suckiness, because only Cleveland would really give them trouble in a playoff series. I'd probably rank them behind Cleveland and Detroit at this point, but there?s little separating them from those teams and the teams behind them (e.g. Chicago, Orlando, Indiana). If they get a good draw, there?s no reason they can?t reach the ECF, but a bad draw can doom them to another first-round exit.

Neato. Muchas gracias to Pradamaster for hooking that up. Anyway, it's a big, big game tonight. The Knicks have been iffy on the road, and the Wiz are a hot team that shot the lights out in their last meeting. I'll recap after the game (which is the ideal time to recap). Go Knicks. Peace.

Knicks-Kings Crumbs

I had a longer post, but my computer kinda crashed, so I've gotta start over. The abbreviated version:

-An article on David Lee's rebounding from the Star Ledger

- More on Lee at Knickerblogger.

- Not Knicks related, but this post at Yay Sports made me laugh so hard I think I strained something. I'm day-to-day.

- One last thing. A while back, I pointed out (mockingly), the blue pin that Isiah Thomas has been wearing. Turns out I had no reason to mock, because this pin represents Autism Speaks, a research organization. I read this a few weeks ago, and meant to mention it, and a reader finally reminded me today. Isiah has done a great deal of charitable work for this organization. So, my apologies.

- Some love for Stephon from the Big Lead over at the Fanhouse (which is the shit). Solid points. Mr. Marbury's been playing like a healthy, well-adjusted point guard over the last few. As Clyde would say, he's got some pep in his step.

That's all for today. The Knicks are in Washington tomorrow, which is a huuuuuge statement game for this up-and-down team. See you then. Peace.

Knicks 102, Kings 97

OK, so I've tried about 12 different opening sentences, and I'm just gonna be straightforward and say that the Knicks played the Kings today, and it's also Martin Luther King Day, and there's a joke somewhere in there. If you find it, let me know. Either way, the Knicks outlasted the Kings in a very exciting battle, that featured 29 lead changes and 20+ point outbursts from Marbury, Curry, Kevin Martin, and Shareef.

The closing minute was particularly exciting. Crawford and Lee put the Knicks up by one with a haphazard runner and a pair of free throws, respectively (I probably didn't need to say respectively. You coulda guessed which was which). Shareef neé Shareef countered with a slick hook shot. Crawford came the other way and hit ANOTHER stupid runner. Then, Corliss Williamson pretty much iced it by setting an illegal screen out of bounds, allowing NY to regain possession and finish it with free throws.

Very exciting. The Traveling Pants (get it? Knickerbockers?) head to Washington on Wednesday to take on Gilbert Arenas and the streaky Wizards. Should be a good one.

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, it is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. Dr. King would be turning 77 today. I urge everyone who hasn't already to take a little time to read something about him or by him. King's autobiographical account of his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement, Stride Toward Freedom, is what I believe to be one of the most interesting and inspiring works I've ever encountered. I'll leave you today with a little passage:

" Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals. Without persistent effort, time itself becomes an ally of the insurgent and primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social destruction. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action"

Backatcha tomorrow, kids. Peace.

EDIT: Gilbert Arenas dropped 51 today. I love this guy.

Knicks-Kings Tomorrow

I'm not gonna be around when the Kings come to town tomorrow afternoon, so I'll preview the damn thing right now. The last game between these two teams was fairly shitty for the 'Bockers. Even though Brad Miller got tossed early on, Ron Artest was ridiculously hot from the field, dropping a career high 39. I wouldn't expect Artest to put on that same kind of performance again, but you never know with Ron-Ron.

Anyway, look for Mittens to have a big game (seems like I say that a lot, eh?). Brad Miller plays defense about as frequently as he dresses nicely*, and Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson are like a combined 4'3''. Bring it, big man.

*(Never)
I'll be back tomorrow afternoon. Go nuts with some comments if you see the game, cause I ain't gonna catch a second of it. Go Knicks. Peace.

Sunday Lookalikes

Eric Snow vs. Sam Cooke



Good Times!

