Knicks vs. Magic Live Blog

Sunday November 29, 2009 6:07 PM By Mike Gavin

Mike Gavin here live from Madison Square Garden for another night of Knicks basketball.

How do the scheduling gods reward a team that returns home from an 0-3 west coast trip?  With a meeting against the best team in the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic (13-4), followed by a game against the best team in the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns (13-3).

The Knicks rebounded from losses to the Lakers and Kings for what may be considered their best game of the season despite losing to the Nuggets 128-125.  The offense seemed to finally find some rhythym, shooting a season best 48.9% from the field.  That will have to spill into tonight if the Knicks hope to upset one of the league's elite in the Magic.

The Knicks catch the Magic at a very opportune time.  Orlando is playing their fourth game (in four different cities) in five nights.  Orlando is 2-1 in that stretch but stamina may be a factor for them tonight.

Keys for the Knicks:

1) Run -- If there was ever a night when the Seven Seconds or Less offense would come in handy, it would be tonight.  Force the Magic to play up-tempo to put more strain on those tired legs. 

2) Attack Dwight Howard -- Howard has had trouble staying out of foul trouble this year.  The Knicks should go right at him to get some early whistles.  The middle is a lot less intimidating when Howard is watching from the bench.

3) Chris Duhon -- The struggling Knicks point guard's best performance of the year coincided with the Knicks best offensive showing.  Duhon scored 12 points with six assists and zero turnovers.  He finally resembled the player he was during the first half of last season.  Lets see if he can string together consecutive strong outtings.

Update -- Former Knick teamates Patrick Ewing, John Starks, and Herb Williams were chatting it up during warmups.  Makes you long for the old days.  Sigh....

Also exchanging pleasantries were Howard and Nate Robinson, a.k.a. Superman and KryptoNate.  When we last saw the two in such close proximity, Nate and his green jersey was soaring over Howard and his superman cape in the dunk contest at the All-Star Game.  I'm pretty confident Howard won't let that happen again tonight.

We will be back with updates after each quarter.  Be sure to refresh your page.

Opening tip is just minutes away....         

End of the First Quarter -- After a Nate Robinson turnover, Jason Williams hit a three at the buzzer to give Orland a 31-29 lead to end the first quarter.  The Knicks looked good in the early going, pushing the ball up-court and picking up right where they left off in Denver by shooting 54.5% from the field.  We even had a Danilo Gallinari sighting after he went missing in the fourth quarter against the Nuggets. Gallinari hit his only shot, a three towards the end of the quarter.  The Knicks took their largest lead following a three by Wilson Chandler to make it 24-19.

ORLANDO LEADS 31-29

Knicks Leaders: Points - Lee 9....Rebounds - Lee 4....Assists - Duhon 4

Magic Leaders: Points - Carter 10....Rebounds - Howard 5....Assists - Williams 4 

......................................................................................................................................

End of the Second Quarter: Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing waved to the crowd after receiving a warm ovation when the PA announcer welcomed him home. Like they did with the Celtics and Nuggets, the Knicks are hanging tough with one of the contenders in the league.  David Lee, 14 points and eight rebounds, is matching Dwight Howard, 12 points and eight rebounds, statistically.  Gallinari hasn't been hesitant with his shot, hitting three of four from downtown for nine points.  Wilson Chandler also added nine points in a balanced attack for the Knicks who trail by two at the half.  The Knicks biggest lead came with 4:25 remaining when Al Harrington's layup put them ahead 45-39.  Vince Carter (14 points) put the Magic back on top with a pair of late jumpers. Solid first-half for Duhon with seven points, six assists, and no turnovers.  He is on pace to match his performance against the Nuggets which is a good sign for a Knick team that relies heavily on point guard play.

ORLANDO LEADS 54-52

Knicks Leaders: Points - Lee 14....Rebounds - Lee 8....Assists - Duhon 6

Magic Leaders: Points - Carter 14....Rebounds - Howard 8....Assists - Williams 4 

................................................................................................................................

Useless Halftime Rant: What is with this new fad in the NBA of players exposing their mouth guards during game action.  At every stoppage in play there is invariably a player with a mouth guard dangling from his mouth.  Some even expose it while shooting free throws.  The biggest culprits that I have noticed are Gerald Wallace, Udonis Haslem, and your very own Al Harrington, who at times hangs his mouth guard on his headband while sitting on the bench.  Technical fouls from here on out to those who expose a mouth guard during the game.  Time for the second half. 

