Knicks-Cavs Crumbs

Sorry if anything's screwy or delayed. Blogger's having issues like whoa. Anyway, the Knicks' next game is on Friday in Detroit. Let's have a look around the world wide web for responses to the dramatic win in Cleveland. (Savor the moment, bitches!)

Deadspin points out one of those bogus Knicks ads.

Knickerblogger and his glorious commenters talk about last night's game. It is mentioned, and I agree, that the accusation that Nate hasn't improved as a point guard is pretty misguided. Regardless of the stats, he's doing much better when instructed to handle the ball and bring it up.

My favorite pic of the year so far:


Too bad The Cavalier is an embittered Cavs fan, 'cause he coulda had fun with that one.

The gambling gods have put 2/1 odds on Isiah Thomas being the first NBA coach fired this season. Two things. First, as a coach, Isiah has looked fairly solid in his handling of rotations. It took Larry Brown a full year to get fired, and he didn't do even close to the job that Isiah's doing. Second, James Dolan clearly expressed that he's giving Isiah one season to show progress, or it's his ass. I interpreted this as one season- no less. Maybe I'm wrong, but I expect Zeke to be around until the summer, for better or worse. My gut tells me that Cleveland's Mike Brown will be the first to go. My gut also tells me to eat fish sticks, though, so it's up in the air.

Well, it's TNT NBA Thursday tonight. DET-MIA is kinda blah, but I'll watch it just 'cause Billups is on my fantasy team. Lakers-Jazzes is much more intriguing, as it is the first opportunity for a lot of us East Coasters to see what the shit is going on in Utah. Let the truth be told. Back tomorrow.

Knicks 101, Cavs 98

Whoo! I'm still shaking a little from that one. That was a big win for these Knicks. Curry looked pretty beastly at points, and the guards showed a little bit of chemistry and balance on the attack. Q-Rich shot the lights out and harassed Lebron, and overall I'm very pleased. Game notes:

- I really miss Canon Knicks Gamenight and the old theme music. No idea why they'd get rid of that song.

- Walt Frazier commented that the master of the hook shot was "Abdul Kareem Jabbar". He was also wearing a blue velvet dress shirt.

- Damon Jones is a really shitty ballhandler. I can't think of anyone other than former Knick Frank Williams who's so bad with the ball that they have to back their way down the length of the court.

- What's with that little patch of hair on the back of Drew Gooden's head?

- If you missed it, Nate Robinson was pretty much all alone on a fast break early in the second quarter. Nate resorted to instinct and tried to bounce the ball to himself for the dunk, but got called for a travel and took a hard hit from Sasha Pavlovic. (Nate nearly completed the thing anyway, but thats besides the point). In the ensuing timeout, Isiah motioned for Nate to get his ass out of the huddle, but left him in the game. He immediately came out and got an O-bound and a field goal. I kinda like that. Larry Brown woulda torn the kid a new asshole, but Isiah has a much better understanding of his players. Nate had a few other boneheaded plays in the game, but I liked the way Isiah treated it.

- Also in the second quarter, Richardson buried a three and proceeded to subtly mimic Damon Jones' gallop and finger wiggle celebration. I grinned.

LOL.
- The Cavs had numerous chances to hit the big shot and push the game out of reach, but continuously missed them. Even Lebron failed to cushion the lead. As someone who roots for the Cavs any time they're not playing the Knicks, I don't like seeing that (except when they're playing the Knicks).

- Michael Jordan had the tongue wag. Lebron James has the O-face.


- Zydrunas Ilgauskus accidentally tipped in a miss for the Knicks. He did this twice in their last game. He is now tied with Kelvin Cato in points for the Knicks this year.

- Humpty fouled Lebron really hard, and then proceeded to get up in his face. Awesome.

- The Cleveland fan pump-up activity in the clutch moments was starting a massive slow clap in the audience. That's just about the stupidest thing I've ever seen, and may have very well cost the Cavs the game. Step it up, Cleveland.

-Huuuge fucking 3-point play from Curry at the end of the game. He threw down the dunk and then spun around and screamed "WHAT, MOTHERFUCKER!" Atta boy.

