Learning as They Go, Knicks Pass Another Test
It was never the plan for Shane Larkin to start the season by facing Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving and Kemba Walker in rapid succession. But circumstances change, and an injury to Jose Calderon meant that Larkin would need to learn on the job for the Knicks - and as quickly as possible.
His education continued Sunday night as the Knicks escaped with a 96-93 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden.
Carmelo Anthony, who was clutch in the fourth quarter, finished with 28 points. Amar'e Stoudemire added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Iman Shumpert had 15 points.
The game was a tightrope walk down the stretch. After Gary Neal and Walker had back-to-back baskets to give the Hornets a 93-90 lead, Shumpert answered with a 3-pointer. Anthony followed that up with a go-ahead elbow jumper with 1 minute 23 seconds left.
The Knicks (2-1) amped up their defense by forcing two straight turnovers by the Hornets (1-2), but could not capitalize on the offensive end. After Shumpert missed on a jump shot, the Hornets secured the rebound and called a timeout with 16.6 seconds left. But when Walker misfired on a runner, Anthony grabbed the rebound - and the win.
Larkin watched all that play out from the bench. Coach Derek Fisher opted to go with experience by playing Pablo Prigioni for the entire fourth quarter, although Larkin had another solid game, finishing with 9 points and 5 assists in 27 minutes.
Larkin, 22, who was thrust into a starting role when Calderon strained his calf in the preseason, has come to typify the team's learn-as-we-go approach. With Calderon expected to miss two more weeks, the Knicks do not need Larkin to be dynamic. They want him to be steady. They want him to be aggressive on defense. And they want him to help move the ball. The same goes for many of the players on the team.
Larkin did not expect to be in this situation, but then little about his career has gone according to plan. Not long after he was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the 18th pick in the 2013 draft, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks and broke his right ankle in a summer league practice. He missed training camp as his three-month convalescence stretched into the season.
Once healthy, Larkin played little, averaging 10.2 minutes a game in 48 appearances with the Mavericks. In June, the Knicks acquired him as part of the deal that shipped Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler to Dallas. Fisher offered a brief synopsis of Larkin's two-season basketball odyssey: 'That's a lot.'
Larkin has come to understand the topsy-turvy nature of his profession better than most. The lessons do not seem to be letting up anytime soon. Last Friday, the Knicks chose to let the deadline pass for picking up his team option for next season, which would have paid him nearly $1.7 million. The Knicks want to preserve as much space under the salary cap as possible so they can target top-tier free agents next summer. Larkin can still re-sign with the team, but there are no guarantees.
'It's not like they told me, 'We don't see you as part of the future. We don't want you,' ' Larkin said after Saturday's practice. 'If that was the case, I'd be sitting on the bench.'
For now, Larkin wants to maximize his opportunities. Another one presented itself against the Hornets, who have lofty goals after advancing to the Eastern Conference playoffs last season. A first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat (who were still employing LeBron James) only gave the Hornets incentive to reinforce their roster over the off-season. They made their biggest splash by signing Lance Stephenson, who finished with 14 points on Sunday.
The Knicks got off to a fast start, thanks in part to Larkin's play on three straight early possessions. After spotting up in the corner, Larkin knocked down an open 3-pointer. The next time up the court, Larkin found Shumpert at the top of the perimeter for another 3-pointer.
Finally, Larkin played a bit part in history by locating Anthony outside the 3-point arc. Anthony connected for a 15-5 lead, and the basket pushed him past the 20,000-point barrier for his career. Anthony became the 40th player in league history to reach the milestone and the 10th active player.
The Knicks had seven assists on their first seven field goals and led by as many as 15 in the second quarter before Charlotte found its footing. A late 3-pointer by Neal helped the Hornets reduce the Knicks' lead to 52-50 at halftime.
The game was close throughout the third quarter and into the fourth. Samuel Dalembert, the Knicks' starting center, got into foul trouble, which left Stoudemire in the unenviable position of defending - or at least attempting to defend - the Hornets' Al Jefferson. Stoudemire looked overmatched at times as Jefferson (21 points) bullied his way to the hoop. The Hornets led by 80-79 heading into the fourth.
REBOUNDS
Coach Derek Fisher said it was unlikely that Andrea Bargnani (strained right hamstring) would play this week. Starting Tuesday, the Knicks have four games in five nights. 'I think Andrea's progressing,' Fisher said, 'but I don't think it's fair to put a player out there that hasn't really had some opportunities to practice.'
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