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Comeau Nets OT Winner as Islanders Win Battle against Maple Leafs

March 9, 2011 Leave a comment

Uniondale, NY – It was a war on both ends of the rink at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum Tuesday night  as the New York Islanders battled the Toronto Maple Leafs. The chants of “U-S-A” reigned down from the rafters as Blake Comeau’s deflection with 57.3 left in overtime gave the Islanders a 4-3 victory.

With less than a minute remaining in sudden death, Radek Martinek ripped a slapshot from the point that was deflected by Comeau in mid-air and went over the shoulder of Leafs’ goaltender James Reimer.

Reimer, who had been shaken up earlier in overtime after a hard shot from Martinek on his glove-side bruised his hand, was tested all night by the Islander offense. He was able to stop 36 out of the 40 shots faced in his ninth consecutive start.

“I thought we did a good job of sticking together and sticking to what we had to do. It was a big two points” said Comeau after the game who also assisted on the Michael Grabner goal in the third. “It was nice to get the win in overtime and not leave it up to the shootout.”

 

 

The Islanders had several opportunities to light the lamp in the first period as they struck the post three times and had 11 shots on net, but could not capitalize on their chances.

The Islanders and the Leafs traded goals the entire game with Zenon Konopka netting his first goal since December 18th at the 2:15 of the second period. A little more than 30 seconds later, the Leafs were able to tie the score on a Keith Aulie shot that was given to him on a silver platter after a pass slid right through the middle onto his stick.

Matt Martin had an opportunity to give the Islanders the advantage once again on a penalty shot after a hooking call on Leafs’ captain Dion Phaneuf, but did not convert on the attempt.

Frans Neilsen of the Islanders would score his 9th of the season in the second period, but before the buzzer sounded, the game was tied at two apiece on Tim Brent goal.

After several chances in the Leafs offensive zone, Comeau would find the rookie Grabner all alone at the faceoff circle and with one flick of the wrist, Grabner scored his 27th of the season, giving the Islanders the 3-2 lead.

“We are just not giving up, it doesn’t matter what the score is” said Grabner. “We are working hard and trying to do the same thing every shift”.

The lead did not last long as Nikolai Kulemin would tie the game at 9:48 of the third period before sending the game into overtime.

The Islanders (26-32-10) have played well of late, winning 11 out of 19 games since the All-Star break and have been a spoiler for many teams who are fighting for a playoff spot. They have relied heavily on their new number one goaltender Montoya, who made a total of 24 saves in tonight’s win. They continue their stint at home on Friday when the Boston Bruins come to town, but with only 62 points in the Eastern Conference, the playoffs seem just too far out of reach.

The Maple Leafs (29-28-10) have gained serious ground in the Eastern Conference, reducing their deficit from the eight place team by ten points within the last month. They were down three times tonight, but even with their sense of urgency that the playoffs could be on the line, were unable to gut out a victory. The Leafs remain four points out of a playoff spot with 68 on the season and will visit the struggling Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday.

 

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Islanders Turn Over a New Leaf in Overtime

March 9, 2011 Leave a comment


Score after post, post after score. The New York Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs played a game of catch-up for their fourth and final game against one another at the Nassau Coliseum Tuesday night. The Islanders beat the Leafs 4-3 with Blake Comeau’s overtime goal.

The experience was back in the Islander’s lineup with Radek Martinek. He had been out for the last seven games due to a knee injury. With first period underway, Mike Brown and Micheal Haley both had to take their gloves off after they received a roughing penalty for each team.

At the end of the first period, the board remained a scoreless 0-0 but the Islanders had the edge with 11-9 shots on goal.

Zenon Konopka made his second goal of the year for the Islanders at the beginning of the second period, letting them lead 1-0. Thirty-four seconds later, the Leafs’ Keith Aulie slid past his opponents and tied the score 1-1. The Islanders earned back a 2-1 lead after Frans Nielsen made his fifth post of the night.

The lead is short-lived as Tim Brent tied the score 2-2 for the Leafs at the end of the second period. The Islanders led with a 25-18 shots on goal.

“We need to pick it up one or two notches,” said Konopka.

The Islanders’ Micheal Grabner made the third lead of the game during the final period. Just over a minute later, Nikloai Kulemin tied the score 3-3 for the Leafs. At the end of the period, the Islanders led 37-26 shots on goal.

