Author: Dave Ettinger

Dave is a Trending News Sports Writer for Athlon Sports, covering breaking and trending news across major sports, including NFL, NBA, MLB, WNBA, college football and basketball. With over 10 years of experience in sports media, Dave’s versatility extends to television, radio, and journalism. In addition to his role at Athlon Sports, Dave works in TV Production at ESPN, where he manages the production, editing, and processing of shows and events that re-air across ESPN's network of channels. Prior to joining ESPN, Dave served as an Executive Producer at WFAN and CBS Sports Radio, further solidifying his expertise in sports media. Dave earned his bachelor’s degree in Media Communications from SUNY College at Old Westbury, bringing both his education and extensive industry experience to his roles across various platforms.

No Superstars No Problem

March 10, 2013March 10, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

On a night where the Knicks got some devastating news, they stood up against adversity together; as a group. For those of you who haven’t heard, Amar’e Stoudemire is having a procedure done on his knee that will cause him to miss at least 6 weeks. It is the same procedure he had done on his right knee, only this time it will be done on his left knee. This news comes at a time where Stoudemire’s game was finally in full swing. He was showcasing possibly the best stretch of offensive efficiency of his career, and he finally looked like he was “getting” it defensively. However, with Carmelo Anthony already sidelined with a bum knee, the Knicks would be without both of their stars Saturday night. To that they said, no problem. They went ahead and mopped the floor with the Utah Jazz. They beat them by a score of 113-84. As usual, the Knicks started out slowly finding themselves in an early hole, 11-4. Before you knew it the Knicks went on a 15-0 run, and the rest is history. It truly was a team effort as the Knicks had 5 players in double figures. Kenyon Martin filled in very nicely in Amare’s absence, and the Knicks could use more solid play from Martin the rest of the way. Steve Novak also added 5 3-pointers. The best part of this victory was the style of defense the Knicks played. Each and every member of the Knicks was swarming around the ball and forcing turnovers left and right. It is that style of play that the Knicks must continue in order to make some noise in the Eastern Conference (especially when Melo returns). With Carmelo out of the lineup it seems that the Knicks will have to turn to J.R. Smith as their leading scorer. As long as Smith can continue to attack the basket, he should be up for the task. The problem with Smith is when he becomes a ball handler or confuses himself with Steve Novak, he gets into trouble. For example, when he dribbles too much, he makes poor decisions. And when he decides to strictly be a shooter, we get to see the ugly side of Smith’s game. He is far too streaky to carry a team like the Knicks on his back while shooting 10 or more times from outside the arc. All in all it was an inspiring performance the Knicks put forth against the Jazz. Not only did they show the rest of the league they can win without their two stars, they showed that they can demolish a playoff contender. We shall see if the Knicks can continue their solid play Monday night at 10:30. The Knicks will be in Golden State to take on the Warriors. This is the first game on their treacherous 5 game road trip.

If you enjoy my writing, follow me over to intheneutralzone.com where I am a contributing author there as well. Also you can follow me on twitter @DaveEttinger2 or like me on Facebook at http://www.Facebook.com/DaveTalksSports. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it!

Chalk One Up For The Bad Guys

March 8, 2013March 8, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

I was right about the overtime part, but I was slightly off on which team was going to win. As expected, the New York Rangers vs. the New York Islanders game did not disappoint. The Islanders jumped out to a lead in the 1st period by grabbing the first goal of the game. After a scoreless 2nd period, the Islanders (in true Islanders fashion) blew the game by giving up a goal with just under 6 minutes to play. The game headed to overtime, and guess what happened? Yup, you got it, the Islanders gave up a goal in the first minute of overtime. Good try, and better luck next time. The Islanders did gain a point in the process, but as they sit they really need to take advantage of every opportunity possible. Last night was one of those opportunities that they blew. It’s as simple as that. Evgeni Nabakov played a great game saving the first 31 shots he saw on goal. However, late in the 3rd period Rick Nash came up with a goal to push the game to overtime. Early in the overtime period, Michael Grabner was called for a hooking penalty. It was on the ensuing power play that the Rangers scored the game winning goal. This was a tough loss for the Islanders, but they will have a day off Friday to try to collect themselves. Saturday afternoon they will get back to action at home against the Washington Capitals. The Rangers on the other hand have a home game Friday night at 7:00 P.M. against the Ottawa Senators.

