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And so it has come to pass -- yet another season of Friday Night Knicks is in the books. Robert Randolph will once again to return to his hobbit hole, content to spend all summer playing slide guitar for gophers and C.H.U.D.'s.
The Knickerbockers kept the game close through the first half before collapsing under an avalanche of turnovers (season-high 26) en route to a 99-91 loss. As far as late-season defeats go, it wasn't half bad.
Notes:
- Remember all those jokes about how Jason Kidd was the Knicks' best coach in 2012-13? Dude might still be the Knicks' best coach. Not only did he aid the tank in a general way this season -- his Bucks swept New York for the first time in 24 years -- but he went out of his way to ensure at least one of his players would be fired up to face the worst team in basketball.
Kidd had the foresight to sit Giannis Antetokounmpo in the previous game, and remained annoying cryptic as to the reason why. You think the Greek Freak got up for his return to action? Judge for yourself:
Giannis finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. Thank you, Jason Kidd. Once a Knick...
- If you watched this game and even for a microsecond pondered the idea that a healthy Andrea Bargnani would have made a difference then I just don't know what to say to you at this point. The Knicks shot 47.2% as a team, so it's not like they were missing his jumper. This game was at least competitive for a half, which is more than could be said of most recent Knicks losses.
- Each member of Milwaukee's backcourt was roughly two feet taller than Langston Galloway and Shane Larkin. This certainly caused problems on defense, but it was also exhibit A in why you don't double non-post threats just because they're backing down smaller players. When left one-on-one, Larkin and Galloway were usually able to limit rangy guards like Antetokounmpo, Michael Carter-Williams and Khris Middleton to tough jumpers. When the double-teams came...well, you've watched enough Knicks basketball to guess what happened.
- I have been hoping Tim Hardaway Jr. would catch fire in one of these games, put up 30 points, and improve his plummeting trade value. Friday night we got seven points on 2-7 shooting and five turnovers.
- Lance Thomas did that thing he does once every eight games or so where he actually takes open corner threes, hits them, and makes you yell at the TV, "Pleeeeease do that more often." If the Knicks plan to re-sign him, I hope they include a "must spend all summer practicing corner threes" clause in his contract.
- Jason Smith has developed a Kevin Garnett-ian habit of picking fights with guards. This time it was O.J. Mayo. Get off my team, Jason Smith.
- Khris Middleton: 22 points, seven rebounds, six steals. I don't think he's very good though, Milwaukee. I'd totally low-ball him this summer if I were you.
- Ricky Ledo is falling in love with his super-casual scoop shot. He missed them all, of course, because this is the best basketball league on Earth and you can't simply flip the ball up like you're playing on a Nerf hoop in your parents' basement.
The tank rolls on, my friends. I saw this on Twitter today, so it might just be destiny.
Teammates next season pls pic.twitter.com/EGKmoGQxig
— Joseph Flynn (@ChinaJoeFlynn) April 10, 2015