Overtime proved beating the Islanders would not be an easy task for the Leafs. Martinek made a solid play and blasted the puck from the point and Comeau whacked in the winning goal.

“[The Leafs] are a resilient team and they played well…but we did a better job,” said Comeau.

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Knicks drop third straight to woeful Cavs 119-115 at MSG

March 8, 2011 Leave a comment

By Phil Hecken

New York The New York Knickerbockers (31-29) dropped a heartbreaker to the Cleveland Cavaliers (12-49) after leading for much of the game. The loss moves the Knicks to only two games above .500 on the season and perhaps puts their playoff hopes in jeopardy.

After sprinting out to a 7-0 lead and holding a 12 point edge at 22-10, the Knicks seemed poised to put the Cavs away early. They never led by more than 12 throughout the rest of the game, and squandered another 12 point lead in the fourth quarter, succumbing to a surprisingly inspired Cleveland squad by a final score of 119-115. The loss was the Knicks third in a row this season to the Cavaliers and their eleventh in a row dating back to the LeBron James years.

Coming in at 11-49, with a 26-game road losing streak, the Cavaliers had every reason to pack it in for this season. Instead, an inspired effort by newly acquired Baron Davis led Cleveland to a strong comeback victory over the Knicks.

The Knicks were led by their All-Star tandem of Carmelo Anthony (29 points) and Amar’e Stoudemire (41 points/9 rebounds). On a night when Chauncey Billups was out with a left thigh injury, and other players also unavailable, the Knicks would rely on their starters for their points. Without Billups, however, they could never deliver a “knock out” blow and would allow the Cavaliers to hang around until the end.

“We had some shots to put the game away,” said Knicks Head Coach Mike D’Antoni.


The fourth quarter started out well for the Knicks, who built a 12 point lead, 100-88, with 9:11 to play, following an Amar’e Stoudemire jumper, and 102-90 with 7:32 left. After a Cavalier bucket cut the Knick lead to 10, Stoudemire was fouled and greeted with chants of “MVP MVP” while at the line. He would make only one of two. Still, the Knicks led 104-92 after Shelden Williams sank one of two free throws and the clock stood at 6:58 remaining. It would end badly, and quickly, for the Knicks after that.

The Cavs defense, and strong play by Baron Davis, once again let Cleveland sneak back into the game. The Cavs cut the Knick lead to 104-96 with 5:54 to play and in just under two minutes, had tied the game at 106, with 3:27 to play. The Knicks would never trail, taking a 2 point lead (112-110) with just under a minute to play.

However, the Cavs hit two clutch three pointers, one from Anthony Parker (42 seconds remaining) and another from Baron Davis (with 10.6 seconds left). Inexplicably, trailing by one point but with several players in foul trouble, the Knicks did not foul, allowing Davis an open look and a chance to seal the game. The Cavs went up 116-112.

The Knicks still held out a slim hope, with Stoudemire answering with his own three with 7.6 seconds left. A quick foul put Ramon Sessions on the line, and he missed one of two

Trailing 117-115, the Knicks drove down court, and Carmelo Anthony appeared to have an open lane for a tying layup, but Rookie Luke Harangody stood his ground in the paint, and took a charge from Anthony with 1.2 seconds remaining. He would hit both foul shots to seal the game for Cleveland 119-115.

“Baron’s good,” said D’Antoni after the game. “We just struggled stopping him.” Indeed, Davis played well down the stretch for Cleveland, including hitting the backbreaking three point shot with just over 10 seconds remaining. Lesson learned?

“Don’t let him take a big shot to win the game,” said D’Antoni. “If you don’t close games out, you’re at the mercy of the referees and bad luck.”

J.J. Hickson, who himself made a driving layup to tie the game at 110 for the Cavs, spoke highly of Harangody.

“That was the play of the game when he took that charge,” said Hickson.

The Knicks have one last chance this season to defeat the Cavaliers, when the two teams meet again on April 3. Hickson doesn’t think the Knicks have a chance.

“We’ve got the Knicks number.”

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NHL Quick Hits: Five Cup Contenders

March 6, 2011 1 comment

With the first puck drop of the 2011 NHL Playoffs only weeks away, there are a few teams that have already cemented their way into top contention. While not all of the spots in the playoffs are determined as of right now, some teams have made their mark throughout the season and will be a force to be reckoned with come April. Whether it be a home-ice advantage, the presence of veteran leadership or star players, these five teams in my eyes, have the best chance of hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup when the season is all said and done.

