Knicks, Carmelo Anthony Falter Late, Lose To Cleveland Cavaliers
90. 156. Final. 87. 27
New lows have been reached by the New York Knicks. With Thursday night’s loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Knicks have set a franchise record for futility, as their 4-16 record through 20 games is the worst in franchise history. It was another disappointing night for the Knicks, as they actually had control of the game for most of the night, but were unable to keep it going when they needed it most. They now have lost six games in a row and have the third worst record in the NBA.
Player of the Game: Amar’e Stoudemire
Dec 4, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire (1) dunks over Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Tristan Thompson (13) and center Anderson Varejao (17) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. The Cavaliers defeated the Knicks 90-87. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Stoudemire continues to look refreshed and healthy for the first time in a long time. Tonight he continued his strong play, carrying the Knicks at various points in the game, looking like vintage STAT. Tonight Stoudemire scored 18 points with nine rebounds, two assists and one block and steal. It was nice seeing Stoudemire pass the ball out of some double-teams tonight; they did not always result in scores but it was encouraging to see him not always force the issue. The only downside to his performance tonight was the five turnovers he committed.
–Strong Wing Bench Performance
The shooting guard position has been one under the microscope all season for the Knicks. The bench duo of J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. has struggled of late, as neither has been able to score much. Tonight that was not the case, as Smith and Hardaway Jr. each had strong games off the bench.
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In 19 minutes Smith contributed nine points and three assists as he found teammates for easy dunks. Hardaway Jr. poured in a team-high 20 points in only 22 minutes, adding three rebounds and one assist. The two shot the ball well from deep, as they combined to knock down 5-10 from beyond the three-point line.
–Superstar Struggles
Tonight was not Carmelo Anthony’s night, and he shot the Knicks out of the game for multiple stretches. Anthony struggled all night from the field, making only 4-19, missing his last seven attempts. He hurt the Knicks a lot tonight because he was a reluctant passer at times, for example trying to get on track with his shot that just was not falling. He did add 10 rebounds and four assists, but they are pretty hollow stats if you watched the game.
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LeBron James did not have a typical performance either, but he was able to come up big when his team needed him. He made the three-pointer to give the Cavaliers the lead later in the fourth quarter. He also had a game-high 12 assists with five rebounds and two steals.
–Uncle Drew Shows Off
One player who didn’t struggle tonight was Kyrie Irving. He torched the Knicks all night, scoring a game-high 37 points on 12-18 from the field, 3-6 from deep and 10-11 from the foul line. Irving only added two rebounds and two assists to his final stat line, but when he was pouring it into the basket in the fashion he was it’s hard to knock him. He got into a rhythm early and carried it throughout the night.