Reaction: Heat 104, Knicks 94

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NEW YORK — Prior to Game 2 of their playoff series against the Miami Heat, Amar’e Stoudemire said that things would end differently than they did in Game 1.

In some ways, he was right. On Monday night, the Knicks actually competed with the Heat and kept Game 2 close, but in the end, they would lose, 104-94. The Knicks now trail the Heat 0-2 in their best-of-seven series and are faced with a must-win Game 3 on Thursday night.

To make matters worse for the Knicks, they are expected to be without Stoudemire for Game 3, and perhaps the rest of the series. After the game, Stoudemire was seen leaving the American Airlines Arena with his arm in a sling. After the loss, as he made his way from the court back to the Knicks’ lockeroom, Stoudemire reportedly punched through the glass of a fire extinguisher case and suffered a lacerated hand. He was stitched up but is not expected to be available for Game 3. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, he may have an X-Ray.

In the game, the Knicks desperately missed Iman Shumpert’s perimeter defense and Tyson Chandler is still battling the flu.

In the end, they were unable to keep the Heat out of the paint. And in the end, Dwyane Wade’s 25 points paced the Heat to the 10 point victory. On Thursday night, the Heat will attempt to put the Knicks in an 0-3 hole, so the season will all come down to this: Win Game 3.

As a franchise, the Knicks have now lost 12 consecutive playoff games. And together, Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony are still looking for their first playoff win since joining forces in New York.

Dwyane Wade led the way for the Heat, hitting eight of his first ten shots and ending the game with 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. LeBron James contributed 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists.

For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony responded to his 11 point performance in Game 1 by scoring 30 points—including 15 in the first quarter. But after shooting 9-18 in the first half, Anthony managed to go just 3-8 in the second. He grabbed 9 rebounds but managed only a single assist.

Stoudemire (18 points, 7 rebounds) attempted just five shots through the first 42 minutes of the game and wasn’t much of a factor. Many believe that was the source of his frustration. With Chandler limited by the flu, the Heat consistently attacked the basket and scored in the paint en route to shooting 52 percent from the field.

Chandler converted a dunk with 1:37 remaining in the third quarter to cut the Heat lead to four, 68-72. From there, however, the Heat forced the Knicks into contested looks on the perimeter while attacking the basket and hitting 9-21 from behind the arc. The Knicks entered the fourth quarter trailing by 11 points and would never get closer than nine.

In the fourth, the Heat led by as 15 and the Knicks couldn’t muster the kind of comeback that Chris Paul’s Clippers made on Sunday night.

What I Kinda Liked:

  • Tyson Chandler, though still battling the flu, gave the Knicks what he could. He dropped in 13 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Although he didn’t seem to be his normal self, he was clearly better than Game 1 and was attentive and springy on the defensive end. The Knicks can only hope that he’s close to 100 percent by Thursday’s Game 3.
  • Baron Davis (12 points, 6 assists) played 22 minutes in the second half and converted some difficult jumpers.
  • The Knicks managed to outrebound the Heat, 40-33, and turned the ball over just 13 times after coughing it up 24 times in Game 1. If those trends continue, they should give themselves a chance to win Game 3, especially since the series shifts back to New York.

What I Didn’t Like:

  • Carmelo Anthony can’t beat the Heat by himself. He managed just 1 assist and took 26 shots. Most of the passes he made were around the perimeter, and he rarely gave the ball to a teammate who was in scoring position. “Iso-Melo” will not be an effective long-term plan for beating the Heat.
  • Landry Fields continues to struggle and was minus-15 in 18 mostly forgettable minutes.
  • Amar’e Stoudemire was rather uninvolved on the offensive end. He didn’t receive a pick and roll pass from Anthony until 7:30 was remaining in the fourth quarter, and he’s far too important to the Knicks’ success to not have been featured earlier.
  • The Knicks’ offense was stagnant and featured far too many dribble-pull up possessions. They’ll need movement and passing to open shooters to extend this series.

That Said…

NBA playoff series are decided in Games 3 and 4, not Games 1 and 2. Anthony will have a one-on-one advantage over almost every small forward in the NBA not named LeBron James. It’s just unfortunate for the Knicks that their path to the second round will have to go through Miami.

In Game 3, Anthony will have to do a better job of creating opportunities for his teammates, especially if Stoudemire is out. There’s no way that the Knicks will be able to patch the gaping hole on the perimeter that Shumpert’s injury has created, so their best bet might be to try to speed up the pace a bit, attack the Heat’s defense early, and create more spot up opportunities for Steve Novak and J.R. Smith. The three pointers tend to fall a bit more frequently in Madison Square Garden.

