Game Thread: New York Knicks vs San Antonio Spurs 1/2/2018 [Game #37]

rady

Administrator
Staff member

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(25-12) -- (18-18)

VenueTVTIME
Madison Square Garden, New York, NYMSG7:30 PM EST


Probable starters:


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Injury Report

San Antonio SpursNew York Knicks
Kawhi Leonard - Return from injury management (PROB)Tim Hardaway Jr. - Stress injury, lower left leg (OUT)
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Game Preview

NEW YORK -- The last time the New York Knicks played the San Antonio Spurs, LaMarcus Aldridge lit them up for 25 points and five other Spurs scored in double-figures in a 12-point win. Unfortunately for the Knicks, that was but a mere few days ago, as San Antonio scored a 119-107 home win over the Knicks on Dec. 28.

This time around, the game is being played on the Knicks' turf, as New York hosts San Antonio on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks, who snapped a four-game losing streak on Sunday in a 105-103 win at the Oklahoma City Thunder, will have to play stiffer defense on Tuesday against the Spurs, who shot better than 50 percent (41-of-80) from the field and 45 percent from 3-point range.

"Overall I thought we played well," Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said after that game. "We didn't get enough stops -- they shot 51 percent, and there were some tough matchups for us in there with Aldridge's size and (Pao) Gasol's length and passing. But we never quit, we battled back. The Spurs got a lot of 50-50 balls that they turned into 3-pointers at crucial times but our effort tonight was great."

When the Knicks first played San Antonio, the Spurs were without Kawhi Leonard and New York was without Tim Hardaway Jr. Now the Spurs should have Leonard back while the Knicks will still be without Hardaway, who remains out with a left leg stress injury.

Should Leonard return, he'll provide even more firepower to a Spurs frontcourt that already boasts to valuable veteran presences, one that was at the top of their game against the Knicks in their showdown last week.

"We are just playing well together right now," Gasol said after the win on Thursday. "We have to try to keep it up, to keep it going. LaMarcus and I have developed an understanding to where he can feel off my passing from a high post and that gives him an opportunity to get into deeper positions into go to work again smaller guys or later guys without any chance of getting double-teamed. I'm just reading the plays, trying to find the mismatches and attacking them. We want to maximize our size and shocked that it works. As a consequence, we have both been on the floor some more and that's helped our production."

New York has at times flashed a dominant front-court as well, but Kristaps Porzingis and Enes Kanter have been an even at times as well.

Against the Spurs, Porzingis had 18 points on 6-of-16 shooting and Kanter had just 12 points and six rebounds though he is averaging a double-double the season.

Two days later against the Thunder, Porzingis had 30 points.

"I'm learning how to make the right past when I get the ball, how to make the right pass or make the right play," Porzingis said on Monday. "I've been getting better at that but also still have moments when I'm too stagnant, whether I should drive by the guy and make something happen -- I'm just kind of looking for, waiting for the help to come and then trying to make a play. But I think I did a better job this last game; as soon as I got the ball I tried to make a move or do something and be aggressive right away."

(cbssports.com via STATS)
 

mafra

Legend
Rob Baker out bc AD fractured his face (yet somehow no foul was called, let alone a flagrant violation). Also, game is this evening (not afternoon).
 
Thanks again, Rady.

A stat that encourages me is that when KP scores 30 or more points, the Knicks are 9 - 2. To me, that means his big games are winning games for this team and not just meaningless stat sheet stuffing.
 

mafra

Legend
So.... in the entire first half.... Leonard attempts 6 FTs.... only 1 other attempt by Spurs... KP takes 2 FTs, no other NYK attempts a FT shot.

I?ve never seen a game where the home team takes 2 FTs in first half....

Thomas is leading scorer. Hits a 3 as buzzer sounds.... his third 3 of the game.
 

mafra

Legend
End of third gets a little odd. SA throws pass that goes thru hoop for 3, but refs miss it and it?s supposed to be NYK ball. SA bench goes crazy so refs are baffled and call timeout then decide to review an unreviewable play. Crazy. Just when you thought officiating couldn?t get worse...
 

mafra

Legend
KP hasn?t hit a shot in the second half (2 minutes left).... SA with a 32-13 FT disparity. Even better than the +17 advantage Spurs had in SA. Refs did us no favors, but KP has 13 points....
 