Bobcats 126, Knicks 110

Well the Knicks got lit up at the Garden last night, but they did a fine job of demonstrating my predictin' skillz. As I predicted yesterday, I didn't catch much of this game. I watched most of the second quarter, and then a small chunk of the fourth. As I also predicted, one team blew out another, with the Bobcats toasting the Knicks for a big victory. There really wasn't much to it. The Knicks played a solid offensive game and rebounded well, but were slow enough on defense to let the Bobcats shoot 59%, hitting 10 of 18 from downtown and only turning the ball over 10 times. I think the Bobcats are one of the better matched teams for the Knicks. They have Okafor (10 blocks last night) to stop Curry and any slashers, have hot shooters in Carroll and Morrison, and a solid distributor in Felton.


This loss isn't the end of the world, as long as the Knicks get their collective act together on defense, and prevent this from becoming a losing streak on Monday against Sacto. It will be interesting to see how they react.

That's it for today. I'll be back tomorrow with some lookalikes and whatnot. Peace.

Knicks-Bobcats Tonight

What up, kids. The Knicks look to establish their longest win streak of the season tonight, as the Charlotte Bobcats come into the Garden. The last game between these two, as you might remember, was a bit exciting. I was in attendance as the Knicks won on a David Lee tip-shot in the second OT. Because I believe this to be the phenomenon, I expect tonight's contest to be not nearly as close. I'd even venture to say that it'll be a bit of a blowout in one way or the other. Count it. Look for the Knicks to step up their perimeter D in this one, as they got torched by Gerald Wallace and one half of Adam Morrison a few weeks ago. Moving on.

Here are some interesting posts from around the internet:

- As a jew who loves basketball, and tends to believe that jews love basketball more than most, I find this post at Free Darko, regarding Elie Seckbach, very interesting. Make sure to check out the comment section.


- Mr. Marbury finally got that talk show he wanted. It's called Stars on Stars. I'll leave this one to Yay Sports.

Well, it’s about time Steph lets us see the real him, because every version of the fake him since he’s entered the NBA can best be described as “miserable and angsty”.

We’re hopeful that this will be everything we want it to be, ie Stephon says, “Hey guest, look at my huge diamond-encrusted watch. Do you have a huge diamond-encrusted watch?”

And then the interviewee is like, “Yeah, here’s my huge diamond-encrusted watch. It’s huge. Also encrusted with diamonds.”

Then they just sit there and stare for awhile, when Steph blurts out, “I have mine set to Eastern Standard Time. I can dribble good.”

Hilarious. If you don't like Yay Sports, then you're probably a loser, or a terrorist.

- One last, unrelated, thing. Last night, as I fell asleep, I was thinking about that trend that Bill Simmons has often mentioned, of announcers saying that an injured player is "out with a knee", or something of the like. I wondered to myself if the pregnant WNBA star, Lisa Leslie, would be deemed "out with a fetus" (EXACT words) for this season. I chuckled aloud, and considered working that line into today's post. Peep this. In reference to this post today about pregnant athletes, Deadspin's "Blogdome" had this headline. That's fucking bananas. I kid you not about any of this. Anyway, the moral of the story is that Deadspin employs a team of mind-reading phantoms that highjack your funniest thoughts while you sleep. That's what makes the site so good. Those clever bastards.

Deadspin's Will Leitch.
Enjoy the game. I probably won't catch the whole thing, but I'll pretend I did and put something up late tonight or tomorrow. Go Knicks. Peace.

It's TNT NBA Thursday

Tonight's TNT twinbill is Bulls-Nets (yawn) followed by Cavs-Suns, which should be a fun one. I'm excited. Thursday's my favorite day of the week. Or it's in the top 5, anyway.

In other news, congratulations to Howie the Hype for this baller-ass picture of Gilbert Arenas with his merchandise. By the way, if you click that link you'll see the first words of the post saying "Oh. My." and then a word so small that it can't be seen by the naked eye. Well, with long and toilsome calculations, as well as some expert cutting-and-pasting I discovered this minute word to be..."Shiva!" Scandalous. Anyway, props to Señor Hype.

Sweeeeet.
Perhaps I should get into the shirt business, eh? Do you think Renaldo Balkman would pose with a t-shirt that says "Watch Me Do the Humpty Hump"? Intriguing...

Someone get me Photoshop so I can out-design the Hype!

