Quick Rewind: Pacers 105, Knicks 103

Box Score

The Pacers pulled off a dramatic win at the Garden on Friday 105-103 thanks to the game winning jumper by Jarrett Jack with 0.9 seconds remaining.  Jack was the difference as he scored his 29 points on 10-14 shooting.  The Knicks had a poor start to the game as they did not have a lead until they made their run in the fourth quarter.  They actually built a 5 point lead with a few minutes to play but could not secure the advantage.  Their poor play had a lot to do with their offense which was not pushing the ball enough and turning the ball over at will (they finished with 21 total turnovers).  It would also be nice to see the Knicks play with some desperation every game.  They go through these lapses in games when they don’t get after it enough on both ends.

The Knicks made their move in the second half when their offense got in gear.  A lot of that had to do with the performance of Al Harrington who scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half.  But as we are all to used to seeing, the Knicks could not get the big stop at the end of the game.  The Knicks led 100-99 with about a minute remaining.  Jarrett Jack gets a switch with David Lee on him and nails the jumper.  The next Pacers possession, with Indy up 101-100, the Pacers set a pick for Jack at the top of the key and the Knicks had some miscommunication as Lee failed to provide the help or at least slow down Jack who drove right down the lane for the easy deuce.  Then with the score tied the Pacers run an isolation for Jack who nails the clutch jumper for the win.

Three Pacer possessions, three buckets by Jarrett Jack.  Give credit to Jim O’Brien for not calling timeout after the Knicks tied it.  With a stoppage I have to assume D’Antoni would have subbed Jared Jeffries in for the final possession to guard Jack who had the hot hand down the stretch.  Jeffries’ length may have bothered Jack and would have given him less space for him to get off the final jumper.  The Knicks are clearly still having trouble finding a way to finish games which has a lot to do with their inability to get crucial stops in crunch time.

Some other people postgame thoughts:

Alan Hahn of Newsday:

But while five steals is five steals…reality is David Lee has more to give on the defensive end. But the Knicks aren’t getting it.

The most critical play was with 24.1 seconds left and the Knicks trailing 101-100. Lee was supposed to switch on a screen to pick up Jarrett Jack but seemed to hesitate as if waiting for Nate Robinson to slide through. Jack used Lee’s hesitation to blow right by him and down the wide-open lane for a layup to put the Pacers ahead, 103-100. Lee, who had three fouls at the time, could have tried to pursue and clobber Jack just to avoid the freebie, but instead he went matador and turned spectator.

Marc Berman of the New York Post:

It’s one thing to get outclassed by Denver’s Carmelo Anthony. It’s another to get whipped by Indiana’s Jarrett Jack.

The Pacers point guard ambushed the Knicks last night, dominating all game, going wild in the final minute and hitting the game-winning 19-foot jumper over Chris Duhon with 0.9 seconds left as the Knicks dropped a 105-103 Garden heartbreaker.

Joshua Robinson of the New York Times:

With four miserable teams packed in the span of six games, this chunk of the Knicks’ schedule was supposed to be their buoy, a spell to keep them afloat and lift them back toward a .500 record.

Instead, it has been a stretch of stunning mediocrity — a sorry defeat against the Minnesota Timberwolves, an expected failure against the Denver Nuggets, and only modest success against the Charlotte Bobcats. Friday’s 105-103 defeat to the Indiana Pacers (11-21) was simply the latest in a string of forgettable nights at Madison Square Garden.

Frank Isola of the Daily News:

Yes, the Knicks knew what was coming and no, they didn’t stop it. Only the Knicks can make Jack, a solid veteran guard, look like LeBron James and open a new year with the same old way of losing: not understanding how to close out games.

And a Pacer perspective via Indy Cornrows:

Jarrett Jack had a big overall game to go along with the last-second heroics. Jack finished with 29 points on only 10-14 shooting from the floor. He knocked down his first four 3-balls, so obviously he was feeling it all night. Of course, Jack doesn’t play a perfect game and a couple of his five turnovers were critical in letting the Knicks back in the game. No since dwelling on those tonight though. Since Jack has had to play so many minutes and grind through the “Heartbreak Hotel” games as he calls them, he has become the emotional leader for this team. He sets the tone for the team’s heart, soul and guts on the floor.

Marbury Could Be Joining the Celtics

Ah yes it’s a new year which means more time to discuss the saga that is the Stephon Marbury situation.  The buyout talks between Steph and Donnie Walsh had reached a stalemate but there were rumors flying around that Walsh would start the talks back up in early January.  Marbury also wrote a blog post for the New York Post that was somewhat bizarre to read.  Everyone knows when Steph blogs, he really drops some knowledge:

I once heard it said that experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him. That’s real science, so I’ll drop that one again. Experience is not what happens to a man, experience is what a man does with what happens to him.

He did even express the fact that he just wants to have a chance to play.  He also claims he didn’t want to be a distraction despite the fact that he sat courtside for a Lakers-Knicks game in LA like a creepy stalker:

I didn’t want to be a distraction for the team first and me second. I honestly came to help the team win. Real talk. I was willing to put in the work necessary to earn my starting spot and humble enough to accept coming off of the bench.

