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ROCKETS 120, KNICKS 96
For most people involved in the knicks, the season can not end soon enough. For starters Rockets, this game could not end soon enough.
So, during the last television break of the fourth quarter, James Harden, Chris Paul and his company left the gym and headed to the locker room for not having to look at what was essentially the Westchester Knicks – Billy Garrett, John Jenkins, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kornet – play against the Rockets bench.
Disrespectful? It was in the eyes of Hall of Famer Walt Frazier. Bill Pidto and I agree on the post-game show.
But Houston, winner of 19 of their last 22 games, seemed more upset to even play against that exhausted squad of players, most of whom had never heard of. The Knicks did not have a healthy leader and, with DeAndre Jordan considering the rest of the season, there were only nine players left.
That ended after 12 minutes, when the Rockets doubled the Knicks, 32-16. At half-time he was 29. After three quarters, he was 39. Two minutes into the fourth, he went over the deficit with a deficit of 42 points for the Knicks.
Harden, again a MVP contender, had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists. He did 5 times 3 and 3, which helped him become the first player in NBA history to eclipse 1,000 shots on goal scored in one season. Harden only seemed engaged when the Knicks rookie Mitchell Robinson was on for him. Otherwise, he picked up the Knicks.
"He did an MVP and played with us," David Fizdale I said. "That's what greatness does to young players."
Fizdale was respectful. Harden, after the match, explained that his team was "building good habits" and that he had several times mentioned that one had to play "no matter who one plays" or "play four quarters as s". it was another team ". Assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, in the place of Mike D & # 39; Antoni, suffering from the flu, calls it "a solid and professional effort."
The obvious absence of Rockets starters in the final minutes of the match has been elucidated, with veterans just wanting to jump into post-match and weight training.
Did the Knicks deserve better? You gain the respect you are given. Was it unprofessional by the Rockets? No one in Houston seemed to think so.
We understood. The Knicks have over 60 losses and a training that has not had enough experience, let alone talent, to win from the start. Emphasis was placed on giving young players minutes to learn. None of this is new to the NBA. But this season's end, it's a useless match for a team like the Rockets, who had defending champions in the ropes in the conference final before an injury to Paul and a disappearance by Harden that cost them the series.
It's a game to forget and move on. But maybe not. For Fizdale and for anyone who is back with the team next season, do not forget it.
* * * * * * * * * *
– Lost in indignity was an individual performance that will make Mario Hezonja remember this game for better reasons. With Emmanuel Mudiay (shoulder) added to the stack of injured Knicks playmakers, Hezonja started as a leader and posted a triple double (16 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists) in 42 minutes. Hezonja did the bulk of her work in the fourth quarter, with 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists against the Rockets' submarines. It was the first triple-double of a Knicks player since Jarrett Jack on January 10, 2018.
– Robinson (12 points, 9 rebounds) scored three blocks to continue his series of 2 blocks and more in a game at 27. He blocked Harden's shot once and took up the challenge of defending Harden a few times when the Knicks are gone. It was quite a lesson for the rookie.
– Saturday at the Final Four, one of the first star players of the Knicks, Carl Braun, was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Braun played 12 seasons with the Knicks and led the team scoring in 7 of those seasons and was a five-time star. Braun missed two seasons during his career with the Knicks to serve in the military, which cost him a chance to play in the finals of 1951 and 52. He returned to the NBA finals in 1953 against the Lakers. Braun, who died in 2010 at the age of 82, is 5th in the Knicks standings (10,449 points). Should his number 4 be removed in The Garden Herringbone?
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