Still smelling like London, the Nets crushed the Knicks in the Garden.
By Joe Manganiello
What didn’t go wrong for the Knicks in the Garden yesterday?
The New York Knicks were beat down by their crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets, 103-80 as the Nets won all four quarters. The Knicks committed 16 turnovers to a defense that has forced the ninth-fewest turnovers this season. Brooklyn hit fourteen three-pointers – Joe Johnson was lights out on mostly wide open looks; role players Alan Anderson and Mirza Teletovic combined for five – as a byproduct of New York’s sloppy switches on defense. (Watching Iman Shumpert run around in the half-court attempting to cover every perimeter player on the other team – which is either by terrible design or on his own accord – is hideous.)
Shooting 33.8 percent from the field, the Knicks made thirteen less field goals than the Nets. Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and J.R. Smith combined to shoot 14 for 42 from the field, and Tim Hardaway Jr. was the only Knick to have two attempts and shoot over 50 percent.
The New York media will have a field day with this game, and proclaim it as a huge deal – a demoralizing victory which stomps out the Knicks chances of making the playoffs. In reality, Monday doesn’t change much for the Knicks, or the Nets. The Eastern Conference is shameful; there is room for both New York franchises in any of the final three playoff spots as long as they finish somewhere around 40 wins.
With that said: Wow, the Knicks are tough to watch.
Joe Manganiello (@joemags32) is a staff writer for pickinsplinters.com. He was published in the 2013-14 USA Today Sports College Basketball Preview. Peace, love, recycle and ball.
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