Raptors-Knicks Preview

By NOEY KUPCHAN
Posted Mar 19 2012 4:34PM

Linsanity had nearly reached its peak when Jeremy Lin hit a game-winning 3-pointer to defeat the Toronto Raptors last month.

While the hoopla surrounding Lin has since cooled a bit, interim coach Mike Woodson is starting to create a buzz of his own.

After New York's brutal losing stretch, Woodson seems to have the Knicks back on track and will look to stay undefeated when the Raptors visit Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night.

Mike D'Antoni resigned two days after the Knicks (21-24) suffered their sixth straight defeat March 12. A change at the top seems to have a made a world of difference for New York, which finds itself 3-0 under Woodson.

After blowing out Portland 121-79 in Woodson's first game Wednesday, the Knicks completed a home-and-home sweep of Indiana with Saturday's 102-88 road win.

"Our hearts are right in it, and it was a total team effort," Woodson said. "I couldn't be more proud of the team than I am (Saturday). I happen to have a great group of guys and a talented bunch. We just have to keep them playing at a high level. If we do that, we have a chance."

Lin had a team-high 19 points to go with seven rebounds and six assists while Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony each scored 16.

"Coach Woodson, he's more of - he's a player's coach," Stoudemire said. "It's a matter of us as players playing hard for him and trying to get these wins.

"We're still looking to make our mark. We're still looking to improve in the playoff standings."

Sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks appear to have a good shot at doing just that if they can keep things going. New York has outscored opponents by an average of 23.7 points during its run while holding teams to just 39.1 percent from the floor.

"I just think it's we have all 15 guys right now on the same page buying in, and that's the biggest thing, is that we're playing together. I don't think there's any major changes philosophically from a coaching standpoint," said Lin, who led the way during New York's seven-game winning streak Feb. 4-15.

Lin came up especially big during win No. 6 of that run, posting 27 points and 11 assists while hitting a 3-pointer with less than a second left to defeat the Raptors 90-87 on Feb. 14.

Toronto (15-30) dropped to 2-2 on its five-game road swing with Saturday's 107-103 loss to Charlotte. Jerryd Bayless continued his impressive play with 29 points, but after building a 10-point halftime lead the Raptors were outscored 38-14 in the third quarter and couldn't recover.

"As much as it's a learning curve for us, I don't think there's any excuses," center Jamaal Magloire said. "This is a game that we could have very easily won, no matter what the circumstances are. I'm more or less speechless about what happened (Saturday) to us and very disappointed."

Bayless, who has missed both meetings with New York this season due to injury, has averaged 21.8 points on 54.3 percent shooting while starting each of the last five games for injured point guard Jose Calderon (sprained right ankle).

Bayless, however, may have to continue his scoring surge off the bench. Calderon, who has averaged 17.0 points and 10.5 assists against the Knicks this season, is expected to return and start Tuesday.

The Raptors have dropped five of six in this series, with their only win coming 90-85 at MSG on Jan. 2. Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points in that matchup but averaged just 12.8 on 35.6 percent shooting in his first six games back after missing nearly two months with a calf injury.

Knicks rout Raptors, 4-0 under Woodson

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Mar 21 2012 12:05AM

NEW YORK (AP) Four straight easy victories, and now a big test ahead for the New York Knicks.

Defeated and deflated by Philadelphia 10 days ago, the Knicks are rolling into the rematch.

"Guys are playing at a very high, confident level right now," Carmelo Anthony said. "We just want to bottle that up and move on and keep it going."

Amare Stoudemire had 22 points and 12 rebounds, Jeremy Lin added 18 points and 10 assists, and the Knicks improved to 4-0 under Mike Woodson by beating the Toronto Raptors 106-87 on Tuesday night.

Anthony and Tyson Chandler each scored 17 points for the Knicks, who bring a week's worth of momentum to Philadelphia on Wednesday night for a matchup with the Atlantic Division-leading 76ers. The Knicks rode another night of balanced scoring and renewed defensive intensity to a comfortable lead for most of the final three quarters, leaping in celebration after a series of strong defensive plays in the fourth.

"Everybody feels great. Having fun, enjoying the game of basketball, and that's what it's about," Stoudemire said. "When you enjoy doing your job, then it makes it much easier to play and that's what's happening right now."

DeMar DeRozan scored 17 points for the Raptors. Jose Calderon had 11 points and nine assists in his return from a five-game absence with a sprained right ankle, but backup Jerryd Bayless was lost to a left hip pointer in the second half.

The Knicks were right around their stats through Woodson's first three games, when they allowed 89 points per game on 39 percent shooting while averaging 112.7 points and outscoring opponents by 16 per game.

"They're a tenacious, different team," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said. "It's amazing, their tenacity, the way they attack. If you don't meet it, they take you out."

It's a complete turnaround since perhaps their most deflating effort under Mike D'Antoni, a 106-94 home loss to the 76ers on March 11, when the coach lamented that the Knicks didn't always play hard. He lasted just one more game before deciding to resign last Wednesday.

Effort hasn't been a problem under Woodson, particularly on the defensive end. Anthony even acknowledged Monday playing with a defensive energy that wasn't there earlier in the season, perhaps because the new coach has stressed accountability from his top players.

Asked his reaction to Anthony's comments, Woodson said: "I can't explain that, I can't. I wish I could. We probably wouldn't be sitting in this position that we're sitting in today, fighting for a playoff spot."

There's still plenty of time to get one, especially if the Knicks keep playing like this. They came in a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for eighth place in the Eastern Conference, and despite their inconsistency, are only four games behind the 76ers.