- Curry has had four 20+ point games in a row. Marbury looked like Marbury in the first half. The Knicks are 6-0 when they have 20 assists or more and are 5-1 when scoring more than 100 points. Them's the facts.

Well hello there, Mr. Marbury. Nice of you to show up.
Alright, well that's all I have for tonight. Solid win, kids. We can sleep well.

EDIT: The Knicks are now 4-1 on Wednesdays.

Knicks-Cavs Tonight

The deflated Knicks head to Cleveland tonight to play Lebron James and his numerous sidekicks. No word yet on whether Q will be returning for tonight's game. His presence would definitely be useful, as there is pretty much no on else on this team who could defend Lebron, even if he was handcuffed, naked, and covered in molasses. No one expects anything from the Knicks tonight, so I guess the only way to go is up. Awesome.

Several other things to touch upon. First of all, I spent some time this morning pondering the play of Renaldo Balkman. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't this guy always been touted as a good defender? Humpty's got a good game, but I would not list defense as one of his strong suits. I think scouts and experts might be too quick to label high-energy, hustle guys as good defensive players. Great defenders like Artest combine effort with strength, speed, and an understanding of good positioning. I just don't see Balkman exuding any of those traits. Overall, the labeling of players as good individual defenders is a little dubious to me. In some cases (not Balkman's), it's just a disguise for a shitty offensive player. I could be wrong. Either way, Balkman could use a summer or two in the weight room and some good coaching before he's really a good defender. Not a bad player, though.

"Look at me, I'm skinny. That never stopped me from gettin' busy."
Speaking of Balkman, I'm sure someone else has pointed this out, but his Wikipedia page looks like it was written by a disgruntled Knicks fan in about 45 seconds. Worth a look.

Moving on, Simmons wrote this piece breaking down the Eastern Conference, "The worst conference in history". He makes a few good points, and it's pretty funny, so you might want to check it out...if that's your cup of tea.

Fantastic post from Knickerblogger about some sportswriters' tendency to attack the obvious. It's a very well written post and I wholeheartedly support his case. People are paid to tell me that Isiah Thomas is a bad coach, or that Stephon Marbury loses a lot? It's a little tired. I guess that huge organizations like SI and ESPN have to cover so much material that they can't really go into detail about everything. As far as ESPN goes, Simmons gets away with it cause he's funny and usually writes about only a handful of teams. A diehard fan isn't really gonna learn anything new about their team from an international news source like SI or ESPN. This is why I read the blogs.

Recap later tonight. Go Knicks.

Bulls 102, Knicks 85

Well then. The Knicks lost, but at least they did it in a new, refreshing way. Instead of moseying for 3 quarters and balling for 1, they threw some pretty good D at the Bulls for most of the game, and then collapsed late. Turnovers, free throw misses, and perimeter D plagued New York, who dropped their second straight. Ben Gordon feasted once more on the Knicks' guards, scoring 23. Eddy "Mittens" Curry looked pretty decent for the Knicks, dropping 24 and 8. My game notes:

- By the way, if you've been wondering what I mean by game notes, I actually keep a notepad by my side during the games I watch. If I see something funny or important, I scrawl it out with a Sharpie. I'm a pro.

- I turned on MSG at 8:30 only to find some white guys in helmets playing with sticks on some ice. Befuddled and enraged, I eventually mustered the composure to learn that the game was on MSG 2. Didn't even know that existed.

Isiah?...Steph?...Anybody?...Where am I!?
- It was cute when Renaldo Balkman hit a few threes early in the season during some blowout wins. It's lost it's novelty. Stop, buddy.

- Ben Gordon...ripped-est player in the L? The man is JACKED, son!

Welcome to the gun show.
- In the first half, Ben Wallace looked pretty lost. It looks almost as if Skiles is running plays for him, which isn't really his thing. He settled down and did his thing in the second half.

- Man, not only has Marbury lost his moves and his touch, but he just looks SAD out there. You see nary a smile from Marbury no matter how things are going. If he had hair, it would be a long, slick, emo 'do draped way down over his eyes. Actually, the Knicks are just a depressed team. Everyone except for Nate looks really friggin' sad.



