Preparing For Game 2
REVENGE!
Put aside trade talks for a while comrades. We've gotta kick these upstarts right in their lolly bags tonight!
It once looked like the New York Knicks would cruise to their first playoff berth in seven seasons. The teams behind them in the Eastern Conference seem to be catching up, with the Philadelphia 76ers leading the way.
The 76ers will try to move even closer to the Knicks on Sunday in the finale of a home-and-home set at Madison Square Garden.
New York (25-24) fell 100-98 at Philadelphia (23-26) on Friday for its ninth loss in 12 games. The Knicks shot 40.2 percent, missing 19 of 27 3-pointers.
?We gotta definitely look ourselves in the mirror collectively and play much better,? center Amare Stoudemire(notes) said. ?We?re slacking right now.?
The 76ers, in contrast, are the team on the rise as winners of six of seven. Elton Brand(notes) dominated the interior with a season-high 33 points and 16 rebounds, topping 30 points for the first time in three seasons with Philadelphia.
?Definitely a long time coming,? Brand said. ?Important game, game that means something. It?s February. We?re in playoff position right now. It?s absolutely what I came for.?
Philadelphia also won at New York 106-96 on Nov. 7. The 76ers have trailed heading into the fourth quarter before outscoring the Knicks by 11 in the final period in both meetings.
The Knicks rallied from an early 14-point deficit to take an 82-73 lead Friday heading into the final 12 minutes before faltering.
?Once we came back and took the lead, we let down,? Stoudemire said. ?We?ve done that before and we?ve got to correct it.?
Stoudemire has scored 21 points in each game against the Sixers, but missed 12 of 19 shots Friday. Danilo Gallinari(notes) averaged 28.0 points in his last two games, but is at 16.5 points on 34.8 percent in two matchups against Philadelphia, with Andre Iguodala(notes) defending him for long stretches.
?When you make Amare shoot 20 times to get 20 points, you are going to be in pretty good shape,? Sixers coach Doug Collins said. ??Dre did a magnificent job on Gallinari.?
Philadelphia can move within one game of New York on Sunday. The Knicks are trying to avoid falling to .500 for the first time since Nov. 28.
?You can?t put a lot of weight but at the same time, it?s a must win,? said point guard Raymond Felton(notes) about Sunday?s game. ?We gotta know the importance of that. It?s a team that?s right behind us.?
Iguodala had 18 points and a career-high 16 assists Friday for his sixth double-double along with no turnovers. He has 41 assists to six turnovers over his last five games.
Felton was also terrific with 26 points and nine assists, although he did not register an assist in the 16-point fourth quarter for New York.
?It always hurts to lose but I did think we played well,? coach Mike D?Antoni said. ?But they played well also. It was a good game and we had our chances.?
The Knicks are one of the best shot blocking teams in the NBA with 6.3 per game while the Sixers are one of the worst at 4.1. In the season series, however, New York has 11 blocks and Philadelphia 12.