New York Knicks Blog – Page 30 – NBA Blog

Derrick Rose misses game vs Cavs

Derrick Rose missed the Knicks’ game against Cleveland Wednesday night at the Garden because of lower back pain, the first game he’s missed since joining the team.

The point guard underwent an MRI on Wednesday, which the Knicks said revealed no structural damage. He’s day-to-day and is expected to travel with the Knicks on Thursday to the West Coast for their five-game road trip that begins Friday night in Sacramento.

Rose has missed 228 games over the last five seasons and made one of his goals to play in all 82 in his first year as a Knick.

— NY Newsday

Quick Take: The Knicks are missing D-Rose early, trailing the Cavs by 16 points mid second quarter.

Joakim Noah back in action for Knicks

Jeff Hornacek, psychic.

Before Sunday night’s game, Hornacek spoke about the Knicks’ need to finish and step on opponents’ throats which sort of became a theme when the Knicks let a 21-point lead get whittled to one before winning. But earlier in the day, he told his wife he believed Brandon Jennings would have a big game.

Hornacek was 2-for-2. Jennings scored 19 points and made huge endgame plays.

“He gave us a big lift. I saw it this morning,” Hornacek said after the 106-98 victory against the Kings…

Joakim Noah returned from a two-game absence with a sprained ankle. Noah has battled a series of ills, including flu and a hamstring which everybody concedes has hindered his acclimation to a new system.

“I feel better, but I still have a lot of work to do. Can’t get frustrated with the process,” Noah said. “Our team is definitely playing a lot better basketball right now. So just keep focusing on the positive and just keep focusing on my improvement. I’ve had a lot of knick-knacks from the start of this. The hamstring, ankles, I got sick. I’m just trying to get some consistency right now. … It’s going to come.”

— NY Post

Quick Take: Noah started the game, played almost 25 minutes, and only put up two points and five rebounds. He’s having an underwhelming season so far.

Joakim Noah returns to action for Knicks

Joakim Noah was back for the Knicks — well, at least for three quarters.

After missing two games with an illness, Noah returned and started at center in the Knicks’ 113-111 overtime victory over the Hornets on Friday night at the Garden.

Noah played 18 minutes, none in the fourth quarter or overtime, and scored six points and grabbed eight rebounds. Coach Jeff Hornacek, who said he was concerned about a guy returning after an illness, praised Noah, saying he did well, but obviously was not 100 percent.

“Felt pretty good. I feel like it’s solid, coming off of being sick like that, just coming out and playing, it felt good,” said Noah who described his illness as being “sick, fever. I had the flu.”

— NY Post

Quick Take: Noah has been playing 23.0 minutes per game for the Knicks this season, averaging 4.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. If his defense was more effective, his minutes would likely increase.

Justin Holiday a pleasant surprise for Knicks

Here’s NY Newsday reporting on a Knick who is turning some heads in NYC:

Justin Holiday is proving to be more than just a player who was put in the Derrick Rose trade to make the salaries match up.

Holiday, who scored 16 points and helped spark the Knicks’ win over the Mavericks Monday, has become one of Jeff Hornacek’s most entrusted players on both ends of the floor.

“Guys earn opportunities,” Hornacek said. “What Justin has done is he’s doing everything right. We’re not having to tell him two, three times how to guard something. Tell him once and he does it. He’s got great, especially on the defensive end, concepts of where he should be.”

Knicks defense needs big improvement

The latest example came on Sunday afternoon, when the club allowed 65 points to Utah in the second half of a 114-109 loss. They walked off the court with the worst defense, statistically, in the NBA.

The Knicks struggled, in particular, to defend the pick-and-roll. Utah’s George Hill created several open looks for his teammates with the play, which is part of the reason the Jazz made 24 of their 38 shots after halftime.

“We gave this game away,” Anthony said after New York fell to 2-4.

— ESPN NY

Knicks waive Lou Amundson, Cleanthony Early, Chasson Randle, J.P. Tokoto and Damien Inglis

The Knicks waived guards Chasson Randle and J.P. Tokoto and forwards Lou Amundson, Cleanthony Early and Damien Inglis today.

A few of these players may wind up playing for the Westchester Knicks, the team’s D-League affiliate.