................................................................................................................

End of Third Quarter: It seemed like the Knicks were on the verge of letting this one get out of hand but they are managing to stay in the game.  Jared Jefferies found a cutting David Lee for the lay-in to cut the Magic lead to 80-73 late in the quarter.  The Magic's Mickael Pietrus grabbed the offensive rebound and hit a leaning jumper as time expired to give the Magic a nine-point advantage.  After the Magic took an 11-point lead, their biggest of the game, Wilson Chandler hit a big three to stop the bleeding.  Chandler then missed a three on the next possession.  (Best part of Wilson Chandler scoring is when the video board cuts to the scene from the movie Cast Away showing Tom Hanks screaming "Wilson!!!"  Rent the movie and you will understand).  Rashard Lewis scored 13 in the quarter for the Magic.  

ORLANDO LEADS 82-73   

Knicks Leaders: Points - Lee 18....Rebounds - Lee 10....Assists - Duhon 8

Magic Leaders: Points - Lewis, Howard 18....Rebounds - Howard 12....Assists - Williams 7 

...............................................................................................................

End of Fourth Quarter: Despite the best efforts of Nate Robinson, who provided an offensive spark and teamed with David Lee to look - for a brief stint at least - like the second-coming of John Stockton and Karl Malone, the Magic had an answer for every Knick bucket.  Robinson entered the quarter with two points, and finished the game with 24, scoring 22 in the forth to keep the Knicks within reach.  Rashard Lewis hit a three then added a conventional three-point play to make it 106-95 as the Magic pulled away.  For the Knicks, David Lee finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds, Chandler and Gallinari each had 15 points, and Duhon had 11 points and nine assists.  The Magic's were led by their big three of Howard (24 points, 16 rebounds), Carter (23 points), and Lewis (season-high 26 points).  The Knicks fall to 3-14.   

Dwight Howard said after the game that the Knick's pick-and-roll was one of the toughest the Magic have played against all year and also commented on Robinson's fourth quarter performance.  "If they had five more minutes he would have had 50 and they probably would have won the game."

Said Robinson: "We just have to keep moving forward.  As long as we get better, I think we've improved.  We haven't got the W's to show for it, but as a team we feel confident, we feel good, and we just have to get ready fopr the next one."

FINAL: ORLANDO WINS 114-102 

Knicks Leaders: Points - Robinson 24....Rebounds - Lee 12....Assists - Duhon 9

Magic Leaders: Points - Lewis 26....Rebounds - Howard 16....Assists - Williams 8 

Recapping the Keys to the Game:

1) Run --  The Knicks got the Magic into an up-and-down, high-scoring affair which is what they wanted, but not even four games in five nights could stop the Magic.

2)  Attack Howard -- Howard stayed out of foul trouble for the most part.  He didn't pick up his third personal until late in the fourth.

3) Chris Duhon -- Duhon built on his game against the Nuggets with 11 points, 9 assists, and 2 turnovers.  Perhaps this is one positive to take from tonight's game.

Goodnight Knicks fans.  Only 65 games left. July 1, 2010 is now one day closer.

Knicks wanted to go on a Bender

Sunday November 29, 2009 10:29 AM By Alan Hahn

We'll find out later today if Eddy Curry's knee is improved enough for him to play tonight against Dwight Howard the Orlando Magic and as AOL FanHouse wrote, Darko Milicic seems content with life buried on the bench as he awaits going back to Europe to continue his career.

Without either, the Knicks will remain undersized up front, with 6-9 David Lee at center, and with little presence in the paint.

Lost in a summer of searching for a point guard upgrade is how they tried to also bring in some size and talent in former lottery pick Jonathan Bender.

The 7-foot Bender, who retired in 2006 because of chronic knee injuries, considered a comeback this past summer.

"My potential is still enormous and I can do a lot for a team," Bender told ESPN.com in July.

Donnie Walsh, who had him in Indiana and gave up Antonio Davis to get him from Toronto in the 1999 draft, figured he could do a lot for the Knicks, especially in Mike D'Antoni's system.

