Struggling yet again, the New York Knicks found themselves in yet another bad game tonight. The Portland Trail Blazers showed why they are one of the hottest teams in the league tonight hitting shot after shot. Their offense was strong the entire night and would connect on shots due to their excellent ball movement. The Knicks on the other hand lacked that in the first half and resulted in a 22 point deficit. They fought in the second half, but came up losers again. The Blazers would win 102-91 earning their eleventh win in a row.
This Portland team is really good right now. They have shooters and excellent post presence. Shooting wise they made nine three-pointers and did that with ease at times. Their their size and quickness inside really was a difference as well. The Blazers scored 40 points inside the paint showing how weak the Knicks interior defense is.
The Blazers leaned heavily on Nicolas Batum who scored a team high 23 points. Batum shot the ball really well and also moved the ball well. He would rack up six assists and also seven rebounds tonight. His play continues to make him into a rising player in the league. His size and quickness really makes him a challenge to guard. Tonight he displayed his ability to create his own shot and the Knicks couldn’t do anything to stop him. The Blazers really have a strong and solid player for some years. His play tonight was very good.
Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points in yet another wasted effort. Anthony continues to play well and his teammates haven’t helped. He also was a beast on the boards as he grabbed 15 rebounds tonight. This loss isn’t on Anthony. The team hasn’t been there this season. They have terrible body language and have zero confidence in themselves. Anthony is leading by example, but no one else has seem to have caught the fire.
Kenyon Martin helped the team tonight as he put forth one of his best performances of the season. Martin scored 10 points and also had six assists, and five rebounds. With the increase of playing time and a more defined role, Martin is starting to play really good.
Overall the takeaway from this game is that the Blazers are really good right now and the Knicks are continuing a downward spiral.
The Knicks have another tough test come Wednesday when they face the L.A. Clippers. The Blazers will look to continue winning as they face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
The Knicks had their moments in this game, but overall this team has a long way to go. They continue to play by themselves and haven’t embraced the team game enough. They’ve shown that they can move the ball, but it just disappears at times. In order for them to find the winning formula they need to go back to the basics. Get back to running the offense, make defensive stops, push the ball, and get back on defense. Those areas have really threatened the Knicks season. If they can do those things, they’ll get back on track.
Photo Credit: Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images
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