Game thread: New York Knicks vs Denver Nuggets 7:30 3/22/2019 [Game #73]

Thanks, Kiya.

Surprised to see Ntilikina play again before the end of the season. Disappointed to see DSJ is out possibly several more games. Hope Knox can keep up his strong recent improvement on offense.
 

rady

Administrator
Staff member

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(48-22) -- (14-58)

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



Probable starters:

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Injury Report

Denver NuggetsNew York Knicks
Michael Porter Jr - Low back surgery (OUT)Frank Ntilikina - Sore groin (QUEST)
-Kadeem Allen - Illness (PROB)
-Noah Vonleh - Sprained right ankle (QUEST)
-Allonzo Trier - Strained left calf (OUT)
-Dennis Smith Jr - Sore lower back (OUT)


Game Preview

With a playoff berth secured, the task for the Denver Nuggets is to complete the regular season in historic fashion.

The objective the rest of the way for the New York Knicks is equally noteworthy, albeit in an entirely different fashion.

Two teams traveling opposite paths will meet Friday night when the NBA-worst Knicks host the surging Nuggets at Madison Square Garden.

The Nuggets will be completing the second game of a back-to-back set after beating the host Washington Wizards 113-108 on Thursday night. The Knicks were off Thursday after falling to the visiting Utah Jazz 137-116 on Wednesday night.

The win was the fifth in a row for the Nuggets (48-22), who clinched a playoff berth when they began a four-game road trip by beating the Boston Celtics 114-105 on Monday night. But Denver, which is headed to the postseason for the first time since 2012-13, has bigger things in mind than simply showing up to the party.

The Nuggets are a half-game behind the Golden State Warriors in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference. The Warriors (49-22) maintained their lead later Thursday night with a 112-89 win over the visiting Indiana Pacers.

The Nuggets have never earned the top seed in the Western Conference and have never reached an NBA Finals. Denver fell in the conference finals in 1977-78, 1984-85 and 2008-09.

Despite the successful season, consistency has eluded the Nuggets, who opened 9-1 but have experienced three losing streaks of at least three games, two of those skids occurring since the start of February.

With that in mind, coach Michael Malone is hoping to see a renewed focus down the stretch from the Nuggets, with the Houston Rockets four games back in the race for the second seed and the Portland Trail Blazers 4 1/2 games behind Denver.

"So instead of being satisfied with being a playoff team, let's be greedy," Malone said following the Thursday win. "Let's continue to fight for home-court advantage, maybe a number-one seed -- whatever it might be. But let's not just go into the games like, 'You know what, these games don't matter. We've already clinched.' Because that's not going to allow us to go into the postseason playing our best basketball.

"So hopefully (Friday) night, our starters will come out and get us off to a great start and try to get another road win on this four-game road trip."

Wins have been few and far between for the Knicks (14-58), who have lost two straight and 10 of 11 to move 2 1/2 games "ahead" of the Phoenix Suns in the race for the worst record in the NBA. New York needs to win least four of its final 10 games to avoid matching or "exceeding" the worst record in franchise history, a 17-65 mark that was produced by the 2014-15 squad.

The Knicks have not finished with the league's worst record since the 1985-86 season, which was franchise center Patrick Ewing's rookie year. Of course, New York got Ewing after winning the 1985 draft lottery, and management is banking on similar good fortune this spring, along with perhaps a notable free agent signing or two, to turn things around in 2019-20.

The teams with the three worst records in the NBA will all have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery, which is scheduled for May 14.

Before then, though, the Knicks will try to avoid making at least two bits of ignoble history. The loss to the Jazz marked the beginning of a six-game homestand for New York, which is just 7-27 at Madison Square Garden.

"It will be good for us to just settle into home and play games without having to jump on a flight and go here, go there," Knicks coach David Fizdale told reporters earlier this week. "We have a lot of practice time in between those games. It gives us an opportunity to get better."

--Field Level Media

(STATS / cbssports.com)
 

rady

Administrator
Staff member
Late game thread, missed yours by a few minutes, Kyia, but thanks for starting it!
 
Starters got out scored by almost 20. 2nd unit has done a better job holding serve, but this looks like this one might be over before halftime again.
 
A lot of people on here are going to gag at this, but inserting MRob in the middle and Ntilikina at the perimeter all of a sudden has our 2nd unit defense looking stout after our 1st unit defense was Swiss cheese in the 1st quarter. Knicks have cut the lead to 10.
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Thanks for the Knicks-Game-Thread Rady .. I don't understand coach Fiz .. Denver are playing tired from last night game against the Wizards in Washington. In the remaining 4 minutes before halftime Fizdale should've run-run-run on a 10 second or less shooting .. to at least get close to tie score at half-time SMH
 

Kiyaman

Legend
It's that time .. Frank/ Kadeem/ Knox/ and MitchRob should turn the 4th qtr. into a run run transition game on both sides of the court
 
Another loss on the road to 68. We go 2 - 7 or worse over our last 9 games and we are guaranteed a top 5 pick even if Phoenix loses all of its remaining games (unlikely given that they have won 5 of their last 10).
 

