HOUSTON – In a game where the Rockets were without Dwight Howard, the Knicks figured they had a good shot at knocking off the Western Conference powerhouse at home. They played hard, but their chances of doing so were cut significantly, when franchise player Carmelo Anthony left the game in the 2nd quarter. He suffered a back injury that kept him from returning to the game, and will force him to miss the next game Wednesday against Dallas. This was a huge blow, considering night in and night out he is the majority source for the Knicks’ scoring. Leaving in the 2nd quarter, Anthony still led the Knicks in scoring at the end of the game (14 points), Depending on the severity of the back injury, this could put an end to any playoff hopes the Knicks had.
Stepping up for the Knicks was a team effort. No other player scored over double digits, but everyone except Cole Aldrich (DNP) scored. The Knicks shot 46% (35-76) from the field, and outrebounded the Rockets 40 to 38. They really did a good job of staying competitive and keeping it close. Monday night, the Knicks showed heart in rallying behind the absence of their leader. But in the end, the Knicks looked to have ran out of gas and couldn’t find an answer for James Harden. The Knicks lost the game 91-86, and fell to 4-11 on the year. New York is 1-6 in road games this year.
Harden had a monster game for Houston. He finished the game with 36 points and added 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. He killed New York from behind the arc (7-12), and Houston finished with 13 total 3 pointers made. The Rockets had 30 points in the paint which is also an alarming amount. They are giving up too many easy opportunities from behind the arc and inside as well. Even without Anthony playing, there is no excuse for the lack of effort on the defensive end. With Anthony not playing against Dallas Wednesday night, they will need to lean on their defense to compensate for Anthony’s scoring production.
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