The New York Knicks could not quite get it done in this installment of the battle of the boroughs, losing to the Brooklyn Nets for the 4th time this season.
The Knicks had an opportunity to play spoiler tonight against the Nets as Brooklyn is currently fighting for the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference. However, New York fell short and suffered their 8th consecutive defeat. The Knicks fought hard the entire game and climbed out of several double-digit deficits to make the game competitive.
Although I have grown to dislike the kid, I must applaud the 4th quarter effort of rookie Cleanthony Early. He provided the team with 14 points in the final twelve minutes and was the key reason the Knicks even had a chance at coming away with a victory. With this being said, I still think Early was a waste of a draft pick that should be sent back down to the D-League until we can get rid of him.
The Knicks might have actually won if Derek Fisher did not display his ability to be an absolute bonehead by benching Andrea Bargnani for the entire 4th quarter. For three quarters of play, Bargnani looked like a man on a mission, recording 22 points and 5 rebounds. However, for some inexplicable reason, Fisher felt the need to keep him out of the game for the entire 4th quarter. I am far from a genius when it comes to coaching but I am pretty sure that you want your best scoring option on the court with the game on the line.
Apr 1, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Cleanthony Early (17) controls the ball against Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Alan Anderson (6) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
One last thing I would like to point out before I end my rant. Has anybody else noticed Tim Hardaway Jr. showing more energy on the bench in a suit than he has ever shown on the court in a Knicks jersey. He was jumping up-and-down all over the place tonight, cheering on his teammates, hoping to pull off an upset. Tim seems to have taken over the role of leader while he sits on the bench. I am sure Knicks fans wished he would have shown some of those qualities while he was actually playing.
No matter how hard the Knicks fought in this game, it still comes down to the fact that they have now lost 61 games this season. I personally don’t care that losing benefits the Knicks more than losing at this point in the season. Losing 61 games is an absolute embarrassment!
The New York Knicks head to Washington D.C. to take on the Wizards on Friday night. Not only will we have another losing effort to look forward to, we can also have that god-awful “Friday Night Knicks” anthem stuck in all of our heads for the next four days.
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