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With about 2:30 to go in the 3rd quarter and after Oklahoma City made a layup, Mike Breen said it best.
“Inexcusable.”
After snapping a 7- game losing streak with a spirited effort against the World Champion Celtics, the Knicks laid yet another egg against a below average NBA team with a lackluster defensive effort; allowing the Thunder their 5th win of the season.
The Knicks somehow trailed by 23 points with 5:30 to go in the third quarter before making a run to cut it to two early in the 4th, but couldn’t get over the hump. That usually happens in the NBA when you fall behind by that much.
Despite the comeback the team never had composure as they just couldn’t execute down the stretch.
Conversely the Thunder somehow could, proving once again that the Knicks defense is the team’s biggest weakness.
Jeff Green (27 points) lit the Knicks up all night. His desperation chuck midway through the fourth quarter extended the lead to 5 points, and the Thunder never looked back.
The big three of Green, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook (who we’ve forever said was the apple of Donnie Walsh’s eye draft night) combined for 76 points.
Chew on that.
It doesn’t get any easier on this road trip for the Knicks as they now head to Texas to face Dallas and Houston, two places where they have never had much success.
The Knicks have now lost to the Wolves, Thunder and Pacers; three teams who are a combined 24-77. Oh, and they let the Thunder shoot 52% from the floor.
Al Harrington came off the bench to lead the Knicks with 21.
The Knicks return to action Thursday night against the Mavericks.
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Sometimes, I have to admit, what bothers me is the audacity for people to question TKB’s sources because we are “bloggers”. Well a few of us here have serious journalistic backgrounds; plus about twenty years of basketball knowledge and experience, combined with solid logic. More importantly, we have solid sources. But you loyal gym rat guys know what we’re about. We know this team and we know the game.
We’ll keep fighting the fight.
I am about to vent to BT on 1050 right now.
I hate “Father Breen’s” game calling style - probably the most annoyingly judgmental play by play man in the game. He shouldn’t have an opinion, even if its the right one.
I want more Gus or more Marv. Nothing else will do
James, is that you? You already alienated Marv Albert, now you want to rid the team of Mike Breen as well? I sense you are being sarcastic, (probably not) but Breen’s criticism is stemming from being annoyed - like all of us - at the Knicks futility.
You are so wrong it’s crazy. Breen is a great play by play man who gives insight to a game and actually says smart things. There is a reason this guy does prime time games. Look up on your history also, marv got fired because he was too opinionated in Dolan’s opinion because he constantly criticized the Knicks game plan and players.
There’s no right or wrong. I like Gus better than Breen, and to your point, there is also a reason why Gus does practically every sport and Breen doesnt. He’s better than Breen. Mike couldnt call the CBS college games as well as Gus if he tried. Marv is better than Breen also.
Breen sucks. Done.
Screw James Dolan too.
yeah but he got fired from the rangers job because cops found fifteen of his bitemarks on a womans back.
Well thats another story altogther…
Breen is the best in my opinion… there is a reason why he does the national games…
Yes its because CBS locked up Gus and YES locked up Marv.
Bang!
i enjoy listening to breem but marv albert is the best.
Yeah…. you might be right….. he used to be at least when he called the Knick games….
I love Breen’s “Bang” call. Love it.
losses to the thunder, pacers and wolves = no playoffs
bad teams find ways to lose.. defense, turnovers, shooting, etc, etc etc.
lets face it this team is going nowhere. cant say i am terribly upset, we could use the draft pick.
Keep it up Tommy.. the mainstream press is shaking in the boots over the blogosphere. Dont let the man bring you down.
regarding the game..
The contrast between the C’s game and the Okies game cannot more clearly define this team.. This is a mediocre bunch that has to show up every nite to compete. I dont think either game is emblematic of this team as you are never as bad or good as you look on any given night.
I expected a win tonite but overall a 1-4 road trip. If this game does anything hopefully it will serve to dilute the Kool aid and bring people back down to earth.
Stay off the ledges Chris.. Keep your eye on the prize. There are a lot of decent assets on this squad that if DW plays it right could result in a young fun team that will compete for an extended stretch.
I’m partial to Breen myself. I lost a lot of respect for Gus Johnson after he “paused” Spike Lee. Look it up on youtube.
How do you do something like that and keep your job, as a professional.
