The New York Knicks defeated the Brooklyn Nets tonight earning their 19th win of the season. The Knicks controlled the second half for the most part and walked away with a very nice divisional win.
Carmelo Anthony returned tonight after missing two consecutive games. Anthony would show that he is still a force tonight as he scored a team high 31 points. Anthony was a beast on the offensive end as he had his way with the Nets defense. He shot 54% from the field including 50% from long range. He really didn’t show any ill effects to his injury, but instead looked very fresh. With him on the floor tonight the Knicks had an 18 point differential. Overall Anthony continued to play at a high level tonight and this performance really was nice to see.
With the Knicks in a bit of trouble, Head Coach Mike Woodson called a timeout and that timeout really would get the Knicks back on track. Tyson Chandler was the spark the Knicks needed tonight as he scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. He was dunking everything he could get his hands on. On one of the dunks Chandler would dunk it in reverse. Those dunks really were the highlight of the game. Chandler was fired up and was a major reason why the Knicks won tonight.
Off the bench, JR Smith really played at a high level. His 19 points and 5 rebounds were huge in this game. Smith played with excellent control as he used his mid-range jumper to his advantage. The Knicks have used Smith off screens the past couple of games and that has really worked. Smith has played great this season and tonight his all out effort was on display. He was diving for loose balls and really played will all out energy. He really was important tonight without Steve Novak, who was out with flu-like symptoms. Tonight’s performance really showed the importance of Smith on this team. He was also a plus 24 in this game which really worked to the Knicks advantage.
This performance tonight was really special for the team tonight. As a group they played a much better defensive game. The Knicks limited the Nets to 32 points in the paint. They really made that an area of emphasis after their struggles in the past five games. They really put the clamps on the Nets in the paint and really made the Nets try to beat them with their shots. Early on the Nets were making their shots, but as the night wore on the Nets struggled from the outside.
The Knicks are now 19-6 on the season and continue to improve. The Knicks will now focus their attention on the Chicago Bulls on Friday night. That game will continue a six game home stand.
Photo Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Follow me on Twitter: @CaardelEaddy
No comments:
Post a Comment