March 29, 2024

Matinee games and the Knicks have been going together like those hideous orange uniforms they have displayed having lost all previous 6 games. So it was interesting (especially coming off their last 2 games) to see how they would fare against the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday afternoon at the World Most Famous or some would say "infamous" Arena.

With the heat mounting on head coach Mike Woodson and injuries to Raymond Felton, Kenyon Martin and Pablo Prigioni, Woodson elected to go with his bigs in the starting line-up, Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani against the smaller Grizzlies. The strategy backfired as Memphis jumped out to a quick 17-8 lead after a Mike Conley short jumper. New York managed to right themselves going on a 14 to 8 run cutting the deficit to two points (25-22) at the end of the first period.

Tim Hardaway, Jr got the crowd into the game with a vicious dunk after a Carmelo Anthony steal giving the Knicks a 3-point (28-25) lead that would not last long. In the blink of an eye, the Grizzlies outscored the Knicks 25 to 12 taking a 10 point (50-40) halftime lead. Ex-Knick Zach Randolph 11 and Tony Allen 13 points leading the way. Meanwhile, the Knicks shooting was atrocious. They attempted 10 three-pointers missing 9. Anthony misses 6 of his first 10 shots, Bargnani 4 out of 5 and Iman Shumpert missed all four of his.

It went from bad to worse in the third period even though New York was only outscored by 1 point (22-21). Jammal Franklin, the latest guard the Knicks made look like an all-star, goes in for an uncontested lay-up pushing the lead to 14 (72-58). Memphis, crushing them on the boards out rebounded them 44-23. Seventeen second chance points and a whopping 11 to 4 in offensive rebounds. The final results would be even more horrific.

Down by 12 to begin the final period, the Grizzlies went up by as many as 19 (85-66) with more than five minutes to go. Boos raining down from the frustrated crowd. The Knicks frantic comeback was started by a Hardaway, Jr 3-point bomb and when Anthony finishes a lay-up, the lead dwindled to 10 (85-75) getting the crowd back into the game. But just like all game and all season, the defense that defined the team last year, could not get stops when needed.

New York managed to get the lead down to four points (91-87) after Chandler converts free throws with 25.6 left. It would be the last points of the game for them as the Knicks lost for the 10th time at home. The big line-up was anything but as Memphis outscored New York 60 to 28 in the paint and out-rebounded them by an astounding 56 to 29. Something Woodson was not pleased with.

"That is embarrassing especially when you start a big lineup," Woodson said.

He called out players he felt were responsible.

"Tyson, Bargnani, Melo have to rebound the ball better and we have to do it as a unit. We could not keep them out of the paint and that was a problem."

The loss dropped their record to 8 and 18 and they are quickly becoming an afterthought in a division that can be taken by anybody.

"I take pride in trying to win games at home" continued Woodson. "That was the whole beauty the last two years. We have been slow in that area and that has put us in a hole. If we won half of our home games we would be sitting at the top of our division the way it is playing out. We have to put a string of wins on the road. That is the only way we can get out this hole."

If the New York Knicks keep losing, be it at home or on the road, Woodson may not be around if they do climb out.

Maybe the ill-fated New York Knicks needed the Toronto Raptors to get their season straightened out. You look at the Knicks 9 and 19 record and say the season is lost. But then you see that the Raptors are only 3 games ahead of them in the Atlantic division. With back-to-back games against Toronto, New York could conceivably be 1 game out of first place by Sunday.

After getting embarrassed on Christmas Day without their leading scorer Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks did something they have lacked all year. They came out of the gate strong. Tim Hardaway, Jr (who should be getting more playing time with Raymond Felton on the shelf again) nailed a 3-pointer to give the Knicks an early 9-4 lead. It would be the start of a long-range barrage, something they utilized successfully last year.

Andre Bargnani, much maligned for his poor shot selection and on court decisions, added to the 3-point party, extending the Knicks' lead to 20-12. Amar'e Stoudemire continued his stellar play off the bench with 5 points as New York took a 25-18 first-period lead. The defense, which has been non-existent all season, allowed the Knicks to take a 10-point lead (30-20) after another Hardaway 3-ball. They would go back and forth for the rest of the second period and suddenly Toronto took the lead 37-36 after a Terrance Ross basket.

