New York Knicks Snap Franchise-Record Losing Streak and Monday NBA Takeaways
For the New York Knicks, Jan. 19 will be long remembered as the day the hurting stopped.
Thanks to a 99-92 win over a New Orleans Pelicans squad missing Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday, the Knicks' franchise-worst 16-game skid reached a merciful end on Monday.
Granted a moment to breathe for the first time in over a month, head coach Derek Fisher's postgame comment, via Jonah Ballow of NYKnicks.com, managed to capture just how hopeless things had gotten:
Digest that for a second. We had to act as though we expected this.
Does that mean Fisher and the Knicks actually didn't expect their interminable slide to stop at some point? Were they hunkering down for a 5-77 record and all the attendant horrors along the way?
I mean, Fisher could have just said "we expected this" and been done with it. Instead, we may have gotten a glimpse into the Knicks' mindset going forward, which is basically this: Nobody expects to win. If victories were the priority, the roster wouldn't be populated by players on 10-day contracts. And guys such as J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert would probably still be around.
As Andrew Keh of The New York Times explained: "The victory seemed like a rare treat, like an open seat in a rush-hour subway car or a cable guy who shows at an appointed time—not something you expect to happen the next time around."
That's the spirit! Instead of peering into New York's bleak future, let's focus instead on the brief respite offered by the present.
Paced by Carmelo Anthony's 24 points, New York built a 12-point halftime lead that held up when the Pellies cut the advantage to a single point with under two minutes left in the contest. A Jose Calderon triple with 32 seconds remaining sealed the deal.
Langston Galloway, the out-of-nowhere roster addition with just four previous NBA games under his belt, scored 21 points in 31 minutes.
His putback slam was the highlight of the affair.
It's tempting to circle back to the hopelessness ahead. After all, to understand the significance of this particular success, you have to view it in the context of the overwhelming failure New York has endured to this point and will continue to endure the rest of the way.
Rebuilding hurts.
But it can be fun if you focus on the right things...like Amar'e Stoudemire's postgame headwear for example:
This means two things. First, there's an 18th-century Amish preacher out there missing his lid. And second, Melo is going to step up his hat game to previously unimaginable levels of absurdity to keep pace with Stoudemire.
New York's successes will be few and far between for the rest of the year. So the rule going forward is this: No more focusing on losses. From now on it's all about wins and hats.
Around the Association
The Early Bird Gets the Blowout
Nobody likes an early wake-up call—least of all NBA players whose real time on the clock often doesn't start until 7:30 p.m.
But the annual tradition of the Martin Luther King Day matinee roused a handful of teams and players early, which was great for all-day holiday viewing but rough on the quality of play.
Both the Philadelphia 76ers and Minnesota Timberwolves suffered massive blowout losses on Monday to the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets, respectively. Here's a breakdown of the damage:
| 111 | 76 | 105 | 80 | |
| FG%: 55.6 | FG%: 32.9 | FG%: 44.9 | FG%: 36.3 | |
| REB: 53 | REB: 30 | AST/TO: 27/10 | AST/TO: 16/16 |
Now, you could chalk these results up to talent gaps; Minnesota and Philly boast the league's two lowest net ratings, per NBA.com, which means getting crushed is hardly a new experience. It's also worth noting that Washington and Charlotte played host in their big wins. Getting up earlier than usual is always tough, but it's easier from home than a hotel.
Credit the Wizards and Hornets for pouncing on their prey early, cruel as that might seem. It's a long season, and the teams that take advantage of weaknesses are typically the ones left standing at the end.
Here's hoping everyone's postgame nap went well.
Urgency Is a Funny Thing
The Cleveland Cavaliers never seemed all that worried when things were spiraling out of control, and the Chicago Bulls, losers of six of their last eight after falling to the Cavs by a final of 108-94 on Monday, have a reputation as being wound a little too tight.
Yet the Cavaliers are coming together, and the Bulls are coming apart.
"We've got to give a better effort," Derrick Rose told reporters, via K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. "It seems like we're not even competing. It's (bleeping) irritating."
Tom Thibodeau was displeased as well, via Sam Smith of Bulls.com:
Cleveland has won three straight, and its home-heavy schedule over the next two weeks signals more success ahead. Meanwhile, Chicago can't find any answers and faces a brutal swing out West over that same span.
I guess the lesson is: Panicking doesn't always help.
The Hawks Keep Rolling
The Atlanta Hawks winning basketball games no longer qualifies as news. Neither does them doing so with ball movement and shooting on offense and effort, execution and miscue creation on defense.
Atlanta managed to pull out the 93-82 victory at home, despite getting outclassed on the glass (20-5 offensively, 61-42 overall), by contesting shots (35.4 percent by the Detroit Pistons) and forcing 19 turnovers.
Offensively, the Hawks spread the wealth with signature aplomb, racking up 31 assists on 37 makes, with five players scoring in double figures, including a game-high 20 apiece for Paul Millsap and Mike Scott.
Though the Hawks' success is no longer the subject of NBA-wide surprise, the fact that they're still churning out wins—27 of 29, including 13 in a row, just one shy of the franchise record for consecutive victories—with such ruthless efficiency is a feat unto itself.
