NBA- New York Knicks defeat the Philadelphia 76ers

The Knicks had an awful March, but they are sure doing their best to make up for it this April, as the Knicks have set up a very decent 5 game winning streak since their 113-106 win in overtime against the Orlando Magic in an intricate overtime. It really seems as if the key to this success lies behind the talent of one Carmelo Anthony.

Yes, we have to recognize that since joining in late February, after an extensive 15-player deal that finally landed him from the Denver Nuggets into his new home, the Knicks have suffered a big deal of upsets, including the last two weeks of March where they lost all but one in a 10 game stretch.

But things are slowly but surely looking a bit better and with a 97-92 win over the Philadelphia 76ers, they have successfully clinch the 6th place in the Eastern Conference and get a really good chance of getting into the Playoffs. Anthony  scored 31 points, 11 rebounds while the other referent, Amare Stoudemire scored 18 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Stoudemire suffered a left ankle sprain during the game, and he is going to miss tonight’s game against the New Jersey Nets and it seems that he is going to be out Sunday when they hit the road and face the Indiana Pacers.

But we have to give it up for the 76ers for putting one heck of a battle. Had it not been for Toney Douglas, who hit the go ahead triple with 1:47 to go, we would be writing the story of how the 76ers won the game despite a 19-point deficit in one heck of a comeback. To seal the deal, it was Douglas who completed two free throws with 42 seconds to go to give the Knicks their 5th consecutive win.

Elton Brand was the leader for Philadelphia scoring 24 points, recording 9 rebounds and 4 blocks. As for the comeback, Thaddeus Young was vital for the 76ers aspirations. Not only did he scored 15 of his 25 points in the second half alone, but he was basically responsible for rallying the 76ers back into the game alone. it was Andre Iguodala gave the last touches to the rally, pulling the Sixers within one point with his first 3-pointer of the game. But it wasn’t enough. Truth is that Carmelo Anthony had been on fire all night long and he was going to connect a triple in clutch time to give the Knicks a 95-91 lead.

So was Melo on fire? Oh yeah: he scored 28 point from behind the 3-point line and once again proved that he is ready for much bigger things. How big, well, truth is that this two team put on one heck of a show, playing with aggressiveness and an atmosphere so tense that one could have imagined they were playing for the top-seed in the Eastern Conference and not for the 6th. But hey, everybody wants to be invited to the big dance, and neither team can really afford to lose a chance to make it into the NBA Playoffs.

The Knicks lost guard Chauncey Billups (another great addition in the deal that landed Melo in New York) towards the end of the third quarter, and he didn’t comeback. He had a bruised right tight, but the big problem came for Stoudemire, not for Billups who is expected to see action tonight.

NBA – Carmello Anthony transferred to the New York Knicks

When it comes to NBA, it is a well-known fact that Basketball, at this level, is a game played by superstars. This holds true particularly if you are playing in the Easter Conference. The New York Knicks were certainly missing that superstar factor. Yes, the Knicks have Amare Stoudemire in their rooster and yes, he has led the team to an unprecedented (at least since the turn of the century) 28-26 season, to hold on strongly to a sixth place in the Easter Conference that might as well just earn the team its first playoffs berth since 2004.

Some are venturing to say, even before Mello plays its first game in New York, that this is the best decision the franchise has made since the Knicks picked Patrick Ewing as the No.1 pick in the 1985 draft. Most of the speculation comes from the idea that both Stoudemire and Mello could mix in for quite an aggressive offensive front. Stoudemire has said that with his 26.1 point per game average added to Mello’s 25.2, the Knicks are going to be a really hard team to guard from now on.

Yes, on the long run

NBA – New York Knicks defeat the Miami Heat at South Beach

Last week we said that the arrival of Carmelo Anthony to the locker-room of the Madison Square Garden might had been the best thing to happen to the Knicks since they chose Patrick Ewing as the No. 1 pick of the 1985 NBA Draft. All though Melo has only been in New York for a week and yes, it is quite too soon to make any powerful statements, it really seems as if we were right on target with that one.

The game was played down to the last second. LeBron James had the ball. He managed to pass by Carmelo Anthony, who was just transferred in a 15-player deal from the Denver Nuggets to the New York Knicks, but Amare Stoudemire was waiting for him, and LeBron couldn’t pass. For a big change, the Knicks were capable of holding off the Miami Heat on defense. Yes, that’s right, even Anthony who during the last 6 years as a pro had been somewhat allergic to taking on a defensive role, was involved to the fullest going one-on-one with James.

