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Schmeelk: Knicks Show Little Resistance Against Cavaliers

By John Schmeelk
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The Knicks were in the middle of a four-game winning streak until the Cavaliers rolled into town Wednesday night and showed them exactly how far they are away from competing with the NBA's upper-echelon teams.

There's no question the league put the Knicks in an incredibly difficult position having to play against the Cavs on the second night of a back-to-back. (Even though numbers show that back-to-backs, especially with the second game at home, have little effect on a team's record.) Not having Derrick Rose made things even more difficult for the Knicks. LeBron James being annoyed at Knicks president Phil Jackson probably didn't help either. Losing to the Cavs would not have been a surprise. In fact, it would have even been partially understandable.

What happened Wednesday night was neither. The Knicks didn't show up and were routed 126-94. At the first TV timeout, just 5:17 into the game, the Knicks had already given up 22 points. They didn't get back on defense. They left Cavaliers (Kevin Love specifically) wide open behind the 3-point line. The effort was minimal. With 10 minutes remaining in the game, the bench was emptied and Madison Square Garden started emptying.

Defense has been a problem all year long for this team, and that problem was on full display against an excellent offensive team in the Cavs. It was a layup, a dunk, free throws or a wide-open 3-pointer on far too many Cleveland possessions. The Knicks showed very little resistance from the opening tip to the final horn.

It is no crime to lose to the Cavaliers, but the Knicks should take a long look at the effort they put forward in front of a crowd that paid top dollar for their tickets against the defending NBA champions.

The Knicks now depart on a five-game road trip against teams they should be able to beat. The Warriors are the only upper-echelon team they will face on the trip, to go along with games in Sacramento, Denver, Phoenix, and Los Angeles (against the Lakers). Even though the Knicks have struggled on the road this year, they should be able to return to the Garden for the holiday with a 3-2 record.

But that won't happen if they play like they did Wednesday night. They won't beat anyone if they play like they did Wednesday night.

Schmeelk's Snippets

• I wrote before the season about how the Knicks needed a better third point guard on the roster, especially given the serious injuries Rose and Brandon Jennings have dealt with in their careers. That deficiency was on clear display against Cleveland when Sasha Vujacic was the backup point guard. He did the best he could, but the offense was slower and stagnant without a point guard who could run the screen-and-roll and distribute the ball effectively.

• Kristaps Porzingis is in some kind of funk offensively. For the fourth straight game, he couldn't shoot straight and is now 19-of-60 in those contests. His defense, which had been strong the last few contests, was also an issue. He consistently lost Love on the perimeter and let him shoot far too many uncontested 3's. There's nothing to panic about here, but he'll need to work through these issues soon.

• Jackson needs to keep his mouth shut. Whether the Knicks president is right or wrong about  Carmelo Anthony holding the ball too long, now is not the time to say it. I'll have more on this Friday, but his timing couldn't be worse. Give credit to Anthony, since he was smart enough not to take a shot back at Jackson.

• The Knicks honored former coach Jeff Van Gundy during the game (long time coming) by showing him at the scorer's table while he called the game for ESPN. The crowd gave him a nice cheer. What I found hilarious is that he looks far younger today than he looked in the picture from his days coaching the Knicks back in 1999, 17 years ago. It's amazing what the stress of coaching can do to someone. It is not an easy job.

For all things Knicks, follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk

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