Lebron Bests Durant.

The last time Kevin Durant and LeBron James squared off in South Beach the Thunder dominated the defending champions on their home court 112-95.  Kevin Durant was unstoppable for most of the evening and OKC walked out of Miami looking like the best team in the NBA. 

The Thunder have won 15 of their last 17 games without Russell Westbrook.  At this point Kevin Durant is probably the league MVP.

LeBron's main focus is winning a third consecutive championship.  Michael Jordan was in a similar situation during his championship years in the 90's.  If LeBron was a selfish individual he could be voted MVP every year.  Someone would literally have to pry the award from him.

LeBron  came into tonight's game looking to make a statement.  A statement was certainly made tonight.  LeBron made a clear announcement to the rest of the NBA leaving the game battered and bruised.  LeBron is still the guy and that wont change until someone takes it away from him. 

Kevin Durant is a great player and certainly having a great season.  However Kevin didn't seem to have that edge tonight.  If this is going to be OKC's year Kevin has to play better in big games.

OKC could have used James Harden tonight.

Knicks bounce back

At some point if the Knicks hope to claw their way back into a playoff spot they're going to have to win on the road.  With the majority of the Knicks games remaining on the road the Knicks are going to have to put in some extra work in those blue uniforms.

The Knicks reverted back to their old ways allowing the Pelicans to crawl back into the game and take a one point lead in the fourth quarter.  New York held a six point advantage at halftime.  J.R Smith opened the fourth period with five quick points which extended the Knicks lead to 83-70.  The Pelicans rallied and took the lead off of a Luke Babbitt lay up with 3:58 remaining.  Carmelo took over the game at that point giving the Knicks the 98-91 victory.  New Orleans may be on the outside looking in at the Western Conference playoff picture.  Nonetheless they are still a tough team with some young talent.  Anthony Davis is a few years away from being a perennial all star.

Carmelo finished with a game high 42 points.  J.R Smith and Tim Hardaway Jr. played solid as well scoring 19 and 16 points respectively.  The Knicks are off tonight before heading to Florida to take on the Orlando Magic.  The Magic have struggled all season long.  However Orlando has what has been the Knicks Achilles heel all season.  Guards that can shoot and break down the defense in Victor Oladipo, Jameer Nelson and Aaron Afflalo.  Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni are going to have their hands full defensively.

Big win for the Knicks.

Knicks lose to Grizzlies 98-93

 
At one point last night the Knicks appeared to be on their way to a crucial win in their second half opener.  A sweet win quickly turned into a bitter loss as the Knicks failed to capitalize on a seven point fourth quarter lead.

The Knicks started off slow and actually trailed Memphis by 18 points in the first half.  During the past two years the Knicks have been known to get off to fast starts, only to let their opponents back into the game.  Usually by mid third quarter or early fourth quarter the Knicks are looking around for someone to make a play. 

Last night the Knicks played with fluidity down the stretch.  Carmelo Anthony and Tim Hardaway Jr. came up with the clutch baskets necessary to win a tough road game in a hostile environment.  J.R Smith's roller coaster of a season continued last night.  With 26 seconds remaining Carmelo passed the ball to Smith in the corner for a wide open look that would have given the Knicks the lead.  Smith's attempt barely grazed the rim.  During the Knicks last possession Smith once again had an open three point attempt but instead passed the ball to Pablo Prigioni.  Prigioni who is serviceable from downtown is far from a knock down shooter.  That's Smith's shot to take.  Perhaps the shot from the previous possession was lingering in Smith's mind.

On a positive note once again Carmelo is showing us his willingness to do more.  He posted another two double digit stat line game with 22 points and 11 rebounds.  This may be the first season during Carmelo's career where he really doesn't deserve criticism.   He has been great in so many ways.  Carmelo is a stretch power forward so 11 rebounds speaks volumes. 

Tim Hardaway's game leading 23 points has to have Knick fans salivating over how good he can become. 

The Knicks head to the big easy tonight for once again another must win game.

KNICKS

When a team surpasses its previous years loss total by All Star break its safe to say your season is an utter disappointment.  This is the current state of affairs with the New York Knicks.  20-32 calls for change in New York.  If this were New Orleans or Minnesota the scrutiny wouldn't be half as magnetized.  But this is the big apple.  In New York we don't wait for next year.  That has never been acceptable in this city.  In a year in which the Eastern Conference is historically deprived of consistent basketball teams the fans still expect the Knicks to make the playoffs.

