2011 NBA Playoffs: 4 Things the New York Knicks Should Learn from Game 1
After losing Game 1 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics on Sunday night, 87-85, the New York Knicks will look to regroup in time for Game 2 - which will be played on Tuesday night at 7:00pm EST.
However, if the Knicks want to extend this series - much less win it - they must learn on the fly and turn every mistake into a learning experience.
After losing a game in which they led for its majority, Coach Mike D'Antoni needs to ensure that his team is ready for Game 2. In order to be ready, they need to be wiser.
But the wisdom will only come if they can ascertain what went wrong in Game 1, and figure out how to prevent the same blunders from costing them Game 2.
As of this moment, it's unclear as to whether or not the Knicks will have Chauncey Billups for Game 2. In case you missed it, he went down late in the 4th Quarter and left the game early. The team is calling it a "strained knee," and he is questionable for Game 2. Coach D'Antoni, after the game, said that the Knicks will see how Chauncey feels tomorrow before determining his status for the rest of the series.
Things will only get tougher for the Knicks - much tougher if they've lost Billups - if they want to extend this series. In order to do so, they need to learn a thing or two.
Or, in this case, 5.
Number 4: Forcing Rajon Rondo to Shoot Is a Good Idea
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The Knicks led 51-39 at the half. The main reasons were tough interior defense, and their defense on Rajon Rondo.
Although Rondo finished the game with 10 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists, they did a pretty good job of containing him in the first half. Better yet, Rondo took 12 of his 16 shots in the first half.
Rondo was noticeably uncomfortable due to the Knicks' daring him to shoot and become an offensive option. Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony did a fine job of not switching on Pick and Rolls featuring Rondo and Pierce. For the most part, Billups went under the screens, and gave Rondo as much as 5 feet of daylight - daring him to shoot.
Although Rondo hit a few 15 footers, it was obvious that he wasn't comfortable. For the Knicks, the stagnant Boston offense is what partially enabled them to hold a 12 point lead after the 1st half.
In the 2nd half, the Knicks began switching on just about every Pick and Roll, and allowed Boston to exploit their defensive inadequacies. Worse yet, Rondo only took 4 shots and did a much better job of distributing the ball. Again, Rondo had 7 of his 9 assists in the 2nd half. The fact that the Celtics outscored the Knicks 48-34 in the 2nd half comes as no surprise.
If the Knicks expect to have a chance in Game 2, they should stick with what worked in the 1st half. Devote more energy to switching onto Ray Allen - especially when he is off the ball and comes off of a curl - and let Rondo do almost whatever he wants on the perimeter.
Number 3: Bill Walker and Ronny Turiaf Make a Difference
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In the first half, Bill Walker played a very solid game. His defense on Ray Allen was decent, and he scored 7 points on 3-5 shooting. Better yet, he showed an ability to get into the paint and break down Boston's defense better than any other player on the Knicks. This enabled offensive rebounds, facilitated ball movement, and created a few "hockey assists."
For some reason, Bill Walker saw much less playing time down the stretch as Toney Douglas got most of the crunch time minutes as the Shooting Guard.
Certainly, Bill Walker deserves more playing time if he can consistently do what no other Knick was able to during Game 1 - break down Boston's defense.
Ronny Turiaf, on the other hand, gave the Knicks 30 solid minutes in which he blocked 4 shots. Although he only had 5 rebounds, he intimidated Boston's penetration, forced tough shots, and provided the Knicks with some much needed toughness down the stretch. Better yet, he showed an ability to provide something Jared Jeffries can't - dependable hands and the ability to finish.
It's hard to ask for more from Turiaf, but the concern is that Coach D'Antoni changes things and alters his rotation when things don't go well for the Knicks. If Shelden Williams is to see some minutes in Game 2 - which would be wise considering Shelden is a better rebounder than Jeffries - it should come at Jeffries' expense, not Turiaf's.
