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New York Knicks: What We Learned From The Loss To Cleveland

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) react as James is called for a foul during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) react as James is called for a foul during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Knicks took on the reigning and defending NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, December 7. What did we learn?

Dec 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) react as James is called for a foul during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 7, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) and Cleveland Cavaliers small forward LeBron James (23) react as James is called for a foul during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The New York Knicks have been one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2016-17 NBA regular season. For all of the criticism that team president Phil Jackson has faced, he’s put together a team that should make the playoffs this April.

With a chance to make a statement against the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks lacked the necessary energy to make this a competitive game.

27. 126. 156. Final. 94

The Knicks had no easy task with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, and the Cleveland Cavaliers coming to town. To make matters worse, New York’s starting point guard, Derrick Rose, missed the game with a back injury.

Thus, the Knicks weren’t at full strength against their strongest form of competition and were thus expected to lose even worse than previously projected.

The Knicks made good on the critics’ expectations by playing without the necessary level of energy on defense. The offense wasn’t much better, but this game was decided by the New York’s lackadaisical closeouts and poor rotations.

The question is: what did we learn from what was easily the Knicks’ most disheartening loss of the 2016-17 NBA regular season?

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