Chauncey Billups made the

NBA – Orlando Magic outplay New York Knicks at home

by Stephen Lars on Mar.03, 2011, under Basketball, Sports News

Orlando was on fire. Despite the foul-filled performance and their high number of turnovers, the great defense played in the third quarter by the Magic was enough of for them to outplay the New York Knicks 116-110 last night at the Amway Center, in Orlando Florida.

This was a thrilling come-from-behind win for the Orlando Magic against a team that had just previously defeated the Miami Heat on the road. Because let’s face it, there was plenty of hype around the New York Knicks recently. The Knicks have just undergone a mayor revamp after a 15-player trade off that landed Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups from the Denver Nuggets. And even though the squad suffered a hiccup against the Cleveland Cavaliers, their impressive win over LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade in South Beach was enough to offer the Magic-Knicks game an aura of excitement.

And it deserved this aura as this was one heck of a game. The Knicks led 84-79 entering the fourth quarter before an 8-2 Magic run that really changed the outcome of the game. The run was finished beautifully with a basket by Quentin Richardson, who came from the bench and contributed with 10 points, which brought the Magic to 88-87 with 9:27 to play.

Orlando took a 90-88 lead on its next possession after Ryan Anderson, who scored 16 points in the game, completed a 3-pointer.

Chauncey Billups was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 7:31 left. He was smooth from the line and hit all three free throws to, for a moment there, put the New York Knicks back up 93-92. But it was not going to be enough. The Orlando Magic quickly responded with five points, including a 3-pointer by Jason Richardson, to regain a 97-93 edge with 6:48 remaining.

It was a good game for the Knicks but it was just not enough. It seemed as if at the end Orlando was just stronger and more athletic. New York had just eight turnovers, but shot just 37 percent for the game and 23 percent (7 for 23) from three-point range. And that was just not going to make the cut against a very strong Dwight Howard, who had 30 points, recorded 16 rebounds 2 assists and 5 blocks for the Orlando Magic. The Knicks were also outrebounded 45-38.

Billups had a great game for the Knicks. He had 30 points and 6 boards with 6 assists for the night. And you have to consider that he had to cut the game short as he left the game with 2:13 remaining with a left thigh bruise after a violent collision with Dwight Howard. We are still waiting on more details on whether he suffered any significant damage that might affect his performance on the following weeks.

On the personal note, Dwight Howard became the youngest player in NBA history to amass 7,000 rebounds during his career. He passed Wilt Chamberlain, who was 26 years and 128 days old. By the time Howard hit his 9th rebound in the third quarter he was 25 years and 83 days old.

With this defeat the New York Knicks now hold a 2-2 record since their blockbuster trade off with the Denver Nuggets. It’s still a bit early to make more bold statements in regards to the Knicks full potential. We just hope they can step up and work their way into the Playoffs and have some success at it.

NBA – Boston Celtics in last minute win over the New York Knicks

by Stephen Lars on Dec.17, 2010, under Basketball, Sports News

One can’t help but to get excited when basketball games are decided right in the las few seconds of a game. All the stamina, all the precision and the play-making that goes on and off the court create an atmosphere that is not only thrilling but nerve-breaking. Very few sports offer that sensation, that certainty that it all can change in a matter of seconds, that the battle can be fought down to the last second, heck, down to the last fraction of a second.

That’s exactly what happened when the Boston Celtics went on to play in the Madison Square Garden in New York. They where facing no other then the New York Knicks, a team that has been seriously fighting its way back into prominence. With less then a second to go, Amare Stoudemire, received a pass and aimed for the three-pointer.

The shot was perfectly aimed, and it went straight into the basket. The Garden was filled with Knicks’ fans screaming and celebrating a the top of their longs, the Knicks went on to celebrate on their corner. It was a great shot. But it was clearly out of time. Everyone was celebrating for what could have been a 119-118 win by the Knicks to put an end to the 10 consecutive game win streak that the Celtics had fabricated. But it was the story that could almost have been.

The Celtics on the other hand were brilliant. That team has been able to keep on collecting wins despite not having either Shaquille O’Neal or Jermaine O’Neal on their team due to injury. But even without the big guys, the Big Three have been taking over. Pierced scored 32 points for the Celtics as the Celtics gave on a great fight in this 118-116 come from behind win, to now hold an impressive 20-4 record; the best record in the Eastern Conference.