Enjoy some basketball this evening, I'll be sexing up your computer screens once again tomorrow, as the Knicks face the Bobcats. Peace and humptyness forever.

Knicks 106, Sixers 99

The Knicks pulled out a solid win over the Sixers this evening, bringing my personal attendance record to 3-3 this season. The game was a semi-blowout, as the Sixers drew kinda close late in the fourth (hence the final score). New York showed balanced scoring, with 5 guys in double figures, and there was good chemistry evident from the opening tip. Very nice. I like. Game notes:

- Wow. I wrote my game notes with a marker on a flimsy notecard balanced on my knee. My handwriting looks like it's in Arabic or something. Not gonna be easy to decipher this shit.

- During pregame warmups, the Sixers held a mini dunk contest, and Andre Iguodala nearly put down an off-the-backboard rock-the-baby reverse windmill. It was 98% filthy. (By the way this is written on my note card as "Iggy reeeeeee wine off BB".)

- The Sixers coaching staff might have more game than their starting lineup. Mo Cheeks, Henry Bibby, and Moses Malone are all relegated to the Philly bench. I guarantee that a 57 year old Henry Bibby could take Kevin Ollie's roster spot.

- After the Sixers' starting lineups are announced, they all form a circle and Sam Dalembert breakdances in the middle. I've seen guys like Rasheed do this, but I never took Samuel for a dancer. Who knew?

- When Channing does not hesitate, he does not miss. It's that simple.

Just let it fly, Frye.
- In the second quarter, the Sixers took to a "Hack-a-Humpty" defense, fouling Renaldo Balkman on three consecutive possessions (if I remember correctly). Ren went 3-6 from the line.

- The Knicks City Dancers did a very good number to Jimi Hendrix's "Fire". Unusual choice.

- Couldn't Bobby Jones just go by "Bob" or "Rob" or "BJ" or something? We have enough fucking Bobby Joneses. Jeez.

"Yo, get yo own name, ma fucka."
- No Knicks City Kids this evening. My theory? Measles.

The Knicks City Kids maintain a winning spirit in their quarantine center. God bless 'em.
- Robinson and Richardson returned. Nate was quiet (scoreless), but played some solid D and helped distribute. Q was lights out from downtown. He should always be on Curry's side of the court when we're feeding the big man. You just can't double off of Q.

Anyway, 'twas a good win at the Garden. Lots of people showed up, the team played as a unit, and they pulled it out without much sweat. Well done. The Knicks' win streak is at 3 games, and the Bobcats come to town on Friday. That's all for tonight. Peace.

Knicks-Sixers Tonight

The Knicks take on Philly this evening. It is New York's first game in nearly a week, so it should be interesting to see how they start things off.

Let's take some roll call...
Quentin Richardson...Here.
Nate Robinson...Glad to have you back, Nate.
Chris Webber...Absent.
Larry Brown...Present.

I will be in attendance this evening, and I see this as a very important game for the Knicks. They really need to show sharpness after such a long break, as well as chemistry with their full rotation. Hopefully, the shooting (or threat thereof) of the returning QRich and Nate will free up the paint for Curry. If Marbury, Crawford, and now Robinson can put up some of the great off-the-ball D we've been seeing recently, then the Knicks should be able to stifle Andre Miller and Iguodala en route to a victory. Let us hope.

Again, I'm gonna be at the game, so expect a recap a little later than usual, when I return from the city. Go Knicks. Peace.

EDIT: In defense of Isiah Thomas, from LZ Granderson at ESPN. It's an interesting read, and I agree with some of the points he makes. Let's hope that, in the spirit of things, Isiah avoids signing Chris Webber. If he signs Chris Webber, I might throw the rage to end all rages.

David Blaine With the Knicks

This is from a few years back, but it's pretty cool.

David Blaine doing some card tricks with Allan Houston...

(Check out Kurt Thomas' fro at the end there!)

...and Glen Rice

Pretty cool. Well, FINALLY there's a game to play tomorrow night, so we can get back to our normal routine. Keep an eye on the Nets and Raptors tonight, as the Knicks are vying for a shot at first place in the Atlantic Division. Peace.

