Game 32: Knicks at Nets

by Myles A. Mills on December 30th, 2009 at 6:01 pm

When: 7:30 PM

Where: Izod Center

Watch: MSG

Starting Lineups:

Knicks (12-19)

PG – Chris Duhon

SG – Wilson Chandler

SF – Danilo Gallinari

PF – Jared Jeffries

C – David Lee

Rest of rotation: Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Toney Douglas

Nets (2-29)

PG – Devin Harris

SG – Courtney Lee

SF – Trenton Hassell

PF – Yi Jianlian

C – Brook Lopez

Rest of rotation:  Rafer Alston, Bobby Simmons, Jarvis Hayes

Questionable: Chris Douglas-Roberts (sprained ankle) Josh Boone (sore knee)

Game Notes:

This game is absolutely a must win, and that’s what makes it scary.  Yi Jianlian has been playing some solid ball since returning from injury, and he’s been way more aggressive on the offensive end.  As a result, Brook Lopez is getting fewer touches, and his production is decreasing.  Devin Harris is shooting 38% from the field this year, but being guarded by Chris Duhon always cures shooting slumps.  If Chris Douglas-Roberts does not play, the Knicks will have caught a huge break; he’s had some big games against New York.  Bottom line is the Knicks need to win this game and make it 3-0 against the lowly Nets.

About Myles A. Mills

Myles is a sophomore at The Browning School, an all-boys private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He's been a Knick fan as long as he can remember, and 02-03 was the last season he could remember in entirety. He hopes to one day see the Knicks in the playoffs. Myles is also fond of the Mets, and follows them vehemently, but his the bulk of his time goes to the Knicks. Myles wants to be a radio hosts on WFAN or ESPN 1050 radio, and he hopes to write for theknicksblog.com for years to come. View all posts by Myles A. Mills →
  • ds2488

    You said it Myles, this game is a must win. Go Knicks!

  • Myles A. Mills

    CDR will be playing.

  • J_Starks3

    “Devin Harris is shooting 38% from the field this year, but being guarded by Chris Duhon always cures shooting slumps.”

    LOL that is the funniest (and most accurate) statement I’ve heard on this blog all year.

  • x-man

    This is the type of game our Knicks usually slip up at! If we get thru this game with a wim tonite, we’re on our way to being mediocre and probably the 10th seed.

  • itzyung1

    dammit.

  • jg1170

    On 1-2-09 the 2008 – 2009 Knicks were 12 – 19 after 31 games.

    They started off 6 – 3, this years team 1 – 9.

    Only 5 of 15 Teams in the Eastern Conference have a winning record.

    That leaves 10 remaining teams to fight for 3 spots.

    Which 3 of the remaining 10 have the best shot at making the playoffs?

    List sorted 6 thru 15.
    Toronto 15-17
    Chicago 12-17
    Charlotte 12-17
    Milwaukee 12-17
    New York 12-19
    Detroit 11-20
    Washington 10-20
    Indiana 9-21
    Philadelphia 8-22
    New Jersey 2-29

    A lot of mediocrity this year.

    Think we can eliminate the Nets but other than them it’s a WIDE OPEN race so far.

  • Realist_Knick_Fan

    Ahhhhh – what happens if Bron and company who can opt out – do not opt out and go one more year on their 17 million dollar contracts player options and then hit the open market in 2011????

  • Knicks4life

    Team doesn’t have it tonight on defense.

    Bender’s minute of fame is up. Time to get Hill some burn. How bad is this kid?

    If Gallo wants to be the future of this team these are the games he has to take over on both the defensive and offensive end.

  • Realist_Knick_Fan

    Potential big let down game looming tonight – it would be an awful way to end such a wonderful month so far – would really like a 10 win month – plus we play Atlanta on Friday.

  • IDunnoMyName

    They have to turn this around. They really miss Jeffries on the defensive end. Didn’t he also get into foul trouble early in that Charlotte game that they ended up losing? Who knew, Jeffries actually is the engine that moves this team defensively.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    the knicks are playing great

    i luv this coach
    why didn’t ny have a coach like him instead of van gumby or pat riley..

    go knicks

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    jeffries gotta be the best
    at finishing under or around the basket..

  • DS

    No stops, one and done, jeffries in foul trouble all game long, we are shooting like crap, lopez is dominating, yi is a beast…

    we suck

  • blackwood

    Can anyone argue with me now when i say that while Gallo is a great talent this is a guard and big man league. Lopez by sheer size changes how our team approaches what there doing, blocking shots geting loose balls and dominating the paint with rebounding and scoring. So while I love Gallo’s skill sets you cant teach 7ft! or if its a guard that can get to the rim at will those thing are game changers!

  • Knicks4life

    Now would be a good time to go to your bench . . .oh yeah I forgot.

  • Knicks4life

    Tell that to LBJ, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins.

  • Chris Alvino

    If Nate / Curry cannot find time tonight, they are both officially done on this team. This game is the final straw.