There’s a lot at stake in Game 3. In addition to attempting to avoid the the insurmountable 0-3 hole, the Knicks will look to avoid the dubious distinction of losing the most consecutive NBA Playoff games in history (13). With Stoudemire expected to be out, all eyes will be on Anthony. Let’s see how he responds.

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News, Notes, and Rumors from around the NBA: April 30, 2012.

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NEWS

  • Boston Celtics’ guard Rajon Rondo is suspended for Game 2 after bumping the ref in Game 1.
  • Los Angeles Lakers forward Jordan Hill faces a felony assault charge after his girlfriend accused him of choking and shoving her in Houston earlier this year.
  • The Charlotte Bobcats have announced that coach Paul Silas won’t be back following the worst season in NBA history.
  • Los Angeles Clippers forward Caron Butler is likely out for the rest of the playoffs after breaking his left hand in Game 1 against Memphis.

NOTES

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Playoffs Day 3: Previews of Knicks-Heat, Magic-Pacers, Mavericks-Thunder

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Game One of the NBA Playoffs is in the books for all 16 teams.

And we saw just about everything from flopping to bad officiating to devastating injuries to, blowouts, comebacks and game-winners.

As anyone can tell you, though, and some may need reminding, it was only one game. A script can easily flip in the postseason.

So we move on in the playoffs, with six Game 2s Monday night.

New York (0-1) at Miami (1-0):

knicks small logoThings could not have gone any worse for the Knicks in the 100-67 rout on Saturday.

In the midst of the humiliating defeat, Iman Shumpert suffered a torn ACL and will be sidelined for 6-8 months.

Baron Davis’ back flared, and Tyson Chandler was out of sorts, playing through flu-like symptoms and picking up a flagrant foul along the way.

Amare Stoudemire was just about invisible with 9 points and five rebounds.

It was a challenge to even get the ball to Carmelo Anthony with LeBron James fronting him. When he did get the ball, he often clanked, shooting just 3-of-15 en route to 11 points and 10 rebounds.

More than ever, Anthony has to be the star of the team and he will have to match James, at least offensively, if the Knicks hope to have any shot of winning a single game in this series.

From Howard Beck of The New York Times: “To save the Knicks’ postseason, all Carmelo Anthony needs to do is score like himself, pass like Jeremy Lin, defend like Iman Shumpert and protect the rim like Tyson Chandler. If he acquires mystic healing powers by Monday night, that could help, too. The Knicks are so banged up, bruised and depleted that their series-opening loss to the Miami Heat seemed almost inconsequential by comparison… The status of Chandler and Davis for Game 2 will be hazy right until tip-off Monday, leaving the Knicks once again pondering their options and their star-crossed existence. Their only sure thing now is Anthony, and he struggled to score 11 points in Game 1. “We’re going to have to do it all,” Anthony said Sunday. “Everybody is going to have to do a little bit more, a lot more, due to the lack of players we’re going to have out there.” Even in this tortuous, twisting season, the Knicks have never been this debilitated or this demoralized. The 33-point loss was their worst (regular season or playoff) in two years, and their most lopsided playoff defeat in 21 years, since a 126-85 rout by the Chicago Bulls in 1991. It was their third-greatest margin of defeat since 1985.”

Chandler and Davis will be in the lineup tonight, while Landry Fields steps in for Shumpert at shooting guard.

Jeremy Lin is still recovering and though slightly ahead of schedule, may not come back in time to face the Heat.

More from Beck: “Jeremy Lin’s left knee is sound, but it is not yet ready for the strain of playoff basketball and it may not be until the Knick shave run out of playoff games. A day after playing one-on-one for the first time, Lin reported soreness in his surgically repaired knee, an indication that he needs more time to recover. He ruled out playing in the next two games against the Miami Heat and he seemed skeptical about Game 4 next Sunday. “I was more encouraged by what I did yesterday, and less encouraged by how I felt today,” Lin said Sunday, with ice packs strapped to both knees. “But it’s a process, ups and downs.” Lin, who had surgery April 2 to repair a small meniscus tear, is ahead of schedule in his recovery. He is again running and cutting, although not at full speed. Nor has he been cleared for contact. Still, he remains optimistic that he will play in this series, which the Heat lead, 1-0.”

heat small logoJames was dominant in his first post-season game since being ousted by the Mavericks in the Finals last season, scoring 32 points on 10-of-14 shooting while shutting down Anthony and displaying an array of theatrics.

For the Heat as a team though, the focus and key to success will be symbiosis.

