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.

If the Knicks are to enjoy any success this season as overachievers, Carmelo Anthony has to be the star of the show

If you are a New York Knicks fan, there is no point in looking into the past. A brand new season is upon us. It’s a clean slate; and last season was one of the worst seasons in franchise history. As hard as it is to gain any sense of optimism regarding the Knicks chances this season, there’s actually a good reason why you should invest your precious time. Phil Jackson, the Knicks president struck out when it came to the top free agents like LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe but what he did do was put together a team full of solid players who can play in the triangle offense.

Robin Lopez signed on for four years and $54-million. Kyle O’Quinn was acquired in a sign-and-trade with the Orlando Magic. Former Laker and Jackson disciple, Sasha Vujacic, a sharp shooter, provides the Knicks with a legitimate deep threat. Aaron Afflalo, a former teammate of Carmelo Anthony will start at the two. And other signees like Kevin Seraphin, Derrick Williams, draft picks: Kristaps Porzingis (4th overall), Jerian Grant (19th overall, traded to Knicks), Louis Amundson and Lance Thomas round out the offseason moves.

Anything done with the mindset of improving the team from last year should be commended and regarding the Knicks, they definitely improved. They got bigger, tougher, added some perimeter scoring and most importantly brought in players who they believe can be system players.

Although preseason doesn’t mean much, the new personnel showed signs of what to expect this season. Williams looked like an early candidate for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Melo was in mid-season form after enduring left knee surgery in February, which kept him off the court following the All-Star break. And for a change, the Knicks actually showed some life on the defensive end of the floor.

They looked energized, collecting steals and plenty of blocks, highlighting the athletic ability of Williams and the length of Porzingis, which will be a strength for the Knicks this season. In addition to Williams, Lopez was acquired primarily to anchor the Knicks on the defensive end along with Seraphin and O’Quinn, so the Knicks should be able to prevent teams from dominating on offense in the post.

Like the defense, the bench should also be a plus this season. Williams sports the kind of game that can lead the 2nd unit on offense. Rookie, Grant is a four-year collegiate athlete who does a great job penetrating the lane to make plays for himself and others. Langston Galloway, who plays on both ends, feels like he has a chip on his shoulder, going undrafted last year out of St. Joe’s and Cleanthony Early is looking to enjoy a better sophomore campaign.

The Knicks bench probably won’t lead the league in bench scoring, but you can bet that they will defend and provide a much-needed spark transitioning from the starters. And most importantly, they are young. There’s a lot to like with this Knicks team and in the bright spots that reflect the 2015-16 version of the Knicks, there are also many questions.

Questions surrounding Porzingis and how well he plays in his first season in the association will arise. Porzingis will play the most basketball he has ever played in his life and will matchup with the cream-of-the-crop in big men on a nightly basis. Can he handle it? Since he was drafted, Porzingis has spent this summer getting stronger, adding 11 pounds of muscle to his wiry frame to be able to bang down low with a game that represents Euro basketball well. According to multiple sources, Porzingis has spent significant time working on his back to the basket game after practice. But like every rookie, Porzingis, as talented as he is as a 7-footer, will experience some growing pains and how he handles adversity will be essential to his development.

Is Melo completely healthy? If the Knicks are to enjoy any success this season as overachievers, Melo has to be the star of the show like he is paid to be. Melo has to put this team on his back and be a reliable source of points whenever the Knicks need it, especially in the fourth quarter. Although Melo has to lead this team in scoring, he does have to be a model citizen as the leader of this group and with scoring, prioritize moving the ball and playing defense for the best possible outcome.

Can Derek Fisher coach and will the Knicks remain healthy are other questions that the orange and blue must answer this season if they plan to qualify for the playoffs. The Knicks will take on the Milwaukee Bucks in its season opener and it seems like health is already an issue.

Afflalo will miss the season opener due to a strained left hamstring, joined by Amundson (sore lower back) and Seraphin (sore right knee).

Not too long ago, Melo compared this Knicks team to the New York Mets who are currently in the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. Melo sees comparisons in how his Knicks and the Mets had to rebuild and craft a team that can win at a high level. Unfortunately for Melo and co. the Knicks aren’t World Series ready, but the 8th seed is definitely within reach.