Melo Jr. Gives It His All

March 8, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

Well apparently the Knicks didn’t get the memo about Kevin Durant. He is a beast in the 4th quarter! Durant scored 12 of the Thunder’s 20 points in the 4th quarter and they won the game 95-94. J.R. Smith and the Meloless Knicks gave it their all against one of the best teams in the league, but it just wasn’t enough. J.R. Smith did his best Carmelo impression last night scoring 36 points on 29 shots. He played a good game off the “bench”, but he couldn’t beat the Thunder by himself. Raymond Felton and Amar’e Stoudemire both added 16 points, but the offense was pretty inefficient as a whole (they shot 40% from the field and 32% from 3 point range). Believe it or not, the Knicks actually had a 6 point lead heading to 4th quarter, so it makes sense that they got outscored by 7 points in the 4th quarter (haha, figures). That leads me back to my original point. Kevin Durant is the best player in the NBA that is not named Lebron James. The Knicks obviously didn’t realize that. They should have been double teaming Durant in the 4th quarter and forced someone else to beat them. Outside of Durant and Westbrook, no one else on the Thunder took more than 7 shots. If you had doubled them and forced Serge Ibaka or Kevin Martin to beat you, I bet you would have had some success. Unfortunately, the Knicks decided to go one on one with Kevin Durant, and he killed them when it mattered most. I have to put most of the blame on Coach Woodson. Mike Woodson keeps preaching that it doesn’t matter who starts games, it only matters who finishes games. Well Mike, you continue to screw up the lineups at the end of games so what exactly are you talking about?!?! How you don’t have Amar’e Stoudemire in against the Heat down the stretch is beyond me. Plus last night he did the same thing with Tyson Chandler sitting him for 5 and a half of the most crucial minutes of the 4th quarter. How many times do I have to hear about the questionable moves and substitutions from Woodson before someone questions him as a great coach? People think because the Knicks have a good record that he must be doing a great job, but I’m here to tell you that their record could and should be even better. Woodson needs to pull his head out of the sand and start managing his roster properly. For starters, I like Kurt Thomas, but send him off to the nursing home already. Secondly, James White should be a star in the D-League, not A STARTER on an NBA roster (let alone on a good NBA roster). The next step for Woodson is to get Melo 100% and bring he and Amar’e back to the starting lineup together. This will infuse some instant offense into the starting lineup and will keep them from getting down early in games. It will also bring some size into the starting lineup, and while Amar’e is not a great rebounder, he’ll certainly grab more boards than James White or Kurt Thomas. Everyone questions Amar’e’s defense, but everyone’s defense on this team is questionable besides Tyson Chandler. At least Amar’e is trying on the defensive end, which is more than you can say about Steve Novak. Is he not the worst defender in the NBA? I defy you to find a worse defender in the entire NBA than Steve Novak. Woodson should leave J.R. in his role as the 6th man, because it would make no sense to have 2 “Carmelo’s” on the floor at the same time. If Woodson continues to bring Jason Kidd in as the backup point guard, Kidd can manage Smith’s personality and mold him in to a well-rounded basketball player. As for size, defense, and toughness the Knicks have Chandler and need to hope and pray that the combination of Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby can help in those departments.

Let me get back to last night’s game. The Knicks should take only positive notes away from this loss to the Thunder. Think about it this way, did anyone in the world besides a completely biased Knicks fan think they were going to win that game last night? No chance in hell. I personally thought they were going to lose by 10 points. The fact that they had a lead heading into the 4th quarter and only lost by 1 point without their top scorer is an impressive feat if you ask me. It would have been a nice game to steal since they have an insane schedule in March, but they should feel good about themselves moving forward. The Knicks have a much needed day off on Friday, but will be right back in action Saturday night at home against the Utah Jazz. Maybe we’ll see Carmelo Anthony back in uniform by then. Either way, tune in to MSG @ 7:30 P.M. to watch the Knicks beat the Utah Jazz.

We’re Going Streaking!!!!

