The AP reports: Joe Johnson kept the Hawks in control of the race for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, scoring 34 points Friday night in a 116-104 victory over the New York Knicks… Josh Smith and Mike Bibby added 24 points apiece for the Hawks, who won all four meetings with the Knicks this season, sweeping the series for the first time since moving to Atlanta for the 1968-69 season. Al Horford finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds… Jamal Crawford scored 20 points for the Knicks, who were trying for their first four-game winning streak of the season… Wilson Chandler added 18 points and Zach Randolph had 17 for the Knicks, who outrebounded Atlanta 49-35 but allowed the Hawks to shoot 55 percent from the field.
Category: New York Knicks Blog
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Apr. 9: Knicks 109, Bobcats 107
The AP reports: Fred Jones made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:47 left and scored 15 points, and the Knicks beat the Charlotte Bobcats 109-107 on Wednesday night to match a season high with their third straight victory… Wilson Chandler added 12 points and Nate Robinson had 11, joining Jones to give the Knicks a huge advantage off the bench. New York’s reserves outscored Charlotte’s, 54-14… Jamal Crawford scored 18 points for the Knicks, who seemed in control after an 18-0 spurt in the second quarter, but blew all their lead before pulling back ahead to win three straight for only the second time this season, having also done it from Jan. 13-16… Jason Richardson scored 25 points, and Raymond Felton and Emeka Okafor had 24 apiece for the Bobcats, whose franchise-record four-game road winning streak was snapped. Okafor missed a jumper at the buzzer that would have tied it.
Free food for fans at final Knicks home game
The New York Knicks, making a very smart PR move, are rewarding their long-suffering fans by giving free food and non-alcoholic drinks to everyone who attends the team’s final home game of the season, against the Celtics on April 14. That’s pretty awesome.
“Knicks fans are among the most passionate in sports, and we wanted to thank them for their loyalty and dedication to the team,” said Howard Jacobs, senior vice president, marketing, MSG Sports Teams. “Today’s announcement stems from our desire to find a meaningful way to show our fans our appreciation. We hope they enjoy themselves and we look forward to seeing them in the arena.”
More info here.
Apr. 8: Knicks 98, Pistons 94
The AP reports: Wilson Chandler scored all of his 19 points in the first half, helping the Knicks built a huge lead, and New York held off a late charge from the Detroit Pistons in a 98-94 win Tuesday night… Against an uninspired team, the Knicks led 57-34 at halftime and 79-60 after three quarters… Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince each scored 11 points for the Pistons, who had won five straight… Jamal Crawford scored 16 for New York, which has won two straight after losing 10 of 11 games.
Isiah Thomas delivers funny Ewing comments
On Sunday, after the Knicks, playing at home in New York, upset the Orlando Magic, Isiah Thomas was pretty funny in the post-game press conference.
Not during regular game and team discussion, but at the very end of the conference. A reporter asked about Isiah’s memories of playing against Patrick Ewing, a Magic assistant coach and soon-to-be member of the Hall of Fame.
Isiah thought about it, and with a big grin revealed that the prominent thought that comes to mind when reflecting on Ewing’s basketball career is sweat. Reporters were amused.
I was tempted to ask if Isiah ever remembered slipping and falling due to pools of Ewing’s sweat on the floor, but held back.
Apr. 6: Knicks 100, Magic 90
The AP reports: Rookie Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 23 points, Zach Randolph added 20 points and 11 rebounds, and the New York Knicks snapped a five-game losing streak with a 100-90 victory over the Orlando Magic on Sunday night. Fred Jones and David Lee added 13 points apiece for the Knicks, who won for just the third time in 20 games. The other two victories were against Miami, making this their first win over a team other than the league-worst Heat since beating Charlotte on Feb. 27… Hedo Turkoglu scored 22 points for the Magic, who will now have the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs… Dwight Howard had 13 points and 15 rebounds for his 66th double-double of the season, tops in the NBA and two shy of Shaquille O’Neal’s franchise record set in 1992-93.
