Troy Taormina/USA TODAY Sports , via Reuters
The Rockets' Jeremy Lin (7) trying to score in the lane over Tyson Chandler in the first quarter.
HOUSTON — The Knicks had done what they could to survive against the Rockets for more than 47 minutes at the Toyota Center on Friday night. They had hustled. They had rebounded. They had defended, at least for stretches.
And when Tyson Chandler corralled an offensive rebound with 23.6 seconds remaining in a tie game, the Knicks could have held the ball for the final shot.
But this team has had a penchant for mental gaffes, and when the ball found its way to J. R. Smith, he opted against logic and hoisted a hasty 3-pointer that was off the mark. The Rockets' Aaron Brooks was fouled on the ensuing loose ball, and he sank both free throws as the Rockets dealt the Knicks a 102-100 loss.
The Knicks (10-22), who were hoping to keep their momentum going after beating the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday, had one final opportunity, but Beno Udrih could only watch as his attempt at a game-tying runner rimmed out at the buzzer.
It was a stupefying decision by Smith, who was 3 of 13 from the field and finished with 9 points. He said he thought the Knicks were trailing by 2 points when he attempted his 3-pointer. He said he could hear Chandler yelling, "No, don't take the shot!" But Smith had already released the ball with 19.9 seconds left.
He shouldered the blame, saying it was "bad basketball I.Q. by me." Chandler called it a "learning experience." Coach Mike Woodson was flummoxed.
"Yeah, I was surprised," Woodson said. "Had he made it, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. But I don't know."
Carmelo Anthony, who was playing on consecutive nights after missing three games with a sprained left ankle, played through obvious discomfort to finish with 25 points and 8 rebounds. Iman Shumpert had another terrific effort, scoring 26 points.
"We're playing a lot better, and that's promising," said Woodson, whose team will face the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. "I like the way we compete. If we stay at this level, we'll be in a lot of games. We just got to figure out how to win them down the stretch."
The Rockets (22-13) were led by James Harden, who had 37 points and sank all 12 of his free throws.
It was a tough matchup for the Knicks, who had given everything they had against the Spurs. In addition, the Rockets' pick-and-roll offense figured to pose a serious challenge, in large part because the Knicks are poor at defending against pick-and-roll offenses. So the situation was far from ideal.
But the Knicks were resilient. When the Rockets went ahead by 5 early in the third quarter, the Knicks responded with an 8-0 run. They built on their lead, an effort sparked by Shumpert and Anthony, who combined for 24 points in the quarter. Shumpert connected on a 3-pointer to extend the Knicks' advantage to 79-70, and the Rockets appeared to be reeling, but they fought back.
Harden scored on back-to-back baskets, including a 3-pointer, as the Rockets took a 100-95 lead late in the fourth quarter. Shumpert responded with a 3-pointer, then forced a jump ball while defending Harden at the other end. On the subsequent possession, Chandler hit two free throws to even the score at 100-100.
After an empty possession by the Rockets, Udrih misfired on a 3-pointer, but Chandler grabbed the rebound and kicked the ball to Smith. It was a bad choice.
"We were right where we wanted to be," Chandler said. "But at the end of the game, we had some mental breakdowns."
REBOUNDS
Kenyon Martin did not dress because of a sore left ankle.
Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang
Rockets 102, Knicks 100: Mental Lapse at Finish Wastes 47 Good Minutes From the Knicks
Dengan url
https://dunialuasekali.blogspot.com/2014/01/rockets-102-knicks-100-mental-lapse-at.html
Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya
Rockets 102, Knicks 100: Mental Lapse at Finish Wastes 47 Good Minutes From the Knicks
namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link
Rockets 102, Knicks 100: Mental Lapse at Finish Wastes 47 Good Minutes From the Knicks
sebagai sumbernya
0 komentar:
Posting Komentar