Missing Anthony for the second game in a row, the Knicks needed consistent scoring from all. They got it from Beno Udrih (7 points) and 6 more from Hardaway giving them a 10-point lead (64-54). Then it was Deja vu as the New York fans began to see what they have seen all too often at home and on the road this year. They would fall apart as Toronto cut the lead to 5 (71-65) to close the third period.

The New York Knicks took 19 shots in the last period and made only five. Meanwhile, Toronto, without two ex-Knicks Landry Fields and Steve Novak (who had every reason to come back and haunt them) were outpaced by five players scoring in double figures, led by DeMar DeRozan with 25 points. Adding to that, Jonas Valanciunas' 16 points and 18 rebounds put the dagger in the Knicks having them fall to 4 and 12 at home.

"I thought we had good shots. We had some good looks," said head coach Mike Woodson. "We just didn't make shots."

He then talked about playing guys extended minutes due to the absence of Anthony.

"I played guys on long stretches based on the fact we were short-handed. They got us a lead. I'm not using excuses. I thought maybe the legs, maybe set in at the end and shots just were not falling."

What is falling is their season right in front of them. They had a chance to make a move with a rare win on their home court giving them an opportunity to get closer on the road Saturday night. It's not even the halfway point of the season. If they keep going in this direction, they will be right up there with the Nets, Yankees, Mets, Giants, and the same old Jets.

J.R. Smith, and brother of Chris Smith, not a happy camper according to his Instagram post

New York Knickerbockers President and General Manager Steve Mills announced today that the team waived guard Chris Smith, the brother of Knicks shooting guard, J.R. Smith. In Smith's place, the Knicks signed forward Jeremy Tyler of the Erie BayHawks, the 10th Gatorade Call-Up from the NBA Development League this season.

As reported in the New York Daily News, J.R. Smith admitted that he "wasn't happy" that the Knicks waived his younger brother earlier this week.

Speaking for the first time since the Knicks decided to cut Smith to create a roster spot for Jeremy Tyler, J.R. Smith declined to discuss the Instagram message he posted that read: "You know the sad thing about betrayal. It never comes from an enemy."

Nowhere in the message does Smith refer to the Knicks, but it was posted amid reports that Chris Smith was about to be released.

Chris Smith, 6-0, 200-pounds, signed with New York on September 10, 2013, and appeared in two games, playing two minutes. He was assigned to Erie on November 18, 2013, where he played six games before being recalled on December 17, 2013.

Tyler, 6-10, 250-pounds, has averaged 18.0 points, on 47.8-percent shooting, and 10.2 rebounds over 31.0 minutes in six games (all starts) with the BayHawks. He originally signed with New York on August 6, 2013, after playing for the Knicks' entry in NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, NV, and was waived on October 25, 2013, while recovering from a broken right fifth metatarsal.

The San Diego, CA-native, was originally selected by the Charlotte Bobcats in the second round (39th overall) of 2011 NBA Draft before having his rights traded to the Warriors. He holds career averages of 3.6 point and 2.5 rebounds over 10.1 minutes in 63 games (23 starts) over two seasons with Golden State and Atlanta. He played professionally in Israel (Maccabi Haifa) and Japan (Tokyo Apache) for two seasons after leaving San Diego High School following his junior season.

Carmelo Anthony surpasses Kobe Bryant and Bernard King finishing the night with a Madison Square Garden 62-point pro basketball scoring record

As if the New York Knicks didn't have enough problems both on and off the court. In losing their 5th straight game Wednesday night (3rd in a row at home) during this 8 eight game home-stand, they found out that Andrea Bargnani would be out indefinitely after tearing a ligament in his left elbow during an ill-fated dunk attempt against Philadelphia. Additionally, there had been reports of bickering between the players and head coach Mike Woodson during the losing streak that began after getting routed by the Brooklyn Nets in their annual Martin Luther King Day matinee game.

