la2ny
Starter
Bucks @ Knicks
(28-42) (35-36)
Music 4 2day
Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) and coach Mike D’Antoni think fatigue is the New York Knicks’ problem. Carmelo Anthony(notes) just wants everyone to relax.
A win could relieve some of the mounting pressure on all of them, and end a four-game slide.
The Knicks attempt to avoid another poor performance against the Milwaukee Bucks as they conclude their season series at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.New York (35-36) is proving to be a major disappointment since acquiring Anthony in a blockbuster deal from Denver last month. The team is 7-10 since his arrival, with six losses coming against teams with losing records.The Knicks became one of those teams Wednesday, dropping below .500 for the first time since November after falling 111-99 to Orlando. Stoudemire turned in a season-low 13 points while making 6 of 20 from the floor.
“Amar’e’s tired,” D’Antoni said. “We’ve worn him down a little bit and it showed.”
Stoudemire, third in the league with 25.8 points per game, agrees with his coach, but feels the entire team is suffering.“I think we’re all somewhat getting the fatigue factor setting in,” Stoudemire said. “But we’ll be OK.”Despite the struggles, New York is seventh in the Eastern Conference, 6 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Milwaukee (28-42) with 11 games remaining. That’s the main reason Anthony, averaging 24.3 points since joining the Knicks, feels everyone should calm down.
“We just need to relax,” he said. “I think it’s, we put too much pressure on ourselves. We’re losing games that we know we should be winning and we’re just putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. I think we’re playing too tense out there on the court, everybody just needs to relax. Just have fun.”The Knicks didn’t do that in a 100-95 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday, falling behind by 23 at the end of the first quarter and shooting 38.6 percent overall.
New York, though, took the most recent meeting at MSG, winning 114-108 as Anthony scored 27 points with 10 rebounds in his Knicks debut on Feb. 23.While the Knicks are trying to pull out of a tailspin, the Bucks are seeking momentum for a playoff push. They’re three games back of Indiana for the eighth and final playoff position in the East with 12 games left, including one versus the Pacers on April 1.
Milwaukee turned in its own poor performance Wednesday, losing 97-90 to last-place Sacramento after beating New York.“We just didn’t have the type of intensity and focus you’d like to see and understanding the enormity of the game, we were kind of passive,” coach Scott Skiles said.Carlos Delfino(notes) has been outstanding over the last three games, averaging 28.7 points on 63.0 percent shooting - 19 for 31 from 3-point range. That included 30 points Sunday while sinking 6 of 11 3s against the Knicks.
The swingman is scoring a career-high 12.6 points per game on the season.
Brandon Jennings(notes) is looking for a better effort after making just 2 of 7 shots for six points Wednesday. The guard came one assist shy of a triple-double in the last meeting with New York while also adding 14 points and 11 rebounds.
He’s totaled 16 points while missing 15 of 20 field goals over his last two visits to the Garden.
A win could relieve some of the mounting pressure on all of them, and end a four-game slide.
The Knicks attempt to avoid another poor performance against the Milwaukee Bucks as they conclude their season series at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.New York (35-36) is proving to be a major disappointment since acquiring Anthony in a blockbuster deal from Denver last month. The team is 7-10 since his arrival, with six losses coming against teams with losing records.The Knicks became one of those teams Wednesday, dropping below .500 for the first time since November after falling 111-99 to Orlando. Stoudemire turned in a season-low 13 points while making 6 of 20 from the floor.
“Amar’e’s tired,” D’Antoni said. “We’ve worn him down a little bit and it showed.”
Stoudemire, third in the league with 25.8 points per game, agrees with his coach, but feels the entire team is suffering.“I think we’re all somewhat getting the fatigue factor setting in,” Stoudemire said. “But we’ll be OK.”Despite the struggles, New York is seventh in the Eastern Conference, 6 1/2 games ahead of ninth-place Milwaukee (28-42) with 11 games remaining. That’s the main reason Anthony, averaging 24.3 points since joining the Knicks, feels everyone should calm down.
“We just need to relax,” he said. “I think it’s, we put too much pressure on ourselves. We’re losing games that we know we should be winning and we’re just putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. I think we’re playing too tense out there on the court, everybody just needs to relax. Just have fun.”The Knicks didn’t do that in a 100-95 loss at Milwaukee on Sunday, falling behind by 23 at the end of the first quarter and shooting 38.6 percent overall.
New York, though, took the most recent meeting at MSG, winning 114-108 as Anthony scored 27 points with 10 rebounds in his Knicks debut on Feb. 23.While the Knicks are trying to pull out of a tailspin, the Bucks are seeking momentum for a playoff push. They’re three games back of Indiana for the eighth and final playoff position in the East with 12 games left, including one versus the Pacers on April 1.
Milwaukee turned in its own poor performance Wednesday, losing 97-90 to last-place Sacramento after beating New York.“We just didn’t have the type of intensity and focus you’d like to see and understanding the enormity of the game, we were kind of passive,” coach Scott Skiles said.Carlos Delfino(notes) has been outstanding over the last three games, averaging 28.7 points on 63.0 percent shooting - 19 for 31 from 3-point range. That included 30 points Sunday while sinking 6 of 11 3s against the Knicks.
The swingman is scoring a career-high 12.6 points per game on the season.
Brandon Jennings(notes) is looking for a better effort after making just 2 of 7 shots for six points Wednesday. The guard came one assist shy of a triple-double in the last meeting with New York while also adding 14 points and 11 rebounds.
He’s totaled 16 points while missing 15 of 20 field goals over his last two visits to the Garden.
As a result of the Knicks effort I have come to my lowest in a long time, similar to the Knicks. So aslong as their effort is ****, my effort will be ****.
Prediction
......IDk Ask 'Antoni
Prediction
......IDk Ask 'Antoni
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