- Right at the end of the second quarter, Curry got called for a charge when he barreled into Malik Allen. The replay showed that in mid-air, Curry somehow karate-kicked Allen twice in the balls, and then landed face-down on top of Allen's legs. Needless to say, Malik needed a good, long breather on the bench after that collision.

- I'm really pumped about the upcoming Sunday Lookalikes. It involves the Bulls.

- Mittens had a good game (and how about that stylish headband?). It wasn't quite up to what his stats might suggest, but I'd say he was getting better position and focusing a lot more than he has been. Curry's moving along.

Ben Wallace appears to have grown a new face on his chest...and that face is wearing a HEADBAND.
Anyway, the Knicks showed a different look against the Bulls. Ultimately, they were too sloppy and lackluster to pull out a victory, and let Chicago run away with it. And, in case you thought the basketball gods had sympathy for the Knicks, they meet Lebron and the Cavaliers tomorrow night. Mmmmm. See ya tomorrow.

Knicks-Bulls Again Tonight

The Knicks head to Chicago this evening, to once again play those dastardly Bulls. As has been the case all season long, Marbury is in the spotlight, this time because of his benching in the last game. And, as has been the case, Marbury's general bitchiness and me-first attitude have been harped upon by various media.

Let me say two things. First of all, Steph seems to be doing his best to say the right things to the papers. Secondly, I have trouble believing that Marbury's status as a cancer and a coach-killer has anything to do with his play. Let's not forget that this guy has been considered a loser for most of his career, yet has been one of the more outstanding individual players of the decade. Even as a Knick, he used to be able to put up 20 and 8 at will, and very well may have been the best point guard in the NBA at some point. Things have changed. From watching him, I really think that being battered and knocked to the floor for the last 10 seasons has taken something off his game. The strength and agility that made him such a fine slasher two or three years ago seem to have dissolved, and have given him less scoring and passing options.(The same could be said for Steve Francis). From that article, I'd that both Isiah and Steph are starting to understand that Marbury's not playing as well as he once was. I'm all in favor of benching guys who aren't playing well.

With that in mind, it's time to start grooming Nate Robinson. The kid's already developing skills very quickly. His shot selection and passing have improved exponentially since last season. If somehow Marbury could be pushed into the role of backup/mentor willingly, he might further sharpen Nate's moves. It'd be a cool little Jedi master/apprentice scenario. Just might be crazy enough to work. Given Marbury's status and history, this is probably a bit of a pipe dream, but a welcome change in my eyes. In short, Marbury is not good at basketball anymore. Nate Robinson is. Ergo, Nate Robinson should be playing more basketball. This is my argument.



A second note...I rarely look at stats, but had a look at the Knicks' averages today. Some interesting discoveries:

- Jamal Crawford, a bench player, leads the team in scoring and minutes

- David Lee, a bench player until today, leads the team in rebounding while playing 25 minutes a game. He's averaging just about a double double with 9.9 and 9.2 a game.

- Stephon Marbury has attempted fewer field goals than Channing Frye

Bizarre. This definitely supports the visually apparent idea that the Knicks are an upside down team, with the bench leading the way. Anyway, I have to go to the fuckin dentist this evening, so I'll miss the first quarter or so...but I'll be back tonight or tomorrow with a recap. This should be an interesting game for two teams reeling from personnel problems. Later.

EDIT: Ben Wallace is questionable tonight because he "sprained his index finger" a.k.a "is in shit water with management".

Enough, Mr. Stern

Go check out the newest podcast from the Basketball Jones. This one might be their best yet. To recap (I listened to it about 2 minutes ago), Tas and Skeets talk to SI.com's Kelly Dwyer, who gives a groggy but hilarious interview on his writing and the state of the NBA.

More importantly, the guys address the recent actions of the man upstairs, David Stern. They make reference to this article by Preetom Bhattacharya, which brilliantly summarizes and argues against Stern's movement to take NBA videos off the internet. Also mentioned is Stern's recent warning to the Mavericks that their benched players were standing and celebrating too much. The views expressed in both the podcast and the article in many ways parallel my own. Here's what I think.

