Despite curfew, Knicks sleep through 95
Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily NewsCarmelo Anthony (r.) gets little to no help from fellow starters Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani.
GRIZZLIES 95, KNICKS 87
Only James Dolan knows what the immediate future holds for Mike Woodson, whose team still looks unorganized and lackluster, especially in the afternoon.
Another noon matinee added up to more of the same for the Knicks, who were booed periodically through the day before losing 95-87 to former Knick Zach Randolph and the Memphis Grizzlies.
The record is now 8-18 overall and 4-10 at home with Oklahoma City coming to town on Christmas Day. Whether Woodson is still around for the nationally televised game is anyone's guess. The Knicks are in Orlando on Monday before facing the NBA's best team and the outlook is bleak for both the head coach and the team.
Dolan, the Chairman of Madison Square Garden, sat in his baseline seat for several seconds after the final buzzer sounded, took a deep breath and then left the floor.
He has a lot of things to ponder after losing to the 11-15 Grizzlies, who led by 19 in the fourth quarter. Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 30 points on 22 shots and was the only Knicks starter to reached double figures.
The rest of the starters - Andrea Bargnani, Tyson Chandler, Iman Shumpert and Beno Udrih - combined for 17 points on 6-for-25. Bargnani, one game after his epic brain freeze in Milwaukee, scored just three points on 1-for-5 shooting. Udrih struggled to the point where Woodson was forced to go without a point guard in the last six minutes and went with J.R. Smith and Tim Hardaway, who each scored 16.
Randolph was a force, scoring 25 points with 15 rebounds as Memphis outrebounded the Knicks 56-29. Chandler had just six in 33 minutes and missed a key free throw that would have cut it to three with 25.6 seconds left.
Tony Allen, one of the league's most tenacious defensive players, added 19 for Memphis and Kosta Kuofos scored 10 with nine rebounds off the bench and Jerryd Bayless added 11. Mike Conley scored nine but missed 14 of 18 shots.
The Knicks scored a minor victory just by still being in the game in the first quarter. The opening period of their previous two noon starts haven't been kind to them. They trailed 18-4 to the San Antonio Spurs and were down 25-3 to Boston. They were down nine in the first quarter but closed to within three by the end of the period.
Memphis 50-40 at halftime and led the rest of the way. The Memphis lead was 19 with six minutes left when Hardaway's 3-pointer brought the Knicks back to life. With Woodson electing not use a conventional point guard, the Knicks recorded back-to-back steals on the Grizzlies' next two possessions and drew to within 85-73 with 5:15 remaining.
Woodson's best option was using Smith and Hardaway in the backcourt along with Anthony, Bargnani and Chandler because it gave the Knicks the ability to spread the floor with shooters. Memphis committed a shot clock violation on its next possession and Anthony's short jumper made it a 10-point game.
Randolph ended the 9-0 run by setting up Koufos with a five-footer and although Anthony's 3-pointer made it 98-78, Memphis scored the game's next two baskets but the Knicks had more rally.
It began with Smith hitting a 3-pointer and after Conley shot an air ball, Memphis made the critical mistake by leaving Anthony alone. James Johnson elected to leave Anthony as Smith drove and it cost the Grizzlies when Smith found Anthony.
His 3-pointer made it 91-84 with 1:40 left and the Knicks regained possession on another shot clock violation. Anthony hit a tough turnaround over Johnson and after the Grizzlies committed a turnover, Chandler was fouled by missed one free throw.
The Knicks were forced to foul and Bayless made two with 22.3 seconds left to seal the win.
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