The Knicks lost Game 6 to the Indiana Pacers, and as a result their season has come to an end. For a third straight year, the expectations were high and for the third straight year, the Knicks failed to live up to those expectations. That is just how life is as a Knick fan.
In an elimination game with the season on the line, the Knicks were clearly outplayed as well as out coached. With Carmelo Anthony playing the Power Forward, Mike Woodson looked for Anthony to use his athleticism to gain an advantage on David West. Frank Vogel, coach of the Indiana Pacers had an answer for this move; attack Carmelo Anthony’s defense. In a tactic that Vogel explored time and time again, West posted up Anthony and forced him to play post defense. The reason why this was tactic was so instrumental throughout the series and especially in Game 6, is that Anthony simply could not afford to get into foul trouble. The Pacers attacked our best offensive player, and Woodson had no answer when the moments were the biggest.
J.R. Smith went 2-9 from three point range and did not provide that extra energy he had all season while winning his first 6th man award. In the end he finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds, but did not come up big when the Knicks needed him the most. Iman Shumpert led a second half charge that actually saw the Knicks take the lead. In a game where it felt like the Knicks were getting completely outplayed, they gave hope that they might be able to sneak out a victory. However, as a knick fan, I knew it was too good to be true. The Playoffs are all about adjustments, and the Knicks were not able to do that against the Pacers.
With the pressure of an entire city on his back, Carmelo Anthony tried his best. In the end, the Knicks just did not have enough options offensively to go against a bigger team like the Pacers. Pouring in 39 with a bum left shoulder, Carmelo Anthony gave everything he had. He will take some heat for once again not being able to lift his team to a championship, but he should hold his head up high. With a team that had limited offensive weapons, Melo was asked to do too much. Teams win championships, and teams are only as good as their role players allow them to be.
Justin Lerner: PureSportsNY