Here's a Video

Ummm, this video is marked as a "tribute to David Lee", but I'd say it's more just a tribute to three letter words. Either way, it's pretty funny, and actually kinda scary. Enjoy.


Yeah. I wouldn't mind a game right now. I don't know if I'm gonna make it to Wednesday. Backatcha tomorrow. Peace.

Larry Brown Wants to Coach the Sixers!

It's the truth! It says so right here. Says Brown:

"I didn't come here to be involved in the coaching," he said. "After last year, I think I need to step away from coaching for a while, and I'm 66. I don't know if that's what I'm looking to do."

Hmm. Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to translate that from Brown-speak into English. Here we go:

"I didn't come here to be involved in the coaching, but I'm gonna end up doing it anyway" he said. "I'm going to play coy now, but eventually I'll take over the reigns, trade constantly, and drive this motherfucking team into the ground because I am a bitchy, friendless, lunatic splooge basket. I also hate basketball and America."

Interesting remarks from soon-to-be Coach Brown. He seems to have conveniently left out, however, the fact that he is a pedophile as well.

Exhibit A.
Anyway, let's just say that a Knick victory over Philly on Wednesday would have a little added pleasure for me and, I imagine, much of the Knicks organization. Good stuff.

Possibly a cool video coming later.

EDIT: Sam Rubenstein beat me to the punch. The feelings are mutual.

Sunday Lookalikes

There we go...

Yakhouba Diawara vs. Delroy Lindo




See you tomorrow.

Issues.

Hey, I've got a good Sunday Lookalikes for today, but I'm having trouble getting photos onto Blogger. Hopefully, I'll be able to get them up by the end of the day. Peace.

LJ's Four-Point Play

With the Knicks off for a few days, I'm going to try and bring you some cool videos this week. Here's just about the best video out there of Larry Johnson's infamous four-point play in the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, with the full NBC coverage of the possession and Tom Hammond's famous call. Enjoy.


Mmmm.

Anyway, the Knicks' next game is against Larry Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers. Grrr. Walt and Crispino wondered last night why people don't have cool nicknames anymore like "Downtown" Freddie Brown. Here's one: "Bitch Bastard Douchebag Jizz Jar" Larry Brown. Has a nice ring to it.

Peace. Enjoy the football.

Knicks 111, Sonics 93

The Knicks finished their road trip on a high note, swiftly and soundly decapitating the Sonics for a wire-to-wire win. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford worked hard and shut down Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen to cripple the Sonic offense. Eddy Curry (9 for 9) and the Knicks shot the lights out, rebounded well, and had their most complete win of the season against an injury-plagued team. Game notes:

- Mike Crispino subbed in for Mike Breen on the play-by-play. He was jovial and informative, but definitely suffers from a case of Gus Johnson syndrome. He yells WAY too much- about things as commonplace as tip-ins and 24 second violations. As I was semi-asleep for most of the second half, he startled the shit outta me a few times. Crispino's loud enough to wake up my neighbors. And by neighbors, I mean Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware.

- Walt Frazier described Danny Fortson as "portly". Walt's kind-hearted. Anyone else might've called him "expecting".

Uh...yeah.
- Jerome James kicked off his Seattle return with 2 fouls in 2 minutes. Awesome.

- Who taught David Lee to pass? Suddenly, he's dropping some nifty dimes in the paint. Another good option to feed Curry. The ball.

- Clyde's take on Curry's continued dominance from Wednesday's game: "Different venue, same menu". It feels good to talk about feeding and menus with Eddy Curry and have it actually relate to basketball.

- I like those "Bobby Granger's Guide to the Rangers" commercials. The one where Brendan Shanahan hits a slapshot into his balls is hilarious. "What apple?". Hahaha. I guess you had to be there.

- Curry (22), Crawford (17) and Marbury (13) all had around their point averages by halftime.

- Every team has a big man whose job it is to block for the point guard when the ball is being brought up. This is typically done by just running into the opposing guard and thrusting your junk into his face so he backs off. Kurt Thomas used to have this job, and now it's Channing Frye's.

- More classic Frazier from this game...He called Crawford a "kleptomaniac" in reference to his numerous steals in the last few games. I love Clyde.

