What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

This is where to post any NBA or NCAA basketball franchises.
User avatar

The JZA
Posts: 4611
Joined: 07 Dec 2018, 13:10

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by The JZA » 23 Jul 2019, 23:03

Back at .500, nice. Man those Bucks jerseys are everything :melo:
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 24 Jul 2019, 23:11

Image

Image
Image

ImageImageImageImage
  • It took a little while, but the New York Knicks are starting to win the games they're supposed to.

    Latrell Sprewell and Patrick Ewing joined forces for 68 points and 64 percent shooting as the Knicks led by as much as 30 in a 102-83 romp of the Portland Trail Blazers. Sprewell shot 16-of-23 from the field en route to a season-best 38 points -- doing so for the second straight contest. "We executed our gameplan to perfection," said Ewing, who added his personal season-high of 30. "Latrell has been splendid for us and we form a really good partnership." New York attacked inside all night, ruling in fast-break points -- 20-12 -- and points in the paint -- 42-30. Allan Houston contributed with 17 points as the Knicks rode a 20-5 run in the second quarter to never look back again -- Sprewell had 14 of the team's 29 points. "I was so pleased with those 12 minutes," said head coach Jeff Van Gundy. "But the entire game from us was just flawless. We shot them out from beginning to finish and they had no chance to answer." The Knicks committed 11 turnovers, which Portland converted into only five points. "Your confidence goes up when shots are going in, yeah," said Sprewell, "but my teammates kept looking for me. Gotta repay that faith."

    Coming off a Western Conference Finals berth last season, the Trail Blazers rolled the dice and made multiple changes in their roster this offseason, but have yet to find any sort of rhythm with a 3-5 record. Acquired from the Houston Rockets, future Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen led the team on offense with 21 points and seven rebounds, but struggled to find a way to stop Sprewell. Steve Smith joined from the Atlanta Hawks and added 15 points -- his backup Bonzi Wells posted 14 off the bench. Free agency signee Detlef Schrempf had just two points. "Credit where credit's due," said Portland head coach Mike Dunleavy. "They swept the floor with us in that second quarter, and then maintained that lead for the entire second half. We must find a way to regroup." Portland only had an advantage on the glass -- 43-36; they failed to replicate that on their scoring. "We never found a way to match their intensity," said Rasheed Wallace, who was limited to a season-low nine points. "We've got to find a way to reach that extra gear for the second half of games."

    Both Charlie Ward and Larry Johnson were scoreless for the Knicks, but the rest of the squad made up for them -- above all, Marcus Camby's off the bench presence -- as the team ended up shooting 54 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point land. The Blazers were sub-par, making just 40 percent from the floor and 26 percent from beyond the arc; Wallace and Damon Stoudamire combined for just 3-of-17 shots. "Eleven and eight as a reserve? You can't ask for more than that," Van Gundy said of Camby. "With that body and that height, he can do it. He was aggressive on both ends of the floor, and that's the attitude we are looking for." Ward reached double-digits on assists for the third straight game, with 12, four rebounds and five steals -- New York assisted on 30 of its 42 field goals. "I think we played better than we had against the Bucks," said Ward. "Hopefully we can keep this momentum going." The Knicks complete a back-to-back tomorrow night by visiting the New Jersey Nets (2-4), before starting a four-game homestand.
Image
Image Image Image
Image Image Image
Image
Last edited by kibaxx7 on 24 Jul 2019, 23:47, edited 1 time in total.
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 24 Jul 2019, 23:11

The JZA wrote:
23 Jul 2019, 23:03
Back at .500, nice. Man those Bucks jerseys are everything :melo:
Most teams had really, really, really cool threads.
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 28 Jul 2019, 23:46

Image

Image
Image

ImageImageImageImage
  • Allan Houston made sure that the wins in the cross-river rivalry between Knicks and Nets stayed in Manhattan.

    Riding a 20-8 run to close the first quarter, New York never looked back again as Houston tallied a season-best 30 points in a 102-88 win over New Jersey -- Houston also had five rebounds and six assists. The team is also finding a way to rack up victories, clinching their third straight. "We just kept playing to our strengths and it worked out great," said Houston. "We know we can score by either getting the ball inside or getting the ball to me or Latrell (Sprewell) on isolations, so, there we went." Patrick Ewing scored 14 of his 20 points after halftime, helping the Knicks maintain their lead and finish 3-2 in an exhausting five-games-in-seven-nights run. "They played through that fatigue," said head coach Jeff Van Gundy of his players. "We got a big lead early and Patrick helped in the second half for us to control the pace of the contest." Sprewell notched in 22 and five dimes, making three Knicks with 20 points or more as the visitors enjoyed a 18-6 edge in fast break points and led by as much as 17. "Offense in the first half, defense in the second," said Sprewell. "I think we guarded them well and that was crucial."

