Broadway News
Without Melo, Knicks Fall Flat to Thunder
This has been a forgettable road trip for the Knicks.
During a rout at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, Carmelo Anthony sprained an ankle that kept him out of Saturday's matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. And without Anthony, the Knicks were helpless and overmatched against a superior Thunder team which features Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.
Though the final score only read 104-92, there is one number that should reflect just how bad things were for the Knicks on Saturday: 70.
That was the number of points the Thunder scored in the first half of the game against the Knicks. It was 70-47 at the break, and the Knicks never stood a chance to make the game competitive.
Durant scored 28 points, Harden added 24 off the bench and Westbrook was on his way to a triple-double before he was pulled with nearly three minutes left in the third quarter and the Thunder leading by 30.
Westbrook finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
For the Knicks, it was all bad. The defense was obviously horrendous, but the offense yet again never really clicked. Without Anthony, other players needed to step up and did not. Instead, New York received just 14 points from Amar'e Stoudamire, Tyson Chandler and Toney Douglas.
Iman Shumpert had another tough game, though Mike D'antoni decided to start the rookie at shooting guard instead of point guard. Shumpert was just 3-10 from the field for six points. Mike Bibby got the start at point guard, scoring six points and finishing with just three assists.
In the blowout, the Knicks played 13 players, which nearly constitutes the entire roster. Renaldo Balkman and Josh Harrelson each finished with 12 points. Jared Jeffries also returned from injury and played 22 minutes, but was 0-4 from the field and finished with just one point.
The Knicks are now back at .500 for the season at 6-6, and hope to get Anthony back soon. Additionally, Baron Davis seems just a couple weeks away from returning for the Knicks.
Mercifully, the Knicks return home now for a four-game homestand. The first two games, on Monday and Wednesday, are against the Orlando Magic and Phoenix Suns.
Photo Credits: Sue Ogrocki - AP
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