Knicks-Thunder Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jan 14 2012 11:49AM

Even with star Carmelo Anthony in the lineup, the New York Knicks likely would have a tough time beating the Oklahoma City Thunder. Without their leading scorer, that challenge becomes even greater.

A sprained ankle and sore wrist are expected to prevent Anthony from taking the court when the visiting Knicks try to snap the Thunder's five-game winning streak Saturday night.

Anthony is averaging 25.5 points for New York (6-5) and 30.0 on 50.0 percent shooting in his last 10 games against the Thunder franchise. However, he has yet to face Oklahoma City as a member of the Knicks.

He likely won't get the chance this weekend after he sprained his right ankle early in the third quarter of Thursday's 94-83 loss at Memphis. X-rays were negative, but Anthony also injured his wrist in the first quarter.

"I'm real sore," Anthony told the Knicks' official website. "Hopefully, I will be alright. I can wrap the wrist and play through that. A sore ankle is a little bit more to deal with.

"I've been getting beat up for nine years, so, I'm not worried about getting beat up. I'm going to get through it. I'm living. I'm walking. I'm smiling. I'm hurt, but I'll be alright."

Whether the Knicks will be alright without their star remains to be seen. New York has lost seven of nine to the Thunder, dropping all three games in Oklahoma City.

Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire is looking for a better performance after he scored a season-low six points at Memphis, converting 1 of 7 shots while saddled with foul trouble. He's averaged 26.0 points and 11.4 rebounds in his last five games versus Oklahoma City.

Anthony and Bill Walker each had a team-high 14 points Thursday as New York shot 37.3 percent and committed 18 turnovers to see its four-game winning streak come to an end.

"It was definitely one of those nights where we couldn't get into a rhythm," center Tyson Chandler said, "but we have to do a better job of our starts and the way we come out."

The Knicks obviously would like to get off to a good start against the Western Conference-leading Thunder (10-2), who have held opponents to an average of 93.0 points during their five-game run.

Kevin Durant had 29 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks, and Russell Westbrook added 22 points with seven assists as Oklahoma City won 95-85 at New Orleans on Wednesday to sweep a stretch of five games in six days.

"It feels good to get five wins, man," said Durant, who has recorded three straight double-doubles. "We've got to look forward to keep pushing, keep building on it and hopefully do a good job next game. It's very encouraging that we can get through something like this."

Durant - averaging 30.5 points in his last four games versus New York - had 30 and 12 rebounds in a 101-98 home victory over the Knicks on Jan. 22, hitting the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Westbrook, who has totaled 52 points over the last two games, had 28 in that contest. He's averaged 23.3 points while going 49 of 98 from the field in six games against the Knicks.

Thunder rout Carmelo-less Knicks, 104-92

By JEFF LATZKE
Posted Jan 14 2012 11:47PM

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking all of the drama out of their home games.

Durant scored 28 points, James Harden added 24 off the bench and the Thunder raced past the New York Knicks 104-92 on Saturday night for their sixth straight win.

Westbrook was on his way to his sixth career triple-double with 21 points, eight rebounds and eight assists before coach Scott Brooks pulled his All-Stars with Oklahoma City leading by 30 points and nearly 3 minutes left in the third quarter.

It was the third straight time at Chesapeake Energy Arena that the starters didn't play a single minute in the fourth quarter of a blowout victory.

"You don't go into a game thinking that the starters will not play in the last quarter but it's always nice," Brooks said.

"It's always nice to get everybody involved and everybody playing."

New York played without Carmelo Anthony because of a sprained right ankle and injured left wrist, but it was the Knicks' defense that was missing. West-leading Oklahoma City scored 70 points in the first half and was shooting 57 percent after three quarters before reserves missed 12 of 14 to start the fourth.

"We've got to put things in perspective, man. They didn't have one of the best players in the league tonight in Carmelo," Durant said. "But for us, we have to stick to our principles of playing defense. Any team can break out and score, and they have a lot of guys that can step up."

Amare Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Toney Douglas scored 14 points for the Knicks.

Coach Mike D'Antoni suggested before the game that the Knicks had been improving on the defensive end. Their last five opponents had averaged only 87.2 points, and none had scored even 50 points in a half.

The Thunder quickly did away with that line of thinking.

Durant, Harden and Westbrook combined for 53 points in the first half as Oklahoma City scorched New York's defense to build a 70-47 advantage.

"It's going to take a while. Almost always there's one or two rookies on the floor and just without training camp it's excuse, excuse and I don't want to do that," D'Antoni said. "We're just struggling right now a little bit and we have to work through it, keep watching tape and keep trying to get better.

"We've got a four-game homestand. We'll get some of our guns back. Carmelo will be back soon and hopefully Baron (Davis) around the corner and we'll see what we've got."

Durant needed a buzzer-beater to beat Dallas in Oklahoma City's second home game of the season, then Portland came in and beat the Thunder the next time out.

Since then, it's been smooth sailing. Oklahoma City has outscored its last three opponents 269-199 in the first three quarters at home - leading Houston by 22, San Antonio by 21 and New York by 27.

"We're trying to be consistent at that," Westbrook said. "When we get leads, we need to be able to keep it going."

New York's Bill Walker and Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka were called for a double foul during a skirmish after Harden's 3-pointer from the left wing extended the Thunder's lead to 56-40 with 2:51 left before halftime. Instead of waking up the Knicks, it only ignited another run against them.

Durant converted a layup off of a failed alley-oop, Ibaka hit a jumper and Harden added a three-point play as Oklahoma City reeled off seven more points - for a 12-0 run in total - and pushed the lead out to 23. Westbrook rubbed salt in the wound by dribbling down the final few seconds of the half and drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key.

