Great game last night at Madison Square Garden

By David
Kaye

I had the opportunity to take in last nights Knick game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Going into the game, it seemed like it would be another typical night at the garden. This involved the Knicks beginning sluggishly, gaining momentum mid-way through the game and then tailing off by the end of the fourth quater.

Yes, New York did begin slowly as they were down 10-1 with 7:58 remaining in the first, but after an Isiah Thomas time out the Knicks began to play much better basketball. Fan favorite David Lee entered the game for Jerome James after he committed two fouls, and Lee responded by completing a three point play. Quentin Richardson then ignited the crowd with an exciting dunk, and it seemed that New York was on their way to their 22nd win of the season. Remember, this would be one shy of their season total from last year and it would pull them to an even 13 and 13 at home.

The Clippers took a 28-19 lead at the end of the first quarter and they were lead by Elton Brand who scored 11 points. Brand was dominant on the offensive boards for L.A. as he was able to grab just about every rebound away from Knick defenders. This resulted in several second chance points for the Clips. By halftime, New York was down 53-43. Who would have guessed the offensive display New York would put on in the second half?

The Knicks started the second half red hot as they went on a 10-0 run. Stephon Marbury who only scored three points in the first half, converted on a lay up that tied the game up with 8:24 remaining in the third. The Knicks continued the quarter on a 24-4 run, and they received big contributions from Marbury who scored 12 out of his 15 during the quarter. The Clippers went 4 out of 19 from the field in the third and were held to 11 points. A main reason why they struggled was because Elton Brand was held scoreless.

The third quarter might have been the best basketball New York has played all season. During some stretches they looked like the Phoenix Suns on the offensive end. A key component to their success was the frequency of which they went to the foul line. For the game, they were 36 out of 44 from the line and Eddy Curry went 13 out of 16 from the charity stripe. Finally, Eddy Curry looked like an enforcer down in the paint as he was able to get to the basket with ease time after time.

The fourth quarter produced the exact same results for the Knicks as they continued to play magnificent team basketball. They had five players score at least 15 points, and no one could have had more timely shots than Jamal Crawford. He sent the crowd to the exits after hitting an electrifying three pointer with two minutes remaining in the game. This gave New York a 99-87 lead and secured their 22nd win of the season.

It was a great night of basketball at the garden, and I look forward to going to more Knick games where they play extremely well.