SB Nation New York: All Posts by Aaron Torres

Pacers vs. Knicks: Chris Copeland sparks New York to Game 5 victory

2013-05-17T13:57:21Z

Entering Game 5 of their Eastern Conference playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks knew they'd need a big performance from a key bench player to keep their season alive. They got it, only it wasn't from Sixth Man of Year J.R. Smith.

For more on the Knicks-Pacers series, visit Indy Cornrows and Posting and Toasting

Instead, the Knicks received a brilliant performance from little-used reserve forward Chris Copeland in Thursday night's 85-75 victory. Copeland, a 29-year-old basketball journeyman who had never played an NBA game prior to the 2012-2013 season, finished Game 5 with13 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist.

"It’s a blessing," Copeland told reporters following his Game 5 effort. "I’m extremely excited I can have some kind of impact on the game."

Copeland certainly had an impact, starting with five big points after he entered the game in the second quarter. It was thanks to that mini-spurt that Knicks coach Mike Woodson had the confidence to re-insert him into the lineup in the third quarter when foul trouble hit. Copeland responded with another five points.

"Cope played pretty well in the first half," Woodson said following the victory. "I was going to put him back in. The fouls forced me to put him back in a little sooner."

What was most impressive about Copeland’s performance on Thursday was that it came after a relatively quiet first few games of this series. Copeland scored a combined 15 points through the Knicks’ first four matchups against Indiana, and he hadn't played more than 12 minutes in any game in the entire series. On Thursday, Copeland played 19 minutes, the most he’s played in any game this postseason.

But while the basketball world may have been shocked by Copeland’s big game on Thursday, there was one man who wasn’t the least bit surprised. That was Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel.

"It's not a surprise," Vogel explained to reporters following the loss. "We thought we'd see some of him this series. He's a terrific offensive player."

And with the strong performance, it’s not hard to envision Copeland getting increased minutes when these two teams return to the court for Game 6. That’s especially true thanks to the continued struggles of fellow back-up forward Amar'e Stoudemire.

Stoudemire had another quiet performance Thursday, in his third game since returning from a knee injury. Woodson had previously stated that Stoudemire would be limited to 10-12 minutes a game while recovering from the injury, but with Copeland stepping up, he was limited to just seven minutes.

Even with the big game from Copeland, though, the Knicks still have work to do in this series.

They trail 3-2 as the action heads back to Indiana on Saturday night.

(All quotes via NBA.com's live press conference stream)

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Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5, NBA Playoffs 2013: Anthony and strong bench play lead New York to victory

2013-05-17T02:46:00Z

Thanks to a surprising effort from their bench and another big game from Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks did enough to keep their season alive Thursday night. Anthony led New York with 28 points, as the Knicks held on for an 85-75 Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana still leads the series 3-2, as the action shifts back to Indianapolis for Game 6 Saturday night.

Anthony was the star of the show, putting together his highest scoring output since Game 2 of this series. Raymond Felton added 12 points, five rebounds and a team-high four assists for New York, while Tyson Chandler controlled the middle defensively with eight rebounds and two blocks.

However the real story was the bench, which included an especially surprising performance from little-used forward Chris Copeland. Copeland was all over the floor in Game 5, contributing 13 points (including three three-pointers), to along with four rebounds, two steals and an assist in 19 minutes of action. Copeland had scored just 15 points through the first four games of this series.

The Knicks also got a better performance from guard J.R. Smith, who had struggled against Indiana early in the series. Through the first four games, Smith shot just 28 percent from the field (16 of 64) and 6 of 26 from the three-point line, but bounced back at least somewhat with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting from the field.

Meanwhile Indiana was unable to close out the series in large part because they couldn't control the paint like they did in Game 4. After dominating the glass with a 54-36 rebounding edge Tuesday, they out-rebounded the Knicks by just three rebounds on Thursday night. New York also got 10 offensive rebounds and scored 30 points in the paint overall.

Indiana also had trouble running a consistent half-court offense without starting point guard George Hill, who sat out Thursday night after suffering a concussion in Game 4. Without Hill, the Pacers struggled to get good shots all night; Indiana finished the game shooting just 36 percent from the floor, including a 6 of 19 performance as a team from behind the three-point line.

Paul George had 23 points, while David West added 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Pacers' starters got little help from their bench, which contributed just 10 points the entire game.

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Pacers vs. Knicks score update, Game 5: New York holds 40-34 halftime lead against Indiana

2013-05-17T01:14:39Z

The New York Knicks had to get a victory Thursday night to keep their 2013 season alive, and through two quarters of play it appears they’ll earn that much-needed win. New York leads, 40-34, at halftime in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series with the Indiana Pacers.

