All in all, Knicks add more bricks to the wall
Iman Shumpert and Raymond Felton, the Knicks’ starting backcourt, cited an inability to make shots as the main culprit in a 41-point loss to Boston on Sunday. They should know, as neither starting guard registered a point — combining with Andrea Bargnani on a 1-for-19 shooting day in the 114-73 loss to the Celtics.
“Three of our starters we got two points out of — Andrea, Iman and Raymond. You’re not going to beat anybody,” Mike Woodson said.
Shumpert, who has been the subject of trade rumors, was coming off two straight strong games after telling MSG on Friday that he was “mad at the world.” But he shot 0-for6 from the field and had no assists Sunday in 31 minutes.
“I think we missed a lot of shots,” Shumpert said. “Maybe the excitement wasn’t there. Overall, we had the energy, we had the shots that we normally get. We’ve just got to make them miss shots so we can run.”
Felton also was 0-for-6 with just two assists in 20:21. “I couldn’t hit nothing tonight, there were a lot of guys that really couldn’t put the ball in the basket,” he said. “That is how it happens. We’re human.”
KMART CLOSED
Tim Hardaway Jr. made his first NBA start and scored eight points, with Kenyon Martin sitting out with soreness in his troublesome left ankle.
“His ankle is somewhat sore, so we’re just gonna back off,” Woodson said of Martin.
Martin initially suffered the ankle injury last April, and the Knicks took it easy on him in training camp after it bothered him throughout the summer. The Knicks initially planned to platoon Martin with Amar’e Stoudemire, who underwent summertime knee surgery, in back-to-back situations. But Martin appeared in all but one of the Knicks’ first 18 games, including nine starts with Tyson Chandler sidelined since early November with a fractured fibula.
STAT CHECK
Stoudemire scored a season-high 17 points Sunday on 5-of-7 shooting in 21 minutes after sitting Friday against Orlando.
“I felt great. On both ends I felt like I played solid,” Stoudemire said. “I’ve got to watch film to see the mistakes I made. I'm sure I made some mistakes, as well all did.”
BACK TO BROOKLYN
Gerald Wallace isn’t gloating about how his old team in Brooklyn has been pitiful, while his Celtics continue to be in firstplace in the Atlantic Division after their rout of the Knicks.
“I don’t know what's going on in Brooklyn,'” said Wallace, who was unhappy when the Nets sent him to Boston in the offseason blockbuster that brought the Nets Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. “I’m in Boston now. I don’t play for that team.'”