Even the jovial Carmelo Anthony did not have his usual wide smile on his face during pre-game warm-ups. Also, there was none of the usual joking with the opposing team and engaging with the stars sitting in their high-priced courtside seats. Not tonight. Melo had a focused, stone cold face prior to tip-off motivated by a pre-game video courtesy of his childhood idol Muhammad Ali.

So when they faced the Charlotte Bobcats without Kemba Walker, New York had a chance to stop the losing streak and see how they would adjust without the player they brought here to help the offense.

Woodson decided to go with a small line-up starting three guards in Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni along with Iman Shumpert. Carmelo Anthony, at the power forward spot, hit 8 of his first 10 shots (18 points) getting the Knicks out to a 30-21 first quarter lead.

It was the most points any Knick has scored in a single quarter this year. It was just a start of big things to come for the Syracuse alumni.

If there had been one constant during the losing streak, it has been the Knicks inability to make the defensive switch allowing the opposition open looks from 3 point range. That aspect reared its ugly head in the second quarter when Jennaro Pargo came off the bench to nail 3 straight 3-pointers cutting the Knicks lead (38-34) to four points. But Carmelo, who didn't sit until after the 4-minute mark of the second quarter, showed why talks of trading him are outright ludicrous. He finished the half scoring 37 points (most of any player in the NBA this season for a half) and brought the sellout crowd to their feet draining a half-court 3-pointer as the buzzer went off.

Said Anthony of the shot, "when I made the shot, at the half, I told myself the zone was there."

New York went into the locker room with a commanding 67-46 lead. Lost in the Melo madness was little-used Jeremy Tyler who also had the crowd screaming with 2 dunks. The first off a missed shot and the second on an alley-oop from J.R. Smith.

It would only get better for the torrid Melo in the third quarter. Connecting on 7 of 9 shots lifted his game total to 56 effectively taking out the Bobcats all by himself. The only thing left for him to accomplish was setting the record for most points scored at the World's Most Famous Arena. Mission accomplished.

Carmelo Anthony surpassed both Kobe Bryant and Bernard King finishing his night with a bank shot at the 7:32 mark for his 62nd point as the desperate Knicks needed a win as badly as New Yorkers need warmer weather.

Naturally, after the 125-96 win, the talk was all about Carmelo Anthony and his record-setting night.

Said Woodson, "he was shooting so easy and making just shot's all over the place."

It wasn't the first time Woodson has seen Anthony as locked in as he was. "I've been in that position a few times in the last two years with Melo where's he's got on a nice roll early. I was probably the one that cooled him off. This time I just elected to let him go."

Carmelo Anthony walked to his locker accompanied by his young son, not looking like he scored 62 points in only 38 minutes. He didn't miss a free throw (10-10) and hit 6 of 11 three-pointers. The night still felt like a dream.

"It really didn't sink in yet," Melo started. "It still feels surreal to me. The way we played came within the realm of the game, the flow of the game. It really hasn't sunk in yet."

"Coming into the game I had a different kind of focus. Guys were asking me what was wrong before the game. There was nothing really wrong. It was just for some reason I was just locked in from the beginning of the game," he continued.

Melo was thrilled to give Knicks' fans something to be excited about, particularly after all the losses-- setting a scoring record at Madison Square Garden and getting a win--- the atmosphere in the arena was electric.

"There's no better feeling than having that feeling like tonight here on your home court. The fans, I haven't heard them like that since last year. It was good to get that feeling back."

Scoring 62 points and setting the record for most points scored by anyone at the World's Most Famous Arena will get that kind of reaction.

On Biggie Night, the Nets get their first win of 2017 and their first win in three months

On so many levels it was Biggie Night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday, as the Brooklyn Nets took on their cross-town rivals, the New York Knicks. At the top of the evening, the Barclays Center celebrated the life of Christopher Wallace aka the Notorious B.I.G aka Biggie Smalls, with a remembrance. A Brooklyn-born rapper, Wallace, was murdered 20 years ago this week. Voletta Wallace, Biggie’s mom; and Biggie’s children T-Yanna and CJ Wallace; Faith Evans, Wallace’s former wife; P. Diddy; Lil’ Kim; and Brett Yormark; CEO of the Barclays Center, were part of the on-court ceremony before the game.