  • Realist_Knick_Fan

    Huge let down game – bad way to finish such a promising month – we have given the Nets there what – third win of the season – sadly they’re only nine behind us – ughhhhh

  • Knicks4life

    So we need baskets with ten minutes to go to get back in it and we bring in Duhon and Jeffries?

  • DS

    Nice way to end a quarter, too bad we are going to lose to THEEE worst team in the league…

    hughes is killing us, turnovers are killing us, if there was ever a time we need a nate oh wait they are chanting for him right now!

  • DS

    two blocks, too little, too late

  • blackwood

    Am i reading that right? are you comparing gallo to 3 of the greatest 50 of all time?? lol even if your not look at the guys u picked all superstars with guard skills! LBJ a mutant freak of nature who is a super sized guard, Bird passing and shooting skill sets of a guard who went to the hole and used screens like rip Hamilton, Barkley & Dominique need i even make the point? MJ,Kobe,Wade,CP3,shaq, The Dream,Zeek,Wilt on and on my point we have exception to every rule but its a guard and big man league my friend.

    It would also help to not play ur starters 40 plus in a blowout the first game in a back to back and to spell your starts with the damn bench!! Not using the bench is like using steroids!! Win now pay later!!

  • Qaspec

    I agree it’s way premature to suggest Gallo will ever be in that company but then again so is the annointing of Brandom Jennings as a sure fire hall of famer after only 30+ games by many here on this blog.

  • Knicks4life

    “Can anyone argue with me now when i say that while Gallo is a great talent this is a guard and big man league”

    Your words

    “Tell that to LBJ, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Dominique Wilkins”

    My response. This is not a big man league where forwards as the best player on the team can’t lead there teams to success. I’m not comparing Gallo to them I’m saying that you don’t need a dominant center or PG to be successful in this league. Just because Lopez is 7ft doesn’t mean his teams are always going to be better than Gallo.

    And I picked superstars with PG skills. Really. Barkley and Bird had PG skills. Dominique had PG skills? You must be a late 80s baby.

    Do I really need to spell out everything on this blog. Man I miss the fix.

  • blackwood

    Im not sure who has put Jennings in the HOF lol but he has had superstar skillsets at the PG spot since high school and would of been a lottery pick out of high school if the rules would not have changed….I only say that to say when your in need at the primum postion those are the 2 spots u roll the dice on upside. that being said Gall can be a really good player down the line so i want to be clear that saying we should of went another way is not saying Gallo is a bad player.

  • blackwood

    Wow cowboy calm it down….bird could pass the ball like a guard and went to the hole at will for a layup not sure what u was watching!! Nique could score like a guard and get to the basket at will he was not a back to the basket player!! Bark mannn he was a freak of nature!! and LBJ he is not a super sized guard??? and if u finished reading my post i said those guys are exceptions to the rule not the rule!!!

  • Knicks4life

    Pathetic performance by the Knicks. Just pathetic. And this one falls squarely on the shoulders of D’Antoni for stubbornly refusing to rest his starters last night even though we had a game tonight.

    Little birdie told me several Knick regulars where at Sue’s until all hours of the night last night. Nice way to stay focused during the season fellas.

  • Knicks4life

    “lol even if your not look at the guys u picked all superstars with guard skills! ” SMH.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    yi could easily average 20 in danni boy’s system

  • Peso

    Du-Du is sooooo garbage! Someone with a “hot hand” and he finds a way NOT to pass him the ball. This team looked passed the Nets and it bit them! Du-Du thought he was Jordan with his 3 pointers and forgot to play team ball…This team needs a better than Du-NON point guard badly….

  • Knicks4life

    I don’t even know what your point was anymore.

  • Knicks4life

    Agreed but Walsh is standing pat until next season unless it is to dump Jeffries or Curry.

    Not only did we lose to the Nets we got dominated.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    honestly if the bulls had the knicks coach as there coach in the 90′s they could of easily win 10 in a row..

  • Knicks4life

    Lol why is Jeffries worried about fouling out with his team down ten with fourty seconds to go and he is the second worst shooter on the whole team.

    Pathetic.

  • DWknickfan

    Hard to believe that JJ makes that much of a difference. Man gets in foul trouble and the defense breaks down. Gallo played bad but hit 3 3′s in the fourth when the Knicks needed someone to come alive. What do you do if your the PG, you rush a 3 with 21 seconds on the clock and then freeze out the hot hand the next four sets. Great job, that’s why he is a good back up and not a starter.

    Nets shot so well, sometimes that happens. With the knicks playing bad man to man, can’t believe they didn’t zone it up more. A lot of the open looks were coming of bad rotations when people were getting beat of man to man.

  • ARNY

    Duhon is a pathetic basketball player . I rather go get howard eisley back from retirement…. Da is so stubborn !!! Im glad he has the team playing better but with that being said i dont like him at all. I think hes greed and personality will at some point destroy this team as slow as he got them to play better ! I honestly broke my cup after seeing duhon chuck up that 3 in the fourth .. im freaking pissed !!!!!!!

  • HaS

    I guess you didn’t get the memo. This is _’antoni we’re talking about.

  • DaGawD_KnowLedge

    lmao