12/5/12: Knicks 100 - CATS 98

Wow. So that was a basketball game played between two basketball teams. The Knicks played a-w-f-u-l for most of the game. There were obviously a few exceptions (to be discussed) but man was that ugly. It’s really hard to say that they needed that game because it took place on December 5th against a 7-9 team but it’s great to get the first win of a four games in five nights stretch.

Let us start with the namesake of this little website. Earl Smith Jr. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I feel like having JR Smith on your team is like dating Rihanna. Yes there is a chance they murder you in your sleep (or like Left Eye Lopes/Andre Rison your house), but holy cow is it fun when it is right. And tonight it was so wrong until the final five seconds. Going into that last shot JR was 5-15 from the field and 1-9 from 3 (after it he was 6-16 and 1-9 from 3). But he stole the ball and then drank water during a timeout and then took an irrational drive and then stepped back and then iced the game and then salsa’d like Victor Cruz to the dismay of the Bobcats fans (an aside – JR and Victor grew up playing AAU basketball together. The team’s name was Playaz). JR said he maintains confidence in shooting on off-nights from his teammates' encouragement. Someone on Twitter pointed it out but teammates definitely equals voices in head (choices in bed). I <3 u JR.

Melo (and Chandler) kept the Knicks in it to start. He had 20 first half points. He bullied his way into the lane, took good jumpers, took bad jumpers and made nearly all jumpers. Then in the second half the Bobcats decided to blitz Melo every time he touched the ball. Melo politely declined these 4-somes but the Others couldn’t hit their shots. Oh well. 41 threes is a lot to take. Sounds like it’s TBD if he will be good to go tonight or not. 6 stitches (I said sTitches Carmelo!).

Tyson Chandler played awesome. He had 8 points, 9 boards on 4-4 shooting in the first quarter. If you pro-rate that it is 32 points and 36 rebounds. He finished with 18 points, 17 boards on 8-10 shooting. Despite that effort, the Knicks were outrebounded by 14. That continues to be something.

Woodson did that thing again where Kurt Thomas starts the game and then plays 5 minutes. This will now be known as “All the Spurs Had to do to Save Themselves 250 Thousand American Dollars.” It’s like college senior night every night for Kurt.

Great to have Jason Kidd back. The offense just functions better when he’s out there. And I’m glad his head healed a bit while he was out. It’s really not hard to sell me on a bandaid head.

The Knicks continue to struggle defending guards. Kemba, Ben Gordon and Gerald Henderson all beat the Knicks like something politically incorrect to compare a beating to.

The Bobcats did a look-alike thing during a timeout and compared Chris Copeland to Brittney Griner. I bet he didn’t appreciate that.

The Bobcats jerseys now just say CATS across the front. The good news is MJ said he will reclaim the Hornets if New Orleans actually goes with the Pelicans as their new name. MJ and Cam Newton also watched the game in a box together.

That’s all I got. Great, gutsy win that previous Knicks teams don’t pull out. It was not pretty but otheydidit. Big one down in Miami tonight. I bet they mad.

Get well soon Melo! Get well soon Iman! Get well soon Marcus! [redacted] Amare!