Number 2: The Celtics Cannot Stop Amar'e Stoudemire
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After looking tired for a large portion of the 2nd half of the season, Amar'e Stoudemire looked more like the player that Madison Square Garden serenaded with deserved chants of "MVP!" during the months of December and January than a pickup truck driving down the I-95 on one flat tire.
Amar'e was 12-18 from the field, and finished with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 assists. Prior to the game, after being teased by some New York City beat writers that claimed Stoudemire looked "rusty" when he appeared in the Knicks' final regular season game against the Celtics just 4 days ago, Amar'e - in typical Stat fashion - replied with a cocky "We'll see who's looks rusty tonight."
He did not.
The Celtics have no answer for a healthy and rested Amar'e Stoudemire. Since the Knicks will play only twice over the next five days - Game 2 is on Tuesday and Game 3 is on Friday - Amar'e should only get better.
Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, and Jermaine O'Neal all lack the lateral quickness to stay in front of Amar'e, and Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic lack the strength to stop him.
If the Knicks want to win Game 2, they'd be wise to give Stoudemire more opportunities to exploit Boston's inadequate front line, and perhaps run more backdoor plays featuring Amar'e at the high post looking to make a pass to Carmelo Anthony or Landry Fields streaking down the baseline.
Amar'e has shown that he is a willing passer, so if and when the Celtics begin sending double teams after him, good things should happen for the Knicks.
Despite being the only Knick with the Knack, Amar'e didn't touch the ball in the final 2 minutes against the Celtics. That, in one word, is inexcusable.
Number 1: You Can't Beat Yourselves
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Although the Knicks put forth a valiant effort against the Celtics, all that counts is whether you win or you lose. And right now, the Knicks are 3 losses away from their season being over. The referees seemed to make some questionable calls down the stretch, but the Knicks allowed themselves to be beat.
The Celtics outrebounded the Knicks 44-34 and bested them on the offensive glass, 15-13. There is no way that the Knicks can win in the playoffs if they allow their opposition extra chances to exploit their inconsistent defense.
While neither team got to the free throw line that often - The Celtics had 18 attempts to the Knicks' 16 - the Knicks missed 3 of 4 free throws in the 4th quarter. Against the Celtics, points are hard to come by, and at the very least, the Knicks need to do a good job of converting on free throws.
The two biggest plays of the game, however, are two that will probably not be remembered come Game 2:
With less than 3 minutes remaining in the game, winning 82-78, Amar'e Stoudemire was whistled for an offensive foul after he ran into Jermaine O'Neal. Although some might characterize the call as questionable, Amar'e did make contact with O'Neal and O'Neal was nowhere close to the restricted area. What makes matters worse was that Stoudemire made the right play - a pass to Toney Douglas for an open 3 that Douglas would make - Amar'e just made the pass one second too late. Obviously, the 3 pointer was waved off, and what should have been an 85-78 advantage for the Knicks with 2:15 to play in the 4th became an 82-80 game after Paul Pierce would convert on a jumper 10 seconds later.
Even still, the Knicks were winning 85-82 with 37 seconds remaining in the game. Although Boston had the ball, the Knicks were in a good situation. If they could force Boston to run the game clock down to about 28 seconds prior to settling for a 2 point shot, they could have simply held the ball. Being up by 1 point with the ball would have forced the Celtics to foul, and from there, the game would have come down to free throws and 3 point line defense.
Instead, the Knicks inexcusably allowed Rondo to throw an out-of-bounds half court alley oop to Kevin Garnett. Not only did this cut their lead to 85-84, it only took .4 seconds off of the clock, and guaranteed that the Celtics would have another possession.
Both plays were critical and both were two straws that ultimately broke the Knicks' backs.
If the Knicks are to have any chance of extending this series - much less win - they must turn the heartbreak of losing Game 1 into wisdom that will enable them to win Game 2. Will they?
We'll find out on Tuesday.