Randle, 6-2, 185-pounds, was signed as an undrafted free agent on Aug. 4, 2016 and appeared in three preseason games, averaging 7.7 points over 15.7 minutes. Tokoto, 6-6, 200-pounds, was signed on Aug. 1, 2016 and appeared in three preseason games, averaging 2.7 points over 12.1 minutes. Amundson, 6-9, 220-pounds, scored two total points over 15 minutes over two preseason games. Early, signed on Oct. 18, and Inglis, signed on Oct. 11, did not appear in preseason action.

The Knicks roster now stands at 15 players.

Derrick Rose found not liable in civil rape trial

Knicks guard Derrick Rose won his civil trial today. Here’s the NY Daily News reporting:

A California jury has rejected a woman’s $21.5 million rape lawsuit against Knicks’ star Derrick Rose.

The jury deliberated for just under four hours Wednesday in Los Angeles federal court before finding the accuser hadn’t proven her claim that Rose and two friends gang-raped her while she was drunk or drugged in her central California apartment.

Rose showed no emotion as the verdict was read, and just shook his lawyer’s hand.

Outside of court, he said he was thankful the jury “understood and agreed with me.”

Knicks re-sign Cleanthony Early

The Knicks today re-signed forward Cleanthony Early. He will likely begin the season playing in the D-League.

Early, 6-8, 210-pounds, averaged 1.8 points in 17 games for New York during his second NBA season in 2015-16, a year shortened by a right knee injury. He was assigned to the NBA D-League’s Westchester Knicks on four separate occasions, averaging 15.6 points and 7.3 rebounds in seven appearances.

The Bronx, NY-native was originally drafted by New York in the second round (34th overall) of the 2014 NBA Draft.

Preseason: Celtics beat Knicks 119-107

Saturday night in Madison Square Garden, the Celtics beat the Knicks 119-107.

In the win, R.J. Hunter led the Celtics with 17 points (6-of-8 shooting), plus two steals in just 12 minutes. Avery Bradley had 17 points (6-of-8), and two steals in 17 minutes. And new addition Al Horford shot 5-of-5, including 2-of-2 three-pointers, for 12 points, three rebounds, three assists and two blocks in just 16 minutes.

In the loss, The Knicks were led by 6-foot-8, 216-pound forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas, who had 18 points, 10 rebounds and three assists in just 19 minutes of play. Backup center Willy Hernangomez was also solid with 12 points and 12 rebounds in 24 minutes.

It’s preseason, and teams around the league, including Boston and New York, are essentially just warming up, and playing their starters very limited minutes.

Still, observations can be made:

We saw little from Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas today. No big deal.

Adding Horford sounded like a good move by Boston this offseason, and it sure looks that way on the court. Through the four preseason games he’s played, the former Atlanta Hawk is averaging 11.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in just 18 minutes per game. And he’s shooting 61.3% FG.

It’ll be interesting to watch Boston’s power forward rotation. The minutes breakdown there will be a compelling coaching decision.

For the Knicks, not having Derrick Rose (currently on trial in California) hurts. Rose has played just one preseason game for his new squad, and looked good. But chemistry development that should have taken place in preseason is now postponed.

But while Rose remains out, Joakim Noah was healthy enough to make his preseason debut. He had five points, five rebounds, an assist and two steals in 19 minutes. He looked rusty, which is to be expected. It’s hard to have a firm opinion on where he’s at just yet.

Kristaps Porzingis is fascinating to watch. As was the case most of last season. Within the first half-quarter of tonight’s game he hit a pair of threes and ran a fast break, which he finished with a bucket. That wound up being most of his production last night — minutes were limited. But he can do amazing things for a young player who stands 7-foot-3.

The Celtics are now 4-1 in preseason. The Knicks are 2-2.

Joakim Noah has spent preseason with injuries

The Knicks are hoping they’re going to get the good Joakim Noah who was a key difference-maker on the Bulls a few years ago. But so far this preseason, they’re getting the more recent, banged-up version. Here’s the New York Daily News reporting:

Joakim Noah’s good health didn’t last long.

A day after scrimmaging for the first time since straining his hamstring nearly two weeks ago, the center missed Thursday’s practice due to a “minor sprained ankle,” coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Noah, who missed at least five games in six of the last seven seasons, hasn’t played yet for the Knicks in the preseason because of the hamstring ailment. He then hurt his angle on one of the final plays of Wednesday’s practice, and Hornacek was unsure about Noah’s status Saturday’s game against Boston.