- The Sonics have the full word "SEATTLE" on the waistband of their shorts. It looks kinda dumb.

- Balkman had three pass deflections on one Seattle possession. Good stuff.

- Mickael Gelabale is listed at 215 lbs. I'd guess that about 55 of those pounds are from his head.

"C'mon Mickael, just try the hat on!"
"Coach, you're embarassing me."
- Ryan McNeill and I talked about Knick tattoos a few weeks ago on his Raptors Podcast, and I mentioned that David Lee hadn't gone with that trend. Now that I look at it, he appears to have some sort of tat on his right shoulder, usually hidden by his jersey. I could be seeing things.

- Great moment...Late in garbage time, the Seattle crowd started a "We Want Jerome" chant. MSG had a shot of the entire Knick bench joining in the chant, with Isiah inviting James to sub in, and Jerome declining with a laugh. That was pretty funny. I wish he at least did the Patrick Ewing stand-and-wave for the crowd. He mighta gotten a sarcastic standing ovation.

Anyway, it was an easy and complete win on both ends for the Knicks. Now they have a long rest before they start a three game home stand on Wednesday against the Sixers. What the shit am I gonna do with myself between now and then? Well, until tomorrow, Goodnight, and Peace to all.

Knicks-Sonics Tonight

The Knicks end their road trip in Seattle tonight...and Penny Hardaway might be involved. Great for Penny that he's getting back into basketball, but if he suddenly lights up the Knicks, I'm gonna have a canary.

Anyway, the Sonics are missing Rashard Lewis, which is nice, because Jeffries and friends would have a tough time containing him. Ray Allen is in, and he'll certainly get his. The Sonics' best big men are Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene. For himself, for the Knicks, and for the U.S. of A, Eddy Curry's gotta have a big game against those guys. If all goes well, this should look exactly like the Portland game.

Recap coming your way late tonight (early tomorrow). Go Knicks. Peace.

It's TNT NBA Thursday

Ernie, Kenny, and Charles are back on your television this evening. Things kick off with the Pistons at Hornets, FOLLOWED by a can't-miss game: Lakers at Kings with Professor Barkley doing color commentary in Steve Kerr's place. Yes, that means Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Charles Barkley, and Vitaly Potapenko will all be in the same building. Shit will get crazy.

Anyway, who loves an NBA fight? I do! Here's a 5 minute video of some good ones over the last few seasons. My favorite is the last one, footage of that unforgettable moment when Chris Childs gave Kobe a nice 1-2 to the jaw. Awesome.


So hit up some TNT tonight, I'll get backatcha tomorrow for Knicks-Sonics. Peace.

Knicks 99, Blazers 81

For the first time in a little while, the Knicks won, and did so without any drama or sweat on my part. A balanced attack from Curry, Crawford, and Marbury, with some great rebounding and interior defense led the Knicks to victory. Game notes:

- Clyde donned a red and green plaid jacket this evening. The man can pull off just about anything.

- In the first quarter, Jeffries air-balled a free throw by the worst margin I've ever seen. He must've missed by about a foot. Yikes. Jared's range can only be seen with a microscope.

- I think the Blazers have my favorite jerseys in the league. They're slick, simple, and still show the same basic template as the uniforms of old.

You stay classy, Portland.
- LaMarcus Aldridge is sporting one of those outline beards that seems to be all the rage amongst rookie power forwards. Craig Smith and Leon Powe have rocked the jawline fuzz as well.

- Finally, the alley-oop! Both Marbury and Crawford had an oop-tossing bonanza, with Curry being the primary recipient. Curry converted at least 5 easy dunks off of high passes. There's good chemistry on those plays, and I'd like to see the lob thrown much more often.

- Speaking of Curry, young Eddy eats double teams like you for breakfast. He did a much better job of passing out of, and even maneuvering around double and triple coverage in the paint.

- The Knicks really made the Blazers look like...the Knicks. Portland was held at arm's length for most of the game, and every time they made a little run, the Knicks produced a good O-bound or a defensive stop to kill the momentum. It was a taste of opponents' own medicine for the Knicks.

- Crawford did a great job of playing passing lanes, picking off a lot of lazy ones and even converting a sick one-handed fast break flush over Brandon Roy.