Bender was at the MSG Training Center this summer to work out for the Knicks. According to multiple sources, Knicks team doctors even checked out the right knee, which at the time of his retirement had almost no cartillage left, and they determined he had healed well enough to withstand playing at the NBA level again. On the court, from what I hear, he looked terrific.

Bender has been labeled as one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history. In just 237 career gams, Bender averaged 5.6 points and 2.2 rebounds in 15 minutes per game.

"I read these articles that say, 'He's the top bust' or 'He's one of those guys who didn't live up to their potential.' I don't want to be 38 or 40 looking back thinking, 'I should have done this'."

But Bender, who is now 28 and handled his NBA income wisely with several solid investments, not to mention his foundation, which has done extensive work in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina, decided not to accept an invite to Knicks training camp.

A person close to him said Bender, "wants to be sure 100 percent that his knees will hold up if he tries it."

Burn notice

Saturday November 28, 2009 3:06 AM By Alan Hahn

Mike D'Antoni spoke with the desperate hope that what he saw out of his team on offense in the 128-125 loss to the Denver Nuggets was finally something to build on.

"We finally found a formula that we can kind of stick to," he said. "I thought we really competed tonight."

D'Antoni is unwavering in his loyalty to the veterans. Against Denver, both rookies Toney Douglas and Jordan Hill didn't get off the bench. But the vets put forth arguably the best offensive 48 minutes of the season, with a season-high 48.9 percent field goal shooting and an offense that seemed to pop not just from hitting jumpers, but from a very effective pick-and-roll (which the Nuggets bigs struggled to defend), aggressive drives to the basket by Al Harrington (13 FTAs) and slashes and cuts and terrific ball movement. What really jumps off the stat sheet to me is the 54 points-in-the-paint scored by the Knicks, who have often relied too much on jump shots this season.

Harrington said D'Antoni talked at length with the team about staying in constant motion on offense -- which is something we've discussed here several times in the past -- and even showed his players how the Nuggets have had great success by doing exactly that.

"We sort of took a page out of their book," Harrington said.

Harrington had one of his trademark games, where he combines an outside touch (4 of 8 from downtown) with powerful drives and post-ups. Along with his 41 points off the bench -- that's twice now this season he's hit for 40-plus off the bench -- Big Al grabbed 10 boards, had two steals and even blocked two shots.

While it would be hard to give a Sixth Man award to a player on a losing team, Harrington is leading all bench players in the NBA with 20.3 points per game. It is a role he has embraced and it will likely make him some money this offseason when he is a free agent. Harrington really isn't a primary scorer on a good team, but he is proving -- like Jamal Crawford in Atlanta -- that he can be a valuable weapon off the bench.

And the Knicks need Harrington's scoring, especially with Danilo Gallinari's continued struggles to find any kind of consistent rhythm in his game. Gallinari made just 2 of 10 from the field (0-for-4 from three-point range for the NBA's leader in 3PTM) in 17:52. He played just 3:35 in the second half and not a single second in the fourth quarter.

And as much as Chris Duhon has been maligned, you have to admire his toughness in playing through an ankle injury suffered in the final play of the first half. He could barely walk off the court on his own and hobbled back on the floor after the intermission. But he toughed out 20:08 in the second half and finished with 12 points and six assists with -- and don't overlook this one bit -- zero turnovers in 37:04 of game time. He made 4 of 10 and 3 of 8 from downtown. Perhaps this game gives him some much-needed confidence. Duhon drilled a couple of early threes on the pick-and-roll, when the Nuggets dropped off him much like the Celtics, Lakers and Kings had done in the previous games. It is so critical that he hits at least a few just to keep the defense honest, which then opens up the passing lane for David Lee.

Now while the offense had it's night -- 29 assists on 45 field goals -- the defense was torched by Carmelo Anthony's lights-out 50-point performance (17-for-28 from the wood, 15-for-16 from the stripe) and Denver's scorching 53.6 percent shooting.

This comes right after D'Antoni offered statistical proof that the Knicks defense had made notable strides in the previous five games compared to the first 10 games of the season.

Anthony would have been a tough matchup for any team. He was really feeling it and it was evident from early on. The Nuggets needed every bit of his 50, too.

So what now? The schedule looms like an avalache for this team, which is in a four-game skid and already 10-games under .500 before the calendar has even flipped to December.

