Five minutes into the Cavaliers game against the New York Knicks on Thursday night, TNT officials had to be wondering what they were thinking scheduling this game.
J.R. Smith had just hit a 3-point shot to give the Knicks at 22-7 lead. There were three and a half quarters to go.
Neither the storied arena nor a national television audience nor retiring NBA commissioner David Stern proved to be enough incentive for the Cavs to snap out of their swoon and they fell with a whimper, 117-86.
“It started when they hit us in the mouth in the first quarter,” Kyrie Irving said. “We just have to play with a little more fire, especially starting off the game. Teams are getting up into us. They were denying us, denying me to start off the game. I just have to do a better job of getting open and running the offense, especially at the beginning of the game, and settle us down.”
Irving scored 24 points for the Cavs, but was criticized by TNT’s Greg Anthony during the broadcast. After saying Irving was as talented as anyone, Anthony said Irving hasn’t become a player yet. “He doesn’t make his team better,” the announcer said. “He hasn’t learned how to do that yet.”
Carmelo Anthony and rookie Tim Hardaway Jr. had 29 points apiece as the Knicks shot 57 percent. By the end of the game, the Knicks were playing three guys who were in the D-League yesterday — Cole Aldrich, Toure’ Murry and Jeremy Tyler.
TNT’s Charles Barkley had an idea what was coming. When studio host Ernie Johnson signed off of the pre-game show and sent it to the game, Barkley said, “Thank goodness we can find something else to watch in the green room.”
Too bad retiring Stern didn’t have that option. Shortly after Smith’s 3-pointer, the Knicks played a nice video tribute to Stern, seated near mid court. If he had to watch games like this every night, he never would have lasted 30 years.
Once again, the Cavs were completely ineffectual at both ends of the court. Coach Mike Brown often talks about his coaches and players staying ”in the circle” but right now he has a bunch of square pegs and the only thing circling is this season around the drain.
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