March 7, 2013March 7, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

History is being made right before our eyes. The Chicago Blackhawks and the Miami Heat continue to extend their impressive winning streaks. The Blackhawks have now earned at least one point in 24 straight games. During this streak they have now won 11 games in a row. Not all of their games have been easy, but they keep finding a way to win night in and night out. Last night the Blackhawks scored 2 goals in the 3rd period to earn a come from behind victory; 3-2. The game winning goal came from Daniel Carcillo with just under 50 seconds left in the game. The Blackhawks will continue to keep their points and winning streak alive on Friday night when they visit the Colorado Avalanche. The Blackhawks should be able to win that game easily, as the Avalanche have one of the worst records in the league.

Another streak that continued Wednesday night was the Miami Heat’s winning streak. A win against the Orlando Magic brought their streak to 16 games. The Heat continue to pile up wins and are an amazing 27-3 at home this season, but they should be a little concerned that they nearly blew another big lead against a sub-par team. They were up by 15 at halftime, and by the time they were heading to the 4th quarter they were only up by 3 points. They did the same thing against the Sacremento Kings, blowing an 8 point lead with only 1:12 left in regulation. It was also nice to see Lebron finally hit a game winning shot for the Miami Heat. It was his first with the Heat, and by my recollection his second of his career (it’s about time buddy). For his sake, hopefully he can add clutch to his resume in the near future. As of now that’s just about the only thing missing from his resume. The Miami Heat will look to keep their winning streak alive Friday night at 8:00 P.M. against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Both of these streaks are extremely impressive. How far do you think each streak will go? Which streak do you think is more impressive? Leave me your feedback in the comment section below. I look forward to hearing your reactions.

Sloppy Joes Anyone?

March 7, 2013March 7, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

The New York Knicks can be described by a simple formula. As long as the good outweighs the bad, it’s okay. Wednesday night at the Detroit Pistons, there was plenty of bad but just enough good to win a basketball game. On a night where Carmelo Anthony wasn’t able to suit up, the Knicks played a sloppy brand of basketball. They had 20 TURNOVERS!! For a team who only averages about 12 turnovers per game, that’s some pretty ugly stuff. The majority of the turnovers were committed by Raymond Felton (he had 7). Felton however, scored 26 points and was one of main reasons the Knicks beat the Pistons. The final score was 87-77 as the Knicks were carried offensively by Felton, J.R. Smith, and Amar’e Stoudemire. Collectively they scored 68 of the Knicks 87 points. As you can tell by the turnover totals and the final score, this was a hard game to watch. I think I actually fell asleep for 5 minutes or so in the middle of the game. Hopefully tonight’s game will be a little more interesting and technically sound. Tonight the New York Knickerbockers host Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder. You can find this game on TNT at 8:00 P.M. There are questions going around today about Carmelo’s health and whether or not he’ll play tonight. I personally don’t think the Knicks have a chance to win this game either way, but Carmelo really needs to man up and get out there. Everyone else can buy into his little “injury”, but I guarantee you he is not hurt. He needs to grow up and start putting his team first. Right now, the Knicks need to play every game like it’s their last, because seeding in the Eastern Conference is going to be crucial in the playoffs. So Melo, even though I know you will never read this page, STOP BEING A BABY, RUB SOME DIRT ON YOUR KNEE AND GET OUT THERE!! For those of you who are scratching your head as to why someone would rub some dirt on their knee, allow me to elaborate. As a baseball player, when you get hit by a pitch, your teammates (whom are often road scholars) will tell you to rub some dirt on it and run to first base. Anyway, Melo really needs to man up and take a page out of Kobe Bryant’s how to manual. Kobe should clearly be Carmelo’s biggest role model. Melo like Kobe is a shoot first All-Star. The only difference (and by only I mean the 8 differences between Kobe and Melo) between Kobe and Melo is that Kobe has that life or death mentality ingrained inside of him. Kobe is going to do anything and everything his team needs in order to win, including playing hurt, playing defense, and hustling from the opening tip until the final buzzer every night. Carmelo needs to infuse those characteristics into his personality. Then maybe other players, media, and fans won’t question his dedication when he misses a game with a questionable injury.

