Post Game Reaction: Thunder 116 Knicks 105
The New York Knicks were in OKC to play the Thunder in their last game before the All-Star game. The Knicks played one of their best games on Sunday against the Spurs, so I was curious to see what would happen tonight against the Thunder. The effort did not translate as the Knicks lost 116-105. The effort was good for one quarter but after that the Knicks just looked bad. As usual the defense was a problem and the Knicks had no answer for Westbrook, who tore up the Knicks defense. Lets break it down.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Knicks showed up in the 1st. If you have been watching these Knicks you know that 1st quarters have been a problem. Tonight was different as the offense looked sharp and the defensive effort was there. They outscored the Thunder 39-27 in the 1st and shot 73% from the field. Melo led all scorers with 19pts on 7-8 from the field. He was making shot after shot as there was no answer for him. Things looked really good in the 1st and you got to see some of the potential that this team has but once the 2nd quarter started things took a turn for the worst.
The next 3 quarters were bad for the Knicks. A 17-point lead evaporated as the Knicks trailed going into half-time. The biggest difference was the Knicks offense went stagnant. They started getting back to their old habits of holding the ball and settling for too many jump-shots, while playing heavy isolation. Once their offense struggled you knew the defense was not far behind. They struggled to contain Westbrook as he got another triple-double with 36pts 14rebs 12asts. The Knicks scored a grand total of 66pts after the 1st quarter, while the Thunders scored 89pts. That was the difference in this one.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
This offense relies way too much on individual shot-making ability and that is why they are a bad team right now. Melo hit his first 8 shots, then went on to miss his next 7 of 9 shots. Melo finished with 30pts. Porzingis also started 3 of 4 and then missed 8 straight. During that stretch of missing shots the Knicks went from leading to trailing. This team is so much about isolation ball that when they can't hit shots, they struggle on offense. On their 41 field goals, they had 19 assists. They also only took 14 free throws. That is not going to get it done. If you play heavy iso you need to get to the line more or the offense will always have peaks and valleys. In comparison the Thunder had 21 assists on 41 field goals but attempted 31 free throws. The Knicks also got pounded on the boards 48 to 39 and gave up 12 offensive rebounds.
Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Porzingis another rough night. He made 3 of hist first 4 shots and then got totally lost. He missed his next eight and you could see that the physicality got to him. He struggled to beat guys like Sabonis, Grant or Adams. Until he gets stronger he is going to struggle when teams play physical with him. He looks lost on too many occasions on offense. He needs to get stronger this summer to compete with some of the bigger and physical defenders. Porzingis also needs to learn how to play better with his back to the basket. The Knicks need his offense because when Melo is off the court, the Knicks struggle.
Overall this game just showed you why the Knicks are a below .500 team with so much potential. The 1st quarter showed what this offense could look like. But then the next 3 quarters we saw what happens when this team does not move the ball and get stagnant. Lets face it the Knicks are always going to be an average defensive team on a good night, so they need to become more efficient on offense to counteract their bad defense. They must look to run more pick and rolls and get to the free throw line more. They cannot rely on long jump-shots on a consistency basis because you are not going to make them all the time as we saw tonight.
On a side note Westbrook got his 27th triple-double. His two fastest ones have been against the Knicks. 25mins the first time around and 29mins tonight. For the Knicks both Melo and Hernangomez will be headed to the All-star weekend. Hernangomez for the young rising stars game and Melo for the All-star game. Congrats to both.
