Wizards defeat Knicks 102-101

The New York Knicks put forth a very great effort tonight, but they would still lose 102-101.

The ending was a bit of shock as the Knicks didn’t call a timeout to setup a play, but instead had Carmelo Anthony dribble up the court to shoot over two defenders.

This season continues to be something of a head scratcher for the Knicks. They constantly make mistakes in games that result in losses. They fought back tonight after trailing by 15 points. It all ended badly and to add to the problems Pablo Prigioni broke his right toe tonight and will miss two weeks.

The Wizards had it going tonight and Martell Webster was their spark. Webster would score 30 points including six three-pointers. His shot was in prime form tonight and he knew it. He would find himself open for most of the night and he made the Knicks pay. The Wizards have an excellent shooting team and Webster is one of the better shooters on the team.

But Bradley Beal would be the deciding factor tonight as he scored 21 points. Beal has a very fluid shot and that resulted in a nice shooting night for him as he shot 56% from the field. He is becoming a dominate player in the NBA and tonight he made some big shots for the Wizards.

The Knicks wasted a great game from Carmelo Anthony who continues to play some great basketball. Anthony led the Knicks with 32 points in 42 minutes of action. He really has been one of the only bright spots for the team during this tough start to the season. His consistency has been very important to the team despite all the losses. He has to continue to play at this level and hope his teammates can catch on to help him.

JR Smith broke out his slump as he poured in 18 points including five three-pointers. Smith has struggled this season and tonight was finally able to hit shots. He made back to back three pointers late in this game and at the time put the team in position to win. Smith’s scoring is necessary for the Knicks to compete every night, tonight he was able to contribute nicely and put the team in a position to get the win.

The Knicks Mike Woodson will continue to get heat from the fans and media after this game. The late game area has been a very questionable area for Woodson. From not fouling with a three point lead to not calling a timeout late in the game, Woodson is losing support. This game tonight brings about a very valid question, should Mike Woodson lose his job? Many fans would say yes, but others will say no. Tonight’s late game decision cost the Knicks the game. Yeah they could have still missed the final shot after a timeout, but not taking that chance is very poor.

The Knicks looked much better in the second half tonight. But that still resulted in the loss. If they stay focused and continue to play hard these losses will have to turn around.

Playing again on Wednesday night, the Knicks will look to rebound against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Wizards will look to defeat the Brooklyn Nets.

Photo Credit: Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images