The New York Knicks blew out the Washington Wizards tonight for their 51st win of the season. In a game that had many positives, the injury to Kenyon Martin really was the miserable part of tonight. Martin would land awkwardly on his left ankle in the third quarter and would be carried to the locker room. The Knicks say that Martin has a sprained left ankle and is day to day.
The performance of Carmelo Anthony tonight was just amazing. Anthony scored 36 points in just 31 minutes! His shot was consistent all night as he shot 62% from the field. Anthony was just too much for the Wizards as he fought off defenders with excellent offensive moves. His midrange jumper was also a main part of the night. His quick pull-up jumper is just unstoppable and tonight he used that as his main weapon against a very weak Wizards defense.
Anthony also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out 6 assists tonight. His performance was very important in the Knicks winning tonight. He also became the first Knick since, newly named Hall of Famer, Bernard King to score 35 plus points in five straight games. This stretch of games has been remarkable to watch. Anthony is playing at a high level and is winning big games for the team. Tonight was an example of how great Anthony has been. Expect his performances to just get better.
Not lost in any of tonight’s success was the excellent three-point shooting. With a season high 20 three-pointers, the Knicks shot the ball with excellent efficiency. That efficiency resulted in a huge lead. To show how great a shooting performance this was, look at all the guys who made threes tonight. There were only two Knicks, Kenyon Martin and James White, who didn’t make a three tonight. The contributions from most of the players from behind the arc really shows how locked in, as a team, the Knicks were tonight.
Off the bench, JR Smith and Chris Copeland both scored 17 points. Both really made the most off their offensive chances and that led to the team growing the lead. Copeland really has played great since seeing an increase in minutes. He would grab nine rebounds tonight in 29 minutes. His role has grown with the injuries to the Knicks front court. Tonight he did an excellent job in capitalizing on his chances.
This win also would give the Knicks the Atlantic Division for the first time since 1994. That 19 year wait comes at the best time for the team. They have accomplished one of their goals and continue to improve. The Knicks will play the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, looking for their 14th straight win.
Photo Credit: Al Bello/Getty Images
Twitter: @CaardelEaddy and or @CaardelsBlog
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