    New Jersey started the game with a 8-2 spark but weren't able to lead again after that -- Houston limited Kerry Kittles to a season-worst 10 points with veteran Johnny Newman posting 10 of his own off the bench, but they combined for 6-of-19 shooting, with the Nets shooting just 40 percent from the field as an unit. They were also outscored in the paint, 50-26. "It sucks because those are the shots that we usually attempt", said Keith Van Horn, who contributed with 14 points and nine rebounds but shot only 5-for-14. "Despite our record, we weren't trying anything different. But they crushed us inside and it is always hard to counter that." Stephon Marbury led their attack with 24 points and four assists, as New Jersey's reserves won 20-12 -- Lucious Harris notched in seven points. It was a balanced battle in the glass -- 44-43 for the hosts -- but the Nets had 15 turnovers, six by Kendall Gill and four by Marbury. "They did a great job of mounting the pressure on us early on,'' added Gill, who scored 16. "They played harder than us, plain and simple.'' Jim McIlvaine had four points and a game-high 12 boards for the Nets, playing without Sherman Douglas, who sat out with knee tendinitis.

    "This helps a lot in building your confidence," said Larry Johnson, who scored 12 for New York in the evening and reached double digits in scoring for the first time in five games. "It always feels nice to win three in a row." Johnson had seven of his 12 points in the second period, as the Knicks transformed a 6-point first quarter lead into a 15-point intermission advantage. The Knicks shot 51 percent or better from the field and 42 percent or better from 3-point land for the second straight game, and have won five of their last seven after starting the season at 1-2. "Five games in seven days, that's what you get with the schedule, so it was key for us to get off to a good start tonight," said Charlie Ward, who showed his jack-of-all-trades skillset with six points, eight rebounds, eight assists and six steals. "Our scoring in the paint won the game for us. We're really coming along and learning from one another." The Knicks now host four straight battles at Madison Square Garden, against Orlando, Detroit, Golden State and Toronto.
Image
Image Image Image
Image Image Image
Image
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

chosenone58
Posts: 3573
Joined: 28 Nov 2018, 19:06

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by chosenone58 » 29 Jul 2019, 03:35

Knicks building some momentum. Nice job.

Sprewell is getting buckets
Creator of Derek Baldwin da Gawd
User avatar

The JZA
Posts: 4611
Joined: 07 Dec 2018, 13:10

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by The JZA » 29 Jul 2019, 05:12

Gotta get my boy Grandmama more buckets, good win here though
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 29 Jul 2019, 22:57

Image

Image
  • The New York Knicks are headed back to Madison Square Garden to host a four-game run that includes a four-day rest, and it couldn't come at a better time. Fresh off a big victory on the road versus their cross-river rivals, the New Jersey Nets, and with the team winning five of their last seven contests, there were some great signs in the last couple of games that has Knicks fans hoping for even better times. Under coach Jeff Van Gundy's vision, and despite being the NBA's worst rebounders (42.5), the squad has cemented a grit-and-grind identity, with the 6th best defense (90.5 points allowed) and 5th most efficient offense in the league (.471% from the field). They are also top five in steals per game (8.5) and less turnovers per game (12.4). Come playoff time, the Knicks might be the team no one wants to play.

    The homestand starts tomorrow night against Darrell Armstrong and the Magic (5-3) -- ten days ago, New York needed Orlando to forget how to score, as the hosts shot a season-low 33 percent from the field to steal a win in Florida; but with the team starting to gel, it looks like this one will be a little different. The Magic couldn't do anything other than give the ball to Ron Mercer to keep them in game, as Armstrong and Corey Maggette combined for 9-of-43 from the field and 2-of-18 from beyond the 3-point line. With Bo Outlaw struggling and Mercer out with a sprained knee, this game is a perfect occasion for Larry Johnson to start getting buckets; his lack of scoring this season has provided gasoline for criticism.

