New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks
(31-29, 14-16 away) | (37-25, 18-10 home)
Date: March 6, 2011
6:30PM ET
Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
TV: ESPN, MSG
Atlanta, GA
<table class="season-leaders" cellspacing="4"><thead><tr class="periods"><th> </th> <th style="text-align: left;">Points</th> <th style="text-align: left;">Rebounds</th> <th style="text-align: left;">Assists</th> </tr> </thead> <tbody> <tr><td class="team">NY</td><td style="text-align: left;">Anthony 26.5</td><td style="text-align: left;">Stoudemire 8.4</td><td style="text-align: left;">Billups 6.0</td></tr><tr><td class="team">ATL</td><td style="text-align: left;">Johnson 19.2</td><td style="text-align: left;">Horford 9.9</td><td style="text-align: left;">Johnson 5.3</td></tr></tbody></table>
Gameday Matchup
<table class="mod-data"><thead><tr class="team-color-strip"><th> </th><th style="border-bottom-color: rgb(34, 94, 168); text-align: right; line-height: 25px;" width="30%">New York
</th><th style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 43, 92); text-align: right; line-height: 25px;" width="30%">Atlanta
</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="odd"><td style="text-align: left;">W-L</td><td style="text-align: right;">31-29</td><td style="text-align: right;">37-25</td></tr><tr class="even"><td style="text-align: left;">Avg Points</td><td style="text-align: right;">106.4</td><td style="text-align: right;">96.1</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td style="text-align: left;">Avg Points Allowed</td><td style="text-align: right;">105.8</td><td style="text-align: right;">95.3</td></tr><tr class="even"><td style="text-align: left;">Home Record</td><td style="text-align: right;">17-13</td><td style="text-align: right;">18-10</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td style="text-align: left;">Road Record</td><td style="text-align: right;">14-16</td><td style="text-align: right;">19-15</td></tr><tr class="even"><td style="text-align: left;">Current Streak</td><td style="text-align: right;">L1</td><td style="text-align: right;">L1</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td style="text-align: left;">Last 10</td><td style="text-align: right;">5-5</td><td style="text-align: right;">4-6</td></tr></tbody></table>
Last 5 Games
<table class="mod-data"><thead><tr class="team-color-strip"><th style="border-bottom-color: rgb(34, 94, 168); text-align: left;" width="30%">New York</th><th style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 43, 92); text-align: left;" width="30%">Atlanta</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr valign="top"> <td style="text-align: left;">Mar 04 CLE Loss 119-115
Mar 02 NO Win 107-88
Mar 01 @ORL Loss 116-110
Feb 27 @MIA Win 91-86
Feb 25 @CLE Loss 115-109
</td> <td style="text-align: left;">Mar 04 OKC Loss 111-104
Mar 02 CHI Win 83-80
Feb 28 @DEN Loss 100-90
Feb 27 @POR Win 90-83
Feb 25 @GS Win 95-79</td></tr></tbody></table>
The New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks have both played their last two games without key starters. Each club earned a victory in the first game before a disappointing loss in the second.
It's unclear if the Knicks' Chauncey Billups or the Hawks' Josh Smith will suit up Sunday night when these teams meet at Philips Arena.
Billups has missed the last two games for New York (31-29) since he bruised his left thigh in Tuesday's 116-110 loss at Orlando. The Knicks won 107-88 over New Orleans on Wednesday without him before Friday's 119-115 home loss to lowly Cleveland.
"It's a tough loss," star forward Carmelo Anthony said. "I really don't want to say it's embarrassing, but it is a tough loss ... knowing how important it is to take care of home court."
Toney Douglas, a Georgia native, has started the last two games in place of Billups and averaged 17.5 points and 5.0 assists.
Smith, second on the Hawks (37-25) in scoring (16.7 points per game) and rebounding (8.7), has been out with a right knee ligament sprain. Atlanta won 83-80 over Chicago on Wednesday without him, then lost 111-104 to Oklahoma City on Friday.
Hawks coach Larry Drew has used a bigger lineup without Smith, inserting Jason Collins alongside Al Horford in his frontcourt.
Smith's possible absence could be a huge boost to the Knicks. He has averaged 17.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three meetings this season.
Atlanta won the first two matchups before a 102-90 loss Feb. 16 in New York. That was the Knicks' final game before acquiring Billups and Anthony, and the Hawks realize they will be seeing a different opponent.
"Obviously with the changes they have made, it's going to be a grind," Drew said. "It's going to be a game that we're going to have bring playoff intensity and playoff energy. Anything less, it could be a disappointing night for us."
New York may also be short-handed in its frontcourt since center Ronny Turiaf sat out Friday with a sore left knee. Jared Jeffries received his first start, with All-Star Amare Stoudemire sliding to center.
Atlanta will present a different look with Kirk Hinrich, acquired from Washington on Feb. 23, starting the last two games at point guard. Hinrich had 21 points Friday for his highest total since Nov. 19.
Drew felt that Smith's energy was sorely missed against the Thunder, who become the fourth team to score more than 110 points against the Hawks.
"These teams are going to bring energy, they're going to bring intensity," the coach said. "We have to bring ours."
The Knicks have struggled defensively while splitting six games since their roster changes, allowing 115 points or more in each of the losses.
"I think the more we practice, the more we communicate off the court, the more we sit down and really talk about our schemes, and then the quicker we can execute, the better we'll be defensively," Stoudemire said.
Stoudemire matched a season high with 41 points and Anthony had 29 on Friday.
Stoudemire's 29.7 points per game at Philips Arena are his most in any building while Anthony's 39.6 percent shooting there is his second-lowest mark.
-ESPN.com
OFFICIAL JPZ PREDICTION
Knicks- 109
Hawks- 101
presents
JPZ17's
FAVE 5 KEYS TO WINNING
- Billups must play!! and be healthy!
- Amare needs to get past the Hawks solid defense and still score
- Let Fields shoot more, seriously. The man doesn't miss..
- Don't play Jared Jeffries, he sucks
- Don't get into a fight..
- On March 6th 1996 Patrick Ewing grabs nine rebounds in 89-82 win at Toronto, passing Willis Reed (8,414) for first place on the Knicks all-time rebounding list
- On March 6th 1970 Knicks become the first team in NBA history to surpass the 1 million mark in regular-season total attendance in 107-103 victory versus San Diego Rockets at Madison Square Garden.
- Amar?e Stoudemire and Hawks forward Josh Smith competed against each other in the 2005 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Smith edged Stoudemire in the finals to claim the title
- Anthony Carter was born and raised in Atlanta
- Toney Douglas went to high school in the Atlanta area
- Shelden Williams was selected by Atlanta in the first round (fifth overall) of 2006 NBA Draft
HAWKS
PG...........SG..........SF..........PF...........C
HINRICH--------JOHNSON---------WILLIAMS---------SMITH-----------HORFORD
KNICKS
PG...........SG..........SF..........PF...........C
BILLIPS---------FIELDS---------ANTHONY---------STOUDEMIRE---------TURIAF
JPZ17's Key matchup
Amare Stoudemire vs Josh Smith
JPZ17's Player Pressure
Which Knicks is under the most pressure to succeed????
The answer: Chauncey Billups
Knicks fan anxiously await Billups' return as the Knicks have struggled without him. They probably would have beat Cleveland pretty easily with Billups, so now we need him to be healthy and in the game.
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