Knicks Look to Slow Harden, Get Back on Track at MSG

“We find times that we’re playing not to lose”, Canaan said. “That’s not sustainable. So we gotta do some things to help him”. The Knicks will look to avoid the biggest embarrassment of the season Wednesday when they will host the winless 76ers. Anthony Davis had 17 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes for New Orleans.

On Sunday, they all picked up the slack without Anthony in there.

As a team the Sixers shot 45.7% (16-35) from three point range on the night. He had another double, double, (20 points 13 rebounds) and played a career high 41 minutes.

Kevin Seraphin had 14 points (7-10 FG), seven rebounds, and four assists off the bench.

“I think the shots we got at the end were good shots”, Galloway said. On the first game back from the news of Jahlil Okafor’s incident outside a Boston nightclub, the team rallied around their offensive leader and did everything possible to pull the game out on his behalf.

Ariza finished with 16 points and Thornton tallied 18, while James Harden led the Rockets with 26.

Kelly Olynyk scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth quarter as both coaches left the finish to their reserves. So far we haven’t seen anyone punch him in the head during the game, and his assist for a Trevor Ariza 3-pointer sent the game to overtime, but Harden continues to do his thing, as if he exists on a separate plain from all the others, playing basketball as if it was meant for him, and no one else. But the Rockets couldn’t take advantage, Harden missing a three with 21 seconds remaining. The Knicks did what most teams try to do when the star is lost, and that is play the best they can.

A fan-made blog called NBA Innovative Coverage noted that “the latest rumor to surface is that Dwight Howard is not satisfied with the direction the Rockets are taking and the attitude of its leader, James Harden”. But after dominating most of the night, the Knicks saw the game get away in the fourth quarter, barely surviving the final seconds of regulation.

The Pistons shot 52.9 percent from the field, their best of the season and just their second time making half their attempts. However, their slow start early in the game ended up costing them the win. “We were more than just teammates”. The Rockets come into this game 5-10 Straight Up (SU) and 3-12 Against The Spread (ATS).

One of the calling cards of a lineup with Lawson was going to a small-ball lineup, often with James Harden effectively at the power forward position. “I like the fit of our team”, Van Gundy said.

“We played great offense all night, and we played great defense in the first half”, Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. He is scheduled to have his back examined Tuesday and if it goes well, he could be cleared to start practicing for the first time since last March’s back surgery. Their fate is tied to how he players, basically they go as he goes.