Don't let the
124-84 final score fool you, this game was not that close. If you ever needed a visual representation of two teams heading in opposite directions, watch the tape of this game.
I stand by the statement I made earlier this year, that the New York Knicks are the worst franchise in professional sports today. However, that does not mean watching them is not enjoyable. In fact, I always enjoy watching the Knicks play, it has the air of a car crash, or a train wreck. You don't really want to watch, but it's something different, something awful, most nights, something you've never seen before.
Case in point: Before this game was completely out of hand (which means it was pretty darn early) Andre Iguodala had the ball on the wing, with Reggie Evans on the low block. Against better judgment, Iguodala actually threw the ball to Evans. He received the ball with his back to the basket about 8 feet from the hoop, or 7.5 feet beyond his range. Here's where things get fun.
The Knicks double teamed Reggie Evans! Read that again. Yes, apparently Zach Randolph needs help to handle Reggie Evans in the low post. Reggie passes out of the double, Iguodala swings to Miller at the top of the key who swings to Willie Green on the opposite wing for a wide-open three, which he hits. That, dear readers, is New York Knicks basketball.
Speaking of Evans, he got the start tonight presumably to give the Sixers a little more size to match up with the Knicks two
fat big men, Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. The Sixers forced turnovers, ran at every opportunity and really made this game ugly early. After the half, the only question was whether the Sixers would be able to win by 50. If not for a late run by the Knicks, they would have.
Thad Young turned in a great game off the bench, setting a new career high by scoring 20 points on 8/11 from the floor with 8 boards, 1 assist and 2 steals in 24 minutes of action. Willie Green bounced back from a horrible game in Minnesota last night to lead the Sixers in scoring with 21. Iguodala toyed with whichever Knick was on him throughout the night and finished with 19. Andre Miller chipped in a solid double-double with 12 and 10, and Sammy chipped in with 8 points/9 boards/2 blocks in limited action.
For the Knicks, Nate Robinson was impressive with a 2/10 shooting night in 31 minutes of action. Eddy Curry had his best game in weeks with 12 points and 6 rebounds and Zach Randolph managed to go the entire game without having a
water fight with anyone.
It's hard to pull anything meaningful from the final 44 minutes or so of this game, other than the Knicks are out of shape, lazy, poorly coached, poorly constructed and expensive and the Sixers are pretty much the opposite of all of those things. Early on, though, there was one thing that caught my eye. On the Sixers first possession, Andre Miller gave the ball up to Andre Iguodala in the backcourt and swapped positions with him. The Sixers cleared his side of the floor and Miller took Nate directly down to the blocks. The Knicks doubled him, Sammy dove to the hole for an easy layup. No wasted time, if you start the game with a huge mismatch, attack it early and often. Great coaching move by Mo to kick start the half-court offense.
Check out
Stop Mike Lupica for a Knick fan's perspective on this game.
Player of The Game: Willie Green
Team Record: 24-31
Playoff Race: 8th place, .5 behind the Nets who beat Chicago in overtime.
I'm down in North Carolina - how's Thad scoring his points these days? Is it still all layups and occasional open jump shots?
Tonight it was mostly work down low. I think his first six came on fast breaks, he had 4 at the line, a couple of put-backs on offensive boards and at least one pretty move in the post where he abused David Lee.
He also hit at least two jumpers from 16-18 feet that I can remember. He only took 11 shots for the 20 points, so very efficient. I think he's going to be able to extend his range on the jumper, they're just taking it slow.
Embarrassing. I turned on the TV, saw that it was 72-36 at halftime, and congraulated myself on investing in NBA League Pass. I watched the Mavs-Hornets game (good lord, I've become a closet Hornets fans over the last three months).
As for the Knicks... they had shown effort the previous month, so this was a bit of a surprise. A throwback performance, if you will. But the result says it all - the Knicks are just a sorry ass team, with no leadership and no direction right now.
The 76ers look much better, as they at least have an identity. What they need is some more offense, and then the 76ers will be scary in a weakened Eastern Conference that is there for the taking.
The Sixers are really funny when you think about it. They're probably the only running team in the NBA who doesn't put up 100/game. Over their last 10, they've been trying to run their half-court offense kind of like a fast break, it's all dribble penetration and cutting through the lane, looking for a crease, very little perimeter game. Against good defensive teams, or more accurately, good zones, it's really tough to do, but it's fun to watch them try.
Their best option in the half court is miller in the post with a PG on him. Sad, and funny.