In my opinion, basketball is the most aesthetically pleasing sport in the world. The styles in which players dunk, pass, dribble, and even celebrate are constantly changing. Players are bare to the world, with their faces, hair, and numerous tattoos unmasked by long sleeves, pads, or helmets. Style is just as important and variable as substance.


Basketball as James Naismith invented it is a beautiful and engaging game. However, it is the quirks and the drama in the NBA that make it exceptional to fans like myself, and make it superior to the college game. The NBA has been an arena for expression; be it by a player, a team, or the entire league. If this weren't the case, then we wouldn't see dunk contests, highlight shows, shoe commercials, street basketball, or an All-Star game in Vegas. Styles come from different American regions, numerous foreign countries, and countless schools and systems, making the NBA a sort of melting pot for the basketball world's diverse cultures. The NBA is the foremost league for expression, both physical and emotional.


Thus, I can't really see the point in Stern's actions. The dress code, zero tolerance, limits on celebration, and video banning all draw from the aesthetic aspect of the game. If players become as uniform and robotic as Stern has suggested, then the NBA game will have actually taken an evolutionary step backwards. If two-hand set shots, short shorts, and white high-tops were the most succesful and entertaining facilities, then we'd still be seeing them.


This powerful and well-respected man is overstepping his bounds, and is deliberately alienating the players that make his league special, and the fans that make his league exist. The NBA is the world's most breathtaking and attractive athletic spectacle, and needs to remain so. Let's not forget that this is entertainment, dude.


Again, I reccomend that you listen to that brilliant podcast and feel free to leave comments about this matter. No Knicks tonight. More Bulls action on Tuesday. Peace out.

Sunday Lookalikes

Scott Skiles vs. Atom Ant




Up and at 'em!

Things Fall Apart

Such is life with the New York Knicks. The actual outcome of the Bulls game was typical and unimportant. The effects were enormous. Let's recap:

Channing Frye- Sprained ankle (3-6 weeks)

Quentin Richardson- Strained hamstring (Day-to-day but those injuries tend to nag)

Stephon Marbury- Benched and pissed off (Forever?)

Well, one of my goals when I made this site was to "remain optimistic and lighthearted throughout what should be a very interesting season". In a season that's gone pretty sour, I think I might've lost sight of that. So here it goes. The bright side:

Jeffries is returning soon.

We're 5-10. That's not THAT bad.

It's been exciting.

Chan's absence means we get to see more Lee and Balkman.


Marbury's GOTTA be on his way out at least by the offseason. Marbury leaving a team usually brings good things.

Eddy Curry just had two 20 point games in a row.

Ben Gordon didn't score a lot.

Ummm...Nate Robinson can dunk!

Aight, I'm spent. The Knicks get two much needed days off, but expect to see some sniping and snarking to the press come Monday. It's about to get hella crazy, but as a team and as a fanbase, the Knicks need to keep their heads up. Peace.

Knicks 101, Celtics 77

Hey now. It wasn't pretty, but I'd say that was one of the Knicks' best all-around games of the year. Game notes:

- The 2-3 zone is an interesting idea. It certainly worked last night, and is worth going to in the future, but it's not gonna work as well against good 3-point shooting teams. Way to mix it up though.

- Might that have been a breakout game for Mittens (21/10)? Going up against Ben Wallace tonight should certainly serve to prove or dispell that notion.

- Donnie Wahlberg.

And that's why I'm not a Celtics fan.
- Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the Knicks are now 5-1 when they score more than 100 points.

- Doc Rivers is toast. He's always seemed like a cool guy, so I feel sorry for him. Hopefully this means he'll be back in the booth on national TV. He's a good announcer.

Unable to connect with his players, Doc has desperately resorted to ASL.
- Marbury didn't really do anything meaningful, but was all smiles on the bench after the game.

- Nothing pleases me more than seeing Paul PIerce on the bench, thumbing his stubble like a drunken vagrant. I hate the Celtics.