Philadelphia Flyers (40-19-6)

Call it revenge, call it destiny, call it what ever you want, but the Philadelphia Flyers have proved all season that they want another shot at the Stanley Cup after falling just short in the final series last season against the Chicago Blackhawks. They lead the Eastern Conference with 205 goals and without a star goaltender, they have been able to keep offensive teams in check with a strong defensive crew led by veteran Chris Pronger and Kimmo Timonen. The Flyers are in a dog fight for the top spot in the Atlantic division as they have lost four games in a row being outscored 12-3 in the process. If they can hold off the Pittsburgh Penguins who sit only two points back and have home-ice throughout the first part of the playoffs it would be a good scenario for the team that has a 20-10-3 record at home. One statistic that cannot be forgotten: The Flyers and the Anaheim Ducks are the only teams in the league that have four players with over 50 points on their roster, a showcase of their offensive power. (Claude Giroux, Mike Richards, Danny Briere and Jeff Carter all have over 50)

Tampa Bay Lightning (37-21-7)

The Tampa Bay Lightning are another team that have been able to win games all season without star goaltending and rely more on their offensive weapons with scorers like Steven Stamkos, Vinny Lecavalier and Martin St.Louis. For the most part of the season, the Lightning have been ahead of their main oppoistion in the Southeast division, the Washington Capitals. But even with the Capitals struggling, they sit only one point behind the Lightning for the top spot, making every game at the end of the season important. If they can hold off the Capitals and claim home-ice in the playoffs, it would be huge advantage as they lead the Eastern Conference with 21 home victories. Veteran goaltender Dwayne Roloson at age 41, has provided a spark for this Lightning team winning 12 of the 21 games that he has started and earning four shutouts. The playoffs are not something that the Lightning haven’t experienced. They won the Stanley Cup in 2003-2004 and have been on the verge of rebuilding the past several years under new head coach Guy Boucher with young guns such as Stamkos (21 years old) and defensemen Victor Hedman (20 years old). This team could be missed among the powerhouses in the NHL, but they have a good chance in the playoffs if they can secure the top spot in their division and exercise their offensive weapons.

Detroit Red Wings (39-19-8)

If there is any team that has the necessary experience and veteran leadership to take them to a Stanley Cup it is the Detroit Red Wings. The team from the “Motor City” won the cup in 2007-2008 and lost the following year in the finals to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Under head coach Mike Babcock they have been able to keep their core players led by captain Nicklas Lidstrom and scorers Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and Tomas Holmstrom. The Red Wings lead the league with over 3.2 goals a game and goaltender Jimmy Howard has won over 30 games this season posting a 2.88 goals against average. You can never count the Red Wings out when playoff times roll around as the Joe Louis Arena where they call home, may be the most hostile environment out of any in the NHL. Combine this with a team that is tied with the most road victories in the league (22) and you have a deadly combination. They are on pace for another 100-point season, their 10th in a row and pushing towards their 12th Stanley Cup. Watch out for the Wings in the playoffs.

Chicago Blackhawks (37-23-6)

Although the Blackhawks just entered into a playoff spot this past week, you can never count out a team who is defending their championship. It is known around all sports that it is extremely difficult to win back-to-back titles and the Hawks are a prime example of this. They made many off-season changes, trading away players that led them to a cup last year including Kris Versteeg and Dustin Byfuglien along with losing goaltender Antti Niemi to free-agency. The Blackhawks however, have relied heavily on their powerplay which ranks among the best in the league and they still have talented young players such as Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and the all-powerful scorer Marian Hossa. They know what it is like to win the Stanley Cup and that drive to repeat may be the key component to beating the “big dogs” in the West; Detroit, Vancouver and San Jose among them. The balance of power has shifted more towards the Eastern Conference teams in the past year and the inconsistency that they have had throughout the entire season will be a key factor when they need to make a run in the playoffs, but never say never with a defending championship team. (Just think, the last team to repeat was the Red Wings in 1997 & 1998)

Vancouver Canucks (41-16-9)

