It shouldn't be a day to feel bad about for fans of the orange and blue. Yea, they lost a game. That is never a good thing. But they've finally look like a legitimate contender. Although they've been out-hustled by a solid Memphis Grizzlies squad, the Knicks had flashes of the old Knicks teams that I once admired.
New York was a bit sluggish while heading towards the end of their three-game road trip. It was the second game of a back-to-back, and they had just won a tough match against the great San Antonio Spurs. Zach Randolph became a challenging task for Carmelo Anthony. His foul trouble lead to more fouls for Tyson Chandler and Rasheed Wallace playing help defense.
Frustration was the theme for the Knicks' third quarter.Technical fouls opened the game between the two teams. Free throws against and and bad calls by the officials help bring the six-game winning streak to an end. They were undersized with limited minutes from Kurt Thomas and a DNP for Marcus Camby. Despite playing small and losing, the fought tremendously well.
I loved how New York played physical versus Memphis. This reminded me of the gritty Knicks of the nineties. The anger in the faces of the current Knicks during the game is reminiscent of guy like Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks. I've always been preached about creating a Knicks team like this, and I am so grateful to see Mike Woodson, bring this type of game back to life. He played for defensive wizard, Red Holzman, for the Knicks in his first two NBA seasons.
It's expected for them to recover after taking a look at the next five games in the schedule. Three of the five teams they will play average under 95 points a game. Only Dallas and maybe Houston can keep the margins close when they face New York. These are games that they can easily become a long winning streak all over again.
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