Apr. 4: Hornets 118, Knicks 110
The AP reports: Chris Paul had 33 points and 15 assists, and the Hornets became the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff berth, beating the New York Knicks 118-110 on Friday night… Jamal Crawford had 29 points and nine assists for the Knicks, who have lost 17 of 19 but stayed competitive through three quarters… Peja Stojakovic finished with 22 points and David West added 17 for the Hornets, who won their 10th in a row at home. They were coming off a season-high, six-game road trip in which they went 5-1… Reserve Nate Robinson scored 23 points and Zach Randolph added 22 points, 11 in the first quarter. The Knicks lost shooting 55 percent from the field.
Apr. 2: Grizzlies 130, Knicks 114
The AP reports: Hours after owner James Dolan introduced Donnie Walsh as New York’s new president of basketball operations, rookie Javaris Crittenton scored a season-high 23 points, Rudy Gay added 21, and the Memphis Grizzlies had their best offensive performance this season in a 130-114 victory Wednesday night over the Knicks… Michael Conley added 18 points, Juan Carlos Navarro had 16 and Mike Miller 15 as eight Grizzlies reached double figures… Zach Randolph led New York with 27 points, and Crawford added 24. David Lee had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Renaldo Balkman had 11.
Remove Isiah this summer
Now that the Knicks have named Donnie Walsh president of basketball operations, after the season the team needs to relieve Isiah Thomas of his head coaching responsibility. Clean house. Separate the old from the new.
Ironically, here’s a fun idea that won’t happen: Bring Larry Brown in to coach the team. But not the current team. Bring him in after a bunch of key guys have been traded — assuming deals get made, that is. Anyway, it’s safe to say Brown will never be involved with the Knicks again unless the team has new owners someday, and that doesn’t appear likely anytime soon.
I like the idea of bringing Mark Jackson in as a member of the coaching staff, but he should get assistant coaching experience before being given a head coaching job.
Whatever happens, Isiah just has to go. There was no evidence of a good coaching job done this season. None. The team barely seemed to run any plays, and what few players looked decent last season all seemed to regress. I say scrap the entire coaching staff and bring in an entirely new crew.
How about an experienced, veteran head coach, experienced assistants, and then Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson rounding out the staff?
Read the InsideHoops NBA Rumors page daily (as you should be doing already), and keep your eye on our site’s front page, for ideas about possible next coaches and much more.
Walsh needs to rebuild Knicks from scratch
Donnie Walsh is a good hire to control the Knicks. But the big question is if he’ll be allowed to truly rebuild the team from scratch, or if he’s going to continue the Isiah Thomas (and Scott Layden) tradition of just building upon something that doesn’t work.
It seems like the Knicks, for years now, only cared about trying to make the playoffs, and never even really tried to build a team that had a real shot at winning a championship. That they failed to even be decent is almost another story.
The Knicks need to clear house. In today’s press conference introducing Donnie Walsh as the new Knicks president of basketball operations, it was said the Knicks want to stay competitive but gain salary cap flexibility. That’s the wrong move. Don’t worry about staying competitive right away. (Wait, wasn’t the team trying to be competitive this season?) Clear house. Get almost everyone out. Start from scratch.
The Knicks need to try to do what the Seattle Sonics did. After realizing what they had wasn’t working, the Sonics got rid of everyone, managed to draft Kevin Durant and Jeff Green, won almost no games (yet just a few less than the current Knicks have) and have amazing salary cap flexibility for the future. Of course, while the Sonics may be leaving Seattle, the Knicks are firmly planted in New York City, a town that is a great selling point for superstars looking to rule the world in the future.
Removing Isiah from power is a step in the right direction. But let’s see if Walsh just keeps doing what Isiah was doing or does what he needs to do, begin a true rebuilding process that should see the majority of the team’s current players find a new home in the next season or two.