Knicks Sink Further Into Dysfunction With Loss to Mavericks
Knicks Sink Further Into Dysfunction With Loss to Mavericks:- Carmelo Anthony started his day in the familiar position of discussing his future with the Knicks.
The latest round of questions from reporters centered on comments by the Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James — specifically his frustration with his own team’s roster and his desire to add another “playmaker” as the Cavaliers seek to defend their N.B.A. championship. James and Anthony are close friends.
“Do I think he would want me to play with him?” Anthony said Wednesday morning. “Yes, I do think he would want me to play with him. But I don’t know if that comment is about me. I don’t think I’m the only playmaker in the N.B.A.”
A trade with the Cavaliers would be nearly impossible for any number of reasons, starting with the no-trade clause in Anthony’s contract. He has expressed a desire to remain with the Knicks — for now, anyway.
Anthony finished his day by trying to deliver a win for the foundering Knicks. Instead, the Dallas Mavericks dealt them a 103-95 loss at American Airlines Center, their 14th defeat in their last 18 games. The Knicks committed eight of their 18 turnovers in the fourth quarter.
“That’s the game right there,” Anthony said. “We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”
The Knicks (20-27) have issues. Anthony, who will most likely be the subject of trade speculation for weeks, is barely speaking with team management. And they are hemorrhaging losses; their playoff hopes have already dimmed considerably before the All-Star break.
“I think we’re playing all right,” Coach Jeff Hornacek said. “We’re just not making enough plays, especially late to win a lot of these games. We need contributions from everybody.”
Anthony finished with a game-high 30 points, shooting 13 of 24 from the field — although he was scoreless in the fourth quarter — and Courtney Lee added 23 points. But it was not enough against the Mavericks (16-29), a middling team that appears bound for the draft lottery.
And Wednesday’s game was another rough outing for Kristaps Porzingis, who has been hampered by a sore Achilles’ tendon in recent weeks. He finished with 13 points and shot 4 of 11 from the floor.
Early in the first quarter, the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki fooled Porzingis with a pump fake, forcing him into his second foul, which prompted him to unsuccessfully petition Hornacek to keep him on the floor. It was that kind of night for Porzingis, and not unlike many of his recent ones. In his last six games, he is shooting 37.7 percent from the field while averaging 11 points, well below his season averages.
“Nobody’s happy to lose a game like this,” Porzingis said.
Afterward, Anthony was asked about an ESPN report that cited unidentified people claiming that the Knicks had approached the Cavaliers about a trade involving him.
“I really don’t have a reaction to that,” said Anthony, who did acknowledge that he was open to waiving his no-trade clause. “If they want to go in a different direction, that’s something I have to consider.”
He added: “All the talk that’s going on right now, that’s out of my control. Nobody called me and nobody got in contact with my representation or anything like that. So it’s something I don’t worry about.”
Before the game, Anthony said he had not spoken with Phil Jackson, the team president, since last week, when they had what Anthony described as a brief meeting.
Source:- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/sports/basketball/new-york-knicks-carmelo-anthony-dallas-mavericks.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fsports&action=click&contentCollection=sports®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=7&pgtype=sectionfront
