NBA Game 3 Preview: Hornets vs Knicks

I hope nobody wanted scoring last night. The Charlotte Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies attempted to take basketball back ten years last night. I do not know what we expected different from two teams that built their reputations on defense. So that is what we got. Hopefully it makes us hungry for Hornets vs Knicks.

More from Charlotte Hornets

• Charlotte Hornets: Return would have provided valuable experience
• Charlotte Hornets: Regrading the 2010 NBA Draft
• Charlotte Hornets win what could be final game of the season
• Charlotte Hornets: Tank now or buzz towards the playoffs?
• Charlotte Hornets travel to face Pistons with focus on the future

We saw the limitations of the defending a team with a good true center as Marc Gasol scored 22 points against the Hornets. Zach Randolph also got a double-double, out muscling the various options that the Hornets could put it at the four.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist got a double-double on his own with 11 points and twelve rebounds. Al Jefferson scored 19 and Gary Neal game off the bench for 10 more. The biggest moment for the Hornets was probably the raising of Bobby Phills’ jersey to the rafters during halftime.

Tonight the Hornets play the New York Knicks. The Knicks are coming off a win against LeBron and the Cavaliers.

Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) celebrates with guard J.R. Smith (8) in the fourth quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Opponent: New York Knicks (1-1)

Starters:

F Carmelo Anthony
F Quincy Acy
C Samuel Dalembert
G Shane Larkin
G Iman Shumpert

Hey it’s Carmelo Anthony. That guy might be important. President Phil Jackson likes the defensive play of Iman Shumpert at the two. If he had a little more ball handling, maybe they would play him at the point.

Oct 29, 2014; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher talks with guard J.R. Smith (8) during a break in action against the Chicago Bulls during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports

The bench

Against the Cavs, the Knicks started the lineup above. That enabled them to bring Amare Stoudemire and JR Smith off the bench. Smith is a gunner off the bench who is not afraid to shoot it. Jose Calderon is hurt and so Pablo Prigioni is the backup point guard with Larkin starting.

Keys to Victory:

Al Jefferson- the lack of real inside presence has allowed Jefferson to have some big games against the New York Knicks last years.

Lance Stephenson- Lance is from New York, and probably wants to make a big impact coming home.

The Knicks are tying to create the triangle system, so breaking up passing lanes on defense will be big.
The Knicks do not have the interior presence of the Grizzlies, and whoever matches up with Anthony will have to wear him down.