Page added on January 1, 2007

Email This Post Printable version

Knicks Clipped in LA

On both sides of the floor, it was all about Elton Brand. Thirty-two points on the offensive end. Eight blocks on the defensive end.

“Our defense,” Brand told the Associated Press after the Los Angeles Clippers’ 90-80 victory against the New York Knicks, “is what we pride ourselves on, and that’s what kept us in ballgames. So we’ve got to be out there blocking shots, deflecting balls and rebounding. That’s how we win.”

Brand had tallied 15 points before the game was eight minutes old, but didn’t score his next field goal until tipping in Cuttino Mobley’s errant 12 foot shot midway through the third quarter. In between, however, he blocked seven New York attempts; as a unit, Los Angeles blocked 16 shots. The Clippers, which opened to a 51-38 advantage at the half, extended their margin to seventeen as a result of Brand’s defensive excellence.

“It didn’t have anything to do with tired legs,” said David Lee, who led the Knicks with nine rebounds. “We just had poor execution.

“We don’t have anyone who can score 50 points on his own, so we need to really work hard, and have all five guys in the right spots.”

While Los Angeles has won the first two games of their three-game homestand, New York is winless on the road over the last five. They remain one game behind both New Jersey and Toronto in the Eastern Division. The Knicks [13-20], 0-8 when they play the Clippers at Staples Center, resume their five-game road trip when they visit the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.

At that point, they will re-introduce themselves to the leather ball. Three weeks ago, it was announced that the NBA’s microfiber basketball experiment would officially end on December 31.

“Whenever we tried to move the ball to the weak side, we had poor spacing,” New York’s Isiah Thomas said. “When we drove the ball, it was contested, and we had to take tough shots.”

A few of those shots went to Mardy Collins, who was making his return to the line-up following a six-game suspension for his part in the brawl with the Denver Nuggets on December 16. Collins was actually one of the few players to perform well, as he hit for a career-high 11 points in 22 minutes.

“After sitting out, I just wanted to get back out there,” he said. “The NBA decided that six games were enough, so I had to deal with it. We’re still short-handed at guard, so it’s time for me to get some playing time, and show people that I can actually play basketball the right way.”

“We were a united group before the brawl, so we didn’t need an artificial stimulus to unite us,” the coach defended. “They’re better men than that.”

Collins’ presence was a fair enough reason to sit Steve Francis, who -because of tendinitis in his right knee- has seen a mere 46 minutes of game action in the past three games.

“I was just trying to hold on until one of our other guards came back,” said Francis. “So, I was grateful that Mardy was able to return today.”

Los Angeles [14-16], winners of both games against the Knicks last season, has now beaten them in four straight, five of six, and eight of the past 11 meetings. They remain 7½ games in back of the Pacific-Division leading Phoenix Suns.

New York finished the month with nine wins in 16 games, and has not had a winning month since December 2004, when they were 9-7. However, it is a significant improvement from a year ago, when they dropped 12 of 14 to close 2005.

“We were 3-0 on the homestand,” Brand said, “and we’re getting our swagger back. There’s no better time than now, as we go back east for six games. Every year since I’ve been here, this trip has been a make-or-break stretch for us.”

The same can also apply to the Knicks, who have now stumbled on the road after splitting its first ten games away from the Garden.

Tagged with: Ballgames, Cuttino Mobley, David Lee, Defensive Excellence, Field Goal, Game Homestand, Game Road Trip, Isiah Thomas, Leather Ball, Los Angeles Clippers, Mardy Collins, Microfiber Basketball, New York Knicks, Poor Execution, Rebounds, Sacramento Kings, Staples Center, T Score, Tired Legs, Two Games

SKIP TO TOP

Knicks Clipped in LA

Sportsday Publishing, LLC © 2003-2010