New York beat the Clippers Wednesday 99-93. The question is whether the Knicks really want the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference, meaning they would face Miami in the first round of the playoffs; or if they’d prefer, the No. 8 spot to face the Bulls.
The Knicks were led by Carmelo Anthony offensively who went for 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists. J.R. Smith also brought his offense to the game dropping 21 points on 7-13 shooting from the field and 3-7 shooting from downtown. The attack was relatively balanced as the Knicks had six players in double digits and shot 46% from the field and 38% from 3-point land.
The implications of finishing No. 7 versus No. 8 for the Knicks might not really make much of a difference, as both playoff matchups would be tough. "Right now it really doesn't matter," Anthony said. "Whoever we play, we'll have to start on the road anyway, so we just want to start just preparing for whether it's Chicago, whether it's Miami, just get ready to go."
With a victory on Thursday against Charlotte or a loss by Philadelphia against Detroit, the Knicks will draw the No. 7 seed.
Tyson Chandler agreed with Anthony that either matchup was going to be tough.
"Chicago has had the best record in the league the last two years, so why does everybody jump ahead and say, 'Oh, you should dodge Miami and play Chicago?'" center Tyson Chandler said. "I think both of those teams are 1 and 2, so you can pick your poison on them. I feel like we have to believe in ourselves enough that it doesn't matter who we play."
In their loss, the Clippers were lead by Blake Griffin who put up 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Randy Foye went for 28 points on 9-23 shooting. Why Randy Foye is jacking up 23 shots from the field, when Caron Butler only got eight shot attempts and Mo Williams only got nine, is anyone’s guess.
Now the only guessing game in New York will be whether or not the Knicks can slay their rivals in the south. You can be sure the Heat will be on.
Photo Credit: AP
Michael Brouillet is the lead basketball writer for CraveOnline Sports. You can follow him on @Facebook.com/CraveOnlineSports.
