New Orleans Hornets vs. New York Knicks: Player Report Cards in win over Hornets
By Matt Shetler
The New York Knicks started slow once again, but woke up in time to snap a three-game losing streak, with a 100-87 win over the New Orleans Hornets.
The Knicks knocked down 11 three-pointers and held New Orleans to only 40 percent shooting- something we haven’t seen from the Knicks’ defense in quite a while.
January 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New Orleans Hornets forward Ryan Anderson (33) passes defended by New York Knicks forward Chris Copeland (14) during the fourth quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
It was a big win for the Knicks, who had seen their Atlantic Division lead trimmed to two games by Brooklyn while losing five of their previous seven games.
Here’s a look at how each Knicks player fared in our daily report card.
Game Stats
Field Goal Percentage: 43.2% (35-of-81)
Opponent’s Field Goal Percentage: 40.2 %( 33-of-82)
Three Point Percentage: 36.7% (11-of-30)
Opponent’s Three Point Percentage: 17.4% (4-of-23)
Free Throw Percentage: 76.0% (19-of-25)
Opponent’s Free Throw Percentage: 77.3% (17-of-22)
Assists: 24-14 (Knicks +10)
Rebounds: 47-45 (Hornets +2)
Points in the paint: 42-28 (Hornets +14)
Individual Grades
Jason Kidd (5 points, 2-of-4 shooting, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 turnovers)
Kidd started sloppy, but had a real strong second and third quarters at both ends of the floor and got to rest the entire fourth quarters. Eight assists in 23 minutes looks very nice. Grade: B
James White (2 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 2 rebounds)
This could be the last we see of White with Iman Shumpert due back. He started and played only 10 minutes so it is hard to give him a grade, but he played a lot early when the Knicks struggled. Grade: D
Chris Copeland (22 points, 9-of-15 shooting, 4 rebounds)
January 13, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) shoots over New Orleans Hornets forward Al-Farouq Aminu (0) during the first quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Copeland got the start at the 3 so Carmelo Anthony could play the 4 and it worked out nicely and Mike Woodson should do this more often. The rookie make 9-of-15 shot attempts, drained four shots from behind the arc and played decent defense. Eleven of his 22 point came in the first quarter, when the Knicks were struggling as a team. It was an all-around nice effort for Copeland. Grade: A
Carmelo Anthony (27 points, 9-of-25 shooting, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block)
‘Melo started very slowly but rebound nicely with a 17-point second-quarter explosion, scoring 14 straight points for the Knicks during a run that led the team to an eight-point halftime lead and gave them momentum. It wasn’t his best performance as he was only 9-of-25 from the floor, but it was a good day overall. Grade: B
Tyson Chandler (5 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 blocks)
Chandler got only three field goal attempts and scored only five points, but did grab 14 boards and block three shots. Even though the Hornets scored 42 points in the paint, Chandler was busy contesting shots and had a good day at the defensive end of the floor, and got to rest the entire fourth quarter. Grade: B+
Amar’e Stoudemire (12 points, 3-of-6 shooting, 3 rebounds)
Stoudemire had potentially his best game since returning to the Knicks’ lineup. STAT finished with 12 points and three rebounds in 23 minutes, hitting 3-of-6 shots from the floor and 6-for-6 from the line. All three of his buckets came on strong post moves in the paint, which is a good sign. Grade: B+
Ronnie Brewer (2 points, 1-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block)
Typical day for Brewer. He didn’t have much impact in his 14 minutes. Grade: C-
Steve Novak (9 points, 3-of-8 shooting, 1 rebound)
Novak didn’t do much until the fourth quarter when he knocked down all three of his triples, to pretty much put the game away. Grade: B
Pablo Prigioni (8 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds)
Prigioni was very good. He finished with eight points, five dimes and four boards and played some very good defense and forced several turnovers that the Knicks turned into easy baskets. Grade: B+
J.R. Smith (8 points, 3-of-11 shooting, 6 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals)
Smith didn’t shoot the ball well, but had a good game nonetheless. He dished out six assists and was very active at both ends of the floor. Two years ago Smith could not have impacted the game if he wasn’t scoring. That isn’t the case now. Grade: B-
Kurt Thomas: DNP- Coach’s Decision
Rasheed Wallace: DNP- Sore Left foot
Marcus Camby: DNP- Plantar Fasciitis Left Foot
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