Nobody has anything to say about Gus Johnson’s pause?
TD, Chris, Biggie- what is this all about with the controversy regarding TD and the blog, I pay attention to everything that goes on in the blog, did I miss something, can someone explain to me
its nothing really..
Some clown posted a trade scenario which was bizarre but based on some valid info… That the Blazers were talking to the Knicks about Lee and that the Knicks want to pry Camby away from the Clips.. So he put a three way that made really no sense.
Some in the press picked up on the discussion and ran with the three way as news. No one here called it gospel and we disputed his scenario for like a full day..
WE ARE TKB, fuck the haters
Greatman- To be honest with you, I am not really a part of that controversy. I write things the way I see them, and I am not afraid to admit that I am a die-hard Knick fan in my writing.
Tommy simply was trying to imply that although this site is considered a blog, that does not necessarily mean that we are inferior to other Knick outlets. Tommy has his sources, just like mainstream press writers do.
While we might not follow the team at practice on a daily basis, we obviously follow what goes on with this team on a daily basis. We voice our opinions and we love to converse with you (our fellow fans) about prevalent topics.
So again, I am not overly concerned about any “controversy” between myself and any mainstream media member. As far as I know, I am unsure if Marc Berman, Alan Hahn, etc. reads my content on the site. After all my years of reading theirs, I would feel honored if they did. But as far as I am concerned, if they do not read and/ or respect what I have to say, then so be it. TKB has its followers and we hope to grow going forward.
Like I have written in my bio, I love the Knicks and I can talk them pretty much all day long. For those of you that comment on a consistent basis, you know that I love to respond to comments and either agree or disagree with them. I have been doing so with my friends for years and now I do so with TKB readers.
Got you Chris, I wasn’t implying you were involved in whatever this controversy was, I just knew you would know what they were talking about. I like you can also talk about the Knicks all day and all night, it’s almost like a sickness. As for these trade rumors that get thrown around on the site, I know me and you disagree about the trades ( LaMarcus Aldridge) but thats what makes us fans and the writers especially Berman and Isola have to realize it’s the nature of the fan do speculate and in your case with LaMarcus… dream. Seems like the writers are at times so far removed from the fans almost as much as the players to an extent.
What makes this site so refreshing is that we get to read things from real fans who care about the game and more importantly the Knicks. I love that no one needs to be politically correct on the site, yet it still remains civil, educated and appropriate. Some of these other blogs are just cursing and making fun of others in the comment section, here the article sparks heated and civil debate.
Keep up the good work.
Hey guys I love the effort you put into this blog
the potential is amazing,
Having been a knick devotee for nearly 40 years
I hope you keep plugging and also keep trying to
improve the consistency of the blog. I have read
many factually incorrect pieces here, that were not
researched. Take it up a notch or two and your cred
will be as good as the mainstream media folk,
but hey they are paid for their work and you do it for love.
ps; I also prefer written pieces over seeing your TV appearances.
a lot more fun discussing educated opinion than the video clips.
keep blogging and I’ll keep reading..good work
but like the knicks, we all have to strive for consistancy
and growth.
peace
Great Man- You will never let the LaMarcus thing die, will you? Haha… you’re right by the way, it is almost like a sickness. I feel bad for everyone that I come into contact with because all I can ever talk about is sports (I don’t only do the Knicks).
Rico- First on the TV clips. Those are simply added content to the site. I respect your dislike for them, but there are some fans out there that like them. Some fans feel like Tommy’s clips bring the site to life a little bit.
Other fans, perhaps like yourself, prefer the 2 dimensional black and white of good old-fashioned writing, the power of the written word.
I am afraid that I fall in between. I guess growing up in the age of rising technology, I have grown accustomed to video clips, movies, TV shows, etc. in addition to the written word. That said, I love reading a well-written, moving sports piece.
As to your other, and probably more important, issue, we try hard here at TKB to be as accurate as possible. Sometimes we have mistakes. Admittedly, I am still embarrassed over claiming that Scott Leyden drafted Fred Weis. A couple of fans called me out on that one, and I am still down on myself over that.
Like I wrote above, I am sometimes very conversational in my writing, and purposefully so. I try to write in a way by which I can relate to readers. Unlike newspaper writers who have their articles published in hard print, this site is meant for us to interact with fans while also supplying insight and information. Sometimes comments will be made in haste and thus sometimes my numbers might be a bit off or rounded.