As for the game tonight against the Thunder, the Knicks need to go on one of their 3-point shooting rampages to have a chance to win. I personally want to see the Knicks shoot less 3-pointers, but in a game without Carmelo Anthony, they need to get a huge game out of Amar’e and Chandler down low to open up the court for the outside shooters. This is the only chance the Knicks have to beat the Thunder tonight. And for the love of god, can Coach Woodson please stop fighting common sense and put Amar’e Stoudemire in the starting lineup. I understand that he wants to keep Jason Kidd out of the starting lineup (and I agree with him there) and with Carmelo Anthony hurt he needs to find another starter, but James White AND Kurt Thomas are the answers to those questions?!?! Coach Woodson is obviously confused. At the beginning of the season, I liked what Woodson was doing. The Knicks were playing defense and he had Melo giving it his all, but now Woodson just looks like an average coach that doesn’t know how to handle his roster. The Knicks should hang tough in this game tonight because it’s at home, but I see the Thunder pulling ahead in the middle of the 4th quarter and winning by 10 points, 108-98.

How Bout ‘Dem Islanders

March 6, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Tuesday was a great night for New York hockey. The New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 6-3, while the New York Rangers took down the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. With the win by the Rangers, they have slipped into the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The win by the Islanders brings them within 2 points of that same playoff spot. As for the Rangers game, they jumped out to a very early lead scoring a goal in the first minute and a half. The flyers bounced back with 2 goals of their own, but before the end of the 1st period the score was tied 2-2. After a scoreless 2nd period, Rick Nash scored both of his goals in the 3rd period to seal the victory. Henrik Lundqvist played a nice game saving 23 of 25 total shots on goal. The stars of the game for the Rangers were Rick Nash and Ryan Callahan. Nash finished the game with 2 goals as Callahan added 2 goals and an assist. I feel that the Rangers are definitely going to make the playoffs this season. They are too talented of a hockey team to be watching the playoffs from the coach.

Now the Islanders had a tough match-up last night against the 1st place Montreal Canadiens. It was a quiet 1st period where the Canadiens came away with one goal. On the other hand, the 2nd and 3rd periods saw a bit more action. In the 2nd period the Islanders scored 3 straight goals in a span of 11 minutes. The Canadiens answered back with one goal to bring the score to 3-2 (Islanders) at the end of the 2nd period. When the Canadiens tied the game at 3 I started thinking, oh no here come the Islanders I’ve grown accustom to. But I must admit I was wrong. Maybe this team of young talent is showing us, right in front of our eyes, the potential this franchise will have for years to come. The Islanders stormed back and scored 3 unanswered goals and won the game 6-3. I really want to believe in my heart that they are going to make the playoffs too, but if I’m going to put them in the playoffs I would have to take someone else out. Out of the teams that are currently in the playoff picture in the East, I could see the Islanders catching the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have lost 6 games in a row and 8 of their last 9, and I don’t see a sign of them turning their season around anytime soon. They have a lot of games left against the top teams in the Eastern Conference and the way they look right now, they can’t beat anybody. The final game of the season at the Rangers could prove to be the difference in their (the Devils) season (way to go NHL with your scheduling skills!!).

Can’t wait to catch the Rangers and Islanders in action for their next game? Well, you won’t have to wait long, and you’ll be able to find them in the same place. The Rangers come to Nassau Coliseum this Thursday night at 7:00 P.M to take on the Islanders. Let the rivalry continue. The season is hitting its stride, and I think this game will live up to its expectations. I like the Islanders to win in an overtime thriller 5-4.

American League Central Predictions

March 6, 2013March 6, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ Leave a comment

Today, we will take a look at our first American League Division; the American League Central. I will preview each team and give you my bold predictions for the upcoming season. Here is a quick look at how each team finished last season:

2012 American League Central Final Standings:

W L

Detriot Tigers: 88-74

Chicago White Sox: 85-77

Kansas City Royals: 72-90

Cleveland Indians: 68-94

Minnesota Twins: 66-96

Ah, the 2012 Minnesota Twins. What a major disappointment they were huh? No one was crowning them World Series champions prior to the 2012 season, but I think we all expected them to be above .500. The Twins started out with a horrid record, and as the season continued it only got worse. They finished dead last in the American League Central, a horrible 30 games under .500. There is good news for 2013. I don’t think it is physically possible to be as bad as they were last year. That means there is only one way to go; up. The Twins lost speedy outfielders Denard Span and Ben Revere, and they are hoping Darin Mastroianni can be their starting center fielder of the future, their leadoff hitter, and can blossom into a star. I think he is a nice little player, but his strikeout rate is too high and his batting average is too low for me to say he’ll be a difference maker in Minnesota. They also added Vance Worley and Mike Pelfrey to their starting rotation. Mike Pelfrey after one solid year for the Mets in 2010, has underachieved beyond belief (if only I were 6’7″). I don’t see the change of scenery being the difference for Pelfrey, and I see him struggling mightily this season. As for Worley, after bursting on to the scene in 2011, his 2012 was very pedestrian (where he sported a 4.20 era and only won 6 games). The Twins offense does have a chance to put up some runs, but that all depends on the health of their two former ‘superstars’; Justin Morneau and Joe Mauer. Josh Willingham should have another nice season at the plate, but if Mauer and Morneau can stay healthy they could make a run at that elusive .500 record (hahaha). That’s how good I think they will be this season, their ceiling is a .500 record. When it’s all said and done I do think they improve upon their record from last season, but not by much. They will be a stellar 70-92.

Last season the Cleveland Indians showed that they can compete in the American League Central. They held a record of 44-41 at the All-Star break. Then the Indians went on to have a disastrous 2nd half, going 24-53 to close out the season. This forced the Indians owner to fire their manager Manny Acta. Over the offseason, the Indians hired former Red Sox manager Terry Francona. They believe that the combination of Francona and their new acquisitions this offseason gives them a chance to compete for the division title. They added former Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher, home-run hitting Mark Reynolds, speedy centerfielder Michael Bourn, and the power/speed threat of Drew Stubbs (if only Stubbs didn’t strike out a million times he’d have the potential to be GREAT). Between Reynolds and Stubbs their batting average will plummet while their strikeout rate soars through the roof, but they have the potential to be a very good team. If Ubaldo Jimenez can return to All-Star form, watch out for the Cleveland Indians! I think that they will be the most improved team from last season but will just miss out on the playoffs. I believe they will finish with a record of 85-77.

The Kansas City Royals have been a model of inconsistency over the years, and that’s exactly what they were last season. I do believe that they are heading in the right direction though and might actually surprise some folks this season. The Royals have a good young team with a mountain of potential. They also added James Shields, Ervin Santana, and Wade Davis to their starting rotation this offseason. I believe this will vastly improve this team, and they will finish with a winning record for the first time since 2003. The Royals have a lineup with a rare combination of speed and power. Between Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jarrod Dyson, and Alex Gordon the Royals should swipe a lot of bases this season. They also have a lot of pop in their bats, with Mike Moustakas, Eris Hosmer, and Billy Butler anchoring the lineup. Expect the Royals to be improved from last year, finishing with a record of 82-80.

Outside of Chris Sale, the Chicago White Sox rotation hovered around .500 in terms of wins and losses last season. I believe that is what we will see from this team in 2013. They did not make much noise this past offseason. The only real addition they made was bringing in Jeff Keppinger to play 3rd base. He should help with their batting average but not much more. They do have nice players in their lineup in Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, and Alejandro De Aza, but that won’t be enough to compete in this division. This will be the most improved division in baseball, and the White Sox will finish in 4th place in the division this season. I don’t think their pitching is good enough and it will ultimately be their downfall. I see the White Sox having a disappointing season, finishing with an 80-82 record.

This is the Detroit Tigers division to lose. With Justin Verlander heading up a rotation that includes Max Scherzer and Doug Fister, the Tigers rotation should continue to mow batters down. Add that to a lineup that features Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder, and I think it’s safe to say that the Tigers will win the American League Central again this season. The Tigers do have a big question mark this season though, that could throw a big curveball into their plans. They don’t have a closer right now. They don’t seem to be interested in re-signing Jose Valverde. Now, I dislike Valverde more than anyone in the world. Watching him pitch makes me want to stab myself in the eyes with a pencil. However, sometimes the scarcity at a position should dictate how you put your team together. Valverde did implode in the postseason last year, but he is by far the best option at closer for the Detroit Tigers (at least right now). Come playoff time, are you really going to feel comfortable handing the ball to a rookie in the 9th inning?? I highly doubt it. I foresee the Tigers holding off the Indians to win the division, but I don’t think they’re going to make it look easy. Their record should be similar to that of last year at 89-73. They will narrowly win the American League Central.

