SPORTS WITH 3

Saturday, February 2nd, 2013

Post Game Recap

Final Score: Sacramento Kings: 81 New York Knicks: 120

Tonight the Knicks were able to extract some revenge from earlier in the season when they lost in Sacramento on a buzzer beater by blowing the Kings out of the Garden. The game got off to a slow start, as the starters just did not have it in the beginning; it was a different story once the bench got into the game. The bench got the team going and once the starters came back in they just built on the momentum, leading to a 39 point victory. With the win the Knicks ran their winning streak to four games and move .5 games behind the Heat for first place in the Eastern Conference.

-Positives

• Amar’e Stoudemire got the rout started tonight when he entered the game off the bench in the first quarter. In the first half alone, Stoudemire scored 13 points on a perfect six for six from the field. Stoudemire stayed hot throughout the night en route to tying the Knicks record for shots made without a miss with 10, finishing the game with 21 points in 21 minutes. Stoudemire would add six rebounds as he dominated once again for the Knicks, finishing the game +31 on the evening.

• The rest of the bench lit up the scoreboard for the Knicks, led by Steve Novak and J.R. Smith’s shooting display from deep. On the night the two combined to shoot 12 of 21 from the three point line, combining for 40 points. On the night, the benched combined for 82 points, beating the whole Kings team by themselves. In addition to Stoudemire, Novak and Smith, Kurt Thomas also scored in double figures off the bench with 11, including his first three point make since March 15th, 2011 as a member of the Chicago Bulls and only his ninth career make.

• With Thomas making a three pointer in the game it is easy to assume things were going the Knicks way tonight and that is 100 percent true. On the night, the Knicks shot 54.7 percent from the field, making 47 of 86 shots attempted. The three point shooting display was just as impressive, as they went 19 for 43, equaling 44.2 percent.

• Tyson Chandler followed up his 20-rebound game Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks with a repeat performance against the Kings tonight. In 29 minutes, Chandler pulled down 20 total rebounds, eight of the offensive variety and 12 of the defensive. Unlike Friday night, Chandler was able to complete the double-double tonight by scoring 11 points.

-Negatives

• Carmelo Anthony’s 20+ point scoring streak came to an end tonight but getting the win should be more important than personal achievements. Anthony scored only nine points tonight in 27 minutes, giving way to the bench for most of the second half as the Knicks had a comfortable lead. Anthony’s streak fell at 31, most in a single season in Knicks franchise history but two short of the record set over two seasons.

• While the Knicks were lighting it up from all over the court in the game, they did struggle to put the ball into the basket from one place; the free throw line. On the night the Knicks only got to the foul line 13 times as half of their shot attempts came from behind the arc tonight. Of those 13 attempts the Knicks made only seven, equaling a putrid 53.8 percent. The Knicks need to step up their game from the line if they are to win closer games against stiffer competition.

• The Knicks blew the Kings out tonight but the game could have been even more lopsided. The Knicks took 10 more shots than the Kings tonight already but they missed out on plenty of opportunities for more shots with 17 turnovers. Ball security was not good for the Knicks tonight and it cannot be blamed on players deep down the bench getting playing time as the starters were responsible for nine of the turnovers. With many new parts being integrated into the lineup returning from injury it will be a work in progress to get the Knicks back to where they were when the season started.