Raymond Felton’s Arrest Overshadowed Close Knicks-Mavericks Game
Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
On Monday night, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the New York Knicks 110-108 at Madison Square Garden, New York, N.Y. Shortly succeeding the game, Knicks’ point guard Raymond Felton turned himself into the 20th Precinct in Manhattan and was charge with three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, according to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.
The Mavericks had an eight-point lead with 1:37 remaining in the game, 108-100, after center Brendan Wright made a layup. The Knicks managed to tie the game up with 50-seconds remaining in the game when forward Carmelo Anthony made a a 26-foot three-point jumper, according to ESPN.com.
The game was tied at 108 with 10.6-seconds remaining in the game and the Mavericks having possession. Mavericks’ power forward Dirk Nowitzki made a buzzer beating 19-foot fadeaway jumper with Anthony in his face to give his team a 110-108 victory, according to ESPN.com.
Knicks’ head coach Mike Woodson appeared frustrated succeeding the game, according to the Associated Press-reported on ESPN.com.
"There were games last year when our backs were against the wall and we just found a way to win,” Woodson said. “This year when we’ve been in the situation where we needed a big stop or two we haven’t been able to get it done.”"
Last season, the Knicks had a 54-28 record and ended the season as the second-seed in the Eastern Conference. The Indiana Pacers defeated them in a best-of-seven series in the Eastern Conference Semifinals four games to two.
Unlike last year, the Knicks have struggled mightily this season.
They have a 21-36 record this season and are six games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Numerous Knicks’ players have missed games this season due to injuries and other reasons, which has contributed to their porous season. Their season could be getting even ‘uglier’ after Felton was arrested Tuesday morning.
Felton turned himself in at the 20th precinct in Manhattan at 12:50 a.m. He was charged with three counts of criminal possession of a weapon, according to Begley.
The charges are “second- and third-degree criminal possession of a firearm, which are felonies, and fourth-degree possession of a firearm, a misdemeanor, the (New York Police Department) spokesman said.”
"The charges don’t stem from Felton brandishing the firearm but from possessing a gun he wasn’t registered to have, according to the spokesman,” according to Begley."
New York City has very strict gun possession laws; as evidence by what happened to former New York Giants’ wide receiver Plaxico Burress in 2009, according to Begley.
"In 2009, New York Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was sentenced to two years in prison after accepting a plea deal on a firearm charge following an incident in which he suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound to his thigh when his gun went off in a Manhattan nightclub. He faced a minimum sentence of 3½ years if convicted at trial,” according to Begley."
Burress was able to resume his career in 2011 with the New York Jets. He has played in 19 games since he resumed playing in the NFL and he has caught 48 passes for 654 yards and scored nine touchdowns, according to pro-football-reference.com.
Felton is expect to appear in a Manhattan criminal court on Tuesday afternoon, according to Begley. Felton’s incident is the latest disappointment in the Knicks’ porous season.