(*T*M*C)The current West Coast Swing of the Knicks is turning into a mixture of natural disasters. On Monday night, New York scored only 63 points while getting crushed by 29 in Golden State. On Wednesday night, New York was smoked by 23 in Denver. To add injuries to insults, the Knicks lost Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler to knee ailments. “No excuses. I’m going to coach ’em up. We are here to win the division.” The strong words of Head Coach Mike Woodson did little to prevent the 105-90 lashing by the Portland Trailblazers last night.
Portland’s starters were dominant for most of the game. Rookie Of The Year-elect, Damian Lillard engineered the attack with 26 points(11-18 FGs) and 10 assists. All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge scored 22 points(8-15 FGs), 10 rebounds and 5 blocks. Nicholas Batum, 16 points(6-10 FGs, 4-7 3-Pts), 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Wesley Matthews, 14 points and 5 rebounds. J.J. Hickson, 12 points and 16 rebounds. New York’s JR Smith led all scores with 33 points(11-21 FGs, 4-8 3-Pts, 7-10 FTs). Kenyon Martin added 12 points(6-10 FGs) and 4 rebounds. Raymond Felton & Marcus Camby made their return to the Rose Garden with 12 & 8 points, respectively.
The Knicks started the game sharp, shooting 62% from the field and a 30-22 lead at the end of the 1st Quarter. Kenyon Martin, recently signed for the remainder of the year, led with 8 points(4-5 FGs). Chris Copeland chipped in with 6 points. For the Trailblazers, Nicholas Batum scored 8 points(3-5 FGs). Damian Lillard added 7 points(3-5 FGs). The start of the 2nd Quarter saw Marcus Camby score 6 of New York’s first 11 points and a 41-28 lead, their biggest of the game. Portland countered with a 23-7 run led by Wesley Matthews’ 7 points and closed the 1st half with a 51-48 advantage.
In the 3rd Quarter, the Knicks needed rain. New York shot 5-27 from the field(18.5%). JR Smith tallied 6 of the Knicks’ 14 points. The Trailblazers were paced by Damian Lillard, 7 points and LaMarcus Aldridge, 6 points. Portland used a 19-8 run to take a commanding 78-62 lead. New York showed signs of life in the beginning of the 4th quarter with a 14-2 run. JR Smith caught fire with a quick 11 points to cut the deficit to 80-76. Lillard & Aldridge took it from there for Portland with 8 points each. This fueled another 19-8 run making it 99-84 with 2 minutes remaining, the beginning of the end!
After starting the season 18-5, the New York Knicks have gone 20-20 in their last 40 games. The blood bath of a road trip lands in Los Angeles on Sunday against the Clippers. This is a standing 8-count! The Atlantic Division, high playoff seeding and the hope of avoiding 40 consecutive years without a NBA Title can all burn to the ground. (*T*M*C)
Written by Shelby Spencer
The Morning Crap 