D'Antoni tinkers with lineup
New York Knicks' J.R. Smith shoots over Milwaukee Bucks' Mike Dunleavy (17) during the first half. (March 9, 2012) Credit: AP
MILWAUKEE -- "We're searching," Mike D'Antoni said before Friday night's game against the Bucks.
The Knicks coach's search led him to change his starting lineup again with Tyson Chandler unavailable and the Knicks having lost three in a row and four of five.
Out were one-game starters Iman Shumpert and Josh Harrellson. Back in was Landry Fields, who had been demoted to the second unit Wednesday in San Antonio. J.R. Smith also started as D'Antoni decided to go small against the Bucks.
"They're small," D'Antoni said of the Bucks, who are without 7-foot center Andrew Bogut (fractured ankle). "They play extremely fast. I thought more speed on the floor might be better. There's a couple reasons we're doing it. I want to take a look at J.R. and try to get him jump-started. Saw signs of it against San Antonio."
Smith had 18 points Wednesday in the Knicks' 118-105 loss to the Spurs. It was his first double-digit scoring game since he had 14 against Miami on Feb. 23. The seven-year veteran, whom the Knicks signed Feb. 17 after he finished his lockout-induced stint in China, went into Friday averaging 9.2 points in 20.8 minutes in his first eight games as a Knick.
"He comes into a new team . . . and he hasn't played in eight months over here," D'Antoni said. "Different speed and it takes a while. I did it a couple of times when I played, and when you come back over, the speed is very much different and you're going to take a little while to adjust."
The Knicks are doing a lot of adjusting on the fly. They were 18-21 going into Friday and led the 15-24 Bucks by three games for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. They have tough games coming up Sunday against Philadelphia and Monday at Chicago.
Chandler missed his second straight game because of a hamstring injury; at least he got a chance to rest his aching wrist. Jared Jeffries also was out because of a knee problem. The Knicks hope to have Chandler back Sunday. Their defense suffered mightily Wednesday without the duo.
"We've got to make up two of the better defenders around," D'Antoni said. "That's what killed us in San Antonio. Our defense was just non-existent . . . We've just got to step up and do the job without Tyson. He and Jared not being there, that's a hole defensively, but we can't just throw our arms up and go, 'Too bad.' We've got to man up and come with energy and attack it a different way."
It didn't happen in the first half Friday. The Knicks hit their first 10 shots, including a three-pointer from Smith on his only bucket of the half. But they still trailed 36-34 after one quarter as Mike Dunleavy scored 14 off the bench.
The scoring barrage continued for both teams in the second quarter as the Knicks took a 65-61 lead to halftime after shooting 58.7 percent.
Jeremy Lin, who continues to have a pocket of enthusiastic fans at every road venue, had a strong first half with nine points, eight assists and three turnovers.
He played a large swath of the second quarter with Baron Davis, with Shumpert as the odd man out early on this night.
