Madison Square Garden has been the site of so much sadness this season. So much flimsy defense. So much losing. So many boos.
Yet for a variety of reasons, including the generosity of their conference opponents, the Knicks have worked themselves back into playoff contention. If it was a goal that once seemed impossible, the Knicks on Wednesday took a robust step toward making it happen by demolishing the Nets, 110-81, before a festive crowd.
The Knicks (33-43) ended the night percentage points ahead of the Atlanta Hawks (32-42) for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
J. R. Smith scored 24 points to lead the Knicks, and Carmelo Anthony collected 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Knicks shot 60 percent from the field.
The Nets (40-34) arrived after securing a playoff berth by defeating the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, and they were stuck in neutral from the start. The pressure was off, and so was their intensity. They shot just 40 percent, were outrebounded by 41-23 and trailed by as many as 33 points.
The Knicks, on the other hand, have been in hot (or at least warm) pursuit of the Hawks, who have lost 21 of their last 28 games. Atlanta General Manager Danny Ferry acknowledged this week that building for the future was more important to him than qualifying for the postseason.
'I don't read too much into that,' Mike Woodson said. 'I can't worry about Atlanta. If they lose, they lose. But we still got to win.'
The Knicks have a daunting schedule to close out the regular season - their six remaining opponents are bound for the playoffs - so the players knew their victory over the Nets was vital.
Befitting the rivalry, the game was physical in its early stages, borderline plodding. During one sequence in the first quarter, Andray Blatche and Raymond Felton came up lame - Blatche limping after he was fouled on a drive, Felton clutching at his left hip after he was screened from behind.
Soon enough, the Knicks emerged from the muck to take a commanding lead. Tim Hardaway Jr., who played despite spraining his right ankle late in Monday's win over the Utah Jazz, drained a pair of 3-pointers as the Knicks went on a 15-0 run that bridged the first and second quarters. 'He's young,' Woodson said in praising Hardaway's resilience.
The Nets were lackluster on defense, especially in transition, and the Knicks took advantage. Jason Kidd was clearly frustrated - he was called for a technical foul early in the second quarter - and the Knicks' lead continued to grow. Anthony, a source of stability throughout this chaotic season, converted a 3-point play to make the score 50-32.
'He likes the stage when it's this time of year,' Kidd said before the game, 'because he understands what it's all about, getting ready for the playoffs.'
That notion - getting ready for the playoffs - was laughable for the Knicks not so long ago. Consider their 23-point loss to the Nets on Jan. 20, a strong indication that these were two franchises headed in opposite directions.
The Knicks later lost seven straight to sink to the depths of the Atlantic Division. Only the Philadelphia 76ers prevented them from striking the bottom.
But the Knicks have been resilient, having won 12 of their last 15. Their effort against the Nets was surprisingly stout, given that they were coming off a five-game swing to the West Coast. The Knicks went 3-2 on the trip, which Woodson considered a success. The question was whether they could keep their momentum going against the Nets. The answer was a forceful yes.
The Knicks took a 25-point lead into halftime, then survived a drama-filled third quarter. Felton tumbled to the court after reaching for an offensive rebound and left for the locker room with contusions to his ribs and back, according to the team.
Without him, the Knicks' offense stalled. Tyson Chandler got called for an offensive foul that wiped out a 3-pointer from Pablo Prigioni. Amar'e Stoudemire and Anthony picked up their fourth fouls. By the time Shaun Livingston hit the first of two free throws, the Nets had whittled the deficit to 74-60, and the crowd was restless.
But Prigioni came through with a 3-pointer, and Smith hit back-to-back shots to push the lead back to 22. Felton returned early in the fourth quarter, the win already in hand.
Before the game, Woodson again cited injuries as a way of explaining away his team's early troubles. He was asked why he felt the Nets were able to overcome their sluggish start to the season, while the Knicks continued to scuffle along through January and February.
'Maybe the key guys that we lost were more valuable to our team versus what they lost,' Woodson said, adding: 'I look at their team, I think they're one of the most talented teams in the league in terms of personnel across the board. They're doubled up in pretty much every spot.'
It was a thin argument, at best. Yes, the Knicks have been hindered by injuries to important players: Andrea Bargnani, Chandler and Felton, among them. But the Nets have had their own issues, with Brook Lopez out for the season, Deron Williams dealing with chronic ankle injuries and Kevin Garnett out since the beginning of March with back spasms.
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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