Broadway

All Star
End of third gets a little odd. SA throws pass that goes thru hoop for 3, but refs miss it and it’s supposed to be NYK ball. SA bench goes crazy so refs are baffled and call timeout then decide to review an unreviewable play. Crazy. Just when you thought officiating couldn’t get worse...


I've been watching Hip-hop videos all day but took breaks to boxscore watch game on ESPN and jump back and forth on Twitter. Sure nuff I see a tweet on this very play. I mean are you kidding lol

The other night OKC loses a game where the league said they messed up but the play wasn't reviewable because they didn't blow a whistle but tonight stop play 7-10sec into the next play to review and overturn resulting in the longest delayed whistle ever in the history of the NBA

Might as well throw this season in Rice...I'm only looking towards March and the summer, refs can't mess that up.
 
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RunningJumper

Super Moderator
I've been watching Hip-hop videos all day but took breaks to boxscore watch game on ESPN and jump back and forth on Twitter. Sure nuff I see a tweet on this very play. I mean are you kidding lol

The other night OKC loses a game where the league said they messed up but the play wasn't reviewable because they didn't blow a whistle but tonight stop play 7-10sec into the next play to review and overturn resulting in the longest delayed whistle ever in the history of the NBA

Might as well throw this season is Rice...I'm only looking towards March and the summer, refs can't mess that up.
This post is the most convincing reason for tanking I've ever seen:lol:.
 
Kawhi Leonard has only played 7 games all season, but we got him twice and the Spurs handled us convincingly in both games. Not much for me to take away from this game. Spurs execute on a level we can only dream to achieve most of the time. Just need to move forward and try to keep growing as a team. Let?s go Knicks!
 

rady

Administrator
Staff member
Oh snap, i only had time to create the game thread, double checked the content but missed the title. Then went to my GF and closed all my internet connections because i wanted to see the game the next day without any spoilers..
Anyway, that three ball was almost as weird as Beasley's shot from earleier the game when it went in and out and in again, lol

Happy new year everybody, btw! Hope everyone had a great holiday!
 

tiger0330

Legend
I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of Frank but is he the least exciting PG taken in this draft. 19 and 6'5 kid should be able to push the pace and not play the slow methodical game he plays.
 

mafra

Legend
I think Frank is playing conservatively, timid so he?ll avoid making mistakes and doing the wrong thing. It?s disappointing that he?s not flashed super star potential, bc he?s yet to have even 1 monster game. But I think it?s safe to say he?s not a bust.... total waste of space.

For me, how he returns next year and the steps he takes forward next year and the year after that.... will define the kid. He?s 19 and playing in the NBA.... I?ll cut him some slack and give him time to grow. The frame is there....
 

Kiyaman

Legend
I'm admittedly not the biggest fan of Frank but is he the least exciting PG taken in this draft. 19 and 6'5 kid should be able to push the pace and not play the slow methodical game he plays.

The 19 yr old rookie could use some help in the back-court by having the same tandem guard in his lineup to help mentor his talents at the guard spot ..
Frank has raw fresh talent that need to be develop in the same lineup in his rookie season, to get familiar with the players in his lineup to get comfortable creating new offense/defense into the Knicks rotation. a 2nd unit lineup of Frank / Sessions / Mcderm / Quinn / Noah would have been ideal to put on the court every night for 3 to 4 weeks to gain team chemistry among the lineups.
This game vs the Spurs showed us again that KP is not a number 1 nor a number 2 option on offense, nor is KP a 30 minute player every night.
I like the idea of SG Lee receiving over 24 minute of playing-time per game, but Lee does not have the talent or creativeness to be on the court above 28 minute of playing-time in every game. Lee should be averaging 27 minutes per as a SG.
When we look at Beasley / Mcderm / and Lance we need to look at what we need in a game to win .. do we need more scoring offense then Beasley should get the most minutes of the three players .. do we need more Defensive effort than Lance should get the most minutes of the 3, if we need both than Mcderm should get the most minute of the 3 .. all 3 players need to stay in the SF spot bc all 3 players are to weak to play the 4 spot.
Noah / Kanter / and Quinn are the main out line of the Knicks becoming a .500 team this season .. which ever PG they co-exist with best between Jack / Session / Frank will make the Knicks a better team this season.
So far Kanter n Jack co-exist well, and Quinn n Frank co-exist well .. Horn need to stop experimenting with different lineups each game and start building two co-existing lineups !!!
 
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