It was unfortunate that the coach wanted to go in a different direction and didn’t want me to be part of the team. I just wish it had been handled correctly from jump. I could understand the fact they didn’t want Chris Duhon looking over his shoulder but if you don’t want me, just pay me and let me go. I just want to play basketball.

Now Marc Stein of ESPN.com is reporting that both the Celtics and Marbury are interested in a deal provided that he can secure a buyout from the Knicks:

Although it has been widely assumed that Celtics forward Kevin Garnett would resist a reunion with the controversial point guard — after Marbury broke up their Minnesota parternship in less than three seasons together by forcing a trade to New Jersey — one Celtics source insists that Garnett has voiced no opposition to the idea of signing Marbury for the rest of the season to strengthen Boston’s backcourt depth behind starters Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen.

When asked specifically about the likelihood of Marbury joining the Celtics this season, the source predicted that “it will happen.”

I’m still not entirely convinced that we will have a resolution to the situation anytime soon.  For someone who claims to be desperate to just have another chance to play, he sure does not seem eager to part with any of the $20+ million that is owed to him this year.  I just don’t think this buyout is going to be as simple as one might think.  Donnie Walsh is very opposed to the idea of paying Marbury his entire salary, or close to it, and still have to watch him play on a winning team and contend for a title.  The only question for the Knicks is how desperate they will be to free up the roster space.

From the perspective of the Celtics, I’m not really sure what to think.  They do need to add some depth to their roster because the truth is that the Cavaliers and Lakers are deeper than them.  Their bench could be what causes their downfall in the postseason if they do not address it.  But they really could use some depth with their bigs as I think you can survive with Eddie House backing up Rajon Rondo.  Plus with the way Rondo has improved this season, there will not be all that many minutes for the backup PG to have.  Rondo has a PER of 19.93 which is 7th best among point guards.

I just don’t think it would be worth the risk to bring Steph in here when the amount of minutes for him to get will be fairly low.  Marbury is also a guy that has quit on his team many times in the past, and who knows how his relationship would be with Kevin Garnett at this point.  Plus I don’t buy the idea of Marbury being able to really help a team when he has never done that in his career.  He has been shipped to a different team three times and each time that team has regressed.  The Nets lost 12 more games with Marbury his first year, the Suns dropped 15 more games from the previous year, and the Knicks had a 4 game drop.  The Celtics should be careful with this decision.

Even if the buyout doesn’t work out for Steph he still seems content with collecting his paycheck.  Who can forget his memorable quote while being interviewed on television at the Lakers-Knicks game?  “I’m still earning my check by doing nothing.”  Classy as always.

Coming Up: Pacers @ Knicks

• Records: Knicks 12-18 (11th in Eastern Conference); Pacers 10-21 (14th in Eastern Conference)
• Pace: Knicks 100.6 possessions per game (1st in NBA); Pacers 97.8 (3rd in NBA)
• Offensive Efficiency: Knicks 103.0 points per 100 possessions (19th in NBA); Pacers 102.7 points per 100 possessions (20th in NBA)
• Defensive Efficiency: Knicks 107.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (25th in NBA); Pacers 105.2 points allowed per 100 possessions (18th in NBA)
• Effective FG% (eFG%): Knicks 49.8% (12th in NBA); Pacers 49.1% (14th in NBA)
• Rebound Rate: Knicks 47.4 (28th in NBA); Pacers 50.5 (11th in NBA)

From ESPN Preview:

The Indiana Pacers are still struggling to close out games, while the New York Knicks needed a matchup with the league’s lowest-scoring team to snap their longest losing streak of the season.

Knicks players think their latest win could be a step in the right direction.  New York shot just 42.4 percent from the field but had five players score in double figures, including Wilson Chandler, who had seven of his team-high 19 points in the final four minutes.

Both clubs, however, are optimistic that they can turn things around.The Knicks look to build on their first win in more than two weeks Friday night when they host the Pacers, losers of 11 of their last 14.  New York (12-18) has shed some of its biggest salaries in a rebuilding season, and as a result, the Knicks have struggled to stay competitive in the Eastern Conference.  They’ve lost 15 of 21 since their 6-3 start, and had dropped six straight before escaping with a 93-89 win over lowly Charlotte on Tuesday night.

Despite his team’s struggles, first-year coach Mike D’Antoni is convinced New York will improve.  “I’m not backing off what I told you before, that we can be a good team,” D’Antoni said. “It’s up to us to prove it.”

Key to the Game: The stats indicate how even these two teams appear to be.  Let’s be honest.  The Knicks matched up well with Charlotte because they are not a very good shooting team and couldn’t take advantage of any open looks they got.  The Knicks had better effort on defense but that was still the Bobcats shooting the ball.

The big thing the Knicks need to improve to win tonight is their offense.  They have not been running as much as they need to.  They looked great early on against Charlotte but they eventually got out of rhythm and stopped running as much.  It is obviously still an adjustment for some of these players to play in this system.  They need to get in the mindset of staying aggressive throughout the game and not stop running.