But that gripe is OBVIOUSLY a fair one. Speaking on behalf of myself, I am a big boy and I should be held accountable for mistakes. I like when fans point them out and I like when fans disagree with my commentary. it keeps me honest. I post content on the internet, allowing anyone in the entire world to access it. I should hope that I am factually correct with what I write.
Anyway, Rico thanks for the comment and thanks for reading.
Everyone, sorry for the long comment… you can all blame Rico for that.
Just playing. Keep it up.
blame me?
I was trying to give constructive input.
Frankly your Scott Layden drafted Fred Weis posting
was a testament to the “”what’s wrong with Blogs”
discussion. For that perhaps you should have rethought
being a blogger here, you don’t know recent history,
how can you comment on anything with insight?
the tv stuff is ok in small doses, but
there is a reason you guys are bloggers and not quite
ready for prime time. This is more than an opinion,
I hire folks for media.
I was really into seeing this blog blossom..but your
“BLAME RICO” is really jerky.
thanks again chris
wow rico…a bit harsh
- he said “just playing” after his post meaning the blame rico comment was in jest. Relax
-your first post was constructive criticism and it was well worded. This one comes off as defensive and overly sensitive.
-”This is more than an opinion,
I hire folks for media.”
wow - bit insecure aren’t we?
“For that perhaps you should have rethought
being a blogger here, you don’t know recent history,
how can you comment on anything with insight?”
so 1 mistake means he knows nothing of recent Knick history. completely unnecessary and douchey comments
listen…
This site does falter from time to time but overall its a great resource for Knick fans…that we both agree on.
Rico, buddy, I was joking around with you.
That is why I wrote “just playing.” If I was upset about your comment, I would not have gone out of my way to write such a long response to it.
I was just messing around. I thought I was clear about not only that, but also clear about my appreciation for your previous comment.
In the future, I will watch what I write a little bit closer.
Rico- Any input on how I can become better on TV would be greatly appreciated.
TD
Tommy, like I told ya on UK, no need to keep trying to validate your standing in the journalistic world based on a
rumor or two you might have gotten right.
I like that you take your articles to the forums but you’re getting sucked into the attacks that transpire….and
are likely to do so…by fans that don’t agree with you.
Let it go.
Meanwhile, the Knicks are done. It’s over. You don’t come back from a disaster like tonight and fight the good
fight another day. We will still win some games but the morale is broken. It’s over.
It’s fine though, onto 2010 we go, and a whole 17 month long audition for players that want to be here beyond July
1, 2010. So far, unfortunately, I really see none.
I like Lee, Nate, Chandler - but let’s get serious - Lee is going to get vastly overpaid and we can’t afford to do
that. Nate has regressed substantially back into a selfish immature mistake prone chucker. Chandler had busted out
of his slump some but he’s still young and dumb to the NBA game.
Not much else on this roster to discuss. Bring on July 1 2010, the first day we start to actually REBUILD this
roster. Which still has 17 months of tearing down to do.
every year ,at the start of the season,nate robinson plays well and everyonee says how much he ha matured and hes not making the same mistakes and hes shooting better etc etc ,and no sooner are the words outta yer mouth when PRESTO! ole nate is back ,with his out of control shots ,turnovers and bad passes.i give up ,get rid of this sideshow clown,and lets get a real two guard
IT SEEMS TOO LATE .if donnie walsh gets the roster spots straightened out now ,it would be like the gov’t going down to new orleans tommorrow and handing out umbrellas
thanks for the comments everybody. We strive to get better every day.
and as always thanks for reading.
Tommy, Chris, andrew and Myles - you guys are awesome and thank you for creating a central site for knick fans to talk trades, speak during games and mostly (and sadly) vent about the knicks lackluster play.
Last night’s loss to the Thunder was so pathetic. Even more pathetic tho was me gettong hyped for this game after the spirited Boston victory. This team keeps puling me from the edge of apathy and pulls a stunt like this debacle of a game.
A Few things -
1) Tommy - I’ll take your word and prefer your writing over the so called “sports journalists” in this town. They are all pessimistic hacks, know it alls and bring nothing to the table. Berman can have his moments and Hahn is alright but we deserve better as fans of the team that plays in the Mecca of basketball.
