![]() ![]() Otto Porter's game is built on taking advantage of other team's mental mistakes, whether it's someone's sloppy ballhandling or falling asleep defensively, so you shouldn't be surprised he went 7-9 from the field and finished with 17 points against the Knicks. After being forced to bring the starters back in to seal the deal Wednesday against the 76ers, Randy Wittman wisely kept the starters in until the game was comeback-proof this time around, but it comes at the expense of more wear and tear for guys who really don't need to be exposing themselves to injury risks this late in the season. Not only does the bench need to get it together so they can contribute in the playoffs, but they need to be dependable enough to give the starters valuable rest in the closing weeks of the season. Defensively, they're still a mess and Rasual Butler and Kevin Seraphin still just haven't been able to get things going. Part of the issue is trying to reshuffle units with Kris Humphries' return as well as the addition of Will Bynum, but clearly, there's still some work to do.Īfter the Wizards' starters raced out to a 30-10 lead in the first quarter, the bench let Ricky Ledo and company get hot in the second and make things competitive again by halftime. While the starting lineup continues to play well, even as Otto Porter and Drew Gooden have spent more time with the first unit, the bench has struggled to keep pace. Though it wasn't a vintage John Wall performance, it was performance that reminds us Wall can mess around and get 18 assists in 29 minutes if he feels like it. So yeah, it was nice of Wall to get Gortat and Porter some quality shots tonight. He was 3-13 shooting and didn't get to the line at all. Whether Wall was focusing on getting assists tonight to get his teammates going, or just pad his assist numbers in general, it did have a bit of an effect on the rest of the game. ![]() Good: John Wall, droppin' dimes like his wallet is overstuffed While nothing is perfect, there was more good signs than bad ones from tonight's win. Tonight was about evaluating the Wizards' process more than their results. The Knicks had every reason to go out there, try hard, get some experience and not do anything that would jeopardize their standing as the team with the best odds of winning this year's NBA Draft Lottery. The Wizards had every reason to win tonight's game. Isaac Okoro was benched for LeVert after shooting 1 for 7 in the two games in Cleveland.The end result of tonight's game was never going to be in question. The Cavs matched their worst first half in a playoff game, also scoring 32 in an 81-76 loss to the Knicks in Game 3 of 1996 playoffs. TIP-INSĬavaliers: Garland left the game for a time in the fourth quarter after hurting his ankle when he stepped on a photographer behind the basket. Usually warmly received in the arena, the fans even turned on the All-Star guard, loudly chanting “airball! airball!” when he was well off on a 3-pointer in the second quarter. He said he cut off communication with some friends who were Knicks fans and left some group chats so there would be no distractions. It was a rough first playoff game back home for Mitchell, who was born in Elmsford, New York, not far from where the Knicks practice, and thought he might be a Knick last summer before Utah instead traded him to Cleveland. The Cavs got within single digits before the Knicks closed the period on an 8-0 run to take a 72-55 lead. The offenses got going in the third quarter, with both teams shooting above 50% and LeVert scoring 11 points. “It was electric in there and happy we get to come back Sunday.” “As a basketball player you kind of grow up thinking about moments like these,” Barrett said. It was just the second time the playoffs came to Madison Square Garden in the last 10 years and it looked like something played by the beloved 1990s Knicks, who had the Garden rocking deep in many springs with their rugged brand of basketball. Plus, some of the Cavs’ 21 turnovers sent Barrett and the Knicks off to easy transition baskets. ![]() Caris LeVert, moved into the starting lineup after scoring 24 in that 107-90 victory, missed all six shots in the first half before coming on late for 17 points.īarrett was 6 for 25 in the first two games but his shot was falling and he aggressively drove to the basket to get himself going. “Like, kind of breathe and relax and calm down.”ĭarius Garland, who scored 32 points in Game 2, managed just 10 on 4-for-21 shooting. “Not being able to make shots definitely hurts as well, but it’s one of those things where we’ll be good,” Mitchell said. ![]()
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