Ms. Wallace said tonight’s game was her “very, very first professional basketball game.” In her remarks, she also said, "I have to remember what my son said in the past, Brooklyn, we did it."

And, that my friends, kicked off the evening for the Brooklyn Nets as team Black and White got its first home win in over two months beating the New York Knicks 120-112. Yes, Brooklyn, you did it! The Nets last home win was on December 26, when Randy Foye’s buzzer-beater dashed the hopes of the Charlotte Hornets. This was the same game that Jeremy Lin re-injured his left hamstring, which resulted in Lin missing the next 26 games.

Lin struggled early tonight with a 0-9 start. However, late in the fourth quarter, when the Knicks had trimmed its 22-point deficit to down to five, Lin dropped a 3-pointer pushing the score to 109-101 with 4:58 remaining. Lin also converted a three-point play with 3:25 giving the Nets a double-digit lead.

“I think I was still out West for the first three-and-a-half quarters,” Lin said about his performance. “And gladly I was able to show up a little bit; felt like I was letting my team down. I don’t know, just wasn’t doing what I needed to do, but I just tried to stay aggressive and just try to keep my mind just on playing…”

Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson wasn’t quite as hard on Lin as Lin was on himself.

“I thought he hit a huge three off the dribble,” Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Lin’s late game contribution. “They’d been going under all night and to have the kind of moxie to take that shot, that was big. His ability to get to the free-throw line in the fourth quarter is huge. I think it helps when it’s not Isaiah (Whitehead) and Spencer (Dinwiddie) first-year guys kind of handling the ball at the end of the game. To get a guy that has been in the league and has done it before, it’s huge for us.”

In the victory for the Nets, Brook Lopez came in on fiyah!!! He scored 25 points, two assists, six rebounds, one block, and one steal while shooting eight of seventeen from the floor and six of nine from deep in 28 minutes.

“I think we were shooting with a lot of confidence and making them,” said Lopez. “Our team did a very great job of sharing the ball. It started with the penetration, attacking the basket and that opened a lot of things up for us. When we kicked out, we swung it around the perimeter until we had an open look and we shot with confidence.”

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 27 points on 10-of-26 shooting. Although the Knicks lost, Anthony joined an elite NBA club that many Knicks fans could care less about considering the team’s record. Anthony is one of three players to have scored over 10,000 points on two different teams (Denver, New York); the other two are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Milwaukee, Lakers) and Elvin Hayes (Houston, Washington).

Brooklyn shot .500 from 3-point range tonight on 19-of-38 shooting from the distance. Lopez was a perfect 5-for-5 from behind the arc to start off the game. The Nets’ 19 3-pointers marked a season high (previous high: 17 made 3-pointers; done three times this season, most recently on January 21, 2017, at Charlotte).

"I don't know what the thinking was to start of the game," New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek said. "We gave Brooklyn wide-open shots. They kept making three after three. There were one or two of those pressure threes. It was like practice shots for Brooklyn."

The Nets made 14 threes in tonight’s first half, which marked a new franchise record for 3-pointers made in any half. The previous high of 13 in the second half was on December 16, 2013, against Philadelphia.

Nets starters helping out Lopez in the double-digit range were Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who scored 14 points and 11 rebounds; Jeremy Lin and Caris LeVert each scored 13 points.

The Nets’ bench outscored the Knicks’ bench 53-28 tonight and has scored 50+ points in nine of its last 10 games.

Off the bench with more than 10 points for the Nets were Trevor Booker with 14 points and nine rebounds; Quincy Acy, a relatively new pickup for the Nets, added 12 points and six rebounds; while Isaiah Whitehead chipped in 10 points.

In the win, the Nets also out-rebounded the Knicks 55-43 tonight and also edged New York 18-13 in second chance points and 21-12 in fast-break points.

