knickerbockers

[CusefanATL]

They wore 'funeral black' to the game yesterday to symbolize a funeral for Boston. And then lost, at home.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

Melo better step up in game 6 or 7. This would fall directly on him if they lost the series.

Game 6 in Boston, if there is a Game 7 - it'll be in NY - be we know where 100% of the pressure will be.

 

[scottynguyen]

Too much iso with JR and Melo.

Need to get back to what they did in the regular season -- more Felton pick and rolls, swing the ball, move the d, get open looks instead of contested iso shots.

 

[Brooky03]

The Knicks are not going to lose the series. Jeez, the Celtics win 2 close ones in a row and all my fellow Knicks fans forget that New York has simply looked like the better team for most of this series and kicked Boston's butt in the first few games. We're fine. Yeah, the wearing black thing was stupid but whatevs. Boston is not a scary team.

 

[RF2044]

The Knicks are not going to lose the series. Jeez, the Celtics win 2 close ones in a row and all my fellow Knicks fans forget that New York has simply looked like the better team for most of this series and kicked Boston's butt in the first few games. We're fine. Yeah, the wearing black thing was stupid but whatevs. Boston is not a scary team.

Sure they are. They've got veterans who have been there before, and who've won championships.

Doesn't mean that they are going to win the series. Nor does it mean that Boston had as good of a year as NY did. Nor does it mean that they are legitimate title contenders this year [too old, not quite enough post scoring, questionable PG play].

But this is now a 2 game series, and all of the pressure is on NY. Anything can happen under these circumstances, especially if Boston wins game 6 at home.

Don't kid yourself, or fall into the same arrogant trap that the NY players did last night, with that funeral nonsense.

 

[Knicks411]

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
As one of the league's best offenses during the regular season, the Knicks used 15.9 isolations per game. In the playoffs, it's been 26.6.

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Compare that to the playoffs last season, when the Knicks didn't have guards that could pass to Melo vs. Heat. They used 24.8 iso's then.

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Further, those 26.6 isolations per game for NYK would be the most for any playoff team since at least 2004 (as far back as Synergy goes).

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Also, those 26.6 isolations per game? The Knicks are scoring .707 points per possession with them. Lowest of any playoff team.

Says it all

 

[Brooky03]

Sure they are. They've got veterans who have been there before, and who've won championships.

Doesn't mean that they are going to win the series. Nor does it mean that Boston had as good of a year as NY did. Nor does it mean that they are legitimate title contenders this year [too old, not quite enough post scoring, questionable PG play].

But this is now a 2 game series, and all of the pressure is on NY. Anything can happen under these circumstances, especially if Boston wins game 6 at home.

Don't kid yourself, or fall into the same arrogant trap that the NY players did last night, with that funeral nonsense.

I disagree. Is Boston worthy of respect? Yeah. Are they scary? No. Boston has relied on sloppy play from the Knicks. Their offense hasn't looked good all series and their defense is just alright, nothing special. The Knicks have all of the right guys, with the right mentalities to hunker down and finish this series. I'm not worried.

 

[CorduroyG]

they better win game 6 or melo will feel the entire weight of new york city on his back for game 7. I'm not a knick fan so I'm kinda hoping it happens even though I hate the celtics.

 

[Knicks411]

Boston's defense is just alright? Man, we must be watching different games...

 

[Upstate]

Not often you get JR not making his first shot until late in the 4th, and Melo miss 2,390,482,374,902,387 straight jumpers.

 

[Brooky03]

Boston's defense is just alright? Man, we must be watching different games...

I guess so. They've handled Melo pretty well but the Knick's guards (especially Felton) can do just about whatever they want and Terry is in trouble trying to stop JR. Melo's poor shooting could be attributed to their D but nobody else is being locked down. We don't rely on our big men to score much, so Garnett's defensive presence isn't as significant as it usually is.

 

[Knicks411]

Terry is a sieve on D, I agree. But they are also successfully baiting Melo into playing iso ball.

You are right, they did have a ton of success on the pick and roll in the third qtr, Boston seemed to have a lot of trouble dealing with it, but they went away from it. Knicks are 13th out of trhe 16 playoff teams in points per possession in the playoffs, they were third in the regular season. Boston's D is responsible for a lot of that.

 

[RF2044]

I disagree. Is Boston worthy of respect? Yeah. Are they scary? No. Boston has relied on sloppy play from the Knicks. Their offense hasn't looked good all series and their defense is just alright, nothing special. The Knicks have all of the right guys, with the right mentalities to hunker down and finish this series. I'm not worried.

I bet you'll be worried as sh-t if Boston wins game 6, at home. Single elimination game, with grizzled veterans on the Celtics who've won championships and will only have to dig deep to gut out one more game...hoo boy, I can't envision a "scarier" proposition for the Knicks, especially with how they've played these past few games.

I'm no knicks fan--I want to be perfectly clear about that. But I find the arrogance of the knicks and certain segments of their fanbase [not you specifically] to be surprising under these circumstances. Wearing funeral garb is straight up bush, ditto the stuff Smith said about Terry before game 5, and adds unnecessary fuel to an already heated rivalry.

I also want to be clear that I think the Knicks are "better" than Boston, have better depth, and have had a better year. But you can throw most of that out the window now--you'll get no argument from me that NY opened the door for Boston to win game 4 [an elimination game] due to JR's suspension, but instead of finishing off an opponent on the brink they let them stay alive, and then followed that up with a devastating loss at home in game 5--a game that NY started up 11-0. Now, the funeral stuff, the pushing and shoving after last game, etc. are just distractions that have now pissed off a team that can still be quite dangerous in a short series.

 

[Knicks411]

JR Smith is a knucklehead, and Kenyon Martin is, if not a knucklehead, at least a hot head. So them saying borderline dumb things, unfortunately, doesn't surprise me in the least.

