Monday, January 10, 2005

...and on the seventh day, they WON

NYC: Knicks beat Blazers, 113-105.
Alright, it actually took the Knicks 9 days to win their first game of the new year, but under the media glare of the Big Apple the four-game, losing streak had begun to take on biblical proportions. Sunday night's game against the visiting Portland Trailblazers had been billed as the "Clash of the Coney Island Kids," because of the Garden debut (at least as a professional) of Steph's precocious cousin, Sebastian Telfair. However, it just as easily could have been dubbed "Lenny's Last Stand." If the Knicks looked anything like the listless losers who were embarrassed before a national audience on Saturday, it would be a safe bet that Lenny would be escorted to the door just as quickly as his players have been escorting opponents to the basket.

Last night, Lenny could thank Allan Houston and Jerome "the Junkyard Dog" Williams for warding off his dismissal. Houston’s jumpshot was as fluid and beautiful as it has ever been. His sweet stroke showed why he is an all-star caliber player, and was so effortless that it even hinted at (hinted at, not legitimized) the rationale for his enormous contract . This was the type of night when a healthy Houston drops in 40-45 points. However, the rusty version never made the leap and took the game over. He never really got warmed up again after an extended rest that straddled the 3rd and 4th quarters, but still scored an effortless 25--all while dragging one hobbled leg up and down the court. Every time the ball left his hands it looked like it was going in, and the few times that he did miss the crowd was more surprised than disappointed.

Contrasting the poetry of Houston's jumpshot was the frenetic energy of Williams--inserted into the starting lineup like a livewire to replace the injured (knee/leg) Tim Thomas. The electricity coursing through the JYD’s veins was apparent before the opening tip. He was the first man on the court and hopped around the center circle while his co-workers were still at their respective benches tying shoelaces and joking around. From the opening whistle, and for each of the 44 minutes that he prowled the court, he willed himself on the game in so many ways that will never be shown by a box score. On the Knicks' first possession he got an offensive rebound and missed the putback, but Nazr would tip in Williams’ miss. Moments later, Williams pokes the ball away from beneath the basket and dives into the row of photographers to get it to Steph. His manic play and self-less hustle enraptured the crowd. He was taking charges and recklessly driving the lane and hitting an open Mohammed in the paint. On a play where Kurt Thomas, already in foul-trouble, was called for a fairly obvious foul in the paint, Williams raised his arm to try to assume the foul for his own and hounded the ref until he changed the call. More than anything, this moment—not really even an actual play—defined what Williams brought to this game. It was an act whose only purpose was to help his team win. As the barks of the crowd reverberated through the Garden the Junkyard Dog—playing with a confidence that he doesn’t always have coming off the bench—may have changed from a fiery role player to a leader.

Still, the Knicks could never really close the door. For every lob that Ariza tomahawked through the net there was a defensive breakdown to highlight the ineptitude lurking behind every fastbreak. With 4:02 left in the 1st quarter it seemed as if the Knicks were going to blow the doors off the Blazers, but instead the wheels came off on the defensive end. The Blazer’s next 7 possessions went something like this:
-layup
-dunk
-offensive rebound, layup
-dunk
-dunk
-jumper
-missed wide-open shot
The pesky Blazers—led by Zach Randolph’s 27 points—seized on the suddenly limp defense just as they would seize every opportunity that the Knicks were foolish enough to give them. Although New York was decidedly the better team, the Blazers played smart enough to walk in any doors left unlocked. On the Blazers first possession Derek Anderson drove right at Allan Houston, flashed by him, and drew a foul. Blazers coach Maurice Cheeks, clearly watching film, had directed his players to take advantage of the hobbled Houston. Meanwhile, the Knicks did not seem to take full advantage of matchups that favored them. As usual, it seemed that the Steph and Kurt Thomas pick-and-roll combo was not established early in the game. Likewise, there were several stretches when Allan Houston was being guarded by the diminutive Damon "mighty mouse" Stoudemaire; he didn’t post him up once. There were a few trips down the court when it seemed as if Houston was trying to establish position, but no one got him the ball.

Lenny and Steph need to make sure that we take advantage of any glimmer of opportunity on the offensive end. Make no mistake, Sunday’s win against the Portland Trailblazers was a big win for the Knicks (who are now 8-5 against the Western Conference), but it highlighted the team’s need to score points in order to be successful. In this game, where their defense was—with the exception of a few lapses—better than it is on most nights, their opponents still got a sniff (and a taste) of 100 points.
NY Knicker-Blogger Player(s) of the Game:
Allan Houston and Jerome Williams

And, not necessarily, the news….
New York Post: recap; Is Lenny safe(r)? ; JYD; Telfair's homecoming
New York Daily News: recap; Lenny still alive; Telfair
New York Times
Newsday

ESPN
AP/Yahoo

"The Battle for Brooklyn"

Well, Sebastian Telfair's family reunion at the Garden was overshadowed by the return of the real Allan Houston and his cousin, Stephan, played fourth fiddle behind Houston and the crowd-pleasing highwire acts of Ariza and the Junkyard Dog. Marbury played the efficient point guard tonight as he was surrounded by hot hands while Telfair looked every bit the promosing neophyte. His shot won't be mistaken for Allan's, but his passes had eyes and found his teammates everywhere on the floor. Round One must go to Marbury, but the showdown never really materialized. To be continued....



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