They kept slapping at balls in the fourth to put the game out of reach. Chandler got his hands on one fourth-quarter pass, then Anthony stole it after the Raptors recovered, leading the break and hooking up with Chandler for an alley-oop slam with 5:11 left that made it 95-77 and had the Knicks jumping around in celebration near midcourt.

"It's fun. It's fun to watch," Woodson said. "Make no mistake about it, it was our defense that got us the spurt that we needed, and you know that's what good teams are supposed to do. We've just got to bottle it up, man, and just continue to do it."

Andrea Bargnani scored 15 points but shot just 5 of 15 for the Raptors, who finished 2-3 on a five-game trip. A victory would have given them a second winning five-game trip this season.

The teams' previous meeting came during the height of Linsanity, when Lin made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with a half-second left to give the Knicks a 90-87 victory in Toronto on Feb. 14. Lin scored 27 points that night, but he no longer needs to be the scorer he was then, with many more weapons surrounding him.

Anthony, Stoudemire and Chandler combined for 19 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the first quarter, helping the Knicks take a 27-24 lead. Defenses ruled the second quarter, when both teams show below 40 percent. The Knicks led 53-44 at halftime.

The Knicks pushed the lead to 15 with a five-point possession with 7:47 left in the third quarter, as Landry Fields made a layup while Raptors starting center Aaron Gray was fouling Chandler away from the ball. Gray was hit with two technical fouls and ejected for his reaction, and Lin made both free throws before Chandler hit another.

The lead grew to 16 before the Knicks took a 79-68 advantage to the fourth, when they had five steals, turned seven turnovers into 11 points and led by as much as 23.

"I think we just didn't execute the way we were supposed to and we got a couple of turnovers in a row," Calderon said.

Notes: Woodson became the second coach to win his first four games with a new team by 14 or more points, joining Bill Sharman of the 1971-72 Lakers. ... The teams meet again Friday in Toronto. ... The Knicks were again without Baron Davis (strained right hamstring). ... The Raptors' 3-2 trip was from Jan. 22-29 with stops against the Clippers, Phoenix, Utah, Denver and New Jersey. That was their first winning trip of five games or more since Nov. 10-18, 2001.

Notebook: Knicks 106, Raptors 87

Posted Tuesday March 20, 2012 10:38PM

By Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: A bit of Linsanity returned to Madison Square Garden as Jeremy Lin notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 assists and four other Knicks scored in double-figures as New York beat the Toronto Raptors, 106-87, to move to 4-0 during the Mike Woodson Era.

While still adjusting to Woodson's offense, Lin was smooth and under control and his teammates benefitted.

Amar'e Stoudemire added 22 points and 12 rebounds and Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler scored 17 points apiece. Anthony (eight) had twice as many rebounds as Chandler (four). J.R. Smith tallied 11 points off the bench.

DeMar DeRozan led Toronto with 17 points and Andrea Bargnani added 15.

QUOTABLE: "He's a point guard that's still in that learning mode and trying to be a great point guard. He's a good point guard. In time I think he's going to be a really good point guard in this league."
-- Woodson on Lin

THE STAT: For the third time in the four-game Woodson Era, the Knicks held an opponent to 88 points or fewer. In the other game, the Knicks still managed to win, beating the Indiana Pacers, 115-100. The Knicks also out-rebounded the Raptors, 46-30.

TURNING POINT: The Knicks took command in the first half, 53-44, with nine players scoring and Lin dishing six assists against no turnovers.

QUOTABLE II: "Guys are being so unselfish that it really looks good from an offensive standpoint because the ball is moving and screens are being set offensively and guys are making shots and that's the beauty of playing offense."
-- Woodson

WHO'S HOT: In his last three games, Lin has averaged 16.7 points and seven assists. In his first game of the Woodson Era, Lin struggled with just six points and six assists.

WHO'S NOT: Playing for the injured Baron Davis, Mike Bibby managed just one point, one rebound and zero assists backing up Lin.

QUOTABLE III: "I think we are playing at a different, very high level. Guys are committed on every possession and taking every possession seriously. We want to try to take that game tomorrow [at Philadelphia]."
-- Anthony

NOTABLE: Before the game, Woodson said he expects both Anthony and Stoudemire to continue to play harder going forward. "He's gotta bring the energy now," Woodson said of Anthony. "I'm the head coach and I can't speak for what happened, and I was a part of it. But he's gotta play harder and Amare's gotta play harder. Everybody's gotta play harder to get us where we need to go, and that's the only way it's going to happen. We can't have lackluster performances out of anyone who steps out on the floor. It's my job just to continue to push and I'm going to do that." Asked why Anthony might not have played as hard as possible under D'Antoni, with whom he clashed, Woodson said: "I can't explain that. I can't. I wish I could. We probably wouldn't be sitting in this position that we're sitting in today, fighting for a playoff spot. That's my job to get the best out of everyone."

NOTABLE II: Toronto center Aaron Gray was ejected midway through the third period after kicking the basketball and then arguing with the refs. He received two technicals and was given an early shower.

INSIDE THE ARENA: R&B singer Ciara and boxer Gerry Cooney sat courtside.

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Wednesday @ Philadelphia, Friday @ Toronto, Saturday vs. Detroit. For the Raptors, Wednesday vs. Chicago, Friday vs. New York, Saturday @ Chicago.

• Raptors: --
• Knicks: Davis, Walker

• Raptors: Gray, Gray
• Knicks: --

• Lead Changes: 11
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #40 Leon Wood, #14 Ed Malloy, #76 Steven Anderson
• Attendance: 19763
• Duration: 2:23