Post Game Reaction: Pelicans 110 Knicks 96
Another poor game by the New York Knicks as they got blown out by the New Orleans Pelicans 110-96. This was a hard one to watch and as usual the effort on defense was an issue. The Knicks had no answer for Anthony Davis tonight. Here are a few of my observations.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Anthony Davis put on show. If you went to the Garden tonight you got to see one of the best young players on display. Davis finished with 40pts and 18rebs. He just kept destroying the Knicks all night. He beat them with his jump-shot and his inside game. The Knicks were no match for him tonight. He was special to watch and did all this in 29 minutes after leaving with an injury.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2 Knicks get ejected. Melo and O'Quinn both got ejected in this one. Melo with 2 T's in a span of a few seconds during a timeout. He was not happy with not getting a foul call. That is Melo's third ejection of the game. It did not really matter as the Knicks were already down 18-20 points at that point. Melo was actually playing well at the time with 18 pts. O'Quinn got tossed after getting a flagrant foul 2. He deserved it as he clearly hit Davis hard as he went up for the shot. It was an ugly game all together.
Knicks defense a major issue. Another game and another loss and defense has been the biggest issue. The Pelicans scored 110 points, 5 over their average. They also shot 48% from the field and 44% from the three-point line. They made 12 threes, had 15 fast break points and 36 paint points. They basically were able to do whatever they wanted on offense. The Knicks just are not putting any effort on that end and it is showing on a consistent basis in every game.
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Knicks are a mess right now. The Knicks 2 weeks ago looked like a playoff contender and even had the potential to get to the second round and now it looks really bad. They are not playing any defense and their offense has become very stagnant. The Knicks are sitting at 17-21 and I am not sure how things can get better. This is an older team and don't have many options to chance things up. Ron Baker is not the answer. Maybe its time to blow things up and trade players like Melo and Rose? This team does not look like a playoff team. The worst part is that through the first 38 games, the Knicks have not had any major injuries and are still 4 games below .500.
This was one of the worst losses on the season because the Knicks lacked any effort tonight. You would have thought after the no-show against the Pacers, they would have played with more urgency. This team is in free fall, I am not sure things will get fixed. On top of that Rose was a mysterious scratch. Before tip-off all signs pointed to him playing and all of sudden he was scratched from the lineup. From some reports it looks like the coaching staff and some players were not sure why Rose did not play. Another thing to add to this mess.