Indiana entered the game leading the series, 3-1, but the Knicks used a strong start to jump out on the Pacers and haven’t looked back since. New York scored the first seven points of the game before Indiana finally got on the board with a David West layup over three minutes into the contest.

For the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony has led a balanced scoring attack with 15 points. Iman Shumpert has added five, and New York got strong play from the bench early on Thursday night. J.R. Smith and Chris Copeland combined for 14 points in the first two quarters of play.

Meanwhile, Indiana has struggled to get their offense going without starting point guard George Hill, who is out for Game 5 with a concussion.

West has 11 points for Indiana, which shot just 29.3 percent from the field in the first half.

1) Is J.R. Smith alive?

At least for one half, the answer is "yes." Smith hit a three-pointer on his first shot attempt and hasn’t slowed down from there. Through two quarters of play, he has nine points on 3-of-5 shooting from the field to go with four rebounds.

2) Can the Pacers avoid turning the ball over?

Turnovers have been an issue for Indiana, which is struggling to run a fluid offense without Hill in the starting lineup. Through two quarters of play, the Pacers have six turnovers, although it only led to three fast-break points for the Knicks.

3) Will Mike Woodson go small?

After switching to a big lineup to open Game 4 with Anthony, Kenyon Martin and Tyson Chandler manning the front line, Woodson returned to the group that started the first three games. Martin was moved back to the bench and Pablo Prigioni returned to the starting five, with Anthony transitioning back to power forward, where he played most of the early part of this series.

Through two quarters of play, the small lineup has worked.

While the Knicks conceded a bit of size down low with their starting lineup, they were able to exploit a quickness match-up when Roy Hibbert picked up his second foul midway just six minutes into the first quarter. With Hibbert on the bench the size mismatch was negated, and Indiana only had a six-point edge in the paint.

The lack of size hasn't hurt New York on the glass either. After getting outrebounded by 18 boards in Game 4, Indiana has just a 27-23 rebounding edge at halftime of Game 5.

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Grizzlies' Game 4 victory a true team effort

2013-05-14T17:00:08Z

In a series in which Kevin Durant has taken on the bulk of the scoring load for the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Memphis Grizzlies have a 3-1 edge, thanks in large part to balanced scoring from three of their best players. Mike Conley, Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph combined for 70 points in a wild, 103-97 overtime victory in Game 4 Monday night.

With the victory, the Grizzlies now have a commanding lead as the series shifts back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 Wednesday night. Memphis' players insist they're not looking ahead towards a potential trip to the Western Conference Finals.

"I know our guys are focused," starting point guard Mike Conley said following a 24-point effort Monday night. "We're taking it one game at a time."

That focus allowed Memphis to overcome a slow start in Game 4 to steal a victory. The Grizzlies trailed by 11 after the first quarter and by eight at halftime.

Memphis' strong play started with Conley, who was the most consistent of the Grizzlies' Big Three on Monday night. Conley chipped in 24 points, including 4-of-10 shooting from 3-point range, to go along with five assists and four steals. More importantly, with Gasol struggling in the first half (he shot just 3 of 8 from the field) and Randolph on the bench with three fouls, it was Conley's 13 points prior to intermission which kept Memphis in the game early.

The Grizzlies bounced back with a strong second half and overtime, a run which coincided with improved play from both Gasol and Randolph.

Randolph's impact on Game 4 came as Memphis' low-post threat late in the contest, as Conley and the Grizzlies' guards continued to feed him down in the paint. Randolph scored nine points in the fourth quarter and two more in overtime, giving him 23 total for the game.

Then there was Gasol, who saved his biggest shots for the clutch. Specifically, he hit a pick-and-pop jumper to give Memphis a 100-97 lead with under a minute to go. Gasol later added a free throw to help seal the victory.

Following the game, Conley described the pick-and-roll play with Gasol for reporters.

"They sniffed out the play pretty well," Conley said. "I was pretty patient ... I delivered the ball. Marc made the big play."

A reporter then asked whether the play was designed for Gasol to shoot it or not.

"I'd rather he shoot it," Conley said.

However the play was drawn up, it worked to perfection. Memphis now has a 3-1 series lead heading back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday.

The Grizzlies have now won three straight in this series and can close out the Thunder with a Game 5 victory.