2013 American League Central Projected Final Standings:

W L

Detroit Tigers: 89-73

Cleveland Indians: 85-77

Kansas CIty Royals: 82-80

Chicago White Sox: 80-82

Minnesota Twins: 70-92

Projected American League Central Winner: Detroit Tigers

What is This Pillow Fight and Where Did the NBA Go??

March 5, 2013March 5, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

If you haven’t seen it already, the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves got into a little scuffle Monday night. J.J. Barea and Ray Allen started getting physical early on in the 4th quarter. Ray Allen had the ball and gave Barea a little incidental elbow out on the perimeter. Then, as Allen drove toward the basket, J.J. Barea gave Allen a little bump that knocked him to the floor. Allen hopped up immediately enraged over the foul. Both teams quickly met face to face where the incident took place, but all players involved were separated without it escalating any further. As a result of the play, J.J. Barea was given a Flagrant-2 foul and was ejected from the game. You need to see the play with your own two eyes to understand just how ridiculous the flagrant foul and subsequent ejection was. If you want to check out a video of the play then click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUtYCXPW9fM First of all, J.J. Barea is about 5’8″ and 160 pounds soaking wet (I don’t want to hear anything about the 6’0″ and 175 pounds that he’s listed at). On a little side-note, I saw Barea play live in a college game once back in ’04-’05. He played at Northeastern, and they were visiting my school; Umass. When the game was over I walked past him as he was on his way to the locker room, and trust me he is not 6’0″ tall (I was towering over him and I’m only 5’11”). Same goes with Allen Iverson, I stood next to him at a Knicks game once and was eye to eye with him. I digress. The fact of the matter is that J.J. Barea couldn’t toss Ray Allen and get a deserving Flagrant-2 foul if his life depended on it. Ray Allen should have gotten up, dusted himself off, and walked to the free throw line like a man. That would have been the end of it, and at most he could have whispered something to Barea next time they found themselves next to each other on the free throw line (something like, “try that again, and I’ll step on you little guy”). Instead he got all flustered and created something out of nothing. And that is the problem I have with today’s NBA. Today’s NBA is soft. Back in the day guys got knocked down way harder than that little bump Barea gave Allen. Just ask Michael Jordan how hard the Pistons used to hit him in the ’80’s and ’90’s. NBA players used to be as scared to drive to the basket as a wide receiver is coming across the middle of the field. Unfortunately, that type of NBA has come and gone. I understand that in this era everyone is more involved in player safety, and I’m okay with that. I don’t want players getting injured unnecessarily, but we need to stop babying these players. Flagrant fouls should be reserved for clearly intentional fouls that endanger the safety of a player. You can’t watch that Flagrant Foul from Monday night and tell me that Ray Allen’s body was ever in danger. That’s all I’m saying! If you have something to say about the issue of flagrant fouls in the NBA, please leave me a comment or question. Thank you.

If you want to see what a real flagrant foul looks like then check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dabt_Kb2UmQ

Phantom Injury Sparks Comeback

March 5, 2013March 5, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 2 Comments

