Timberwolves-Knicks Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Dec 22 2012 7:37PM

Amare Stoudemire appears ready to finally take the court for the New York Knicks. Just when that will be remains to be seen.

His season debut could come as early as Sunday when the Knicks host the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will be without starting forward Kevin Love.

Recovering from knee surgery, Stoudemire practiced for the first time this week and was happy with his progress. Coach Mike Woodson intended to talk with Stoudemire on Saturday and did not rule out the possibility that he could play Sunday when the Knicks (19-7) conclude a six-game homestand.

The team also could wait to play him during a three-game trip that begins against the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day.

"I still don't know yet," Woodson told the NBA's official website. "I will sit down and talk and just kind of map out and see where he is."

For the first time in six seasons, the 6-foot-10 Stoudemire failed to average at least 20 points (17.5) and 8.0 rebounds (7.8) while various injuries limited him to 47 games on the condensed 2011-12 schedule. With the Knicks off to a strong start, it's uncertain what his immediate role will be.

The six-time All-Star said he would come off the bench if needed.

"Whatever it takes to win, that's the goal," Stoudemire said.

With or without Stoudemire, New York's immediate goal is to avoid losing two straight at MSG for the first time since a four-game skid Jan. 16-21. Since that slide, the Knicks have won 31 of 39 at home, including the playoffs.

New York started 10-0 at home before former Knick Jeremy Lin and the Rockets won 109-96 there Monday. The Knicks bounced back with a 100-86 victory over Brooklyn on Wednesday but shot 41.8 percent in a 110-106 loss to Chicago on Friday.

Woodson and Carmelo Anthony were ejected for each drawing two technical fouls, as was Tyson Chandler for his scuffle with Chicago's Joakim Noah. The Knicks missed 10 of their first 11 shots and were unable to overcome a 25-point second-half deficit despite scoring 45 in the fourth quarter.

"Bad coaching," Woodson said. "We'll get through this and regroup and get ready for Sunday's game."

Anthony, who averaged 35.0 points and shot 55.3 percent in his previous four contests, finished with 29 despite going 10 of 25 from the field Friday in his second game since missing two with an ankle injury.

A strained groin kept Anthony out of New York's 100-98 win at Minnesota on Feb. 11. The Knicks have won two in a row and three of four against the Timberwolves at MSG and won't have to deal with Love in this matchup.

Love did not make the trip to New York after suffering an eye injury in Thursday's win over Oklahoma City.

"You can't do anything about it," coach Rick Adelman told the team's official website. "It's just an unfortunate thing that happened towards the end of the game. All I know is that he can't play, and that he's got to be careful the next few days. He can't do anything that causes pressure in his eye."

Adelman didn't confirm if Dante Cunningham or Derrick Williams will get the start at power forward in Love's place.

Minnesota (13-11) has won seven of 10, but all three losses during that stretch came on the road, where it's 5-8. The Timberwolves, however, avoided a third straight defeat with a 99-93 victory Thursday.

J.J. Barea scored 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, Love added 28 with 11 rebounds while Nikola Pekovic scored 24 and pulled down 10 boards for the Timberwolves. Minnesota held the Western Conference-leading Thunder to 40.2 percent shooting.

"It's important," Adelman said of beating one of the NBA's top teams. "But I would like to see us get to a point where this is not a big deal. It's a big game against the best team, but this is something we can do."

What the Timberwolves need is to carry over that strong defensive effort on the road where they've allowed 102.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting while losing three of four.

Anthony's big finish rallies Knicks past Wolves

By BRIAN MAHONEY
Posted Dec 23 2012 9:54PM

NEW YORK (AP) Carmelo Anthony scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the New York Knicks to a 94-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

New York trailed from the opening minutes until Anthony scored eight straight points down the stretch. He had scored just nine points on 3-of-11 shooting in the first half, but had the final 12 for the Knicks to give them a 4-2 finish on their six-game homestand.

J.R. Smith added 19 points and Tyson Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, who will fly to Los Angeles later Sunday for their Christmas Day game against the Lakers.

Nikola Pekovic had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without star forward Kevin Love because of an eye injury. Alexey Shved added 18 points for Minnesota.

Love was poked in the eye late in the Wolves' 99-93 victory over Oklahoma City on Thursday and didn't travel with the team to New York. They nearly pulled it out without him, leading almost the entire night before falling for the third time in four games.

Anthony made a 3-pointer with 1:53 left to get New York within one, then fought off the tough defense of Andrei Kirilenko, scoring while being fouled and converting the three-point play with 1:13 to play that made it 88-86, the Knicks' first lead since it was 5-4.

Anthony followed with two free throws for a four-point lead, and after Shved's 3-pointer cut it to one, Anthony sank two free throws with 16.5 seconds remaining. The Wolves got it to one again on J.J. Barea's drive, but Anthony again knocked down two free throws with 6.7 seconds left, and Shved was well short on a tying 3-point attempt.