Oh, and there's also this piece of bad news for future opponents: The Hawks don't see themselves as a finished product yet, as Millsap pointed out, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chris Vivlamore:
That's a scary thought. Let's just move on.
The Warriors Spread It Around
Saying the Golden State Warriors played the Denver Nuggets on Monday is misleading. Really, the Nuggets stood around on the same floor as the Warriors and watched as the Dubs ran in dizzyingly efficient offensive circles for 48 minutes.
Golden State trounced the Nuggets by a final of 122-79, racking up gimme buckets by the bushel behind a trademark equal-opportunity attack, per Warriors.com's Brian Witt:
That's a stat worth pondering. The San Antonio Spurs' run through the Finals showed the world what beautiful team basketball was supposed to look like. Halfway through the season, the Dubs have already matched one of the core measurements of that team's unselfishness.
Every single Warrior on the roster scored at least three points against the Nuggets, led by Klay Thompson's 22. James Michael McAdoo made his NBA debut in garbage time and fit right in, scoring 11 points on just five shots.
Summation: The Warriors are playing a different game than everyone else.
The Raptors Narrowly Escape
Kyle Lowry missed a pair of free throws with five seconds left that gave the Milwaukee Bucks a chance to make things interesting, but O.J. Mayo lost the ball before he could get off a potential game-tying triple. In the end, the Toronto Raptors escaped with a 92-89 win.
All in all, Toronto was fortunate to get out on top. DeMar DeRozan went scoreless in 26 minutes, and the Bucks outshot the Raptors in the contest (44.7 percent to 40 percent). A plus-11 edge on the boards was Toronto's only real statistical advantage in a game that could easily have gone either way.
This was a win the Raps needed badly, having lost seven of nine coming in. With five of their next seven games on the road, it was critical for Lowry and Co. to secure this victory.
Although, if wins were awarded for awesome plays and/or sneakiness, this heads-up tap by Giannis Antetokounmpo would have given the Bucks the W:
Chris Paul is Surrounded
Chris Paul got big efforts from his big men in a 102-93 home win over the Boston Celtics.
DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin combined to score 41 points and grab 21 rebounds in L.A.'s 28th victory of the year, exactly the kind of solid support CP3 has come to expect from his frontcourt mates. Those two are good allies for a point guard to have.
Unfortunately, he's also dealing with an influx of enemies on the roster in the persons of Austin Rivers and Dahntay Jones, new additions alongside current teammate J.J. Redick. For a former Wake Forest Demon Deacon, nothing could be worse, per Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times:
For Paul's sake, nobody tell Doc Rivers that Corey Maggette is available.
It's Not Over Until the Diggler Says So
Dirk Nowitzki closed out the Dallas Mavericks' 103-95 win over the Memphis Grizzlies with eight consecutive points, out-dueling Mike Conley (who closed with seven straight) to secure a pivotal battle out West.
Though Dallas is now just a half-game behind the Grizz in the playoff ladder, we should expect these two teams (and a half-dozen others) to continue jockeying for position all the way to the wire. Still, a win in Memphis is a big deal, as the Grizzlies went into the contest with a sterling 16-4 mark at home.
Memphis won't have to wait long for a shot at redemption, either. These two teams square off again on Jan. 27.
Efficiency, Thy Name is Beard
James Harden scored a season-high 45 points on just 18 shots in the Houston Rockets' 110-98 defeat of the Indiana Pacers, making him just the fifth player in league history to post such a gaudy total on so few attempts.
Here's the very short list he just joined:
| Gilbert Arenas | 2006 | 46 | 16 |
| Adrian Dantley | 1987 | 45 | 17 |
| Rashard Lewis | 2006 | 45 | 18 |
| Kevin Martin | 2011 | 45 | 18 |
| James Harden | 2015 | 45 | 18 |
Back off and Harden torches you from deep. See: 7-of-12 from long range.
Hug up and he forces you to foul him. See: 14-of-15 from the line.
Until some intrepid basketball strategist comes up with a third option (deflating the basketball, maybe?), Harden will continue to pose the single-greatest one-on-one challenge in the league.
Portland Could Do Without LaMarcus Aldridge Injury Scares
DeMarcus Cousins went statistically bananas (22 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks), but the Portland Trail Blazers were still able to beat the Sacramento Kings, 98-94. The only thing of real importance going forward is LaMarcus Aldridge's health.
The Blazers' star big man bashed his left hand on Cousins' right knee in the second quarter and went straight to the tunnel. The Oregonian's Jason Quick noted the injury:
With Robin Lopez already out with his own hand injury, the Blazers' front line is woefully thin. Losing Aldridge for any significant amount of time would cripple one of the West's best teams, and it'd be a real bummer for fans of hoops all over.
The league is more fun when the best players are healthy.
Fingers crossed on this one, guys.
Eric Bledsoe Is Too Kind
The Phoenix Suns got 65 points, 16 assists and 15 rebounds from their three-headed point guard monster (Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas) in a 115-100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kobe Bryant didn't suit up, which meant this one lacked for much intrigue.
That is, of course, until Bledsoe threw the ball to the Lakers' bench.
Getting some of L.A.'s reserves an extra touch or two, Eric? How thoughtful.