    At 1-6 today, the Detroit Pistons are the worst team in the East and enter MSG on Sunday. They are an athletic team with a developing young backcourt, but nothing has materialized for them so far; they don't know how to close games, as four of those six losses came by seven points or less. Coach Alvin Gentry is not happy: they are 0-3 on the road and have the 6th worst offense in the league at 92.6, despite having the NBA's best scoring duo on Grant Hill (29.9) and Jerry Stackhouse (24.9); that leaves the rest of the roster, save for Christian Laettner's 9.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, as a negative, night in, night out. The Pistons must play the undefeated Utah Jazz (7-0) before this one, so expect them to show up with low confidence. A win for them here could do wonders, as they play six of their following eight at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

    Then, it's Golden State (1-8) time. Like the Pistons, the worst team in their conference; no one expects them to be good this season, as their record shows, but the Knicks did in Oakland what they did in Florida: they needed an atrocious shooting performance to come back from 13 points down and take a win on the road, as the Warriors wasted a pretty good game from Mookie Blaylock (26 points, seven assists) in the process. But again, New York looks much more confident this time around. Golden State does have some interesting young talent in Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes, but the team has dealt with a number of injuries so far, as Vonteego Cummings (strained MCL), Erick Dampier (strained elbow) and Billy Owens (sore back) have all missed time. The problem is, even when healthy, they are still going to be dreadful and the Knicks should have no problems dispatching them -- this time more convincingly.

    A game against Toronto (5-4) closes the homestand, and here is where it gets tricky, as the teams have their biggest weapons at the same positions. That obviously starts at the wings, as Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston will clash with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, and then extends to center, where Patrick Ewing and Antonio Davis are solid veterans who can score and rebound the ball. The Raptors have the 3rd best defense in the league at 86.7, but need to replicate that on their scoring (17th on points per game, 20th in field goal accuracy). Still, we are probably some time away from being able to properly evaluate the Raps, as Davis was acquired in the offseason from Indiana and Muggsy Bogues and long range sharpshooter Dell Curry were added as free agents. Give them some time to mold, and they could make some noise as the season progresses.
Last edited by kibaxx7 on 30 Jul 2019, 09:13, edited 2 times in total.
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 29 Jul 2019, 23:02

chosenone58 wrote:
29 Jul 2019, 03:35
Knicks building some momentum. Nice job.

Sprewell is getting buckets
The JZA wrote:
29 Jul 2019, 05:12
Gotta get my boy Grandmama more buckets, good win here though
Sprewell is carrying the team, Johnson is struggling. I think Larry is my trade chip right now.
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 05 Aug 2019, 23:22

Image

Image
Image

ImageImageImageImage
  • By the numbers: eight.

    The 8th leading scorer in the NBA, Latrell Sprewell, had 22 points or more for the eighth straight game as New York led by as much as 20 in a 95-88 wire-to-wire triumph over Orlando. The Knicks, who won four straight games and for the sixth time in eight contests, transformed a 12-point first quarter lead into a 20-point halftime advantage and never looked back again -- the Magic rallied back but couldn't come any closer than five as Sprewell held them off with 16 of his 28 after intermission. "Latrell carried us once again," said Allan Houston, who led the Knicks with 30 points in an emotional win over rivals New Jersey two nights ago but struggled with his shot as he made 5-of-17 for 15 points. "Everybody rallied behind him and we truly needed him in the second half." Rookie Corey Maggette's jumper brought the Magic within 88-83, but the Knicks grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed hook shot by Patrick Ewing; Chris Childs then found Sprewell wide open for a 3-pointer and an 8-point cushion with 1:47 left. "That first half was about as good as we've played this season," head coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But in the second half, we gave them everything they wanted and we can't let that happen."

    The visitors were led by Maggette, who went 8-for-29 from the field, including 1-of-10 from 3-point land, and finished with 19 points. Maggette shot a combined 2-of-22 from long range in the Magic's two losses to the Knicks. "It's been a challenge," said Maggette. "I can't find any consistency but the season is still young. I just need to continue working on those long jumpers." Darrell Armstrong notched in 18 points and four assists, but had six of Orlando's 11 turnovers; Chucky Atkins came off the bench to score 10 as his backup. Orlando's bench stunned New York's, 36-24, but it was not enough. "Our reserves came in and gave us the spark that we needed to come back," said Ben Wallace, "but we ran out of gas and rushed some shots." Matt Harpring, who started in place of injured Ron Mercer, had 10 points, three assists and season-highs of 10 rebounds and four blocks, but with Wallace and Bo Outlaw being non-factors, the Magic were outscored in the paint, 50-28, and outrebounded, 52-43.