Atta boy!
- The Blazers have a "Hustle Board" up in the Rose Garden, which posts stats like steals, blocks, and fast break points. That board does not belong in Portland.

- "Codename: The Cleaner" looks like it might very well be the worst movie ever made. I love bad movies, but come on.

- Sergio Rodriguez runs funny. He kinda steps with his heels. I'm not sure. I liked what I saw from him though, even if his name makes him sound like a professional poker player.

- Jamaal Magloire threw down a Harold Miner eyes-covered dunk on Balkman. That, or Magloire was lamenting the Blazers' poor play AND rocking the rim simultaneously, which would be some very talented multi-tasking on his part.

Baby Jordan?
- Martell Webster caught an alley-oop pass from S-Rod and stuffed it right into the crotch of the rim. (The side part where the ball always gets stuck. Is there a better name for that?) It was that kinda night for Webster.

- No one besides Jeffries forced a lot of shots tonight, which indicates good ball movement and patience. Some stat lines: Curry had an efficient 27 and 10, Marbury had 17, 7, and 7. Crawford had 25 and 6 assists. Lee had 9 points, 14 bounds, and 4 very pretty assists.

Anyway, it was a good, relaxing win for the Knicks. Let's hope the momentum carries over to Seattle, where the Knicks can almost wash the previous losses of this road trip. Goodnight.

Knicks-Blazers Tonight

The Knicks take on the Trailblazers tonight up in the mecca of basketball, Portland. This is the first meeting between the two, but Zach Randolph has had a history of burning the Knicks. He's a tricky-ass lefty, so why not put another lefty, David Lee, on him? Just might work.

Speaking of Z-Bo here's a video of Randolph visiting the home of a Blazers-obsessed little kid with a Randolph-themed room. Turns out they have a lot in common. They're both named Zack, both love basketball and video games, and both have very pinchable cheeks! Enjoy. (The video isn't available to embed).

By the way, here's a weird little tidbit from the Blazers' current homepage:

Here’s a some trivia for all the fantasy basketball team owners out there: If you had chance at any player on a Knicks starting lineup that includes Stephon “Starbury” Marbury, Steve “Franchise” Francis, Quentin “Q” Richardson, sharp-shooting Channing Frye and NBA cast-off Eddy Curry, who would’ve been the smartest choice to anchor your fantasy team?

The answer? Eddy Curry, who despite starting on a roster filled with backcourt talent, averages a team-high 18.2 points per game and leads all starters with 7.2 rebounds...

Backhanded compliment much?

Game's at 10:00. Go Knicks. Later.

EDIT: On page 22 of this week's New Yorker Magazine, a cartoon by Danny Shanahan that shows a family sitting at a dinner table with the father saying, "And if you don't finish your vegetables Daddy will take you to a Knicks game." Oh I get it, because the Knicks are bad. Ha. They just had 3 straight overtime wins at the Garden, so the New Yorker can shove it. Because I'm very mature, I bit a big chunk out of the page. So there.

Kings 112, Knicks 100

The Knicks got completely outplayed tonight in Sacto. Congratulations to the Kings and Ron Artest, who threw down a career high 39 points. The Knicks were turnover-prone (18), inaccurate at the line (17-28), and overall slow-footed on defense in their defeat. Credit the Kings for hitting the tough, momentous shots to keep New York perpetually at arm's length. As I've said before, its the teams that don't sink those key shots when the Knicks cut it close (i.e. Cleveland, Utah, and Detroit) that end up squandering leads. Some game notes:

- Former Knicks announcer Jim Karvellas passed away at the age of 71. I honestly didn't know much about the guy beforehand, but fine stories from Clyde and Breen, as well as some audio footage and interviews of Karvellas revealed what a likable and Knick-crazy individual he was. Also, his trademark line was "BULLS-eye!", which is pretty cool.

- I've always wondered if Shareef Abdur-Rahim was always known as such, or if he assumed the name latter in life, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf, or Tariq Abdul-Wahad. Well, according to Wikipedia the name is, in fact, his birth name. He is a devout Muslim and his father is an Imam, a leader within the faith.

