5. Small Ball Head coach Derek Fisher decided to start Iman Shumpert with J.R. Smith as the wings surrounding Carmelo Anthony and Samuel Dalembert. Shane Larkin started at the point guard spot. After the game, Fisher said the decision was based on the matchups that Milwaukee presented from a height and athleticism perspective. Quincy Acy did not play and Jason Smith received six minutes of court time.
4. Shumpert’s Return As mentioned above, Shumpert returned from a hip injury that kept him sidelined against Denver and most of the Magic game in New York. In Milwaukee, Shumpert looked terrific. The guard/forward exploded in the first quarter with 11 points, only missing one shot from the field. Shumpert registered 21 points, eight rebounds, eight dimes, three steals, and the dunk of the night with a reverse, under the rim jam past Giannis Antetokounmpo.
3. Hardaway Jr.’s Explosion Hardaway Jr. ignited the Knicks offense when they staged the comeback in the final quarter. The second-year guard was prolific by scoring 18 of his 24 points in the second half. Hardaway Jr. earned 29 minutes of court time and proved to be instant offense for Fisher’s crew.
2. 4th Quarter Comeback
The Knicks nearly pulled off an epic comeback after facing a 22-point deficit with 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Anthony scored 13 points and New York outscored the home team by 11 points in the final stanza to scare some of the fans in Milwaukee. Unfortunately for the Knicks, the effort did not result in a victory but the sense of urgency is the key for this team to start racking up wins.
1. Melo’s Knee
Anthony headed to the locker room in the second quarter to re-tape his knee. Following the contest, the Knicks leading scorer told reporters he’s been dealing with some pain in the knee but has battled through the issues. According to Anthony, a collision that occurred diving for a loose ball caused discomfort in the game against the Bucks. He said there has been no discussion of missing court time when discussing the second of a back-to-back tonight against the Wolves. Anthony finished with 26 points on 10-for-17 shooting, six boards, and five assists on Tuesday night in Milwaukee.