Though it sure as hell seems like the pushing and shoving after the game last night was mainly because of Jordan Crawford. As if that matters anyway.

 

[CusefanATL]

The Knicks are not going to lose the series. Jeez, the Celtics win 2 close ones in a row and all my fellow Knicks fans forget that New York has simply looked like the better team for most of this series and kicked Boston's butt in the first few games. We're fine. Yeah, the wearing black thing was stupid but whatevs. Boston is not a scary team.

questionable... Boston has won pretty handily the last 2 games.

And looked great for 2 or 3 q's at a time in the 1st 2 games.

Mother mo is unquestionable on Boston's side now and they go home for game 6. If they win, 100% of the pressure is on the knicks. That is never a good place to be.

I want the knicks to win. I HATE the celtics.

 

[orangepassion]

Not often you get JR not making his first shot until late in the 4th, and Melo miss 2,390,482,374,902,387 straight jumpers.

You think that would give them a hint that driving to the basket might be a good idea, but somehow it didn't

 

[Knicks411]

questionable... Boston has won pretty handily the last 2 games.

Really? Winning an OT game is "winning handily"? Yes they were up by 20 at one point, but the Knicks erased that lead and if Melo makes 2 FT, they probably win in regulation.

Last night Boston pretty much controlled from about midway through the second qtr on.

 

[jimsonjunction]

Hopefully the Knicks have been humbled. As far as on-the-court play, they simply need to hit more shots (duh). The defense has been good.

And while there are always a number of reasons that a team loses, IMO, JR has cost the Knicks 2 games now. You absolutely can not get suspended in the playoffs for ANY reason. And then to return and play one of the worst games I've ever seen... woof.

 

[CusefanATL]

Really? Winning an OT game is "winning handily"? Yes they were up by 20 at one point, but the Knicks erased that lead and if Melo makes 2 FT, they probably win in regulation.

Last night Boston pretty much controlled from about midway through the second qtr on.

fair enough... but in 4 out of the 5 games boston has had big double digit leads, right?

I wouldn't feel comfortable if I were the knicks - that was my point.

its great that the knicks have completely erased 2 big leads and won the games and took a 3rd big lead into OT - but thats playing with fire, no?

 

[Brooky03]

questionable... Boston has won pretty handily the last 2 games.

And looked great for 2 or 3 q's at a time in the 1st 2 games.

Mother mo is unquestionable on Boston's side now and they go home for game 6. If they win, 100% of the pressure is on the knicks. That is never a good place to be.

I want the knicks to win. I HATE the celtics.

I wouldn't count any OT win as winning 'handily' and a 6 point win is marginal (I realize they were ahead most of the game). The Knicks have 14 and 16 point wins, on the other hand, with another 7 point victory. Momentum is clearly a factor but we're talking about pros, not college kids. Melo isn't about to be rattled by the pressure or crowd. In fact, I don't see any Knicks player getting rattled. JR is a headcase but Woodson generally does a good job of keeping him in check.

*Maybe Novak will get rattled? Or Copeland?

 

[Knicks411]

fair enough... but in 4 out of the 5 games boston has had big double digit leads, right?

In Game 1 the biggest lead was 70-63 near the end of Q3. Game 2 the largest lead they got it to was 8. The last 2 games, yeah, you are right.

And I am not comfortable.

 

[Brooky03]

fair enough... but in 4 out of the 5 games boston has had big double digit leads, right?

I wouldn't feel comfortable if I were the knicks - that was my point.

its great that the knicks have completely erased 2 big leads and won the games and took a 3rd big lead into OT - but thats playing with fire, no?

Not really for the Knicks. This team turns it on and off like no other I've seen. I'll put it this way, I'm rarely concerned when the Knicks are down by double digits.

 

[Zelda Zonk]

Too much iso with JR and Melo.

Need to get back to what they did in the regular season -- more Felton pick and rolls, swing the ball, move the d, get open looks instead of contested iso shots.

The coach needs to take control of this team. It's ridiculous. Two passes, then Melo gets it, and he takes 10 seconds to decide how to jack up a shot.

I get it: you're the star. You had an amazing final month of the season. You're the league's leading scorer. You feel all the pressure to win a series. But, mutha-a-gawd, do it with some intelligence. You're playing exactly the way they want you to, and Jeff Green is eating your lunch, efficiency-wise.

I keep wanting to defend him, with all the negative hype about his playoff record, but he just keeps proving them right.

 

[moqui]

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
As one of the league's best offenses during the regular season, the Knicks used 15.9 isolations per game. In the playoffs, it's been 26.6.

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Compare that to the playoffs last season, when the Knicks didn't have guards that could pass to Melo vs. Heat. They used 24.8 iso's then.

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Further, those 26.6 isolations per game for NYK would be the most for any playoff team since at least 2004 (as far back as Synergy goes).

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Also, those 26.6 isolations per game? The Knicks are scoring .707 points per possession with them. Lowest of any playoff team.​

it has been an ugly series, and the last couple of games have been brutal.

especially after having just watched the Spurs play the closest thing to basketball's version of 'the beautiful game' that I have seen in years

 

[moqui]

Boston is not a scary team.

neither are the Knicks

 

[Knicks411]

it has been an ugly series, and the last couple of games have been brutal.

especially after having just watched the Spurs play the closest thing to basketball's version of 'the beautiful game' that I have seen in years

Couper Moorhead ?@CoupNBA 3h
Compare that to the playoffs last season, when the Knicks didn't have guards that could pass to Melo vs. Heat. They used 24.8 iso's then.

This is the one that kills me. Watching that playoff series against Miami was brutal; it was really hard to watch. I never would've guessed they are rtunning more iso's this year