Kori Ellis
11-17-2004, 05:00 AM
Fed-up Steph rips Knicks
Says broken plays break team's spirit
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/253594p-217123c.html
SAN ANTONIO - The Knicks resembled a fractured, disorganized group for most of the night, as if they were five strangers playing pickup ball at the local YMCA.
Tim Thomas was trying to break out of a season-long slump at the expense of his teammates. Jamal Crawford was launching shots from impossible angles and Stephon Marbury couldn't control the pace or his temper.
It wasn't until 20 minutes after the Spurs' 99-81 victory that the Knicks were unified in something: that they were guilty of playing selfish and dumb basketball.
"We were breaking plays," Marbury said. "We weren't doing what we were supposed to do as far as executing.
"To really be honest, I really don't understand how you can break a play. When we do run a play it's so much easier. We don't play to our third and fourth option."
When asked what the consequences are when players freelance instead of playing team ball, Marbury replied: "It totally destroys the offense when one person does it, whether I do it, Tim does it or Jamal. In this game, in order to really win and be a great team you have to be able to execute."
On a night when Tim Duncan was rather ordinary, the Knicks (2-4), who are 0-3 on the road this season, were no match for a team that figures to be playing basketball well into June. The outcome was as inevitable as Duncan kissing the glass from 15 feet and Tim Thomas tripping over himself in the lane.
There are championship contenders - that would be the Spurs - and then there are those teams that are one superstar shy and a few years away. The Knicks, of course, would fall under the latter category.
Kurt Thomas limited Duncan to 17 points and 10 rebounds while Manu Ginobili, a budding superstar, had only nine points. And yet the Knicks trailed for the final 34 minutes and were put away late in the third quarter when the Spurs, leading by five, converted three turnovers into two layups and a Duncan slam.
The Spurs (6-1), who eventually led by 20, scored 24 points off 17 Knicks turnovers prompting Marbury to call the Knicks transition defense "horrendous."
"It was bigger than just the three turnovers," Crawford said. "They got the crowd into it. It gave them a lift and the game got away from us."
Crawford led the Knicks with 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting while Marbury had 13 points and seven assists but had as many turnovers (four) as field goals. He was also outplayed by Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who led his team with 18 points. Bruce Bowen added 13, Brent Barry scored 12 off the bench and rookie backup point guard Beno Udrih scored nine points in 13 minutes.
Marbury took 12 shots but didn't make his first attempt until there was 5:21 remaining in the first half.
The Knicks opened the game by running their offense through Tim Thomas, who owned a four-inch height advantage over Ginobili. Because the Spurs were forced to double-team Thomas, the Knicks managed to open a 24-17 lead. It should have been bigger, but Thomas couldn't find his shot, making just 3-of-13 in the half as his teammates appeared to grow increasingly frustrated.
"When you get an open shot I'm for that," Marbury said. "But when you don't have a rhythm going and they just ran off eight points in a row, that's tough."
"I think (Tim's) trying too hard," said Lenny Wilkens, whose team fell to 2-4. "He's got to let it happen. We isolate him on post-up situations, and if it's not there fine, move it to the next guy. When you hold it, hold it, hold it, now guys are not sure what you're going to do."
Thomas, who scored 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting with five turnovers, felt Wilkens erred by not running more post-ups for him in the second half.
"I thought with Manu and Bruce guarding me, especially knowing that they're going to double-team me, why not throw it down there and force them to rotate," Thomas said. "We went away from it."
Thomas looked discouraged as the game reached the fourth quarter. On at least two Spurs possessions he didn't hustle back on defense.
"The best way to get out of a slump," Marbury said, "is to continue to play hard on both ends of the court."
Says broken plays break team's spirit
By FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/253594p-217123c.html
SAN ANTONIO - The Knicks resembled a fractured, disorganized group for most of the night, as if they were five strangers playing pickup ball at the local YMCA.
Tim Thomas was trying to break out of a season-long slump at the expense of his teammates. Jamal Crawford was launching shots from impossible angles and Stephon Marbury couldn't control the pace or his temper.
It wasn't until 20 minutes after the Spurs' 99-81 victory that the Knicks were unified in something: that they were guilty of playing selfish and dumb basketball.
"We were breaking plays," Marbury said. "We weren't doing what we were supposed to do as far as executing.
"To really be honest, I really don't understand how you can break a play. When we do run a play it's so much easier. We don't play to our third and fourth option."
When asked what the consequences are when players freelance instead of playing team ball, Marbury replied: "It totally destroys the offense when one person does it, whether I do it, Tim does it or Jamal. In this game, in order to really win and be a great team you have to be able to execute."
On a night when Tim Duncan was rather ordinary, the Knicks (2-4), who are 0-3 on the road this season, were no match for a team that figures to be playing basketball well into June. The outcome was as inevitable as Duncan kissing the glass from 15 feet and Tim Thomas tripping over himself in the lane.
There are championship contenders - that would be the Spurs - and then there are those teams that are one superstar shy and a few years away. The Knicks, of course, would fall under the latter category.
Kurt Thomas limited Duncan to 17 points and 10 rebounds while Manu Ginobili, a budding superstar, had only nine points. And yet the Knicks trailed for the final 34 minutes and were put away late in the third quarter when the Spurs, leading by five, converted three turnovers into two layups and a Duncan slam.
The Spurs (6-1), who eventually led by 20, scored 24 points off 17 Knicks turnovers prompting Marbury to call the Knicks transition defense "horrendous."
"It was bigger than just the three turnovers," Crawford said. "They got the crowd into it. It gave them a lift and the game got away from us."
Crawford led the Knicks with 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting while Marbury had 13 points and seven assists but had as many turnovers (four) as field goals. He was also outplayed by Spurs point guard Tony Parker, who led his team with 18 points. Bruce Bowen added 13, Brent Barry scored 12 off the bench and rookie backup point guard Beno Udrih scored nine points in 13 minutes.
Marbury took 12 shots but didn't make his first attempt until there was 5:21 remaining in the first half.
The Knicks opened the game by running their offense through Tim Thomas, who owned a four-inch height advantage over Ginobili. Because the Spurs were forced to double-team Thomas, the Knicks managed to open a 24-17 lead. It should have been bigger, but Thomas couldn't find his shot, making just 3-of-13 in the half as his teammates appeared to grow increasingly frustrated.
"When you get an open shot I'm for that," Marbury said. "But when you don't have a rhythm going and they just ran off eight points in a row, that's tough."
"I think (Tim's) trying too hard," said Lenny Wilkens, whose team fell to 2-4. "He's got to let it happen. We isolate him on post-up situations, and if it's not there fine, move it to the next guy. When you hold it, hold it, hold it, now guys are not sure what you're going to do."
Thomas, who scored 15 points on 5-for-15 shooting with five turnovers, felt Wilkens erred by not running more post-ups for him in the second half.
"I thought with Manu and Bruce guarding me, especially knowing that they're going to double-team me, why not throw it down there and force them to rotate," Thomas said. "We went away from it."
Thomas looked discouraged as the game reached the fourth quarter. On at least two Spurs possessions he didn't hustle back on defense.
"The best way to get out of a slump," Marbury said, "is to continue to play hard on both ends of the court."