With a win against the Knicks, the Nets hope to make it two-in-a-row, as they take on Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. Good luck.

Watch Video: Fans Talk About Charles Oakley's Ejection from Madison Square Garden by Knicks Owner Jim Dolan

In this video, NY Knicks fans weigh in on the former New York Knicks player Charles Oakley and NY Knicks owner Jim Dolan fiasco.

On February 8, 2017, during a New York Knicks vs. Los Angeles Clippers game at Madison Square Garden, NY Knicks owner Jim Dolan ordered Madison Square Garden security to eject Oakley from the arena.

From Oakley's radio interviews after he was tossed from The Garden, there appears to be a long-running dispute between former New York Knicks player and the Knicks owner, but no one seems to know why.

What's in dispute is was Charles Oakley behaving badly before security arrived as Dolan stated or, was Oakley's belligerent behavior caught on videotape was as a result of the way MSG security approached him to have him removed from the arena. Oakley was eventually ejected from the Madison Square Garden and arrested by NYPD.

Most NY Knicks fans find it hard to believe that Jim Dolan would treat Charles Oakley in the manner that he was treated and then almost immediately issued a press release insinuating that Oakley has problems and is in need of help.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver did try to mediate the issue between Oakley and Dolan with an in-person meeting on February 13, 2017, which included Michael Jordan by telephone. However, from interviews given by Oakley after the meeting, he needs time to process all that has happened in the last 10 days and won't be satisfied until Dolan issues a public apology.

To see more videos like this the moment they are uploaded to YouTube, subscribe to our YouTube Channel: 411SportsTV

Also, talk to us on social:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/411SportsTV
Instagram: http://instagram.com/411SportsTV
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/411SportsTV

Porzingas and Knicks bench lead the comeback to beat the Nets

On a day when Carmelo Anthony was relegated to the bench during the fourth quarter and Derrick Rose was inactive because of an injury, the New York Knicks staged a come from behind win with the use of Kristaps Porzingas, Willy Hernangomez, and Sasha Vujacic.

Porzingas scored 19 points and 12 rebounds and 12 of his points came in the fourth quarter. Hernangomez had 16 points and 16 rebounds and Vujacic added 12 points and made team history with his effort by converting a pair of four-point plays in the game.
Anthony has had better days; he scored 15 points by the third quarter (26:39 minutes), but on 6 of 22 from the field.

“It was tough, trying to get it going and muster up some energy from somewhere,” Anthony said in a postgame locker room interview. “But our second unit and our guys that came in off the bench picked it up for us, so we liked that. Today was a big day for us to get this win, especially after coming off a back-to-back and for guys to step up – for guys like Sasha (Vujacic) who haven’t been playing that much lately to come in ready when his number was called. Billy (Hernangomez) played extremely well tonight. And then K.P. (Kristaps Porzingis) also had a great game, so for those guys to pick it up like that and get us to a victory, we needed every piece of that tonight.”

The Knicks fourth quarter push was not lost on Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson.

“They picked up their intensity, picked up their heat, picked up their heat on the ball,” Atkinson said during a postgame presser. “We turned it over, we didn’t get the type of shots we wanted and then I thought they started getting second and third shots. And it’s tough to give any team in the NBA multiple shots at the rim, multiple possessions, and so I think that’s the story of the game really, story of the fourth quarter – us turning it over and then not being able to control the defensive boards. ”

Brooklyn Nets center and de facto team captain, Brook Lopez, thought the Knicks made better use of their second point chances.

“They hit some big shots,” said Lopez about the Knicks. “And, I think we were working hard, they just, they definitely made a lot of opportunity off their second chances throughout the game and that was definitely the key in the last five minutes down the stretch.”

Brooklyn Nets forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led all Nets scorers with 16 points, eight rebounds and three assists pretty much echoed Lopez’s thoughts on the outcome of the game.