- There were a few bizarre plays in this game. One occured when David Lee intercepted a pass late in the Kings shot clock. As he got his hands on it and started to throw an outlet, the 24 second buzzer sounded from the previous possession. Lee freaked out and blatantly shuffled his feet, getting called for the travel. They have a loud-ass buzzer in Sacramento.

- Maybe David Lee should be posting up a little more? He is ambidextrous, shoots a good percentage, and rarely wastes a good mismatch. It could definitely take some pressure off of Curry.

- Clyde used the phrase "Hurryin' and worryin" at one point to describe the Knicks' D on Francisco Garcia. Just like "draining and paining" from a few games ago, that's the first time I've heard that rhyme. Who are the 5 best rappers in the world? Clyde, Clyde, Clyde, Clyde, Clyde. Because he spits hot fire.

- Numerous filthy dunks in this game by the Kings. Kevin Martin blew by Crawford and threw down a two-hand 180 whilest sitting on Jeffries' face. Later, Shareef Abdur-Rahim neé Shareef Abdur-Rahim crossed up Mittens and flushed one on his head.

- Bizzare play number 2: With time winding down in the first half, Mike Bibby thought he felt contact (there was minimal, if any) from Mardy Collins, and jacked up an awkward three-pointer to draw the foul. He buried the weird three but the foul wasn't called. Asshole.

Yup, that went in.
- There's a different guy now speaking in that quick "express written consent of the NBA" bit during every game. I didn't just plagiarize by saying that, did I?

- Brad Miller wanted a whistle on one play, and let the ref know with a hearty "Gaw Dang! Hur durr da foul on ma!" He got T'd up for his tirade, responded by spitting a wad of tobacco at the ref's feet, and then got ejected. I don't have Tivo, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.

- Malik had a righteous smother chicken on Shareef, and it was completely clean. It was one of those blocks that lasted nearly a full second, with the ball never actually being dislodged. He blocked Shareef's whole body through the ball. It was cool.

- On a night when Ron Artest was unbelievably hot from every region of the court, Renaldo Balkman registered a big fat DNP-CD, or as I like to call it, a DiNoPlaCoDe. I don't actually like to call it that. Well, I didn't before. I do now. Dinoplacode.

Coulda used the Humpty Hump...
- Final thought: Both of the Knicks big men are very slow-footed on Defense. I suppose Mittens has an excuse because he weighs 280 pounds, but what's Channing Frye's excuse?

Anyway, it was a tough loss in a raucous arena, but there was enough excitement to keep the basketball fan in me intrigued while the Knicks fan in me pouted. The Knicks continue their trip in Portland tomorrow night. See you then. Peace.

Knicks-Kings Tonight

The Knicks play the third game of their West Coast bogus journey this evening, taking on the Sacramento Kings at 10 EST. Pay close attention the Brad Miller- Eddy Curry matchup down low. Miller's a good passer and jump-shooter, a type of center that Curry has had trouble defending. Hopefully, Mittens can muscle him around and get him in foul trouble on the other end. Let's get that Mean Streak started again. This is a decent opportunity for a win on the road trip, so the Knicks best get their shit together.

What's that you ask? You'd like to see a tear-jerking video montage of the Kings' recent glory days? Well looky here, young fella. I've got just the thing, but be warned that it has a very sad ending.


Ahhh, those were the days.

Anyway, in other news, Steve Francis is giving the Knicks the Penny Hardaway treatment and peacing out for an undetermined amount of time. Stevie will be heading home to Houston, where trainers can give more personal attention to his crappity-ass knees. Obviously, I hope he feels better, but the Knicks have already proven to be in decent shape without him. With Nate returning soon and Mardy Collins starting to show some signs, it's an insignificant loss. So why am I even talking about it. I don't know. Shut up.

Francis may miss the rest of the season, and may even be done as a Knick, but nothing's certain. Meanwhile, I'm sure most Knicks fans have no problem with Steve spending his time rehabilitating, resting, and inappropriately looking at the camera when having his picture taken.

No, Steve! This is supposed to be the warm-hearted and charitable picture!
Well, tonight's game should go pretty late, but expect a recap on your computer screen immediately afterwards or tomorrow afternoon. Go Knicks. Peace.