The season to date: We are 2 and 5. Acknowledged that this is not a good record. However, apart from one game, the team has been in every contest. We were 2 and 1 for the last 3 games and finding some good form.
The build up: I brought my Knicks to the Staple Center after a heartbreaking O/T loss in Utah.
After a slow start to the season, the team had started to play well together. I had made some alterations to the line up with Nate starting at the two-guard position alongside Marbs. Crawford had been playing well as a 6th man. I had got some good minutes off the bench from Qyntel Woods in the game at Utah, so I was looking to use him more this game. I don’t really have a ‘defensive stopper’, so I’ve been using Lee in that role. He’d been getting burned though…so Woods was getting a lot of his minutes. Overall, despite my 2 and 5 record, the team has been playing solid and “in” most games.
The challenge: Stopping Kobe. Before this game, I checked the stats and he was the top scorer in the league at 33 ppg.
LA’s record was also 2 and 5…so both teams were desperate.
The tactics: I decided to start with ¼ court man to man and double Kobe. Offensively, I wanted to get Marbury scoring early. He’s been averaging around 9 assists per game…but I figured I needed his offense more than anything this game.
The game: The players took the court…and I don’t know if there’s a better sight in basketball than the blue away jerseys of the Knicks up against the yellow home jerseys of the Lakers at the Staples Center. There’s just ‘something’ about Knicks v Laker games.
From the tip off…it was all LA.
Kobe scored the first 9 points…including a steal and breakaway dunk that got the crowd into the game early.
Marbury could get nothing going…so I went inside to my bigs.
Unfortunately, my entire front line had nights to forget.
The Lakers sat on a 10-15 point lead throughout almost the entire game. Kobe was just unstoppable. It was almost impossible to stay in front of him on D…he’d drive by my defenders and either pull up for 15 footer or drive to the hoop / get to the free throw line. When my double teams arrived in time…he was dishing out to Smush Parker and Lamar Odom who just killed me with uncontested J’s.
By games end the final score was Lakers 79 Knicks 59.
Yes…I was held to 59 points.
A disgraceful effort.
My starters stats really paint the picture of what went wrong:
Curry 2 points (1 from 8)
Davis 6 points (3 from 9)
Lee 6 points (3 from 6)
Nate 6 (3 from 9)
Marbs 21 and 9 (11/25 shooting though)
6th man: Crawford went 0 from 7 from 3-point land.
The only positive was Qyntel Woods off the bench playing some decent D and getting 5 and 5.
Just a brutal, brutal night overall though and one the team needs to forget quickly.
The Knicks now move on to Denver for the final game in this six game road trip…
The build up: I brought my Knicks to the Staple Center after a heartbreaking O/T loss in Utah.
After a slow start to the season, the team had started to play well together. I had made some alterations to the line up with Nate starting at the two-guard position alongside Marbs. Crawford had been playing well as a 6th man. I had got some good minutes off the bench from Qyntel Woods in the game at Utah, so I was looking to use him more this game. I don’t really have a ‘defensive stopper’, so I’ve been using Lee in that role. He’d been getting burned though…so Woods was getting a lot of his minutes. Overall, despite my 2 and 5 record, the team has been playing solid and “in” most games.
The challenge: Stopping Kobe. Before this game, I checked the stats and he was the top scorer in the league at 33 ppg.
LA’s record was also 2 and 5…so both teams were desperate.
The tactics: I decided to start with ¼ court man to man and double Kobe. Offensively, I wanted to get Marbury scoring early. He’s been averaging around 9 assists per game…but I figured I needed his offense more than anything this game.
The game: The players took the court…and I don’t know if there’s a better sight in basketball than the blue away jerseys of the Knicks up against the yellow home jerseys of the Lakers at the Staples Center. There’s just ‘something’ about Knicks v Laker games.
From the tip off…it was all LA.
Kobe scored the first 9 points…including a steal and breakaway dunk that got the crowd into the game early.
Marbury could get nothing going…so I went inside to my bigs.
Unfortunately, my entire front line had nights to forget.
The Lakers sat on a 10-15 point lead throughout almost the entire game. Kobe was just unstoppable. It was almost impossible to stay in front of him on D…he’d drive by my defenders and either pull up for 15 footer or drive to the hoop / get to the free throw line. When my double teams arrived in time…he was dishing out to Smush Parker and Lamar Odom who just killed me with uncontested J’s.
By games end the final score was Lakers 79 Knicks 59.
Yes…I was held to 59 points.
A disgraceful effort.
My starters stats really paint the picture of what went wrong:
Curry 2 points (1 from 8)
Davis 6 points (3 from 9)
Lee 6 points (3 from 6)
Nate 6 (3 from 9)
Marbs 21 and 9 (11/25 shooting though)
6th man: Crawford went 0 from 7 from 3-point land.
The only positive was Qyntel Woods off the bench playing some decent D and getting 5 and 5.
Just a brutal, brutal night overall though and one the team needs to forget quickly.
The Knicks now move on to Denver for the final game in this six game road trip…
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