Even with Love out and Ricky Rubio still on a minutes restriction in his return from major knee surgery, Minnesota led 29-22 after one and never gave up the lead in the half, even when the Knicks seemed to be putting together some momentum.

Smith threw down a dunk in Greg Stiemsma's face as one of the Knicks' three straight baskets right at the rim, but Minnesota shook off that surge and scored the final seven points of the half, taking a 55-46 lead on Luke Ridnour's 3-pointer.

The Wolves had the lead up to 11 a couple of times in the third quarter and were still ahead 73-71 heading to the fourth.

Notes: Knicks coach Mike Woodson seemed to rule Amare Stoudemire out of the road trip, saying he thought it would be best to have the forward practice against his teammates when they get back before he plays. But Marcus Camby, who has been sidelined by a sore left foot and has barely played this season, said he will be ready to play Tuesday. ... The crowd included Yankees star Derek Jeter and former Knicks guard Richie Guerin, who had an opportunity to see a highlight of his on the "Garden 366" display along the concourse, which marks an event that took place at MSG for each day of the calendar. Guerin's was Dec. 11. On that date in 1959, he had the first 50-point game in franchise history at the old Garden.

Notebook: Knicks 94, Timberwolves 91

Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com
Posted Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:02 PM - Updated Sun Dec 23, 2012 8:03 PM

THE FACTS: After the Knicks trailed virtually the entire game, Carmelo Anthony turned it on down the stretch and scored 19 of his game-high 33 points in the fourth quarter as New York rallied to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 94-91, at Madison Square Garden.

Despite picking up his fifth foul late in the fourth, Anthony scored his team's last 12 points, including going a perfect 7-of-7 from the line in the final 1:13, as the Knicks came from 86-82 down in the final four minutes to outscore the Wolves, 12-5. "MVP" chants reigned down on him whenever he stepped to the stripe.

The Knicks improved to 4-2 in the final game of their six-game homestand, 20-7 overall and 12-2 at home.

J.R. Smith added 19 points for the Knicks off the bench, Tyson Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds and Raymond Felton had 15 points.

Nikola Pekovic had 21 points and 17 rebounds for the Wolves, who were without Kevin Love (eye injury). Alexey Shved tallied 18 points and Luke Ridnour had 14.

QUOTABLE: "We didn't want to look back at this game later in the season and say this was a game that we shouldn't have lost....We picked it up defensively in the second half and we won the game."
-- Anthony.

THE STAT: The Wolves shot 7-of-22 from beyond the arc and the Knicks were 6-of-26. The Knicks have been below 40 percent from beyond the arc in their last five games.

TURNING POINT: After trailing virtually the entire game, the Knicks went ahead 87-86 on a driving layup by Anthony with 1:13 remaining. He was fouled by Andrei Kirilenko and added a foul shot to make it 88-86. Anthony also hit a 3-pointer to get the Knicks within 86-85.

QUOTABLE II: "That was kind of an MVP performance at the end. He stepped up and made the plays. When he got that fifth foul called, it's like a light went off and he made the plays big-time."
-- Knicks coach Mike Woodson on Anthony.

WHO'S HOT: Pekovic torched the Knicks for most of the game. He entered averaging 22.5 points and 9.8 boards in his last six games.

WHO'S NOT: Ronnie Brewer, Jason Kidd and Steve Novak continue to struggle for the Knicks. They combined for four points one game after combining for eight. Brewer and Kidd went scoreless.

QUOTABLE III: "It's the fight in our team and it says a lot...Long as we come out on the winning end, I don't care how it plays out."
-- Woodson.

NOTABLE: It appears the Knicks won't unveil Amar'e Stoudemire at any point during their upcoming three-game West Coast swing, and that he will make his season debut in 2013.

"No, I don't think he will be available [on the trip]," Woodson said. "He's just not ready to go. I don't foresee that. I just don't."

NOTABLE II: Marcus Camby, who has missed 12 straight games with plantar fasciitis, told reporters he would be able to play Tuesday at the Lakers.

QUOTABLE IV: "We gotta take our homecourt, protect our homecourt...We take it one game at a time and wee what happens."
-- Anthony.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Derek Jeter sat courtside in a protective boot because he is recovering from a fractured ankle.

UP NEXT: For the Knicks, Tuesday @ Lakers, Wednesday @ Phoenix, Friday @ Sacramento. For the Wolves, Wednesday vs. Houston, Saturday vs. Phoenix, Jan. 2 at Utah.

• Timberwolves: Budinger, Roy
• Knicks: Shumpert, Stoudemire

• Timberwolves: --
• Knicks: Smith, Woodson

• Lead Changes: 5
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #24 Mike Callahan, #33 Sean Corbin, #68 Marat Kogut
• Attendance: 19033
• Duration: 2:16