From Joseph Goodman of Miami Herald: “(Mike) Miller sometimes joked about his limited role during the season, but in reality he knew his exhaustive individual shooting drills were more about preparation for the postseason than anything else. With the playoffs under way, Miller is now under direct order from coach Erik Spoelstra to shoot the ball every time it touches his hands. And the same goes for Shane Battier and James Jones. Lost amid LeBron James’ otherworldly performance on Saturday in the Heat’s 100-67 victory against the Knicks in the opening game of the first-round of the playoffs was the heavy number of 3-point shot attempts by the Heat’s sharpshooters. Entering the series, the Knicks carried the reputation as the more prolific three-point shooting team, but the Heat matched New York shot-for-shot from three-point range in Game 1.”

Orlando (1-0) at Indiana (0-1):
magic small logoThe Magic proved just about everyone wrong as they beat the Pacers 81-77, erasing home-court advantage for Indiana.
Initially deemed questionable for the game due to a sprained ankle,  Glen “Big Baby” Davis filled the void left by Dwight Howard at center with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks while limiting Roy Hibbert to 8 points on 3-of-11 shooting, though he did have 13 rebounds and nine blocks.
For Orlando, the key to success may be to stay composed and not get too high about one win.
From Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel: “The adrenaline barely had worn off for the Orlando Magic when they reconvened at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday. Just 12 hours earlier, they upset the heavily favored Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their playoff series. So, it shouldn’t have surprised anyone that coach Stan Van Gundy issued a challenge to his players as they looked ahead to Game 2: Don’t be satisfied with just one victory on this road trip to Indiana. “We get excited about one win, and you’re supposed to get excited,” center Glen Davis said. “We come in here and we punch ‘em in the mouth. We’re excited about that. But, at the same time, we’ve got to understand there’s still more work to be done. The journey is not done.” Davis is right. Although the Magic played their best defense in weeks and hit clutch shots down the stretch in Game 1, they also benefited from some significant mental and physical lapses by the Pacers. Indiana missed nine of its 22 foul shots. Shooting guard Paul George missed a pair of makeable 3-pointers late. Danny Granger flubbed a short shot with 45 seconds remaining that would have given the Pacers a one-point lead. And the Pacers sound like they will be a desperate team when Game 2 tips off at 7:30 tonight. George called it a “must-win.”
pacers small logoFor the Pacers, it was an embarrassing meltdown as they failed to score in the final four minutes of the game after being up by seven.

”We lost a game,” Danny Granger said. ”We watched it. It’s not the end of the world. It’s a seven-game series. We don’t want to overreact.”

That’s putting it positively. But can the Pacers’ action match Granger’s statement?
Granger played a forgettable game, scoring 17 points on just seven-of-20 shooting. More importantly, he couldn’t fulfill the role of a “go-to guy” down the stretch as he clanked shots, missed free throws, and turned the ball over in the waning seconds of the game.
No Indiana player aside from David West, who had 19 points on eight-of-14 shooting and nine rebounds, shot better than 35% from the field.
Still, the team is not in panic mode, just yet.
From Mike Wells of Indy Star: “The Indiana Pacers didn’t look like a team that had lost its home-court advantage during practice on Sunday. Players were serious but not in panic mode despite trailing their best-of-seven NBA playoff series against the Orlando Magic 1-0. The Pacers say they know what they did wrong Saturday night. Now it’s simply a matter of addressing those issues and making sure they don’t happen again in Game 2 tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Forward Danny Granger stayed about 45 minutes after practice strictly shooting free throws after he missed two late in the fourth quarter. Center Roy Hibbert had the words “stay low” written on his sneakers as a reminder for when he’s posting up on Orlando big man Glen Davis. ”It’s not in this team’s nature to panic,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. “The answers are clear. The deficiencies are very fixable. With the things we have done all year, we’re still a very confident bunch.” The Pacers can’t afford to fall into a 0-2 hole against the shorthanded Magic. Games 3 and 4 will be played in Orlando on Wednesday and Saturday. ”We want to win every game, so every game is a must win,” Hibbert said. “That’s my answer to that.”
Dallas (0-1) at Oklahoma City (1-0): 
thunder small logoThe rematch of last season’s Conference Finals turned out to be just as competitive and intense, as Kevin Durant helped erase a late seven-point deficit and hit the game-winning jump shot over the outstretched arms of Shawn Marion with 1.5 seconds remaining.
Durant, however, struggled for much of the night with Marion hounding him as he shot just 10-of-27 for 25 points.
Serge Ibaka came up with key baskets and stops down the stretch, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting and a game-high five blocks.
In the end, the defense of Russell Westbrook, who had 28 points, on Jason Terry may have been the difference maker down the stretch.
From Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: “Jason Terry spent 23 of the first 36 minutes in Game 1 torching the Thunder. Dallas’ sixth man scored 20 points on 8-of-9 shooting to help the Mavs take a 73-69 lead heading into the fourth period. Terry made all four of his 3-point attempts and had five assists. And then Russell Westbrook slid over and guarded the spark plug of a shooting guard. From that point on, Terry went scoreless. He missed his lone shot attempt in the fourth quarter and didn’t register any assists in the final period. While Kevin Durant’s soft touch garnered headlines as the game-winner, Westbrook’s defense on Terry was every bit as critical in giving the Thunder a 1-0 lead in this quarterfinal series. “I told Russ, ‘You’re an All-Star and being an All-Star ain’t just playing one end of the court,” said Thunder center Kendrick Perkins. “‘You can take it up to another level at the other end, too,’ and that’s what he did.” After watching Terry light up his team with a 6-of-6 start shooting, Westbrook, at some point, put it in his mind that Terry would get no more. And once Westbrook switched onto Terry, the Mavs struggled mightily to even get the ball in his hands — which is exactly how Westbrook found success.”
mavs small logoHad the Mavericks held on to win, the story might have been the defense of Jason Kidd who had multiple stops against Westbrook down the stretch as he stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds, five assists and seven steals.
Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points while Marion added 17 points and eight rebounds.
Terry will look to respond against the defense of Westbrook, and anyone else for that matter, moving forward.