Punk.
Anyway, the Knicks play the Bulls tonight at home. As mentioned, this is Curry's game to prove himself. A zone, however, might not be as effective, as Hinrich, Gordon, and Nocioni are all deadly 3-point shooters. Perimeter defense is vital. This is an extremely important game, as a streak and a home win are both desperately needed to keep this season alive. Later.

Knicks-Celtics Tonight

Oh man. If the Knicks get one more win this year, I hope it's tonight against the bumbling pig-dogs known as the Boston Celtics. I hate the Celtics. Recap coming later.

Moving on...For those of you who thought that Nate Robinson's block on Yao was the only baller-ass thing he's done this year, behold.


Gotta love that kid.

Go Knicks.

EDIT: I don't know who it is that says "Slam Dunk Champion!" in that video, but he sounds exactly like the guy from Chappelle's Show that says "Cradle of fuckin civilization!"

Happy Turkey Day

The Knicks got straight up violated last night in Timberland. I couldn't stomach to watch it after a little while. At least someone's happy.

Let's All Be Thankful

The Knicks take on the T-Wolves tonight at the Target Center. Most important is the play of Francis and Marbury, who has a complicated relationship with the city of Minneapolis. Recap coming late tonight or tomorrow. Moving on.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I pose this question. Do you remember the first time, if ever, you saw your favorite team live in action? Some thought and a visit to Basketballreference.com can help you pinpoint the exact date and box score from the season. I encourage bloggers and commenters to post something about their first games.

Anyway, here's mine. I have fond memories of this game. Certain players and plays are very clear in my mind. I was a young lad, but I remember being unexpectedly drawn to rooting for the Knicks (who lost).

Damn, I miss LJ.
Anyway, I think that in remembering our first game, we can reflect and be thankful for our loves of basketball and of our favorite teams. Be thankful that, among other things, we have the means, the stability, and the time to be enamored and obsessed with such a peripheral matter. In your mind and in your actions, take into account those who must concern themselves solely with their well-being or survival, and do not have the means nor the leisure to enjoy sports. Everyone have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Dammit!

I just logged on to ESPN.com and saw this headline...


Surpise...Glee...Picturing Steve Francis back with his old team...Wondering how Isiah pulled that off...Looking at the headline again...Realizing my mistake...Crying.

Dammit!

Knicks-Rockets Crumbs

What's up kids. There's some residue floating around from last night's game...

The Cavalier at Yay Sports thinks that last night's game was the first turn of a downward spiral for Marbury on the Knicks. It's frightening, but he might have a point.

Forget the shoes...Look for Starbury Keffiyehs coming to a store near you.
Knickerblogger sheds some light on the development of Mittens, and why he sucks baboon balls.

Tas and Skeets read my e-mail on the new Basketball Jones podcast, and spread the "Mittens" gospel. Bonus.

And finally...THE BLOCK ON VIDEO! Uncut, in real time, with the original soundtrack. Dope.
I may be biased, but I'd say Nate had minimal contact with Yao's eye. That was clean, kids. Damn, that was awesome.

Anyway, the Knicks head to Timberland tomorrow, so expect some preview action coming at ya. Later.

Rockets 97, Knicks 90

The Knicks decided to put a little twist on their most recent loss. It fit the usual template- starters suck, bench comeback, giving up threes, can't close out- but added in was some fairly solid off the ball defense. Lee, Robinson, Crawford, and even Curry at times, caused a lot of deflections, steals, and blocks.I'm all for a little more gambling on defense. Steals and blocks are certainly conducive to the fast break offense that Isiah originally wanted to run. The perimeter defense is gonna have to be more reliable before the guards start gambling a lot though. Anyway, I loved that McGrady and Yao were denied the ball during certain stretches. It's a good way to go. Game notes...

- I wrote on my notepad that Eddy Curry needs to develop a face the basket game, and he immediately buried an 8 foot jumper. After that, he was completely useless.

- Speaking of Curry, I've decided on a nickname. I'm fairly proud of it, but if you've got better I'd love to hear it. Ready? "Mittens." Eddy "Mittens" Curry. The reasons are fairly simple. Have you ever tried to make/throw a snowball with mittens? It slips everywhere and you have no control. This is how Eddy Curry handles a basketball. He drops, it throws it every which way and has it stripped out of his arms. It's as if he's wearing mittens. I think the name also insinuates his general softness of demeanor. Make it stick.

