New York Knicks: 3 Up, 3 Down Following Disappointing Loss

The New York Knicks fell to the New Orleans Pelicans 104-92—their third consecutive loss. Who’s trending upward and downward following the game?

Following two heartbreaking losses, the New York Knicks lost to the New Orleans Pelicans and fell to .500. Here are three Knicks who were up and three who were down after the 12-point loss.

Three Up

Brandon Jennings — While Jennings wasn’t efficient—he went 2-of-8 from the field—the mercurial point guard looked like one of the few Knicks who was truly frustrated while behind. He was the only Knick with a positive plus/minus (plus-4). That’s a testament to his perpetual effort.

Derrick Rose — Rose didn’t shoot particularly well (a team-wide theme), but he looked as explosive as he has all season, highlighted by an emphatic dunk in the second quarter. While he only recorded one assist, Rose made plays at the basket—his biggest strength—and even went 1-of-2 from the three-point line. In addition, Rose posted his third straight game with 20 or more points.

Knicks Rebounding — While the Knicks continue to struggle in other categories (i.e. assists), their rebounding numbers haven’t suffered. They out-rebounded the Pelicans 50-42 and are now third in the NBA in rebounds per game at 46.3.

Three Down

Joakim Noah — Following what may have been his best game of the year, Noah laid an egg against the Pelicans. He played only 15 minutes, went 0-of-3 from the field for no points, and registered a team-worst plus/minus (-12). And just when we all thought he was coming around.

Carmelo Anthony — Yes, he led the team in points (26) and rebounds (13). Yes, he played a team-high 40 minutes. But ‘Melo, following a close loss during which he was ejected, didn’t respond the way he claimed he and the team needed to. He shot 8-of-22 from the field, including 1-of-5 from 3-point land, and didn’t hustle on multiple transition baskets. It wasn’t the best showing from the Knicks’ leader.

Knicks 3-Point Defense — The Knicks left plyers open all night, and the Pelicans capitalized, shooting 41.4 percent from downtown—about 7 points higher than the Knicks’ average 3-point defensive percentage. Defense has been a problem all year, and this only adds to the concern.