From Dwain Price of Star-Telegram: “Westbrook was active on him, but frankly we were going to Dirk (Nowitzki) most of the time and that’s where I think our balance can be a little better, and that’s on me,” Carlisle said. “I can do some things to get Jet a little more involved.” Terry is one of the Mavs’ more reliable fourth-quarter scorers. So when he only attempts one shot while playing 11:42 of the final period, is that cause for concern? ”I’m not concerned,” Terry said. “I’ve been doing it all year in the fourth quarter. I’ll get another opportunity and we’ll see if I can take care of business.” Terry and the Mavs will get another opportunity to gain an opening road split in Game 2 tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Point guard Jason Kidd said that when Terry is in rhythm the way he was in Game 1, the Mavs need to find more shots for him. ”They put Westbrook on him and he just denied him the ball, so we have to figure out different ways to get Jet in different positions to get the ball to be successful, and we expect to see that [tonight],” Kidd said. “So hopefully we can get him in the right spot and hopefully he’s still hot. ”He had a great game and it was our fault that we couldn’t get him the ball in that fourth quarter.”… One of the game’s best fourth-quarter scorers, Terry vows to return to his gunslinger ways tonight, regardless of who is guarding him. ”I don’t care who’s on me — it doesn’t matter,” Terry said. “I’m going to be aggressive and look for opportunities to make plays.”

James Park is a regular contributor to Sheridanhoops.com. Follow him on twitter @nbatupark.

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As expected, Rondo suspended for one game

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One bump begat another.

As expected, Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics has been suspended one game without pay for making contact with a game official, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive vice president of basketball operations.

The incident occurred with 0:41 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 83-74 loss to the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena on April 29.

Rondo will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Celtics play the Hawks in Game 2 of their opening round series in Atlanta.

To view the play, click on the following link:

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/originals/2012/04/30/rondo_042912.nba


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Silas out as coach of the Bobcats; Ewing the replacement?

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If the Charlotte Bobcats are going to break the record for consecutive losses — 26 by the Cleveland Cavaliers set last season — they won’t be doing it under the guidance of Paul Silas.

Charlotte president of basketball operations Rod Higgins announced today that Silas will not return as head coach, and a search for his successor will begin immediately.

“I would like to personally thank Paul for everything he has done for this team under some pretty unique circumstances,” Higgins said. “His basketball experience as a coach and a player speak for themselves. We have been fortunate to have someone of his character associated with this franchise and we hope he will continue to be a valuable resource to us in the future.”

Silas, 68, recently completed his first full season with the Bobcats after being named interim Head Coach on December 22, 2010, and then having the interim title removed on February 16, 2011.  He led the team to a 25-29 record (.463) over the remainder of the 2010-11 season, then went 7-59 this season to break the record for lowest winning percentage in a single season (.106).

The Bobcats lost their final 23 games.

In 11 seasons as an NBA head coach, Silas has a career record of 377-531 with the Clippers (1980-83), Hornets (1999-2003), Cavaliers (2003-05) and Bobcats.

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reported that potential replacement candidates could include former Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan and former New York Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni.

Another possibility could be Orlando Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing, who has close ties to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan. Ewing, among the best centers in NBA history, played on the original Dream Team with Jordan. As players, they both were represented by agent David Falk.

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