Mittens!
- Now that Eddy Curry has a nickname, David Lee needs one. He cleans up messes, but "The Custodian" is already taken. Hmm. He keeps balls alive...I need help with this one.

- There are times when I think Frye needs to get a motivational speech from the guy who played Yul Brenner in Cool Runnings. Speaking of which, the actor Leon (Derice Bannock) was at the game.

"I see pride! I see power! I see a badass mother who don't take no crap off of nobody!"
- Man, Marbury and Francis look old. The effort is lacking, but these guys look as if they've actually lost the skills that made them famous. They both simply cannot get to the basket. The physical strength and agility is completely missing.

- Question: When they have commercials for TV's and stuff like that, the images on the televisions are often these really generic sports scenes. Do they stage fake football and basketball games with guys in two-color, nameless jerseys solely for these commercials? I need to know.

- Yo, Vagisil Vassilis Spanoulis needs a comb and a razor like now.

Ew, dude.
- Finally, The Block. Wow. For those of you who missed it, Yao Ming went to shoot a turnaround J dunk in the post, and Nate Robinson came flying out of nowhere for a righteous stuff. Yao bent over and grabbed his face like a little bitch, and David Lee got a nasty dunk at the other end. Great sequence, one of the filthiest defensive stops in NBA history. No picture or video of this yet, but let me know if you see anything.

Anyway, an aggravating loss, but nothing new when it comes to 2006 Knicks basketball. Oh well. See ya tomorrow.

Knicks-Rockets Tonight

The Rockets come to town tonight, in what might be the hardest existing matchup for the Knicks. Yao Ming is the best center is the league. T-Mac is a versatile threat. Alston, Battier, and Head can all shoot the three. Basically, New York's gonna have to go bananas on offense or the game's already over.

Other stuff...

The Rockets' website jumps out at you with some porn music and dancing Dikembe Mutombo bobbleheads. Actually, now that I look at it, it's a fucking bobbleFINGER. Snap!

I'm never visitng the Rockets' website again.

Great post from Knickerblogger

I'm number three in Pounding the Rock's fake money fake betting fake contest. Boo-yah.

Recap later. Peace.

Sunday Lookalikes

Kendrick Perkins vs. Telly




I hate the Celtics.

Refs 122, Knicks 118

Let me just say that the Celtics are not a good basketball team. They're not better than the Knicks. So there. Game notes:

- 63 foul shots. I'm pretty sure you couldn't foul someone that many times if you were trying. The refs need to get their heads straight.

- Paul Pierce is a prick. Really.

I hate the Celtics.
- The Knicks started off the game 10-0 on a flurry of dunks and layups. A timeout was called, and the drum squad known as the "New York Sticks" came out to play. The game resumed and the Celtics promptly took the lead. Therefore, the New York Sticks are responsible for the loss.

- Even when the Knicks took the lead in the fourth, I knew they were gonna lose. It was just that kind of game.

- Patrick Ewing was there. That was awesome.

Sign him!
While we're at it, sign him!
- I have nothing else to say. That was a disgrace of a basketball game.

Experience the Excitement!

How bout that shit? I missed parts of that game, but I'm pretty sure they coulda won it even with Shaq in there. The Knicks brought pretty much the same formula that got them a victory against Washington. It took solid outside shooting, ball movement, creating turnovers, and defending the 3 to beat both teams. I'm impressed. Other notes:

- The Jerome James revolution begins....NOW.

UNGH.
-Actually, that was my only note.

Tonight, the Celtics come to town (I'll be there), and this sort of formula should work against Boston too. A balanced attack with a strong defensive effort from the guards should be enough to get a win at home. The Celtics are coming off a very nice win, however, and must not be underestimated. One plus is that none of our guys got more than 28 minutes last night, so they should be relatively energized in this SEGABABA, as Pounding the Rock would call it. As in the other games, keeping the star (Paul Pierce this time) relatively in check is vital to success.

Tough matchup for Quentin Richardson.
Go Knicks.