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NBA Playoffs 2013, Thunder vs. Grizzlies Game 4: Memphis gets wild 103-97 overtime victory

2013-05-14T04:56:27Z

It wasn’t one of their prettiest efforts of the postseason, but the Memphis Grizzlies are now one game away from the Western Conference Finals. Despite trailing for most of the first three quarters, Memphis was able to steal a 103-97 overtime victory Monday night and take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While Oklahoma City jumped out to an early lead, Memphis had control of the game late. They made key plays in the fourth quarter and overtime to seal the victory in the extra period. The biggest bucket of the evening was by Marc Gasol, who hit a jumper at the top of the key to put the Grizzlies up 100-97 with just 22 seconds to go, giving Memphis a lead they'd never relinquish. Tony Allen stole the subsequent inbound pass, and three free throws later, Memphis had their third straight victory in this series.

The final minute of overtime capped a frenetic game, which saw a wild final few minutes of regulation as well.

With the score tied at 92 apiece in the fourth quarter, Memphis was helped with some timely second-chance shots, getting three offensive rebounds in the final 1:10. However, the Grizzlies were only able to muster 2-for-4 shooting from the free throw line off those extra possessions, which opened the door for Kevin Durant to tie the game up with a runner in the lane with just six seconds to go. A Zach Randolph shot was tipped at the buzzer to send the game into an extra session.

Despite the missed shot at the buzzer, Randolph’s strong play late allowed the Grizzlies to even be in position to win. Randolph scored 23 points for Memphis, including 11 in the fourth quarter and overtime to go along with 12 rebounds and three assists. Gasol added 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Mike Conley contributed 24 points on 4-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc.

Meanwhile, Oklahoma City missed a golden chance to steal a win on the road, in a game which they outshot Memphis from the field (43 percent to 40.4) and outrebounded the Grizzlies by 44-41.

Durant led Oklahoma City with a game-high 27 points, but struggled down the stretch, shooting just 2-for-13 from the field in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Thunder got solid play from everyone else on the court. Kevin Martin finished with 18 points off the bench, Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 14 rebounds and Reggie Jackson notched double figures for his eighth-straight playoff game with 15 points, yet it wasn’t enough to hold on in the end.

This series will now shift back to Oklahoma City for Game 5 on Wednesday night, with the Thunder one game away from elimination.

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Thunder vs. Grizzlies score update, Game 4: Oklahoma City takes 56-48 lead into halftime

2013-05-14T02:51:33Z

The Oklahoma City Thunder were desperate for a win entering Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal with the Memphis Grizzlies, and after two quarters of play are in position to get that much needed road victory. Oklahoma City holds a comfortable 56-48 halftime lead over Memphis.

The Thunder trailed 2-1 in the series entering Monday night, but used a 7-0 run to open the game and haven't looked back, leading by 11 after one quarter and by eight at the break. Kevin Durant leads the Thunder with 14 points through two quarters of play.

However, the real story of the first half was how Durant's teammates responded after a shaky Game 3 performance in which Oklahoma City was limited to just 81 points in a road loss. Serge Ibaka had a solid opening half with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Kevin Martin added 11 points off the bench.

Through two quarters of play, Memphis has been led by point guard Mike Conley, who has 13 points, including 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc.

Kevin Zimmerman asked three questions about the game. Here are some early answers:

Can the Thunder stretch the floor and execute in the half-court?

So far, the answer has been yes. Oklahoma City has opened the game shooting well from beyond the 3-point arc, hitting 5-of-10 in the first half. Durant was 3-of-4 from downtown for the Thunder, while both Reggie Jackson and Ibaka each added a three-pointer of their own. For Ibaka, it was just his second three of the series.

Overall, Oklahoma City is shooting 53.8 percent from the field.

Will anyone rattle Marc Gasol?

To their credit, the Thunder have taken the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year out of his element in the first half of Game 4. Gasol, who averaged over 21 points per game in the first three match-ups of this series, has nine points, but on just 3-of-8 shooting in the first half.

Who has more playmakers?

Right now the answer is Oklahoma City. After a 16-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 3, Reggie Jackson has again been solid with nine points, two rebounds and four assists, while Kevin Martin and Nick Collison have combined for 17 points off the bench.

The surprise though is Ibaka, who has 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting after a miserable game on Saturday when he made just 6-of-17 shots from the field.

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NBA Playoffs 2013: Carmelo Anthony struggles, and so do the Knicks

2013-05-02T18:00:06Z

Despite notching the first scoring title of his illustrious career this season, it's no secret that for Carmelo Anthony, the 2012-2013 year would be defined by his successes or failures in the postseason. Through five games it's been a mixed bag for 'Melo, who struggled in each of the last two games, both of which ended in losses for the Knicks.

Melo's lack of playoff success is well known at this point.

Now in his 11th year in the league, Anthony has turned into a bona-fide superstar, but one who repeatedly comes up short in the postseason. Carmelo's clubs have been eliminated in the first round in nine of his 10 postseason appearances, and even a run to the 2009 Western Conference Finals was credited in large part to the arrival of Chauncey Billups in a trade to Denver that season.