He then took a couple high steps and stuck his hands down at his sides as if he were sticking guns in holsters. Westbrook had been just 4 for 23 on 3-pointers this season before hitting two of his three attempts against the Knicks.

"We didn't want to kind of look them off because they didn't have Carmelo, so I think we did a good job of staying focused and playing our game," Durant said.

"I think in years past, if we'd seen one of their key guys were out, we would kind of be relaxed," he added. "I think tonight we didn't do that. We came out with a lot of intensity."

Durant had a three-point play and Westbrook a driving layup during a run of nine straight points for the Thunder that pushed the lead to 85-55 midway through the third quarter, and both were on the bench for good not long after that.

The Thunder matched their longest winning streak from last season, when they made it to the Western Conference finals.

The Knicks also had a free fall in their last game, letting an 11-point halftime deficit grow to 23 after Anthony went out in the third quarter.

"It will get better. Definitely has to get better," Chandler said. "We gave up way too many points. Tonight our offense did a better job moving the ball and scoring points but we had a letdown defensively."

Jared Jeffries, who had been out since opening night with a strained left calf, played 22 minutes in his return and missed all four of his shots. He did hit a free throw and pulled down five rebounds.

NOTES: Knicks assistant Mike Woodson got a technical foul in the first four minutes, just after Stoudemire was whistled for the first foul of the game and protested on the opposite end of the floor. Stoudemire picked one up just over a minute into the second quarter. ... Westbrook came out of the game for 22 seconds in the first quarter after twisting his left ankle by stepping on Mike Bibby's foot. ... The Thunder play 11 of their next 14 games on the road.

Notebook: Thunder 104, Knicks 92

By Randy Renner, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday January 15, 2012 12:08AM

THE FACTS: Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden blistered the New York Knicks with more than 20 points apiece and the Oklahoma City Thunder led by as many as 31 while cruising to a 104-92 win inside sold-out Chesapeake Energy Arena.

Durant led all scorers with 28 points on 10-for-13 shooting, Harden had 24 on 8-for-12 (3-for-5 on 3-pointers) and Westbrook 21. Neither teams' starters played in the fourth quarter as both coaches emptied their benches.

New York was led by a trio of players with 14 points. Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Toney Douglas. Chandler took only three shots but hit all of them and added eight free throws. Stoudemire had another tough shooting night going just 7-for-19.

After winning four in a row the Knicks have now lost two straight while Oklahoma City runs its winning streak to six games and continues atop the Western Conference with only two losses in 13 games.

QUOTABLE: "We came out with a lot of energy on both ends of the floor. I thought our defense was the best it's been all year in the first half and that was the key. You don't go into the game thinking your starters won't have to play in the fourth quarter but it sure is nice."
--Thunder Head Coach Scott Brooks

THE STAT: It was a rugged fourth quarter for the Thunder (17.6 percent shooting by the reserves and only 12 points) but it was what happened in the first three quarters that buried the Knicks. After the third quarter OKC led 92-65 on 57.4 percent shooting. The Thunder was 7-for-14 (50 percent) on 3-pointers and 23-for-25 (92 percent) at the free throw line. The Knicks were shooting just 38.1percent and 26.7 percent (4-for-15) on threes.

TURNING POINT: The Knicks had to play without forward Carmelo Anthony, who sprained his right ankle Thursday at Memphis. In 10 previous games against the Thunder (all as a Denver Nugget) Anthony averaged 30 points on 50 percent shooting. Without his fire power the Knicks could not keep up with the Thunder who led by 10 after one quarter and 23 at halftime.

QUOTABLE II: "They're a much different team with Carmelo. Anytime you lose one of your best players it's tough.
-- Brooks

HOT: Durant hit three of his first four shots...Durant finished the first half 7-for-9 (21 points) and finished 10-for-13 (28 points)...OKC guard Harden was 7-for-10 (19 points) in the first half...as a team in the first half Oklahoma City shot 58.1percent overall (25-for-41), 54.5 percent on 3-pointers (6-for-11) and 100 percent on free throws (14-for-14)...

NOT: Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook missed his first five shots...Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire was 4-for-12 (8 points) in the first half...In the fourth quarter Oklahoma City shot 17.6 percent (3-for-17)...

INSIDE THE ARENA: Former NBA star and Oklahoma City Thunder player Desmond Mason was at the game watching from court side seats. He now owns an art gallery in Oklahoma City. Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis was also at the game.

GOOD MOVE: While Stoudemire stood at the top of the 3-point arc and looked to his right, Thunder point guard Westbrook ran in from his left, stole the ball, raced down court and slammed it home.

BAD MOVE: Thunder forward Serge Ibaka went to sleep for a moment on the defensive end early in the game letting New York center Tyson Chandler get behind and collect a pass from Mike Bibby for a slam.

NOTABLE: With 28 points, Durant has now scored 10 or more points in 188 consecutive games. That is the second longest active streak in the NBA (LeBron James 356)...OKC's Ibaka blocked three shots against the Knicks extending his streak to 26 consecutive games with at least one block. That's the longest active streak in the league. Kendrick Perkins blocked two shots. Ibaka and Perkins have blocked at least one shot in every game this season. OKC is the only team in the NBA with two players having blocked a shot in every game...

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Monday vs Magic, Wednesday vs Suns, Friday vs Bucks. For the Thunder, Monday @ Boston, Wednesday @ Washington, Saturday @ New Jersey.

• Knicks: Anthony, Davis
• Thunder: Maynor, Reid

• Knicks: Stoudemire, Woodson
• Thunder: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
• Officials: #8 Marc Davis, #70 Brent Barnaky, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 18203
• Duration: 2:13