New York Knicks Struggles Continue Against New Orleans Pelicans
At least the New York Knicks didn’t build up anyone’s hopes tonight only to disappoint them in the end, as the New Orleans Pelicans controlled the fourth quarter and cruised to a victory. It was a total team effort from the Pelicans tonight, as the Knicks didn’t get enough from their main contributors to hang in there. It is the ninth straight loss for the Knicks, and the 10th straight on the road. The Knicks record now stands at an embarrassing 4-19.
Matchup of the Game Recap:
Dec 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New York Knicks forward
Amar’e Stoudemire(1) dribbles the ball past New Orleans Pelicans center
Omer Asik(3) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. The Pelicans won 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
In what will come as a surprise for people, the matchup was not dominated by Anthony Davis. Instead it was Amar’e Stoudemire who dominated the game on both ends of the floor. The two didn’t matchup nearly as much as the starting lineups would have called for, but the final stat lines the edge goes to Stoudemire. Davis finished with a human-like stat line of 18 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and three blocks in 33 minutes. Stoudemire finished with a team-high 26 points, five rebounds and five blocks in 32 minutes.
Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire
This was an easy one, as it looked like Stoudemire was the only one ready to compete on both ends of the court. The stat line he put together mentioned above was the first time he hit those plateaus in three and a half years. He scored 12 points in a strong second quarter, and was the only player to pick up the slack as the Pelicans made it a point to slow down Carmelo Anthony, who was double and triple teamed throughout the night. Stoudemire constantly put Omer Asik in a blender in the post, and was the only Knick with the knack tonight, as Walt Frazier would say.
-Quiet Night for Melo
As mentioned above, Carmelo Anthony was constantly double and triple teamed by the Pelicans, daring other players to step up. Anthony had only 11 shots attempted tonight, making six for 17 points. He added eight rebounds and one steal, but turned the ball over four times as he struggled to get a read on the Pelicans’ defense, giving them easy baskets in transition.
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-Paint Dominance
A big factor in the loss tonight was the dominance the Pelicans had in the paint. They made 50 percent of their shots, as they scored more than half of them from the paint and free throw line. Getting easy scoring opportunities like that enabled them to sustain their offense, while the Knicks would go through peaks and valleys.
The Pelicans scored 20 points at the foul line and 54 from inside the paint, compared to 10 and 40 for the Knicks. Asik struggled to contain Stoudemire, but he was able to pick the Knicks apart driving to the basket, scoring 16 points with 14 rebounds.
-Can’t Contain Perimeter
The Knicks perimeter players didn’t pick up the slack tonight, as the Knicks’ guards didn’t score enough; Iman Shumpert, Jose Calderon, Pablo Prigioni, J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. combined for only 38 points. Calderon and Prigioni were the only two over 50 percent shooting.
Dec 9, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward
Tyreke Evans(1) dribbles the ball around New York Knicks guard
Iman Shumpert(21) during the second quarter at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
That group couldn’t score the ball, and they did very little to stop the Pelicans’ guards from scoring. Tyreke Evans had a monster game, scoring a game-high 27 points to go with four rebounds, six assists and two steals. His backcourt mate Jrue Holiday was exceptional as well, scoring an efficient 13 points with six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. Austin Rivers chipped in nine points off the bench as well.