Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks: Postgame Grades following win vs. Sixers
By Matt Shetler
The New York Knicks needed a win badly and they got one on Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers, putting an end to a season-high four game losing streak.
Although the 99-93 win was nice, it didn’t come without a little anxiety as the Knicks nearly blew a 20-point second half lead. But a win is a win and Mike Woodson will take it.
With that being said, let’s take a look at home each Knicks player graded out in this much needed win.
Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd (5) advances the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks won 99-93. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Raymond Felton (14 points, 6-of-15 shooting, 4 assists, 1 steal, 0 turnovers)
Felton didn’t shoot the ball well, especially from behind the arc, where he went only 2-of-8 on the night. But he had success penetrating and getting to the rim. He also took very good care of the ball, not turning it over on the night. Grade: C+
Jason Kidd (3 points, 1-of-7 shooting, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)
Once again, Kidd had a brutal shooting day, going 0-for-6 from three-point range, including taking some bad shots, which isn’t Kidd-like. His nine boards saves his grade a little bit. Grade: C-
Iman Shumpert (4 points, 1-of-5 shooting, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal)
To continue the trend, Shump once again did not have a good day from the floor and was limited to only 13 minutes. He continues to be ineffective at both ends of the floor and it makes you wonder how much that surgically repaired knee is still bothering him. Grade: D
Carmelo Anthony (29 points, 6-of-18 shooting, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 5 turnovers)
Anthony also did not have a good shooting day, but he did score 29 points and made 16-of-18 free-throws. However in addition to shooting only 33 percent from the floor, ‘Melo also coughed the ball up five times, which is getting concerning. Grade: B-
Tyson Chandler (5 points, 2-of-2 shooting, 12 rebounds, 3 blocks)
Just a typical night for Chandler. He crashed the boards and played great interior defense. His plus-14 on the night showed his impact. But he only attempted two shots on the night. That is a number I would like grow to see around six or seven each game. Grade: A-
Feb 24, 2013; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amar
Amar’e Stoudemire (22 points, 9-of-10 shooting, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)
Stoudemire just keeps getting better and better. He was outstanding and efficient and was clearly the Knicks best player on the floor. Grade: A+
J.R. Smith (14 points, 5-of-12 shooting, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal)
Smith was not very good early in the game, especially defensively where Evan Turner repeatedly beat him to the basket, but he rebounded nicely, including hitting a pair of huge three’s late in the game and picking up his intensity defensively. Grade: B-
Steve Novak (4 points, 1-of-2 shooting, 6 rebounds)
Novak only attempted a pair of shots, which can’t happen as poorly as most of his teammates have been shooting the ball, but he did impact the game by grabbing six rebounds for a change. Grade: B-
Pablo Prigioni (4 points, 1-of-4 shooting, 5 assists, 1 rebound)
His stat line may not show it, but Prigioni was very good in his 13 minutes. He dished out five assists and was tough defensively. Grade: B+
Kenyon Martin, Chris Copeland, James White and Kurt Thomas all received DNP’s- Coach’s Decision.
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