    The Magic propelled themselves to a 18-4 run to start the second half, but Ewing (15 points and ten boards) held both Wallace and Outlaw to single digits (a total of nine points and eight boards). At 89.2, the Knicks have the NBA's 6th best defense. "We held them to 31 points in the second half and we couldn't get the win," said coach Doc Rivers. "They did a superb job early and we couldn't counter that." With Larry Johnson struggling -- fouling out with 2:23 left in the game and finishing with just five points and seven rebounds -- Marcus Camby was able to post a strong game for the Knicks: going 4-for-4 from the floor in the second half, he contributed with 11 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three rejections. "He played great," Van Gundy added. "He knows how to do a lot of things and that's really important for a young player." Childs had seven points, four assists and two steals as a reserve for New York, as Charlie Ward had four and five. "We've got to make sure we don't relax after halftime," Ward said. New York plays three more games at Madison Square Garden before a back-to-back at Washington and Dallas.
Image
Image Image Image
Image Image Image
Image
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
User avatar

Topic author
kibaxx7
Posts: 1617
Joined: 27 Nov 2018, 18:56

What If...? | NYK 1999-2000: We Still Believe

Post by kibaxx7 » 10 Aug 2019, 22:04

Image

Image
Image

ImageImageImageImage
  • There was a dynamic duo at Madison Square Garden tonight -- and it wasn't the league's highest scoring pair.

    Latrell Sprewell and Patrick Ewing led the New York Knicks to a 104-81 rout of the Detroit Pistons -- New York was up by as many as 28 after combining for 61 points in the middle two quarters. Sprewell led four Knicks in double figures with 31 points, six rebounds and five assists, as Ewing scored ten of his 23 during a 15-4 spark in the third quarter, sealing the hosts' their fifth straight win. "Latrell did a great job carrying the game," said head coach Jeff Van Gundy. "He gave his teammates a lot of chances to score." Sprewell and Allan Houston combined to shoot a disastrous 1-of-11 from beyond the arc, but the stat was salvaged by the Knicks going 46-30 in the paint and 44-32 on the glass. Houston posted 16 points, seven boards and tied his season-high of seven assists. "You have to take a win any day over your personal stats," Houston said. "I didn't shoot well, but I was going to do whatever I could to help out my team."

    The Pistons had six fast break points and 19 assists compared to 16 and 27 for the Knicks, falling to a conference-worst 1-8 record. Jerry Stackhouse stood up for the visitors with 28 points and five assists as Grant Hill had 21 and six -- but the NBA's best scoring combo was 4-of-19 from long range. "We were a little bit slow in everything we did,'' Hill said. "It was up for grabs at halftime, but in the third they came out guns blazing." After their eighth loss in nine games, Detroit head coach Alvin Gentry scolded his team for failing to show up. "We didn't have any energy, and that's unacceptable. Only a couple of players stand up. Who are we moving forward with while we're rebuilding this? It's tough." Lindsey Hunter chipped in nine points and six dimes while staying perfect from the floor. The Pistons play six of their next eight at their home floor, hoping to reverse their luck. "We are going to need every win that we can get," Stackhouse said.

    The Knicks made eight of their first 11 shots to open a 18-8 lead midway through the first -- a 10-3 run in the second gave them a 50-39 intermission lead. Detroit never recovered, and trailed 85-61 heading into the final frame. "The entire team was amazing. We were off the charts tonight," said Ewing, who had four rebounds on the offensive end for a total of seven, and limited Christian Laettner to eight points. The Knicks legend made 8-of-12 shots from the field -- many being strong dunks and open layups that were the product of the Pistons' struggling defense; to make matters worst for the losing squad, he and Sprewell were perfect from the charity stripe, making all 14 of their attempts. "My teammates were moving the ball and everyone was getting open looks,'' said John Wallace, who went 4-for-4 from the field for nine points -- with New York up by 19 in the third and with 26 points to his name, Sprewell went to the bench and Wallace answered the call. Larry Johnson scored 11 and five rebounds as New York improved to an East-best 5-2 record at home, winning their last five overall by an average margin of 14.2 points -- two more games at MSG follow, against Golden State and Toronto.
Image
Image Image Image
Image Image Image
Image
× The Life and Times of Tanjiro Sakai ×
× Watching: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Echo ×
× Watched:
Romeo + Juliet (1996), Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - To the Hashira Training (2024), Paper Moon (1973) ×
Post Reply