The Knicks lost tonight's game in the 2nd quarter, getting outscored 29-11 in the period by the Toronto Raptors. Despite making several runs and cutting the lead to one point with less than a minute to play, the Raptors' 17 point halftime lead proved to be insurmountable for New York.
Leading by one after the 1st quarter, the Knicks were lethargic on offense in the 2nd, failing to score in the first four minutes. The Knicks only mustered 11 points on 3 made field goals in the entire period. As has been their wont this season, the Bockers were content to hoist up ill-advised jump shots. When they didn't fall, the Raptors were able to capitalize, relying on sharp shooting nights from Rasual Butler (13 points, 5-12 FG, 3-7 3PT) and DeMar DeRozan (21 points 7-13 FG, 2-2 3PT). Overall, the Knicks attempted 19 shots from behind the arc in the first half, making only 5 and shot a dismal 28% from the floor.
In the second half, the Knicks were able to chip away at the lead by picking up their defensive intensity, making the Raptors look completely out of sorts on offense. Toney Douglas (22 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) began to pressure Jose Calderon, who struggles with more athletic guards, and Tyson Chandler (11 points, 10 rebounds, 5 personal fouls) started trapping the Spaniard just over the half court line. This led to two turnovers from Calderon and forced the Raptors to get into their sets much later in the shot clock, leading to several disjointed possessions. Spurred by his excellent defensive work, Douglas' offense picked up in the 3rd period, where he scored 12 points by knocking down 3 shots from deep, including an electrifying 4-point play. The last 3-pointer from Douglas cut the lead to 5 with 4:24 left to play, and the Knicks whittled the difference down to 3 when Josh Harrellson sunk two free throws a few possessions later.
With 1:59 left in the period and the Knicks down 6, Mike Bibby and Bill Walker checked in and the Knicks' momentum screeched to a halt. Unable to stay in front of a one-legged toddler at this point in his career, on back-to-back plays Bibby fouled Leandro Barbosa to set up a three point play and sent Jose Calderon to the line, a man who once made 151 of 154 free throw attempts for an NBA single-season record of 98%. Bibby also bricked a three to close out the quarter and was utterly incapable of achieving any semblance of penetration, meaning the Knicks offense degenerated into half-assed high pick and rolls and lazily passing the ball around the perimeter until someone jacked up a jumper like a game with the middle-aged lawyers at your local YMCA. In related news, Mike Bibby found a nice warm seat on the bench for the rest of the game.
In the final period, the Knicks hung tough, cutting the lead to 3 several times and then to 1 after a Carmelo Anthony (31 inefficient points on 13-31 FG) basket with 1:04 left in the game. However, the Knicks were unable to get over the hump, plagued by some inopportune misses at the charity stripe (Douglas, Chandler and Fields were the culprits) and an inability to recapture the defensive success that held the Raptors to 16 points in the 3rd quarter. For some reason, Mike D'Antoni abandoned the game plan that had allowed the Knicks scrape their way back into the game, putting Fields on Calderon and Douglas on Butler for most of the period. Butler was able to convert a key jumper over the much shorter Douglas with 3:18 left in the game and Fields struggled to defend the pick and roll between Calderon and Andrea Bargnani, with the former first-round pick tallying a 17-foot jumper over Fields on the switch with 45 seconds remaining and then drawing a foul with 17 seconds on the ensuing possession, crucially extending the Raptors' lead to 3 on both plays.
This was a disappointing loss for the Knicks who hoped to get above .500, even without star Power Forward Amar'e Stoudemire. This season's Raptors return many of the same players from a disastrous 22-win 2010-2011 campaign and the Knicks simply should not be losing to teams like this at home. The blame for this loss can be squarely placed on poor shooting, a terrible bench and the injury bug. As with their other losses this season, the Knicks couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat, shooting 28% (10-35) from deep and 36% (28-78) from the field. This is going to be a recurring theme all year, as the Knicks seem to live and die with the three-ball, but lack the consistent shooters to maintain any semblance of regular success doing so. The bench played an extremely weak game, scoring only 10 points and getting trodden upon by the Raptors every time Steve Novak (-10 +/-), Bill Walker (-13 +/-) and Mike Bibby (-18 +/-) stepped foot on the floor. However, part of this can be explained by the string of injuries the Bockers have suffered in this young season. A healthy Stoudemire means Jorts goes back to the bench and Steve Novak assumes the Inaugural Andy Rautins Business Casual Shooter Who Can't Do Anything Else role. Shump Shump's return and Baron Davis' debut probably mean we never have to watching the shambling undead that is Mike Bibby for more than the most sparing minutes (please God, let that be soon). Finally, when Jared Jeffries comes back we will no longer be exposed to Jerome Jordan's impression of a person who has never played basketball before.
Until the Knicks are healthy though, it's probably best to avoid getting too overwrought about losing to crappy teams like this. This is going to be a topsy-turvy lockout-shortened season. Making the playoffs is paramount, but once a spot in the postseason is secured it's going to be crapshoot. Knicks fans don't need to be reminded that the 1999 vintage of the Bockers made the NBA Finals as an 8 seed. Up next, the Knicks will host the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night and hope to bounce back from tonight's loss against another unimpressive opponent.
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