Kiyaman

Legend
Wins have been few and far between for the Knicks (14-58), who have lost two straight and 10 of 11 to move 2 1/2 games "ahead" of the Phoenix Suns in the race for the worst record in the NBA. New York needs to win least four of its final 10 games to avoid matching or "exceeding" the worst record in franchise history, a 17-65 mark that was produced by the 2014-15 squad.

The Knicks have not finished with the league's worst record since the 1985-86 season, which was franchise center Patrick Ewing's rookie year. Of course, New York got Ewing after winning the 1985 draft lottery, and management is banking on similar good fortune this spring, along with perhaps a notable free agent signing or two, to turn things around in 2019-20.

The teams with the three worst records in the NBA will all have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery, which is scheduled for May 14.

Before then, though, the Knicks will try to avoid making at least two bits of ignoble history. The loss to the Jazz marked the beginning of a six-game homestand for New York, which is just 7-27 at Madison Square Garden.

"It will be good for us to just settle into home and play games without having to jump on a flight and go here, go there," Knicks coach David Fizdale told reporters earlier this week. "We have a lot of practice time in between those games. It gives us an opportunity to get better."


Thiss Knicks 2018-19 TANKING season has been historic in the worst way ..
I do recall the Knicks 1984-85 losing season, the Knicks started the 1984-85 season off having season injuries to (50 point) Bernard King, and (20-10) Bill Cartwright .. bad season, but legit to get the first pick!
The NBA GODS are laughing out loud on the Knicks 2018-19 season ....
I believe the Knicks will have to fire Fizdale the same week the NBA regular-season end to receive a 1 to 3 pick in May !!!
 

mafra

Legend
Even tho Frank wasn?t the main PG while on the floor, he still had a 5:0 assists:turnover ratio (to Mudiay?s 4:3).

Frank also posted best +/- of the game...
 
Even tho Frank wasn?t the main PG while on the floor, he still had a 5:0 assists:turnover ratio (to Mudiay?s 4:3).

Frank also posted best +/- of the game...

I still want Ntilikina to succeed too, but the other side of the story is that he only scored 5 points in 25 minutes shooting 1 for 6 from the floor.
 

mafra

Legend
I still want Ntilikina to succeed too, but the other side of the story is that he only scored 5 points in 25 minutes shooting 1 for 6 from the floor.

I prefer a guy shooting 1-6 for 5 than a guy chucking 20 shots to reach 19 points.

With guys like DSJ and Knox, you need guys like Knits and MRob. Somebody has to pass and play defense.

While I?m not buying stock in Knits/Knox future... I understand they?re both young. At least for Frank, he seems to want to
Be a team player and he does have an NBA skill ? defensive prowess.

This doesn?t mean I wouldn?t trade him tomorrow...
 

Kiyaman

Legend
I prefer a guy shooting 1-6 for 5 than a guy chucking 20 shots to reach 19 points.

With guys like DSJ and Knox, you need guys like Knits and MRob. Somebody has to pass and play defense.

While I?m not buying stock in Knits/Knox future... I understand they?re both young. At least for Frank, he seems to want to
Be a team player and he does have an NBA skill ? defensive prowess.

This doesn?t mean I wouldn?t trade him tomorrow...


I would'nt trade Frank until after a season under head-coach Mark Jackson or head-coach Jason Kidd, then Frank's NBA value would be star-status value. In the remaining games would like to see Fiz play a lineup of Frank, Kadeem, Trier, Vonleh, and MitchRob a lot.

Hopefully, next season David Fizdale and Mudiay will not be Knicks !!!
 
I would'nt trade Frank until after a season under head-coach Mark Jackson or head-coach Jason Kidd, then Frank's NBA value would be star-status value. In the remaining games would like to see Fiz play a lineup of Frank, Kadeem, Trier, Vonleh, and MitchRob a lot.

Hopefully, next season David Fizdale and Mudiay will not be Knicks !!!

I can say with 100% certainty that Fizdale is this team?s coach to start next season.
 

tiger0330

Legend
Nits looks like the same player pre-injury, too much to expect that a guy coming off a 2 months layoff is all of a sudden going to show you enough in a few games to make a determination about his future. Best the Knicks can hope for in the remaining games is to showcase him in the hope someone thinks he has enough potential to offer a first round pick for him. I for one don't have much faith in a guy that should have had massive improvement because he's 20 in his second year as a pro.
 
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