The Knicks lost to the Magic 102-93 today at home. They have lost their last 3 games and now have a losing record. Here were the key points of the game:-Carmelo Anthony had a big night. He scored 33 points to go along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. He was also 14-16 from the free-throw line, but only made one 3-pointer out of eight attempts.
-Dwight Howard was a non-factor. He only scored 8 points and grabbed only 10 boards. He also committed 6 turnovers and was 2-9 from the free-throw line.
-Ryan Anderson stepped up for Orlando. He scored a career-high 30 points and made seven 3-pointers. Anderson is definitely one of the most underrated players in the NBA right now.
-Josh Harrellson continues to utilize himself very well. His numbers weren't overly significant (8 points, 3-5 field goals, 2-3 three-pointers, 2 rebounds), but definitely helpful.
-When the Knicks were down 96-91 with under two minutes left in the game, Mike D'Antoni had Toney Douglas in at the point. I think he should have put Mike Bibby in instead. It was a two-possession game and Bibby is a better 3-point shooter. Douglas ended up missing his last three shots and I think the game might have ended differently if Bibby was in instead of Douglas.
-The game was tied 83-83 in the 4th quarter. The Magic then went on an 8-0 run and never looked back. Nobody on the Knicks came up in the clutch except for Melo, who scored 6 of the team's last 8 points.
-Jared Jefrries played 25 minutes while Jeremy Lin and Jerome Jordan sat on the bench the whole game. I know D'Antoni likes to keep a smaller rotation, but I really think these guys could help the team win. Lin and Jordan are young and hungry and could make a difference if given the chance. The Knicks have started Douglas, Bibby, and Shumpert at the point and none of them have proved worthy of the starting PG role while Baron Davis is out. Starting Lin at the point would be worth a try and might work.
Just like the last game against the Thunder, I wouldn't worry about this loss. We were up against the D12's Magic who had a better record than us and the Knicks gave it their best effort.
New York plays their next 2 games against the Suns and the Bucks, who both have records that are worse than the Knicks. I expect the team to use these next 2 games to bounce back and get back to winning.
(Photo Courtesy: Yahoo! Sports -
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/gallery/im:urn:newsml:sports.yahoo,ap:20050301:nba,photo,ap-201201161505543385529:1)
Have any thoughts on the Knicks losing to the Magic? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
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