Up next are the Orlando Magic (Sun.), then the Phoenix Suns (Tues.), the Magic again (Wed.) and the Hawks (Fri.) before somewhat of a break against the Nets on Dec. 6.

Melo ready for 2011?

Friday November 27, 2009 3:58 PM By Alan Hahn

Because it's never too early . . .

I decided to ask Carmelo Anthony after this morning's shoot-around if he's ready to start talking about 2011 if his pal LeBron James decides not to come to New York in 2010.

"Noooooo," he said with a laugh. "Not yet. I ain't ready to start talking about that. That's two years from now."

True, but that didn't stop LeBron.

Anthony has an opt-out in 2011, when if he exercised it to become a free agent he'd leave $18.5M on the table in 2011-12. The Nuggets are rock-solid financially and built to win now. In fact, they may be the only team in the West good enough to challenge the Lakers for a trip to the NBA Finals.

It seems almost a given that Melo will sign an extension with the Nuggets and stay here in Denver. But until he does, as long as the Knicks have salary cap space (and no LeBron), Melo's name will be prominent for 2011. As long as Mike D'Antoni is coach, New York has more to offer than just night life and the Garden stage.

"We love him," Anthony said of how the NBA's stars feel about D'Antoni. "Offensive players love him. I can tell you that."

* * *

D'Antoni said he doesn't plan on making any changes to his starting lineup, so Berman's campaign to get Nate Robinson into the Fav Five and demote Chris Duhon was unsuccessful. More stories like that and perhaps we'll have a new nickname for him: KryptoBerm.

D'Antoni debated the notion that Robinson's recent hot shooting suggests he's playing well and added that N8 the Gr8 is in the right role for him as the first guard off the bench.

"He is perfect in his situation where he comes off the bench and gives us a boost," D'Antoni said. "I did start him in the second half [in Sacramento] and he will continue to get minutes -- and a lot of minutes -- if he continues to shoot the ball well and improves defensively."

D'Antoni wasn't done with Berm, however. When it was suggested that - despite all the preseason talk -- the Knicks statistically have not improved their defense, D'Antoni went into the coaches office and came back with a sheet loaded with stats that promote the opposite opinion.

According to D'Antoni's stat sheet:

- In the first 10 games of the season, the Knicks were last in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Over the last five games they ranked 14th.

-In the first 10 games their defensive field goal percentage was the worst in the NBA. Over the last five games, it ranked 17th.

-Defensive rebounding improved from 16th to 10th among NBA teams.

"So it's getting better," D'Antoni said and then he added, "That's the thing you guys throw out there and we sit here and say, 'Yeah, you know.' It's not true. So I don't have to answer that. Our problem is we're not making shots."

That much is painfully obvious. The Knicks are shooting 43 percent from the field as a team, which ranks 27th in the 30-team league and well below the 45.5 percent average. Over the past five games, while D'Antoni's defensive numbers show the team has improved in that area, at the other end the Knicks shot 41.9 percent from the field. So even though they held teams to under the NBA average with 44.4 percent shooting, the Knicks shot the ball even worse.

What stands out even more is the rebounding numbers, which is an effort category. The Knicks this season are being outrebounded on a league-worst average 7.8 boards per night. They rank 26th in the NBA with 40.2 per game and give up 48. Over the last give games, these numbers improve marginally, but the bottom line is they're still getting out-rebounded 49.8 to 42.2.

Gallo needs guidance

Thursday November 26, 2009 8:32 PM By Alan Hahn

Let's put the Danilo Gallinari freeze-out conspiracy theory aside for one second -- not saying it doesn't exist on some sublevel, but humor me -- and consider a different perspective as to why the best shooter on the NBA's fourth-worst shooting team (43 percent) goes for long stretches without seeing the ball.

Mike D'Antoni has been Gallo's biggest fan and even he points out what is very noticable about Gallinari during games: he does a lot of watching. So when D'Antoni was asked if the team needs to incorporate Gallinari more in the offense, D'Antoni replied, "You incorporate yourself into it."

In other words, Gallinari is freezing himself out.

"Obviously we need to get him more shots," D'Antoni said. "He's our best shooter and the more time he shoots the better it is for us.  A lot of times that should come in the flow. He could be a little bit more aggressive and we could be a little bit more aggressive with getting him the ball."

The most noticable problem is that Gallinari isn't active when he doesn't have the ball, therefore he is not making himself a target. Now part of this is because he often winds up on the weak side -- that much is decided by the ball-handler -- and he can't break the play by making his own cuts just to get the ball.

Still, as the D'Antoni philosophy goes, "The ball finds energy." Gallinari needs to run harder in transition and then be more assertive within the offense, especially when he gets into a groove.

It's all a part of the development of a young player and something the coaching staff works with him. In the pregame workout in Sacramento, assistant coach Phil Weber would push up tight on Gallo -- which is what opposing defenses are starting to do to take away the time and space for his jumper -- and play him physically as he drove the ball to the basket.

As the Knicks look at free agents next summer -- we focus on the max guys, but there are other second-tier guys to look at as well -- they should consider bringing in a veteran who has been a scorer in this league who can mentor Gallinari. How valuable would it be to have a player who can show him how to prepare for games, how to draw fouls and how to stay active in the offense so that defenses must play you.

Ray Allen comes to mind, but it's almost a lock he'll re-sign to stay in Boston. The franchise does have Allan Houston as a resource, but he isn't around the players that much.

Here's a crazy thought that might make John Starks' cringe: what about Reggie Miller?

Miller seems to enjoy life as a broadcaster on TNT, but he does have a relationship with Donnie Walsh. He also was one of the most focused and determined competitors in the league with a quick release. He knew how to use screens, how to get open and how to get off his shot even with the tightest coverage. He also knew how to prepare for a game.

He could be a valuable resource for a young talent like Gallinari, who clearly needs some guidance. He is the team's most important asset and they need to do anything to make sure he reaches his full potential.

Kobe: 2010 'will be interesting' for Knicks

Wednesday November 25, 2009 10:16 AM By Alan Hahn

After he went through the tough questions from the L.A. media -- you know, who carves the turkey at the Bryant mansion and other Thanksgiving inquiries --Kobe Bryant stopped for a few of us from New York (the guys Ron Artest says is why NBA players are afraid to play in New York) and had a brief chat.

Bryant, whose movie with director Spike Lee Kobe Doin' Work, comes out on DVD today, came away from the game, a 100-90 win for the Lakers, impressed with Danilo Gallinari -- "I like him a lot. He can shoot and he can handle the ball. He's got great size. I really like him." -- and then smiled when we got down to business: talking about 2010.

"It will be interesting," he said. "I know those guys are going to sit back and evaluate their options. New York will definitely be one of them. Whether they go or not, I don't know."

(Those guys? No one actually mentioned LeBron James or Dwyane Wade by name, but the assumption is obviously there at this point when it comes to the Knicks and 2010.)

I asked him what he thought about New York having a star-level player, like the Lakers seem to always have here in L.A.

"It would make a difference because that city has never had that," he said. "They've never had one of the flashy, marquee guys, going back even to the teams that won championships. They were always teams that kind of never had one star. So this would be the first time they had one of those guys."

So what about this pressure in New York, of which Ron-Ron speaks? Would that be too great for a star to want to handle?

"Nah, I know both of those guys and they don't give a damn about that stuff," he said. "It wouldn't bother them at all. At all."

So, Kobe...say you were in this situation and had New York as an option....

He laughed. "I won't even speak hypothetically," he said. "I'm not even going to touch that one!"

Curry wants to play through

Wednesday November 25, 2009 4:38 AM By Alan Hahn

Eddy Curry suffered his first setback of his comeback when he tweaked his left knee in the second quarter of Tuesday's 100-90 loss to the Lakers.

Curry said he banged knees with Andrew Bynum and then was accidentally tripped by Nate Robinson running up the court. He tweaked the knee a little and with the medical staff taking every precaution with him, Curry was shut down for the rest of the night after just 5:54 of playing time.

But afterward, Curry spoke as if he was determined to play in the second game of this back-to-back, which continues Wednesday in Sacaramento against the Kings.

"Right now I am," he said. "At this point there's no reason to have any set-backs."

Curry has hit somewhat of a wall conditioning-wise after four games, which is to be expected. His timing is still not right and his legs are going through the dead period that comes when you first start playing full-court basketball after an extended absence from the game. It didn't help that Curry was on the second bus, which got stuck in heavy traffic and arrived at the Staples Center less than an hour before tip-off. Curry didn't get the chance to go through a normal pre-game warmup routine.

It does make you question why Curry is still taking the later bus to the arena from the hotel, especially knowing he has a lot more work ahead of him. Why not get in early, get loose and work on some moves, get some treatment and be ready to go, especially when the team didn't have a morning shoot-around?

But to be fair, Curry does appear to be far more motivated to play. He even said the knee trouble doesn't have him thinking about the issues he dealt with last season, when knee pain was part of a vicious cycle of poor conditioning that kept him from practicing most of the season.

"I'm so far beyond that," he said. "I'm just ready to get back out there. Right now, if it's something I can deal with I'm going to play."

* * *

Interesting to note that the four veterans who were stuck on that late bus to the arena -- Curry, Al Harrington, Chris Duhon and Larry Hughes (Darko Milicic didn't play) -- shot a combined 8-for-28 in the game.

So what was Wilson Chandler's excuse? He was a miserable 5-for-20 in the game and missed a ton of open looks. He went to the line twice and his very low FTA total this season (28 in 14 games) combined with his very low FG% (39.5) suggests he needs to start taking the ball to the basket a lot more.

* * *

Speaking of awful shooting, Chris Duhon (4 points, 6 assists, 0 turnovers in 25:16) was 2-for-9 in the game and is now shooting 24.1 percent from the field for the season. The Lakers literally treated him with the Jared Jeffries defense: leave him unguarded on the perimeter. The ball often found Duhon around the top of the key and he gave Phil Jackson no reason to assign a player to him.

Duhon's play -- and the lack of any other type of playmaking, floor general-type on the team -- is at the epicenter of the Knicks' troubles on offense. Mike D'Antoni is clearly out of answers as to what to do with Duhon, but it seems like pulling Chris completely out of the lineup is not an option.

D'Antoni clearly doesn't trust Nate Robinson (5 assists, 1 turnover in 26:36) at the point and rookie Toney Douglas, who played very well in what started out as garbage time but wound up making the final score seem a lot less unsightly, has yet to show he can run an offense for anything other than creating his own shot. Case in point, he had zero assists in 16:50.

* * *

* - The Lakers just know how to do it right when it comes to game presentation. A game at Staples Center is a classy event with dignity and taste, not what you find in most arenas -- sadly, even the Garden -- which is more like a pizza party at Chuck E. Cheese, with an overdose of cliche gimmicks and endless noise. Two places that kind of corny vibe should never exist are in LA (at least not when the Lakers are playing) and New York.

* - As I tweeted, among the various celebrities at the game was actress Patricia Heaton, who, as you know, played the wife on the show Everybody Loves Raymond. My mission was to introduce myself to her as a Newsday sports writer who lives on Long Island. Now that's a pick-up line I could never use in any other situation.

* -Be sure to read my story on Ron Artest saying NBA players are afraid of New York. It's an interesting perspective from a unique personality.

Live blog: Knicks at Lakers

Tuesday November 24, 2009 10:04 PM By Corey McLaughlin

Greetings Fixers, Corey McLaughlin here to blog tonight’s Knicks-Lakers game for those of you staying up late in the East or for those displaced fans in other parts of the country, or world.

Whenever the Knicks face L.A. one of the first questions that comes to mind is how many points will Kobe score? He had a record-breaking 61 last time at MSG on Feb. 2. This one is at Staples Center and Larry Hughes will draw the defensive assignment, as Alan Hahn wrote in today’s paper.

Guarding Kobe likely will be just one of the Knicks’ concerns. The Lakers (10-3) have few apparent weaknesses (maybe an aging Derek Fisher, but that’s nitpicking) and their monstrous post players give any team matchup problems.

Pau Gasol is back in the lineup after missing the first 11 games with a hamstring injury. Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds in a 108-93 win over the Bulls on Thursday, his first game of the season. Andrew Bynum had 25 points and nine rebounds in nearly 29 minutes Sunday in a 101-85 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. And we haven’t even mentioned Lamar Odom and Ron Artest.

The Knicks (3-10) are coming off a 107-105 overtime loss to the Celtics and a win over the winless Nets. They are 2-1 since the return of the new-look Eddy Curry. Is he really a spark or is the record since his return just coincidence?

I’m here to provide a forum for you to speak your mind about tonight’s game/Gallo’s back/2010 or whatever. There won’t be a live chat box, but you can leave comments in the section below. And I’ll give game updates after each quarter so don't forget to refresh this page. Enjoy. Tipoff is 10:30 p.m. EST.

Starting lineups
Knicks
Chris Duhon G
Larry Hughes G
David Lee C
Wilson Chandler F
Danilo Gallinari F

Lakers
Derek Fisher G
Kobe Bryant G
Andrew Bynum C
Ron Artest F
Pau Gasol F

End of first quarter: Lakers 30, Knicks 24

The Knicks trailed 24-22 with two minutes left and the Lakers pulled away a little bit as Bynum (5-for-6) went to work in the paint. Lakers are shooting 59 percent. Knicks are at 45 percent. Duhon was blocked in the paint twice, once each by Gasol and Bynum. Eddy Curry has already seen some minutes and has two points. Kobe has been relatively quiet so far and still has eight points and four rebounds.

Leading scorers:
Knicks: Lee, 6
Lakers: Bynum, 10

Rebounds:
Knicks: Lee, 3; Duhon 3
Lakers: Bryant, 4

Assists:
Knicks: Duhon, 3
Lakers: Fisher, 2

Halftime: Lakers 55, Knicks 45

With Kobe and Gasol on the bench getting a rest the Knicks made it 38-36 midway through the second quarter and with the starters back in took a brief one-point lead, but then missed some shots (they’re shooting 36 percent). The Lakers pulled away with a 15-4 run heading into half. Kobe took advantage of a mismatch on Duhon and Fisher made a long jumper to make it 46-41 with 2:12 before half. Artest then hit an open three. Gasol had a block with under a minute left and the Lakers have an edge in the paint as expected, 35 rebounds to 24. Bynum has 10 points and Gasol has nine. Knicks were helped by seven Lakers turnovers.

Leading scorers:
Knicks: Lee, 11; Chandler, 11
Lakers: Bryant 17

Rebounds:
Knicks: Lee, 6; Chandler 6
Lakers: Gasol, 8

Assists:
Knicks: Duhon, 4
Lakers: Fisher, 2; Artest 2; Odom 2

End of third quarter: Lakers 83, Knicks 62

Lakers made it a 12-point lead at 64-52 about three minutes into the third when Fisher hit a wide open three and it got out of hand from there. Kobe (30 points) got going and Artest hit a three to make it 70-52 on an 11-0 run. The Knicks, meanwhile, are 7-for-25 from three-point range and the Laker lead quickly ballooned. It was a bad quarter shooting for the Knicks, which hasn’t helped their defense. Gasol had eight rebounds in the quarter. Knicks had three rebounds as a team in the third. The rookies -- Toney Douglas and Jordan Hill -- entered after a timeout with four minutes left in the third. Nate Robinson made a three at the buzzer into the correct basket this time.

Leading scorers:
Knicks: Lee, 13; Chandler, 11
Lakers: Bryant, 30; Artest, 14

Rebounds:
Knicks: Lee, 7; Chandler 6
Lakers: Gasol, 16

Assists:
Knicks: Duhon, 6
Lakers: Fisher, 4; Artest, 4; Odom, 4; Bryant, 4

Final: Lakers 100, Knicks 90

The final score doesn’t show how dominant the Lakers were tonight. Only thing of note to come from the fourth quarter is news that Eddy Curry has a sore left knee and that’s why he didn’t return to the game. Not sure if it’s serious. Gallinari played most of the fourth with Hill, Douglas, Robinson and Chandler, and the reserve crew made it a respectable margin of defeat.

The Knicks had an 11-0 run to make it 91-77 with 5:02 left. Kobe was on the bench during that stretch but Phil Jackson put him back in, taking no chances, and then the Lakers ended it.

Lakers won the rebound battle, 60-36, and the Lakers 17-0 third-quarter run was the game-ender. The game turned late in the second quarter.

Leading scorers:
Knicks: Robinson, 15; Chandler, 15; Lee, 13
Lakers: Bryant, 34; Artest, 17; Bynum, 17

Rebounds:
Knicks: Lee, 7; Chandler 7
Lakers: Gasol, 16; Odom, 12

Assists:
Knicks: Duhon, 6
Lakers: Odom, 5
 

Meminger injured in Bronx fire

Monday November 23, 2009 10:23 PM By Alan Hahn

This story broke earlier today.