Last and certainly not to be forgotten are the Vancouver Canucks, the team from the West with best record in the NHL. Over the past few months the team has suffered severe injuries to their defensemen including Kevin Bieksa, Alex Edler and forward Chris Higgins, but were still able to keep pace with the teams in the rear view mirror. We cannot doubt the Canucks and the statistics do not lie. They rank 4th in the league with 3.2 goals a game, 2nd in goals against with 2.3 and they are the 2nd ranked team on the powerplay and penalty kill. All of the elements for Vancouver are there, but they have not been able to prove themselves in the playoffs, losing in the conference semifinals three out of the last four years. Goaltender Roberto Luongo along with the Sedin brothers are going to have to dig deep in the playoffs and prove that they can be a factor when the games mean more to every team. The pressure is heavier than ever for this team, something that they have not played well under.

Check back in a few weeks when the matchups for the playoffs are decided for my picks!

Follow me on Twitter @ NYuddo87

 

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Hofstra rallies to defeat Princeton 11-9, as Lincoln & Bentz shine

February 28, 2011 Leave a comment

Hofstra Princeton Splash

By Phil Hecken

Hempstead After falling behind early, 4-1, the Hofstra Pride came roaring back to outscore the Princeton Tigers by a total of 10-5, earning them their third straight victory to open the season, with an 11-9 win at Shuart Stadium.

Playing before a crowd of 2,180 fans, Number 7 ranked Hofstra earned the win over eighth ranked Princeton. Led by senior attackers Jamie Lincoln, who netted four goals, and Stephen Bentz, who scored three, the Pride played a relatively mistake-free game, and made the most of their opportunities. Despite their third consecutive win, this was the first one the Pride felt they truly earned.

“We had two wins prior to playing Princeton,” said Coach Seth Tierney. “And we couldn’t celebrate.” This was because their two previous victories came against unranked Colgate and Sacred Heart, and both the team and Coach Tierney felt they hadn’t played very well.

“Today we played like a Hofstra team should play,” Tierney said, praising the entire team.

Hofstra Lax 6It didn’t start out well for the Pride, who quickly fell behind 4-1 in the first quarter. Princeton was sparked by freshman Tom Schreiber, who scored the first goal of the game, and his collegiate career, on his first ever shot, less than one minute into the game. He would add his second goal less than five minutes later, as Princeton built their early lead.

“It was nerves,” said Coach Tierney, who called a time out after the Tigers fourth goal. Whether the timeout settled the team’s nerves or not, it seemed to be the wake up call the Pride needed. “I thought we stayed with it,” Tierney said.

The Pride slowly crept back into the action, adding two goals before allowing Princeton another, then scored the final goal of the quarter with just under 50 seconds remaining to close to 5-4.

Opening the second with a man advantage, Hofstra tied the score at 5 in a flash, scoring just 14 seconds in. They would trade goals with the Tigers to go 6-6, and would not look back after that. The Pride scored three unanswered goals (the last two of which came only seven seconds apart) to take a 9-6 lead at the half.

After 15 first half goals, only five were scored in the entire second half, with Princeton quickly cutting the deficit to 9-8, scoring the two goals only one minute and one second apart. Hofstra rallied on an unassisted goal by Sophomore Midfielder Drew Coholan, who showed off some nifty moves. The Pride would score their final goal, to take an 11-8 lead, on an incredible behind the back shot by Lincoln, his fourth goal of the afternoon. A late goal by Princeton cut the lead to 11-9, but the Pride held fast.

The Pride had many stars this day, but Sophomore Midfielder/Face Off specialist John Antonaides played outstanding, winning 16 of his 22 faceoffs, including eight of nine in the first quarter, which likely helped keep Hofstra in the game.

“John’s a warrior out there,” said Coach Tierney. “He’ll do whatever it takes to get the ball.”

midfieldHofstra improved their career record against Princeton to 13-11, in a rivalry that dates back to 1972. The Pride avenged a season opening loss last year to the Tigers, who defeated them 17-14 at Princeton.

Hofstra finished the day with 40 total shots to Princeton’s 28. Hofstra’s keeper, Andrew Gvozden played the full sixty minutes, allowing nine goals and making six saves to improve to 3-0 on the season.

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Chinese twitter named "weibo" also follow Knicks

February 24, 2011 1 comment

great debut for Melo and Billups~

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Knicks live blog

February 23, 2011 7 comments

Good to see Melo back in orange and blue. Have ‘cuse pride! Back in NY where he belongs!

