The Knicks always knew the five game road trip they endured this week was going to be tough, and that was without the knowledge that they'd be playing without their three best players for most of it. Even adjusting for fatigue, travel and injury, it was hard to comprehend how badly things went. There were consecutive blowout losses to the Warriors (92-63), Nuggets (117-94), Blazers (105-90) and Clippers (93-80) that were only slightly offset by a gritty, ugly win over the disintegrating Jazz on Monday night (90-83) as the Knicks dealt with crucial injuries and watched their first place Atlantic Division lead dwindle down to only a single game over the Nets.
What Went Wrong This Week: It all started in Golden State with Carmelo Anthony refusing to get his knee drained because he's afraid of needles (really Melo? Which ancient needle-free method do you use to get all those tattoos?) and returning to the Knicks' lineup after a three game absence. He wasn't moving very well and was terrible throughout, shooting 4-15 and getting outplayed by David Lee, who nearly had a triple double and scored easily when Anthony was matched up with him. Melo wasn't alone, unfortunately, as the Knicks shot an embarrassing 27%, the worst shooting performance by any team in the league this season. They also scored 28 points in the second half, their worst performance in seven years (with this team).
Things only got worse in Denver, where Melo managed only fourteen ineffective minutes in his first game back in town since being traded to the Knicks two seasons ago (the Knicks didn't play there due to the shortened schedule last season). Booed by the fans whenever he touched the ball, Anthony left the game during the third quarter without saying much of anything to his teammates. With or without him, the Knicks just couldn't handle the Nuggets' blitz, turning the ball over nineteen times and surrendering transition basket after transition basket and getting outscored 33-16 in the second quarter. Another former Knick, Wilson Chandler, had a strong game, coming off the bench to score 24 points in 25 minutes on 9-12 shooting.
Worse than any result or individual performance, however, was a terrifying scene as Tyson Chandler, a player as important to the Knicks as any, banged knees with Corey Brewer in the second quarter and had to be helped off the court by teammates. Chandler hasn't played since although his knee is fine (he's now dealing with a strained neck and is due to return in about a week).
The Knicks weren't much better the next night in Portland as they were again dominated in the second quarter and never led in the second half against a team that doesn't have a chance of making the playoffs. With Melo back in New York finally agreeing to get his knee drained, Raymond Felton, enduring a nasty homecoming of his own, didn't step into the void. Rather, he seemed to shrink under the Blazers' fans repeated booings and was thoroughly outplayed by rookie wunderkind and surefire rookie of the year Damien Lillard, who had 26 points and ten assists to Felton's eleven and three.
In Los Angeles, the Clippers gave the Knicks one quarter to hang around before initiating the full Lob City treatment. Without Chandler and Anthony the Knicks didn't stand a chance, but JR Smith's 4-20 shooting performance didn't help one bit.
As if all the losing wasn't bad enough, the Knicks continued to lose players to injury. Anthony's due back this week and may play against Orlando tonight—word is he will be able to play without pain for the rest of the season. Chandler is expected to miss a week with a neck strain. Amar'e Stoudemire isn't due back until the end of the regular season and Rasheed Wallace isn't expected to return until what would be the Eastern Conference finals. And to add insult to injury (literally?), the Knicks will be without Kurt Thomas for two to four weeks due to the inflammation of a stress fracture in his foot.
What Went Right This Week: The Knicks got a much-needed victory in Utah on Monday night behind strong performances from Raymond Felton (8-12, nineteen points), JR Smith (9-10 free throw shooting in the second half as he threw himself at the basket again and again overcame a bad first half to finish with twenty points), Chris Copeland and Kurt Thomas. Copeland, who started three games in Melo's absence, averaged 11.6 points over the course of the week and carried the Knicks offense in the first half in Utah (shooting 5-9 in the half he scored eleven points, finishing with fourteen and six boards).
Kenyon Martin continued to contribute and even made a jump shot against the Jazz, looking fit and comfortable with increased minutes due to the absence of Chandler and Anthony. Martin's numbers for the week were a solid 24 minutes, 6.6 points and six boards, showing he's ready to play twenty or more minutes a game as the Knicks deal with the absence of Amar'e and pretty much all their other front court players.
Taking a step back, the New York Knicks are one game ahead of the Nets atop the Atlantic Division and one game behind the Pacers for the two seed in the East. Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, their two most important players, should be healthy for the season's stretch run and there is plenty of time for them to work their way back into shape. Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd are both playing pretty well and have certainly put their slumps behind them, Kenyon Martin is a useful big man off the bench and JR Smith, who has shown an increased willingness to take the ball to the rim, will no doubt flourish with less of the scoring load on his back.
In a desperate sort of way it's easy to make the argument that the Knicks slumped at the right time: they lost only a single game they should have won, in Portland, and dropped the same three they probably would have if they were at full strength. The Knicks now have seventeen games to get reasonably healthy and figure out how to play their best heading into the playoffs. As long as they can keep the Nets, who are amidst an eight game road trip of their own, in their rearview, the Knicks will have lost little by going 1-5 out west. Whether all that can happen remains to be seen, but the Knicks certainly didn't leave the chances of a deep postseason run on the left coast.
Knick of the Week: Without a doubt, it's forty year-old Kurt Thomas. Thomas, who before this week had started fifteen games for the Knicks as little more than a placeholder, didn't disappoint as he was forced into a larger role against the Blazers, Clippers and Jazz. He was 3-3 for six points to go with seven boards in 24 minutes in Portland, did whatever it took against the Clippers on Sunday afternoon and really turned it up in Utah, battling with young bucks Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter for twenty six minutes, including the entire fourth quarter. Thomas took two charges, talked trash to a number of Jazz fans, made three timely jump shots, grabbed three rebounds, had two assists and blocked three shots. In a tight game, Thomas was the difference.
Not only that: Thomas, who has been playing with a stress fracture in his foot for years, played the Jazz game after finding out he had bone spurs too. After the game, it was discovered that his pet stress fracture was also inflamed. He's now out 2-4 weeks. Despite all that, or thanks to it, Kurt Thomas, a seeming relic of the adolescence of thirtysomething Knicks fans, has now become a part of our adulthoods, and as more than just an end-of-the-bench novelty. He went down with quite a fight, like every nineties Knick should, helping the team get an absolutely necessary win. If this is the end of the road we won't forget you, Ol' Crazy Eyes.
How Could Anything Funny Have Possibly Happened? Have a little faith in the wonderful oddness that is the human condition, will you?
First, this weirdo scrounged up the cash for courtside seats in Portland.
And of course, there was this wonderful musical tribute to JR Smith.
Up Next: After the toughest stretch of their season thus far the Knicks get a bit of a breather, hosting Orlando tonight before a home-and-home with Toronto over the weekend. Although they will be dealing with the absence of Tyson Chandler and the challenge of beating the same team on consecutive nights, the Knicks need to find a way to come away with three wins. That'll help make up for the tough week they just finished and build some momentum heading into the season's last fourteen games, ten of which are against playoff teams. That's three games to get right this week, both physically and in the standings. The Knicks need to take advantage.
You can follow Jonathan Fishner on Twitter @therealkingfish, and check out his blog The Real King Fish.