EDIT: Remember to bring a can of food tonight if you're going to the game. Help the needy, and stop Channing Frye from making commercials. It's a good cause.

Knicks-Heat Tonight

The Knicks head to Miami this evening to take on the Heat. Shaq appears to be returning for tonight's game, and the Heat have a few dangerous three-point shooters, so this is gonna be a tough one. One thing to look for is Frye/Lee's job on Udonis Haslem. He's a good midrange shooter and a tough rebounder, making him very dangerous to a sloppy Knicks defense. U needs to be shut down. Oh yeah, and that Wade guy. I'm gonna miss most of the game tonight, so feel free to post comments on the events. If the Knicks win I'm definitely gonna hit up Knicks in 60, because I really hate the Heat.

And that's why I'm not a Heat fan.
Two things to read:
Very interesting post from Knickerblogger on Eddy Curry.
Article on Isiah Thomas from TrueHoop.

Peace.

It's TNT NBA Thursday

Bulls-Rockets followed by Warriors-Kings. Two fantastic games to watch this evening.

By the way, the Knicks won last night. WU-TANG!

Mmmm.
See ya tomorrow.

Knicks 102, Wiz 82

Ahhhh. For once, the Knicks played a relaxing game, defeating the Wizards handily. And for once, I have few complaints about the team as a whole. Guys played their roles well (Some of you are saying that Steve Francis sucked right now. Steve Francis's role is to suck, so shut it), and Isiah was just about on the money with his substitutions. Anyway, my game notes:

- Hair update: Mike Breen has got some pretty promising stubble going there. Really looking forward to a goatee in the future. Channing Frye's disgusting peach fuzz has blossomed into a man-stache. Very impressed, I'm glad he stuck with it despite my scorn. Finally, David Lee's current mop is really coming along nicely. I'd like to see him let it grow, until it is a shoulder-length mess of hair, sweat, and old Bit O' Honey wrappers.

- Bill Simmons called Q-Rich fat in his season preview. Q-Rich is not fat...the man is fucking jacked. He might have the most disproportionately massive pythons in the league right now.

- "Man, put down my papaya!"

- The Knicks showed some improved defense on the perimeter, including the novel appearance of Marbury fighting over screens. Some of Washington's useless three point shooting can be attributed to this. Some of it is just due to the fact that there are no bona fide longball shooters on the team.

- Channing's inflection when he says "We don't always get to eat" in the letter-reading food drive commercial haunts me in my sleep. He has no future in announcing.

- Speaking of which, remember to bring some unperishable food items if you go to a game in the upcoming weeks. I'll be there with my lima beans on Saturday.

- You know how they say guys like Zach Randolph and Mike Sweetney have "soft hands", cause they're good pass-catchers and have a nice touch around the rim? Eddy Curry has hard hands. That's my new phrase. Make it stick.

- Either the players or Isiah is not great at running plays out of timeouts.

- The third quarter substitutions, in particular, were very well executed.

-Renaldo!!!! He and Lee must have put in about 10 O-bound layups. I love it. Great effort.

"Just watch me do the Humpty Hump..."
- Gilbert Arenas, leaving the court in the third quarter, heard saying "Why me!?" He threw up a stinker.

- I'm gonna look for pics, and help me out, but the Knicks have a new official mascot. He is a child of no more than 2 years, who for now will be known as simply "The Baby". He was sitting courtside, and even way past his bedtime, was going absolutely bananas. He pretty much led a "Let's go Knicks" cheer at the end, and was clapping and raising the roof non-stop. Get him some sneakers and a trampoline to dunk on, cause he's going out on the court during timeouts. The kid is awesome.

- Stephon Marbury, leaving the court for garbage time, heard saying: "Fuck yeah!" Atta boy. Great job distributing and getting to the basket, to go along with some solid outside J's.

You can always tell Steph's gonna shoot if he has his mouth wide open. Swear to god.
Anyway, great game. I'm really proud of the team for putting a win together. Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna go dwell on it for a little while. More tomorrow.

EDIT: Someone just pointed this out to me...The Knicks are 3-0 on Wednesdays. They have 21 Wednesday games this year.