The Knicks’ four-game home losing streak is startling, but the silver lining in Thursday’s 109-106 heartbreaker vs. the Rockets is the overall play of newly minted center Andrea Bargnani.
Who knows? Maybe if the Knicks can tread water while Tyson Chandler is sidelined due to a broken fibula, this period will serve as a blessing in disguise. It made Bargnani man up against Dwight Howard, bumping and grinding with him in the post and forcing him into a seven-point dud of an evening and drawing an offensive foul on Howard to boot.
Bargnani finished with 24 points for his third straight solid outing. He had five blocks in Charlotte last Friday, he pumped in 25 points with 11 rebounds in Atlanta and stood his ground wonderfully against Howard. As we figured, he found his jumper and no longer is hesitating. Howard admitted Bargnani is a tough cover at center, having to roam out to the perimeter to defend him.
“He has been real good,’’ Raymond Felton said. “We are taking advantage of him at the center spot. They can’t guard him at the perimeter.’’
Felton also praised Bargnani’s work defending Howard.
“That was big,’’ Felton said. “If he can guard like that vs. Dwight, there are not that many dominate centers in this league.’’
One other notable moment Thursday came when Carmelo Anthony confronted Howard after Howard shoved Bargnani following a hard foul. It was a good show of leadership by Anthony.
However, Mike Woodson can’t get over the fact the Knicks have lost four straight at home (1-4 overall at MSG) after starting off last season 10-0 at the Garden. They finished with a 31-10 home record.
The embattled Iman Shumpert, who has a lot on his mind, said pointedly, “We got to stop thinking about last year. This is this year. We got to stop the bleeding as fast as possible at home.’’
Defensively, the Knicks are still making too many mistakes, allowing the Rockets so many easy trips down the lane. There almost seems a force field between Houston’s Chandler Parsons and the Knicks defenders — nobody seems to help out when he heads to the hole.
“We are trying to get our team to understand the details,’’ Woodson said. “Paying more attention to the little things that help you win games. It was things we did from a defensive standpoint. It is the little things we need to clean up. I have to get us over the hump.’’
Finally, the Garden truly is over Linsanity. Jeremy Lin had a nice game, but his ovation when he checked in was nothing special. It will, sadly, go down as a blink in Knicks history.
But anyone writing James Dolan is correct for not re-signing Lin and going with Felton in the long run is not analyzing the situation correctly. Felton is the better monetary value, but Knicks are still well over the cap this summer no matter what. Lin’s contract would have had no effect on what they can and can’t do this summer. Lin, 25, will be a solid point guard for many more years than will Felton, who is still bothered by a hamstring and not playing well.