Melo is off to a good start. He isn’t forcing shots. Love the throwback uniform!!

Douglas 3 for 3
Knicks leading 33 to 24

Knicks leading by two by the break. Melo carrying the knicks with 14 points! Time for legends night ceremony

 

 

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Knicks have new Three Man Arsenal

February 23, 2011 7 comments

The presence of Billups, a former NBA finals MVP and All-Star, and fellow All-Star Amare Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony gives New York an impressive three-man arsenal to compete with the stars of Boston (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen) and Miami (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh).

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Melo & Amar'e Begin Their Knicks Tenure Together…Starting Tonight

February 23, 2011 7 comments

By Phil Hecken

The Future is now for the New York Knicks, who begin the remaining 28 games of the 2010-2011 season this evening with a “new and improved” lineup featuring All Star representatives Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. Anthony, who was acquired on Monday, along with guards Chauncey Billups and Anthony Carter, and forwards Renaldo Balkman and Shelden Williams from the Denver Nuggets (and also Corey Brewer from Minnesota, as part of a three-way deal with the Timberwolves and Nuggets), will team with Stoudemire to form what New York hopefuls are terming the “Dream Team.” The game begins tonight at 7:30 pm on MSG television, and I’ll be live blogging throughout the game.

~~~

7:00 pm T-30 minutes. Or so. The hype machine is in full swing.

7:05 pm “Interesting” pre-game comments from Melo and Chauncey. “It’s a dream come true” (to be here) says Anthony, making sure no cliche is to trite, while Billups remarked about leaving his wife and three daughters back in Denver, where he has a home. “I’m very close to my daughters,” he said.

7:10 pm My god. What the hell is Clyde wearing?

7:20 pm The Knicks are announced to the crowd. Shockingly, they go wild.

7:27pm The players have been on the floor for almost 10 minutes. It’s almost go-time.

7:30 pm Al Trautwig: “After two years of penance” under Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni the franchise has been “turned upside down”

7:40 pm Finally. The player introductions: D’Antoni…”I’m Coming Home” video introduction to Melo…followed by video montage of Amar’e…and the rest of the non-traded Knicks.

First up…”Carmelo Anthony” (to raucous cheers); followed by Chauncey Billups, Landry Fields, Ronny Turiaf…and Amar’e — the starting lineup is announced

7:45 pm GAMETIME! Knicks dressed in their 1970-73 road blues (Hardwood classics)

7:46 pm Amar’e scores first points; Chauncey follows shortly thereafter. Sloppy early going for both teams but Knicks take 8-4 lead 3 minutes in

7:52 pm Knicks look sloppy — undoubtedly a combination of nerves and lack of practice time together. 12-8 lead for the boys in blue

7:55 pm and put 2 on the board for Melo

8:00 pm Still not digging this color-vs-color game. One team (preferably the home team) should be in white.

8:01 pm Ouch — Melo tagged with his second foul. Time for a breather

8:09 pm The backups are in…and the play has improved slightly. Knicks up 28-21 with 1:00 to play in the first Q

8:12 pm End of first quarter — Knicks look good despite the lack of time together for half the team. Milwaukee seems to be a perfect patsy.

8:15 pm Knicks start 2nd Q fast — build 11 point lead 37-26…and back to 8 with a quick three from the Bucks

8:18 pm Melo is back. Working off the dribble, trying to get to the line, drawing fouls

8:22 pm The real #15 (Earl “The Pearl” Monroe) who will be honored at halftime, joins the broadcast booth. Giving his impression of Melo

8:28 pm Trading points back and forth, the Knicks can’t seem to get more than an 8 point lead this whole quarter.

8:35 pm Bucks making small run, cut Knicks lead to 2, 47-45

8:42 pm Knicks maintaining small 2 point lead with just under 2 minutes to play in the first, 55-53

8:47 pm First half coming to a close. Knicks about to honor past legends. Knicks lead 59-57 at halftime.

~~~

9:00 pm The Knicks honor their past greats with an impressive halftime show. Perhaps this will inspire both old and brand new Knicks in the second half. Shockingly, the player of the game for the Knicks has been Douglas. Is Melo waiting to explode? Did he just have first-half jitters?