Let us rewind to Monday evening at around 8:00 P.M. The Knicks were getting BLOWN OUT by the Cleveland Cavaliers. We were witnessing one of the most embarrassing performances of the year in the NBA. The expletives that were flying around my head are words I would never dare say out loud. The Knicks looked like they were running in quick sand. They looked sluggish, and lazy, and they were playing uninspired basketball. During the 1st quarter, you saw the Knicks go from up 2 points to down 10. However, the 2nd quarter is where the flood gates opened. The Cavaliers led by Marreese Speights, simply couldn’t miss. Speights went a perfect 10 for 10 in the 1st half. This is a Cavaliers team who is ranked dead last in field goal percentage. Was it the Knicks poor defense that contributed to the Cavaliers offensive explosion, or was it simply a hot streak that couldn’t be stopped? I’d like to think it was a combination of both, but the Cavaliers were shooting 81% from the field and found themselves with a 22 point lead less than four and a half minutes into the 2nd quarter. Yes you read that right, the Cavaliers were beating the Knicks by 22 in the 2nd quarter. Then, in a blink of an eye, everything changed. With 6:48 left in the 1st half, Carmelo Anthony caught an outlet pass near half court. As he caught the pass he tripped over his own two feet and fell down. It looked awkward, it looked like it could have been slightly painful, but all in all it didn’t look too serious. Carmelo Anthony picked himself up and walked (not limped) his way to the locker room. Minutes later, we found out that he would not return to the game. Amar’e Stoudemire took Anthony’s place in the game, and sparked an immediate comeback. In just over one minute, the Knicks cut the lead from 22 to 15. The Cavaliers quickly took a timeout and tried to regroup. That did not help, as the Knicks cut the lead back to single digits. The Knicks accomplished this by attacking the basket and cutting down on their three point attempts (other than J.R. Smith). J.R. Smith added a much needed 18 points but went 1-7 from three-point range. Smith is very athletic and can pretty much get to the basket at will. He needs to concentrate more on that and spend less time jacking up countless three pointers. With a combination of Amar’e Stoudemire’s effective post game and efficient outside shooting by the rest of the team, the Knicks staged an epic comeback. The Knicks scratched and clawed their way back into this game and with four minutes left in the 3rd quarter, the score was knotted at 64. The Knicks turned up the heat on defense and held the Cavaliers to just 13 points in the 3rd quarter. These teams battled back and forth throughout the rest of the game, but in the end the Knicks proved to be too much for the Cavaliers to handle. They pulled out a tough (much needed) victory, 102-97.

When Carmelo Anthony went down for the count in the 1st half, the Knicks found a way to pull together and storm their way back into this game. It was truly a team effort led by Amar’e Stoudemire. Amar’e scored 22 points on 10 of 15 shooting from the field. Running the offense through Amar’e allowed the Knicks to play a nice inside out game. If Amar’e wasn’t able to take the ball to the hoop aggressively, he kicked the ball out to an open man. The Knicks found effective outside shooting from Jason Kidd and Steve Novak. Novak made four timely three pointers, while Kidd added three of his own. It’s nice to see Jason Kidd find his stroke, as he added 12 points off the bench. Mike Woodson still seems to have a problem with Iman Shumpert though because he seemed to find his stroke as well in the 1st quarter. He hit three of his first four shots but only racked up six total shots for the entire game (in 19 minutes). I really hope that Woodson is just being cautious with Shumpert’s knee because the Knicks are going to need his production on both ends of the floor if they have any plans of making a run in the playoffs. I find myself using the same expression over and over again, but ‘a win is a win’ no matter how it looks. For now that might work against the Cavaliers and the Wizards, but come playoff time that is not going to cut it against the Miami Heat (if they get that far). The Knicks have a much needed day off today, but will continue their road trip against the Detroit Pistons, Wednesday night at 7:30 P.M.

There’s A Professional Hockey League????????

March 4, 2013March 4, 2013 ~ Dave Ettinger ~ 8 Comments

In case you’ve missed it (and I’m pretty sure you did), The Chicago Blackhawks are doing something we’ve never seen before. They have scored at least one point in every game so far this season. They have a total of 41 points through their first 22 games (a record of 19-0-3). What the Blackhawks are doing is amazing. The Blackhawks have set a new record for the most consecutive games with a point to start a season. They surpassed the ’06-’07 Anaheim Ducks by winning their game on February 22nd. Hockey, in its lockout shortened season, has become mostly an afterthought to most people. Can the Blackhawks amazing performance singlehandedly revive the sport of hockey? I think it can. I find more and more people are tuning in to see how many games they can win in a row. People love watching history, and that’s exactly what this is.

As for New York hockey, it’s not going quite as well. The New York Islanders and the New York Rangers are both currently sitting outside of the playoff picture. The Rangers rank last in goals scored in the Eastern Conference and sit in 9th place (1 point behind the Philadelhpia Flyers for the final playoff spot). The Islanders on the other hand rank last in goals against, which doesn’t bode well for their playoff chances. However, they are only 3 points behind those Flyers, so nothing is out of the realm of possibilities. You can watch both the Rangers and Islanders in action Tuesday night. The Rangers have a big game against the Flyers at Madison Square Garden (@ 7:30 P.M.), while the Islanders have the 1st place Montreal Canadiens at Nassau Coliseum (@ 7:00 P.M.). See, I didn’t forget about you hockey fans. Enjoy!

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: