NBA Update: New York Knicks looking beyond the March slump
When Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups landed at the Madison Square Garden as part of a 13-man/three franchise deal, late in February, they also brought a plethora of expectation and proclamations with them. However, in the
days following the landmark trade, the Knicks failed to live up to the hype.
Barring a rear-guard win over the Miami Heat, the Knicks lost their drive and were thrashed by all and sundry of NBA. A tough schedule in the month of March didn’t help either. Carmelo Anthony, who was supposed to be the beacon
of the Knicks resurgence, said on Tuesday.
"This month has been just brutal. It's been nonstop ever since the trade. I came straight from the trade off the plane to play in a game. We've been playing every other day, nonstop, back-to-backs. I laughed and joked about when
I first got traded and I looked at the schedule: 'I ain't signed up for this.'
When March started, the Knicks were standing at the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference determined to excel in ranking, not knowing the upcoming month will have them slip backwards. March completely upturned the allure of the
team who were on their way to clinch a playoff berth. New York won only six games during that stretch. On the other hand, they endured eleven defeats that not only tumbled them to the seventh spot but also pushed them below 0.500.
Amare’ Stoudemire, who has been pacing the Knicks in scoring this season, admitted that March was the toughest month he has endured in his six year career. The major reason for the tail-spin was the lack of chemistry and co-ordination
among the new recruits. While the Knicks became ever more potent on the front court, the team’s defense kept on fading away at crucial moments, which provided the oppositions advantage.
Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni has been at a loss to find the answers for the miserable stretch however; he finally had some cheering moments on Monday night when the Knicks knocked down the mighty Orlando Magic in overtime. After
Wednesday’s game against New Jersey Nets, Knicks will be having three-day break as the team believes that it will help to get some spring back in the legs.
D'Antoni is looking forward to end the horrendous month on a high note by beating Nets.
"I don't really dwell on what happened before. We've got to take this and go forward, and again, we've been here before. We were like this against Miami and then it slipped away. We can't let it slip away." D'Antoni said.
New York Knicks will be concluding the regular season by playing against the two top teams of the East, Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics. The platform is all set for the line-up to overlook the past and break into the playoff with
a strong message.
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