9:07 “Mrs. Melo” (Anthony’s better half) is interviewed at halftime. Remarking about the “toast” in which Amar’e, Melo and CP3 would all end up as Knicks. 2 or the 3 down…one to go

~~~

9:11 pm Second half begins inauspiciously for the Knicks, as the Bucks hit a quick three to take a one point lead

9:18 pm Knicks play some defense and have a good run, leading 70-64 with just under 6:00 played in the third

9:21 pm After a goaltending by Amar’e that seemed to fire the Knicks up, he got a little too excited and overthrew an open Melo, sending Melo sprawling.

9:28 pm Chauncey Billups makes an outstanding three point play (the old-fashioned way) to give the Knicks a 77-70 lead. Perhaps they will get on a roll now.

9:33 pm Amar’e picks up his fourth personal on a charge. Will be on the bench for the remainder of the third, possibly to start the fourth

9:37 pm Third quarter comes to a close on a SPECTACULAR 30′ jumper from Toney Douglas. Through three quarters, he’s stealing the show. Good thing the Knicks didn’t send him to Denver or they’d be in deep trouble now.

9:44 pm After 2 minutes of incredibly sloppy play by both teams, Carmelo comes alive to bury a three with just over 8:00 to play in regulation. Will that be the start of a run for the Knicks?

9:49 pm Amar’e reenters the game, with the Knicks holding a 91-84 lead. Both Amar’e and Melo have 4 fouls

9:50 pm And in under 30 seconds, the Bucks cut the lead to three (91-88). D’Antoni wants to talk it over

9:53 pm Three point game with just under six minutes to play…certainly anyone’s game now

9:59 pm 3:30 to go, Knicks clinging to a three point lead

10:00 pm and just like that, the star of the game, Toney Douglas hits a huge three to put the Knicks up by six. Bucks are forced to take a time out.

10:03 pm Knick holding firm to 6 point lead with under 2 minutes to play

10:05 pm Amar’e fouls out of the game and receives a technical foul in the process…D’Antoni cannot be happy

10:06 pm Final minute…Knicks up by 4

Carmelo makes a HUGE 2 point bucket with time running out on the shot clock, to give the Knicks a big 6 point lead with 26.8 seconds remaining

10:11 pm After the obligatory fouls, the Knicks look like they may finally have this one wrapped up — 6 points with just over 11 seconds remaining. Would need a Reggie Miller by the Bucks to steal this.

10:15 pm It’s OVER! The Knicks win in the debut of Chauncey Billups and Carmelo Anthony. Melo scored 27 and pulled down 10 boards, but he only shot 10 for 25. Much of that might be attributed to his first game as a Knick and lots of jitters. He came up with some big points when the Knicks needed them most, however. Good start for the “new” Knicks.

~~~

And that will do it for tonight.

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Carmelo Anthony makes his much-anticipated Knicks debut tonight

February 23, 2011 4 comments

Would you pay $20,000 to watch a basketball game?

Some fans have for tonight’s game; granted they are courtside seats.

Carmelo Anthony will make his Madison Square Garden debut tonight as the New York Knicks take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

After weeks of uncertainty, the Knicks pulled the trigger on the trade, even though they sacrificed three of their starters (Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari) and one highly-used reserve (Timofey Mozgov).

Pairing Anthony with Amar’e Stoudemire should fill MSG each night. The Knicks currently sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but a strong second half led by Melo may propel them into the fourth or fifth slot.

Well, classmates, I don’t want to be the debbie-downer of the bunch, but the New Jersey Nets made some noise today as well (for those who don’t know yet, I’m a Nets fan. Why, you may ask, I’m not sure).

The Nets acquired All-Star point guard Deron Williams from the Utah Jazz for Devin Harris and Derrick Favors.

Though the talk of the town is on Melo, the Nets made up for their loss in the Melo-sweepstakes by trading for one of the game’s top point guards.

The Knicks are better built for success right now, but the Nets aren’t too far behind. The key will be convincing Williams to remain a Net upon their move to Brooklyn.

By no means do I think the Williams deal was better than the Melo trade. In fact, knowing my luck as a Nets fan, Deron will be donning the orange and blue in 2012 as a member of the Knicks.

The Nets have money to spend and could possibly bring in another big time free agent in the offseason to show Williams that they are committed to winning.

Knicks’ fan, enjoy the game tonight, but realize that the future of metro area basketball lies in Brooklyn. That is of course if the Nets lock up Deron.

(This was mostly a test post, by the way)

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