The Knicks decimated the top of the table Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, by a baffling score of 126-99, while amazingly holding the high flying Suns under 100 for the first time all year. How did they do it? The ball was moving, the dishes were leading to swishes (31 team assists), and the whole team was hustling, bustling and muscling their way to every loose ball. It was truly a beatiful thing to behold. I was skeptic yet hopeful at the half with a 13 point lead, with the knowledge that the team was playing its best ball of the season, but also remembering how abruptly the Knicks often turn for the worse. Luckily the Rooster spread his wings and flew in the 3rd quarter, as the team actually built on a lead and was up by 24 after the period.
The Knicks actually blew a team out, and cruised to an easy win. Today was filled with suspense. Would the Knicks play two great games in a row and beat Superman and the Magic? Unfortunately the answer was no, the tables turned, and the Knicks were beaten handily. The score was a semi-respectable 118-104, thanks to a late run by the Future Knicks.
The big win against the Suns was a euphoric experience. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to root for a good team. The Knicks, Mets and Jets so rarely win in convincing fashion, and every win or loss is a heart attack waiting to happen. The sublime feeling of watching my favorite team dominate one of the best in the NBA was probably magnified exponentially by the rareness in which games like these occur. If the Knicks ever get consistently good, I will probably be a happier fan, but the win against the Suns was like a guy getting out of jail and sleeping with his lady for the first time in a long time.
Danilo Gallinari was at his best all game, showing a dazzling array of abilities and playing with a cocksure swagger. He led all scorers with 27 points on 6-12 from beyond the arc, and added 10 boards, 2 blocks, 2 assists, and some pizzazz for the crowd. The Knicks decided to thaw out the Rooster, and he was noticeably given a more prominent role in the offense. He was cutting, getting passes down low, coming off screens, crashing the boards, and of course raining all kinds of 3's. He hit one of an iso dribble from about 5 feet beyond the top of the key as the shot clock expired. Danilo got 19 shots, and he deserves 20+ per game.
Gallo showed his versatility and star potential with a flurry of great plays. Just check out these highlights and tell me he can't be a star.
David Lee was great and is becoming more of a scorer, Larry Hughes ran the offense better than Duhon ever could with 12 assists, and Jared Jeffries had a +/- of +30.
The loss against the Magic was easy to take. After such a great win against the Suns, I would be greedy to expect the Knicks to win again, against another top team. Basically Rashard Lewis and Mikael Pietrus burned the arena down in the 3rd quarter. The Knicks were crushed, but this also brought me great joy. Why? Because for a long stretch of the 4th quarter, we saw a glimpse of the future, as Jordan Hill, Gallo, Wil, Marcus Landry, and Toney Douglas shared the court for the first time. Unlike nearly every lineup the Knicks utilize, this group of young guns are all a pretty good bet to be on the squad next year. It was nice to see D'Antoni let them get out there, mesh, and get better together. Douglas, Chandler,and Landry all looked particulary good tonight.
Gallo turned a poor shooting night into a decent game, ending up with 20 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and 3 assists despite only going 5-14. He was aided by 10 free throws, of which he made 8. The scouting report is out, and the Magic defenders (Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis, and Mikael Pietrus), all played very tough, physical, and tight D on Gallo. It seems like most of Gallo's forays to the hoop end in a trip to the line, where he is at 88% for his career. If the 3 is not there, Gallo should be more assertive in driving to the rim. Or maybe he can just keep shooting 3's which may be the most efficient play, I dunno. Perhaps the best thing about this game for Danilo was he played 40 minutes in the second game of a back to back. If his playing time stays like this I will be a happy man.
The future Knicks were fun to watch. Toney Douglas is a sharp shooter, and could be superceding Nate as the 1st guard off the bench. As he gets more playing time, I look forward to Toney eventually taking over the point guard reigns. He had 17 points in 21 minutes, shooting 7-11. Marcus Landry is solid and looks like he will be at least a good defensive role player, who can also shoot the 3. If he improves like his brother Carl on the Rockets has, he could become more than a role player. I was so pumped by all 5 Knicks of the future playing together it made me forget about the blowout and feel kinda good about where this team is headed. Coach D'Antoni was getting after these guys late in the blowout, and wants them to be good just as bad as we do. Hopefully as the a chance at the playoffs approaches mathematical impossibility, these 5 young Knickerbockers will get more and more burn.
I am becoming very adept at enjoying watching bad teams. Like August Wilson wrote in his play Fences "You gotta take the crookeds with the straights" and with the Knicks, you also gotta find the straights in the crookeds.
2 comments:
The Knicks have won two games now. I am very optomistic about the future. as you can see they are playing much different lately
I think it's nice to see Lebron James and Kobe Bryant giving Gallinari some advice. and he has been playing with much more confidence lately because of these two future hall of fame basketball players who believes in him. if Gallinari practices with them? this summer he is going to be a much difference player next year
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