The Charlotte Bobcats came to play tonight as they defeated the New York Knicks 108-98.
Al Jefferson had his best game of the season as he scored a game-high 35 points. He was a beast inside and really converted on weak defense by the Knicks. He has always been a nice player and tonight proved that point as he feasted on the Knicks. His teammate Kemba Walker also had a strong game. Walker scored 25 points in what would be a nice performance by him. Walker made huge shots to open the lead for Charlotte. Both Jefferson and Walker were just too much for New York tonight.
The Bobcats really were able to draw fouls. That was predicated on excellent ball and player movement. The Knicks switched way too much and it cost them as it made for terrible matchups. Multiple times tonight Kemba Walker was faced against Andrea Bargnani. He would convert on that opportunity with a quick pull up or penetration to lead to an open player.
This was just a terrible defensive game by the Knicks. They had chances to make this their game, but just couldn’t get consistent stops.
For the most part they were able to score, but cold stretches and terrible defense led to this loss. Carmelo Anthony scored 20 points on 9-of-22 shooting. Amare Stoudemire and Tim Hardaway Jr combined for 29 points off the bench.
The Bobcats stopped the Knicks and really played solid defense. They were able to get excellent ball denial and force New York into tough shots.
JR Smith didn’t play in this game and that is very interesting to point out. Smith has struggled this season, but his scoring ability is always a plus. The reason to why Smith didn’t play is unknown, but it was a coaching decision.
The Knicks will play the Pacers on Thursday night in what will be a very tough game for them. The Bobcats will face the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night looking to continue their solid play.
Photo Credit: Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images
No comments:
Post a Comment