“We could have done a better job of coming together, staying poised and doing what we did in the third quarter,” added Hollis-Jefferson. “I feel like there were a couple of times when I made mistakes, I mean we all made mistakes, but there are things we have to try and limit during the stretches where teams are making a run. And we can limit it from a 12-2 run to like a 4-or 6-2 run, and that’ll benefit us.”

Nets top scorers included Bojan Bogdanovic with 15 points and seven rebounds, Trevor Booker scored 12 points and eight rebounds; and Lopez and Caris LeVert each added 10 points.

The Nets fell to 9-40 overall and 7-18 at home with tonight’s loss. Next up for the Nets on Friday will be the Indiana Pacers at 7:30 p.m. at the Barclays Center.

Quincy Acy brings defensive abilities and physicality to the Brooklyn Nets

It’s been rumored, and now it’s done. The Brooklyn Nets have signed Quincy Acy to a multi-year contract, according to a press release issued by the team today.

This is a good move because, beyond Acy’s defensive skills, he brings a physicality that the Nets desperately need.

“He gives us a physicality I think you need in this league,” Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Acy on Saturday, according to Newsday.

Acy (6’7”, 240) was originally signed to a 10-day contract by the Nets on January 10 and inked a second 10-day contract on January 20. In 10 games with the Nets, Acy has averaged 7.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in 12.0 minutes per game, shooting 57.5 percent (23-of-40) from the field and 64.7 percent (11-of-17) from three-point range.

In five seasons split between Brooklyn, Dallas, Sacramento, New York and Toronto, Acy has appeared in 235 total NBA games, recording averages of 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game.

Acy was originally selected with the 37th overall pick (second round) of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Raptors after a four-year collegiate career at Baylor University.

Lack of execution, turnovers, and iso-ball give Nets its third straight loss

Dion Waiters is having a very productive week. On Monday, Waiters danced on Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson with 2.4 seconds left in the fourth and drained the go-ahead three-pointer to beat the western conference power 105-102. On Wednesday night, Waiters would send the Nets to the same fate.

The Miami Heat overcame an 18-point deficit to begin the fourth quarter and used a 15-2 run in final 4:35, setting up Waiters dagger trey, to lead the Heat to an exhilarating 109-106 victory. With 30 seconds remaining in the final period, Randy Foye found Trevor Booker in the paint for a layup that gave the Nets an opportunity for the win, down one, 104-103. And then it happened.

Wayne Ellington inbounded the ball to Waiters who streaked towards the ball behind the three-point line. He dribbled once defended by Foye, pulled up without hesitation and fired a high-arching, 27-footer, giving the Heat a 107-103 lead with 6.8 seconds left to play.

“I love those type of moments,” Waiters said post-game. “Coach just drew up a play, and I looked at (Ellington) and said, ‘give it to me, I want it.”

It was a play that capped off the Heat’s big fourth quarter in which they outscored the Nets 38-17. And it also highlights the stellar defense they played down the stretch, especially on Brook Lopez, who after torching the Heat for 26 first half points, was limited to a two-point fourth quarter.

With 4:35 remaining in the fourth, the Nets were in good shape. They were up by 10, 99-89 after two made free-throws by Lopez and had the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin and eliminate any chance of a Heat comeback, but they didn’t. They folded.

And while Lopez misfired on two consecutive trips on offense, the Heat, led by Goran Dragic and Waiters, spearheaded a 10-0 run capped off by Ellington’s three, that tied the game at 99-all with 2:16 remaining in the quarter.

A couple possessions later, with the Heat down one, 101-99 on two made free-throws by Nets rookie guard Caris LeVert, Miami rookie forward Okaro White buried a three, assisted by Waiters 102-101, which gave the Heat the lead for good.

“You know (Waiters) drew two at the end and I was wide open in that corner and he had that trust and the faith in me that I’ll knock it down and kicked it right to me,” White said post-game. “I went up into the shot and it was good so it’s nothing but God.”

At the end of the day, the Heat made shots when it counted and the Nets didn’t. The Nets also relied heavily on Lopez to create down the stretch and settled for “iso-ball”. It also doesn’t help that after Waiters’ layup cut the Nets lead to three 99-96 with 2:54 left to play, LeVert turned the ball over coming out of a timeout on the next possession.

