Game Thread: New York Knicks vs Portland Trail Blazers 7:30 pm 11/22/2016 [Game#14]

The New York Knicks will attempt to achieve something they accomplished only six times last season when they host the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks (6-7) will seek to get to .500, a mark they weren't able to reach after January 20 last season when they finished 32-50.

New York has won three of its last four games and is coming off an impressive 104-94 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in which forward Carmelo Anthony poured in a season-high 31 points. With the many additions, including a new backcourt of Derrick Rose and Courtney Lee and center Joakim Noah, Anthony remains the centerpiece of the team.

The 32-year-old Anthony leads the Knicks in scoring (22.9 points per game), minutes played (33.1) and field goals made (8.5) and attempted (17.8). He added seven rebounds, three assists and two steals to his resume on Sunday.

The attention Anthony continues to draw each game has helped free up his frontcourt mate Kristaps Porzingis, who is averaging 20 points and seven rebounds.

"Without Melo (Anthony)," Porzingis said, "it would be so much more difficult (for me) to get 30 points, or whatever. People don't realize that. He draws a lot of attention. He's the main focus for the other team.

"That opens stuff for me. Without him it would be much more difficult. I'm happy to have aggressive guys like him and (Derrick) Rose so I can get those open looks."

Portland (8-7) ended a three-game losing streak with a 129-109 win over the Nets in Brooklyn on Sunday. C.J. McCollum led the attack with 33 points, five assists and five rebounds.

Swingman Evan Turner came off the bench to deliver his best performance since signing with Portland as a free agent from Boston. He scored 19 points and made eight of his 12 shots from the floor.

"I think you need to get in there a little bit," said Turner on finding his spots. "One of the biggest things is the consistency of it and talking about it. I think in the past four or five games, I have gotten to my spots. Things just haven't fallen, but once again, as a team and myself, we're just trying to build consistency.

"We need everybody clicking in order to win. Right now, we're starting to find more chemistry outside our main contributors, whether it be myself and Meyers (Leonard) trying to work the pick and roll -- I think that's the biggest thing."

Portland used a 27-9 run in the third quarter to pull away from the Nets.

"We pretty much took over the game in that quarter on the defensive end and that kind of sparked everything and I think that's what I was the most proud of," said Portland guard Damian Lillard.

"We had more of a presence on the ball. The first half I think we had trouble controlling the ball and from top to bottom guys were taking it from the perimeter and getting it to the rim. "

(cbssports.com)

first one to the thread! :thumbsup:
we better take care of that perimeter and make sure guys aren't getting clean easy looks for those 3s. and it looks like noah will not be in the line-up tonight.
let's get this!

Thanx for the Game Thread Rady .. This is the Game we turn into a .500 win team ..
I like the challenge of rookie Plumlee vs older brother Plumlee .. I still want Noah back.
We have to mainly focus on Lillard & McCollum .. Lillard is more focus on scoring this season rather than getting his teammates into the offense

Could get not only to .500 with a W but move up a notch to 7th in the standings with the Pacers idle. On the flip side, a loss would put us at 9 with the Bucks idle.

Yes, its too early to be talking about the playoffs but this is a game against a WC playoff team with an elite back court that we can make a statement with a win. Go Knicks.

Our defense has been suspect so far, but we're hanging around. We need to once again mix and match the lineup to get the right combinations to tighten up the defense without losing our ability to score.

We turn it on in the 2nd quarter and go from being down 9 to up 7. Keep it going. Let's go Knicks!

First half defense was bad giving up 58, but fortunately first half offense was good with us scoring 60 points led by Porzingis' 17 points

Jennings with 10 assists off the bench and we're still in the 3rd quarter. Can't remember the last time we had this good a passer on our roster

Kuz hits the 3 to tie the game at 81 going into the 4th quarter. This one is going to be a fight right until the end

Kuz with the 3 at the end of the 3rd ties the game 81-81. Jennings making things happen with 11 dimes.

Who would have guessed before the season started that Holiday, Kuz, and Willy would be the ones making plays for us in a close 4th quarter game

Plumlee blocks KP but KP gets it back and makes the bucket.

it's official: twilight melo era, dawn of kp6 era

This game is insane. We're up by 4 with a little less than 2 minutes to go. Need to close this one out

Melo cold in the qtr but KUZ with the 3 makes it 105-101 with 2mins left.

With 1:45 left in the game... NYK have attempted 1 FT this half (24 to 8 disparity in the game so far).... Melo is 2 for his last 11 shots.... Rose his usually inefficient self.... BUt KP in fire and both Kouzminkis and Hernangomez giving big minutes.... NYK up 4 trying to finish this and get back to .500. Rose did get 2 big buckets.... Lilars goes to FT line. Big surprise.

Lilard sinks 2 free throws. Melo gets his shot blocked... 53 seconds left... NYK up 2 and they have the ball. Will we win this?

Terrible shooting night for Melo, but he is playing hard to make plays in other aspects of the game like you're supposed to do. Ball needs to be in Rose's hands to close out this game. Get the open shot or find the open shooter

Clutch jumper from Rose to get the lead to 4 with 6.8 seconds to go

Rose cans the dagger! 107-103.... getting back to .500 would be huge....