Luckily for the Knicks, they came into Saturday facing a struggling Memphis Grizzlies team. A team who was missing their center Marc Gasol and dropped their last five games. Unfortunately for the Knicks, they have not had the best luck on matinee games this year.
After horrible matinee performances against the Spurs and the Celtics, coach Mike Woodson gave the team a curfew Friday night to make sure the team was ready for the game Saturday against Memphis. After a double overtime win against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Knicks looked to keep the wins coming as they hosted the Grizzlies.
Iman Shumpert continued his struggles, which have followed him all season long. The Knicks starting shooting guard combined with Tyson Chandler for zero points in the first half. The Knicks went into the locker room trailing 50-40.
Once the second half started, not much changed for the Knicks. The Knicks would end up trailing late in the fourth by 15 before going on a run that would pull them within five with under a minute left.
JR Smith seemed like the JR Smith of last year and was the reason the Knicks were able to hang around for as long as they did. Smith had a team high seven assists, while Carmelo Anthony led the team in points and rebounds.
The Knicks, who didn’t hold a lead for the entire second half, were heavily out rebounded by the Grizzlies. Even with Gasol out for Memphis, coach Mike Woodson started a tall lineup with Tyson Chandler, Andrea Bargnani, and Carmelo Anthony all in the starting lineup. New York was out rebounded 56-29, and the difference in second chance points were also an eye opening stat for the game. Coach Woodson did call out Anthony and Chandler in the post game interview saying they have to do a better job rebounding.
The Knicks dropped their tenth loss at home this year, which was a strong point for them last year as they only lost ten at home all season. The fans let the Knicks feel their displeasure as the boo birds were prevalent throughout the game. The Knicks also struggled from behind the arc as they shot 6 of 22 from three.
Memphis didn’t exactly have their best game, but they made it look relatively easy as they won to end their five game losing streak. Zach Randolph lead the team with 25 points and added 15 rebounds to his game stats. Tony Allen added 19 to help the Grizzlies roll past the Knicks 95-87.
Next, the Knicks will take on the Magic in Orlando on Monday, and they are still hoping to get on a roll. Despite the rough start for the Knicks, they are still very much alive to take the division and get a high seed for the playoffs in a very weak eastern conference.
Tiago Ramos:PureSportsNY