After White’s three put the Heat up one, 102-101, the Nets left it up to Spencer Dinwiddie who missed a big three that could have put the Nets up two, with 43 seconds left. Late game execution has plagued the Nets all season long and on Wednesday night, it cost them another contest, this time against the Heat.

“I think we didn’t execute,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said post-game. “We started playing iso-ball and they turned us over a few times. We were missing shots, and then on the defensive end, we couldn’t get stops. You can’t give up 38 points in the fourth quarter, that’s way too many.”

Atkinson also said that he has to do a better job coaching, in finding the right balance between getting Lopez the ball and when to run plays and move the ball effectively for good shots. On too many occasions in the fourth, Atkinson said that Lopez wasn’t getting the ball in good positions to score and in doing so felt that it was up to him to save the day.

Despite his shortcomings, the Nets should’ve won this game and Lopez, who said post-game, that he has to do a better job of keeping the Nets offense going, knows that the Nets let one get away in large part to one single quarter.

“We really gave ourselves a chance for 40 minutes tonight, but obviously, it’s a full 48-minute game,” Lopez said post-game.

He led all scorers with a game-high 33 points. Bojan Bogdanovic added 17 points and LeVert, who broke Ellington’s ankles in the third quarter on a vicious crossover step-back three, recorded 12 points.

The hero of the game, Waiters scored a team-high 24 points and dished out eight assists while his backcourt mate, Dragic nearly clinched a double-double with 17 points and nine dimes. Ellington, who hit several big shots in this game and seemed eager to face his former team, handed the Nets 22 painful points off the bench and Willie Reed, another former Net scored 14 points.

This is a young team and you have to think that late game execution and defending for 48 minutes will be issues the Nets will tackle going forward. Like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Nets need to “Trust The Process,” and continue to learn from their mistakes to become a better team in the future.

The Nets will have Thursday off and then face the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers and with Lebron James voicing his disappointment in his team’s play as of late and the inability of his front-office to find a playmaker for their bench, this is the absolute worst time for the Nets to face the Cavaliers.

Following the Cavaliers, the Nets will still be on the road and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday and the Miami Heat in Miami on Monday. The Nets will be home on Wednesday, February 1 to play the other struggling New York team, the New York Knicks.

The Brooklyn Nets defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-110

A historical night in New York, while both Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump await results that will determine who will run the country, the Brooklyn Nets were the clear winner in this city. The Nets, seemingly unfazed by the election soared over the Minnesota Timberwolves 119-110 for the win.

Veteran Brook Lopez led his team with 26 points in only 28 minutes. After a small halftime lead (66-65), the Nets knew some offensive adjusting needed to be done.

“Coach (Kenny Atkinson) came in and said our guards only had three rebounds (at halftime),” Lopez said. “That was the battle … Once we had all five guys contributing on the defensive glass, it kind of took care of itself.”

Trevor Booker scored 15 points and Sean Kilpatrick added 14. At least 8 players on the Nets finished with at least eight points—something Kenny Atkinson was pleased with.

“We’re sharing the wealth a little more and in the perfect Utopian motion system, that’s what it should look like, where it’s really everybody’s touching it,” Atkinson said after the game.

Isaiah Whitehead, still in for the injured Jeremy Lin, handled the ball nicely for the Nets, along with some help from Kilpatrick. Whitehead had a little scare in the first quarter after T-Wolves power forward Gorgui Dieng accidently trampled his head. Overcoming the stint, Whitehead returned in the second quarter and finished with six points.

“I’m not sure how many charges he took tonight … Maybe two, but he tried to take like five charges,” Atkinson said while praising the Brooklyn native. “That’s Coney Island toughness.”

The win for Brooklyn will only build up momentum for the team after losing against the Hornets last Friday.

On Wednesday, the Nets will take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden—the first matchup between the New York teams of the season.

© 1993 - 2018 What's The 411 Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Please publish modules in offcanvas position.