2) Can we please cut Q rich already? If we are keeping him for his 2010 expiring contract (expires then right?) then bury him next to fat boy jerome james. Its like playing 5 on 4 when he is on the court ( other teams should call it a power play when he gets in).
He has zero confidence shooting the ball and is useless.
3) Breen is the man. period.
You can tell he is a die hard knick fan through and through and this teams inconsistent/craptastic play is tough for him to watch. I appreciate his brutally honest take b/c its just that…honest. NY sports fans don’t take kindly to shills calling a game ( michael kay for example). Breen got the prime gig due to years of experience & professionalism…not b/c others were too busy.
Bang.
4) regardless of this loss, i’ll be watching all the games as I have for as long as I can remember.
Heres to the Knicks somehow getting back on track. Who knows, they tend to bring their A games against better squads and these next 4 are playoff teams.
Yeah man, Q is a tough player to watch. This is a guy who shoots under 40 % for his career, which is painful. He throws up brick after brick. He hustles, but then again, so does Jared Jeffries.
@Expiring Contracts: I agree, I can’t stand Breen, either.
Granted, it must be hard calling a game for a losing team. But, that being said - even when the Knicks are having a good game - he always seems so enamored with the opposing team. It’s the worst when the Knicks play the Spurs. I convinced he’s gonna blow Duncan at center court one of these days.
No matter how you try, Knicks Blog never die
We just retaliate with hate, then we multiply
I wouldn’t even worry about Berman or Isola. Before Donnie came in and changed the media policy they would speculate just like the rest of the fans.
I can talk Knicks all day as well Chris so don’t feel bad.
It was a bad loss last night but we have to come to the conclusion that this years Knicks are not a playoff team. We don’t bring it every night and like you said..it is painful to watch sometimes. It’s so hard to watch Jeffries shoot his jump shots. It’s so hard to watch Nate make bonehead mistakes. It’s so hard to watch Harrington and that damn behind the back dribble of his.
However, this is my team and I will not give up on them. I’m hoping we can move Lee to get at least a pick for this year and I’m also hoping he can move Nate and/or Curry for a pick this year as well. If we can have 2 or 3 draft picks this year (including ours) then I’ll be a happy camper.
Dantoni has done a fine job this year. There is only so much a coach can do with a 23 win team. Include the trade we made that got rid of both our top scorers and I think Dantoni has done the best he can do. The wheeling and dealing isn’t over yet folks.
Don’t believe that nonsense about Lebron signing with the Cavs this summer. He’s to smart of a business man to make a dumb move like that. I can’t wait until they lose in the 1st round of the playoffs this year. Call me crazy all you want.
Yeah LeBron would not take all the excitement and buzz out of the famous “Summer of LeBron” by signing a year early. That is not to say that he won’t go back to Cleveland.
“Sometimes, I have to admit, what bothers me is the audacity for people to question TKB’s sources because we are “bloggers”. Well a few of us here have serious journalistic backgrounds; plus about twenty years of basketball knowledge and experience, combined with solid logic. More importantly, we have solid sources. But you loyal gym rat guys know what we’re about. We know this team and we know the game.”
this coming from a guy that thought STROMILE SWIFT AND LUKE RIDNOUR WERE GOOD FITS FOR THE KNICKS….
GIVE ME A BREAK….. DO US ALL A FAVOR STICK TO GOLF
I have never really liked Ridnour. And I would love to have Swift right now. Active defender in the middle. Back when he was brought up, I was not willing to give up much more than Malik Rose to get him, but just forgetting about what we would have to give up in return, you would not take a healthy Stro right now?
I would also like Sean Williams and Josh Boone, both are less than perfect. I just think that the dire situation the Knicks are in right now, they need anything resembling an interior defender.
And come to think of it, Ridnour would be welcomed right now. Having him as a backup would be better than having Anthony Roberson as a backup. But overall, I would not want Luke as my starting PG. He is not having a terrible statistical year though. 10 ppg, over 5 apg, barely over 2 turnovers per game. Not awful. But Duhon has been perfect for us thus far.
One quick note on Duhon and how he was the perfect signing. Over the summer, Coach K said that Duhon was only one of two players he ever coached that he could honestly say never got tired.
Imagine another point guard playing the amount of minutes that Duhon is playing, and playing them at the pace that Duhon is being asked to play them at? We would be sunk even more than we are right now.