Frustrated Amar'e Stoudemire challenges teammates to pick up intensity
New York Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire and Denver Nuggets forward Kenneth Fariedstad look for a rebound in the second half of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 16, 2014 in New York City. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
The players had left the visiting locker room -- except for one. Amar'e Stoudemire still had to get dressed, but he also had something to get off his chest.
Stoudemire was disgusted with how the Knicks played against Russell Westbrook and the Thunder on Friday night. He voiced his displeasure about the performance -- the Knicks' worst of the Derek Fisher era -- but essentially was speaking about the whole season.
The Knicks fell behind by 37 points and lost for the 12th time in 14 games. They have four wins. Only the 76ers, Lakers and Pistons have fewer. The Knicks expected to have some growing pains while learning a new system, but the only thing growing is their frustration level.
"We can't let teams outplay us," Stoudemire said. "We can't let teams figure they want it more than we do at this point. We're a team that's only won four games all season. I know it's 17 games, but this can't be acceptable.
"We're a team that's in desperation mode. We're a team that's fighting to get a win. Right now we got to have a higher sense of urgency. We got to be more enthused. We got to be mentally involved. We got to do all the little things. We got to get every loose ball, every rebound, and we have to go all out."
The Knicks didn't have Carmelo Anthony because of back spasms, and they're listing him as doubtful for Sunday night's game against the Heat at the Garden. Without him, the Knicks had major difficulties scoring, but they also didn't put up any resistance.
Westbrook shredded the Knicks for 32 points in less than 24 minutes. The Knicks scored 33 points in the first 24 minutes of their 105-78 loss in a game that was never close. During the last 34:47, they trailed by at least 20 points for all but 20 seconds.
"We can't be afraid of teams that come out and play with that kind of aggressiveness," Stoudemire said. "We can't be afraid of that. We got to retaliate. We got to be ready to counterattack that."
Stoudemire scored 20 points, but he wasn't without blame. He was out of place defensively many times.
If there is one thing the Knicks had been good at this season, it was battling back after digging a hole, but they had no fight left against the Thunder.
Fisher chalked up part of it to "a long week on the road." But the Knicks looked deflated and beaten. Westbrook moved at a different speed than they were, getting himself and his teammates any shots they wanted.
Westbrook outscored the Knicks 14-13 in the first quarter -- and he was on the bench during the last 3:33.
"We can't keep saying we're learning, we're learning, we're learning," Stoudemire said. "At this point it's the intensity level. Teams want it more than we do. We can't afford to have that non-aggressiveness.
"We got to get mentally locked in. We got to start to be more students of the game. We got to live basketball. We have to breathe it. We have to understand it. We have to study it. On the basketball court, we have to play as if we know what we're doing. We got to have poise. We got to have a sense of urgency. Those are things that we got to accomplish on the basketball court.''
Stoudemire was asked if he was surprised that the Knicks haven't had these necessary things.
"We got to get it," Stoudemire said. "There's no excuses at this point. We can't keep having moral victories."
No, the Knicks need actual victories.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
