Category: New York Knicks Blog

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Oct 31: Sixers 116, Knicks 87

The AP reports: Elton Brand had 24 points and 14 rebounds, Andre Miller added 20 points and eight assists and Willie Green had 18 points on 8-for-9 shooting for Philadelphia (1-1), which shot 59.1 percent (52-for-88) from the field and led all the way. The Sixers held the Knicks to 32.7 percent shooting (32-for-98) and just 15 fourth-quarter points… Jamal Crawford led five Knicks in double figures with 14 points. David Lee added 13 points and 11 rebounds for New York (1-1), which trailed by 30 points in the fourth quarter and never got closer than seven in the second half when it was 64-57 with 8:41 left in the third quarter.

Eddy Curry out of Knicks rotation

The New York Daily News (Frank Isola) reports: Mike D’Antoni would not back down from his decision to remove Eddy Curry from the rotation, announcing early Wednesday that the incumbent starting center isn’t physically ready and that the Knicks now have “standards” that Curry has not met. “This is not going to be easy where we’re all having lollipops and thinking we can turn this around,” D’Antoni said hours before the Knicks beat Miami, 120-115, in their season opener. Curry did not play, and had company on the bench in the form of Stephon Marbury. “There are going to be a lot of tears, yelling and screaming. There are going to be certain standards. It’s easy for me to go, ‘Yeah, OK let’s just do it the same way it’s always been done so no one will get mad.’ Now, we have standards.”

Oct 29: Knicks 120, Heat 115

The AP reports: Jamal Crawford scored 29 points, Zach Randolph added 20, and the Knicks beat the Miami Heat 120-115 on Wednesday night in their first game under D’Antoni. Wilson Chandler had 17 points and nine rebounds, and David Lee and Quentin Richardson each scored 16 points for New York… Dwyane Wade had 26 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in his return to regular-season action for the Heat, but fouled out on what appeared to be a good block of Crawford’s 3-pointer with 1:25 left after Miami closed within six. Udonis Haslem added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat in rookie coach Erik Spoelstra’s debut. Spoelstra, 37, became the youngest head coach in the NBA when he replaced Pat Riley.

Curry and D’Antoni talk it out

The Bergen Record (Steve Adamek) reports: Eddy Curry and Mike D’Antoni, meanwhile, spoke Wednesday morning and said they’re fine now. But D’Antoni also offered this about his non-rotation, former franchise player center: “This is not going to be easy, where we all have lollipops. There’s going to be a lot of tears and yelling and screaming, but there’s going to be certain standards. “It’s easy for me to go, ‘Yeah, OK, let’s let him do what he does so he doesn’t get made.’ But we have standards and we will keep them and expect everybody will.”

Nuggets exercise Renaldo Balkman option

The Denver Nuggets have exercised the fourth-year option on F Renaldo Balkman’s contract, team Vice President of Basketball Operations Mark Warkentien announced today.

Balkman averaged 5.5 ppg (9-14 FG, .643), 3.3 rpg and 1.25 spg in four preseason games with Denver.

Balkman was acquired by trade from the New York Knicks on July 28 in exchange for G Taurean Green, F Bobby Jones and a 2010 second round draft choice.

In two seasons with New York, Balkman averaged 4.2 ppg and 3.8 rpg in 133 games. He was originally drafted by the Knicks with the 20th overall selection of the 2006 NBA Draft.

The Nuggets open the regular season at Utah tonight at 7:00 pm MT.

NBA opening night rosters

The NBA’s opening day rosters are official, and now posted on InsideHoops.com.

This evening was the deadline for NBA teams to trim their rosters down to 15 players or less.

The 2008-09 regular season starts Tuesday, October 28. InsideHoops is your online basketball home. We’re pumping out more content this season than ever.

Enjoy the season!

Knicks waive Patrick Ewing Jr

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. has been waived.

Originally acquired from the Houston Rockets on Aug. 29, 2008, the rookie appeared in three preseason games.

The Bergen Record (Steve Adamek) reports: Junior, meanwhile, said of the possibility of not fulfilling what he said was a “dream” since his days running around the Knicks’ old Purchase College practice floor when his father played, “I’ll just go on with my life and take the next step. I’m not one to sit around and think about things. I just get on with the next step.”

The New York Post reports: The Knicks were heavily leaning toward cutting Ewing, a swingman, before Friday night’s preseason finale, but the decision became more difficult after Ewing lit up the Garden with an electrifying 9-minute stint in the fourth quarter, when he executed two monster dunks and sank a 3-pointer against the Nets. The fans chanted his name in the final minutes.

Oct 24: Nets 111, Knicks 110

The AP reports: Vince Carter scored 20 points for the Nets, who avenged a loss in New Jersey earlier this week. Devin Harris and Bobby Simmons each added 16… Jamal Crawford had his best game of a poor preseason with 30 points for the Knicks, who may have been distracted after having to answer questions about Thomas from an unusually large media contingent for a preseason game… Down by 18 points with 10 1/2 minutes left, the Knicks cut it to 111-110 on Crawford’s layup with 28 seconds left. New York got the ball back with 4 seconds left, but Crawford’s jumper from the corner was short.