Hughes, Knicks Look to Get Back to Win Column vs. Hawks
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Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni has found the shooting guard he’s been looking for in the starting lineup since Jamal Crawford was traded in November.
Larry Hughes made his first start with the Knicks in Miami on Saturday following a spectacular 25-point effort against the 76ers last Friday. He is expected to be at the two again Wednesday night when the Knicks host Joe Johnson and the Hawks at the Garden on Latino Night.
The 6-foot-5 Hughes, who was brought to New York at the trade deadline less than two weeks ago, provides the Knicks with another outside shooter and defense along the perimeter. His overall skills are exactly what the Knicks need, especially when matching up against the top scorers in the league.
“I’m just trying to pile up some wins and do whatever I can to help on both ends of the court,” he said. “Regardless how my shots going, I’m going to play defense. That’s effort and commitment to wanting to go out and stop the other team.”
In the Knicks’ previous game, Hughes had the tough task of guarding Dwyane Wade throughout much of the night and held the MVP candidate to 22 points in the first three quarters. It wasn’t until the final period when Wade exploded offensively against a Knicks team that was on the second leg of a grueling back-to-back.
“I think Hughes could be really good and I think he’s playing well,” D’Antoni said after the 120-115 defeat. “I think a lot of good stuff happened tonight. We might’ve run out of gas because this was the fifth game in seven nights and maybe our legs got a little tired on some shots.”
Hughes will try to slow down another All-Star guard as Johnson guides the Hawks into The World’s Most Famous Arena. Johnson, who is averaging 21.4 points, 6.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds this season, has led the Hawks to the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference just one year after barely making the postseason with the eighth spot.
This season, the Knicks, who will be wearing “Nueva York” uniforms in honor of Latino night on Wednesday, are looking to snatch one of the final seeds in the playoffs. As of Monday, New York is only three and a half games behind Milwaukee, which has been in control of eighth for several weeks. Philadelphia and Detroit are tied five and a half games ahead of the Knicks for the sixth and seventh spot, respectively.
The Knicks are pleased to have Hughes and his veteran leadership in the lineup during this final stretch of the season. Over his previous two games, Hughes is averaging 22.0 points, 3.5 assists and 3.0 boards, but the statistic that really sticks out and impresses his new coach is his six steals over the weekend.
“He’s kind of the guy that we envisioned when we went and got him,” D’Antoni said of the former Chicago Bull. “We’re just really happy for him.”
The Knicks’ meeting with Atlanta is the first of two games this week at home. On Saturday, New York will host Charlotte before leaving for a five-game road trip.
New York and Atlanta has split the first two of its three-game series this season. Each team won on its homecourt, including the Knicks’ 112-104 victory in the previous meeting on Jan. 28.
