New York Knicks Report Card: Grading Knicks Double OT win vs. Bucks
By Matt Shetler
It wasn’t pretty, but the New York Knicks found a way to win a game Wednesday night, 107-101 in double it overtime against the lowly Milwaukee Bucks.
The win featured everything from Tyson Chandler’s return to dumb decision making, but at the end of the day a win is a win and this Knicks team can use any type of win it can get its hands on right now.
Dec 18, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler (6) dunks during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
With that being said, let’s look at how the Knicks graded out in their eighth win of the season.
Beno Udrih (21 points, 8-of-12 shooting, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals)
Udrih was pretty solid at the offensive end of the floor in 40 minutes of action. He moved the ball and was very efficient from the floor, making 8-of-12 shots, including a spectacular 5-of-7 from behind the arc. He was torched on defense though as Brandon Knight has a career game with 36 points. Overall though the Knicks aren’t in this game, much less winning it, with the performance of Udrih. Grade: B
J.R. Smith (19 points, 7-of-23 shooting, 6 assists, 5 rebounds)
Smith hit the go-ahead jumper in double overtime and contributed in other areas with six dimes and five boards, but you just can’t excuse a 7-for-23 shooting performance. Smith played 48 minutes and went only 5-of-17 from three-point range. That’s simply unacceptable. Grade: D
Iman Shumpert (1 point, 0-of-5 shooting, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 1 block)
Shump did some nice things, but continues to struggle offensively. Quite simply, in 31 minutes, he must score more than one point. He also posted a team-worst minus-10 mark. Grade: D
Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 9-of-29 shooting, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks)
Melo once again led the Knicks in scoring and was active on the glass, but he needed 29 shots to net 29 points. That’s just not getting the job done. Grade: C
Tyson Chandler (9 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks)
It was nice to see Chandler back and he looked pretty good. He did cramp up at the end but considering the fact that he had to play 37 minutes in his return that should have been expected. He was effective and efficient at both ends of the floor though and it’s no coincidence that the Knicks won with Chandler back in uniform. Grade: B
Andrea Bargnani (12 points, 5-of-16 shooting, 10 rebounds)
Bargnani continues to struggle with his shot as he needed 16 attempts to score 12 points. Throw in his boneheaded three-point attempt and he nearly cost the Knicks a win. His 10 rebounds and team-high plus-16 are the only thing that prevents his bad decision making from getting a failing grade. Grade: D+
Metta World Peace (8 points, 3-of-4 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals)
MWP was very active and efficient and it makes you wonder why he only got 12 minutes of playing time. While he was on the floor he was good and it may have been his best performance in a Knicks uniform, although it was a brief one. Grade: B
Tim Hardaway Jr. (8 points, 3-of-7 shooting, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal)
The rookie did about what you expect from him at this point, as he made some shots, brought some energy and finished with a plus-13 rating on the night, the second highest mark on the team. Grade: B
Toure’ Murry (0 points, 0-of-1 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)
Murry got 10 minutes of action and looked decent, but wasn’t able to impact the game much in limited minutes. Grade: C