For more on the story, visit Celtics Blog and Posting and Toasting

However, the 2013 postseason was supposed to be different. The Knicks entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed and with home-court advantage against an aging Celtics squad without their own star, Rajon Rondo.

But it's been up and down for Anthony through five games, particularly in both Knicks losses. In Game 4 Melo finished with 36 points, but did so on just 10-of-35 shooting from the field, and Game 5 Wednesday wasn't much better. Anthony scored 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting, with more than half his points (12) coming in the first quarter.

Despite the lackluster performance, Knicks coach Mike Woodson refused to blame the loss on Anthony.

"He missed shots," Woodson admitted in his press conference, before he eventually turned his attention to the entire team. "We just couldn't find buckets (as a team)."

Woodson was correct in that assessment. The Knicks shot just 39.5 percent from the field, their second straight game in which they shot worse than 40 percent.

Going forward, the bigger concern might be Anthony's health. Anthony got tangled up with Kevin Garnett in the fourth quarter of Game 5, briefly clutching his shoulder and heading toward the bench before returning to the court without missing any game action. Woodson told reporters that Anthony was "fine" following the loss.

The good news for Knicks fans is that, assuming Anthony is healthy, he has shown an ability to step up in this series; his struggles in Game's 4 and 5 were offset by solid performances in Games 1 through 3. In those first three games, Anthony averaged 32 points per contest and shot at least 44 percent from the field. All three games resulted in wins for New York.

It's clear that as Carmelo Anthony goes, so too go the Knicks.

They can only hope to get a better effort in Game 6 on Friday night than they have in each of the last two games.

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NBA Playoffs: Celtics survive, as Kevin Garnett thrives

2013-05-02T17:00:04Z

A resilient Boston Celtics squad shocked the basketball world with a 92-86 Game 5 playoff win against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. However, the victory wouldn't have been possible without a resurgent Kevin Garnett leading them.

Garnett finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds, in the process reminding everyone that it wasn't too long ago that he was one of the elite players in all the NBA. Garnett led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in both 2008 and 2010, both times just one game short of winning the title.

For more on the story, visit Celtics Blog and Posting and Toasting

Things are different in 2013 and the 17-year veteran isn't quite the player he once was. However, this series has proven that at his best, Garnett is still one of the best power forwards in the game.

It has given Celtics head coach Doc Rivers no choice but to lean on Garnett as this series has unfolded.

"He was fantastic," Rivers told reporters following Game 5 Wednesday night. "We gave him a little break in the fourth quarter, which was hard to do."

Whether the decision really was hard or not, it worked out well for Rivers.

After sitting Garnett mid-way through the fourth, Rivers re-inserted him with 3:44 to go and the veteran power forward promptly responded with two rebounds and a game-clinching jumper in the final minutes. The big bucket came with less than 60 seconds to go and the Celtics clinging to an 88-83 lead. It ended a 7-0 Knicks run, and New York was only able to muster a harmless three-pointer at the buzzer following the shot. Garnett added two free throws with 40 seconds to seal the victory.

Garnett's big Game 5 performance has come to signify his entire series against New York.

After struggling with "only" eight points and nine rebounds in Game 1, Garnett has since been a double-double machine, recording four straight in Games 2 through 5. Garnett has been particularly solid on the boards, where he has recorded at least 17 in each of the last three games.

It's thanks in large part to Garnett's play that the Celtics are not only alive, but also have the Knicks in an uncomfortable spot heading into Game 6 Friday night in Boston. Although New York still has a 3-2 series lead, Boston has won two straight and now has the luxury of returning home to try to force a Game 7.

If the Celtics do push this series to seven games, the pressure would turn squarely onto the Knicks' shoulders.

New York hasn't won a playoff series since the 1999-2000 season.

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SB Nation New York: All Posts by Aaron Torres

Pacers vs. Knicks: Chris Copeland sparks New York to Game 5 victory

The Re-education of Chris Copeland

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Pacers vs. Knicks Game 5, NBA Playoffs 2013: Anthony and strong bench play lead New York to victory

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Pacers vs. Knicks score update, Game 5: New York holds 40-34 halftime lead against Indiana

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Grizzlies' Game 4 victory a true team effort

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NBA Playoffs 2013, Thunder vs. Grizzlies Game 4: Memphis gets wild 103-97 overtime victory

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Thunder vs. Grizzlies score update, Game 4: Oklahoma City takes 56-48 lead into halftime

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NBA Playoffs 2013: Carmelo Anthony struggles, and so do the Knicks

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NBA Playoffs: Celtics survive, as Kevin Garnett thrives

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