Crunch time began three weeks ago for the Knicks.  With 30 games remaining on the schedule every outing has to be viewed as a must win.  Carmelo Anthony has done his part this year.  He is second in the NBA at 27.3ppg, while posting a career high 8.6 rebounds per game.  Someone on the Knicks roster besides Anthony must step up.  Amar'e Stoudemire has shown flashes but still does not resemble the player the Knicks signed to a five year $100 million dollar deal.

The second half of the Knicks season begins with four road games in five nights.  A simple recipe to deliver a knock out blow to the Knicks season.  Memphis, New Orleans, Orlando and Atlanta.  These are four winnable games.  These are also four games the Knicks can easily lose.  The four games after that consist of home matchups against Dallas and Golden State as well as road games against Miami and Chicago. 

If the Knicks are going to have a real shot at resigning Carmelo Anthony losing is not an option over the next two weeks.  Carmelo has repeatedly expressed his intentions on testing the free agency market this summer.  He has every reason to.  This is a special time in every professional athletes life.  If you've ever dreamed of becoming an athlete, being pursued by multiple teams was likely involved in that dream.

The future of the Knicks franchise may very well be determined over the next few months.

NFL MARKETING TO MOMS

Over the past few years the NFL's image has taken a major hit due to growing sentiment over the safety of the game.  Last summer when the NFL reached a $765 million dollar settlement with its former players  the deal included a clause that allowed the NFL to stay in the closet about information they had on Concussions.  Apparently the NFL has something to hide.  The league knows this entire investigation is one step away from getting ugly.

Maintaining a clean image is important to Roger Goodell.  So important that the leagues latest image based pitch has been directed towards mothers.  Not the mothers of their current employers.  See the mothers of the current employees already know the truth about the game.  The sport is violent by nature.  Always has been and will be for the foreseeable future.

The NFL claims that teaching the correct technique to kids will somehow reduce injury.  What the NFL failed to mention is unlike other sports,  football has a 100% injury rate.  If you play long enough you will get hurt.

I understand the NFL's goal here.  Sports is a business like it or not.  It has to be this way to maintain sanctity.  Everyone has to get paid and without a wide open talent pool eventually the product will suffer.  Imagine Sunday afternoon without the NFL.  Something about that leaves me with a gut wrenching feeling.

If the NFL is going to pursue the blessings of mothers all over the country than the league must be forthcoming with any new information that can make the game safer.  The league has not always been completely honest with its players, current as well as incoming. Junior Seau and Mike Webster are evidence of that.

Farewell Captain

Major league Baseball underwent many changes during the late 90's.  The strike of 1994 which left us with no World Series winner for the first time in decades left the sport reeling.  Cal Ripken, Jr. at the time was recognized as the single most influential player in saving Major League Baseball.  The steroid era followed and by 1998 baseball was back.  Over the past 50 years athletes have gotten bigger, stronger and faster seemingly by generation.  Positions were once defined by a combination of stature and raw physical ability.  By the late 90's it was evident that a new era was on the horizon.

The Shortstop position historically has been played by small, quick and agile men.  Derek Jeter,  Alex Rodriguez and Nomar Garciaparra changed the way the Shortstop would be viewed permanently.  They were coined "the big three" and that's exactly what they were to baseball.  Alex Rodriguez was the rock star of the famed trio.  He hit towering home runs and from the start  had a mystique about him that was second to none.  Nomar Garciaparra won consecutive batting titles early in his career.  Early on many perceived him to be the best of the three.  Derek Jeter was supposed to be the shy little sister of the group.  He didn't hit many home runs and his RBI production wasn't anything to marvel over. 

15 years later Derek Jeter is the last man standing.  Alex Rodriguez has thrown all his credibility away.  He is a life long juicer and frankly I don't believe he was ever clean.  Not only is he a cheater but he is also a blatant liar.  Nomar put together a solid career.  Injuries hobbled Garciaparra during the latter half of his playing career and the two time batting champion called it quits in 2009.

What separated Derek Jeter from the rest was his intangibles.  His confidence,  self awareness and the fact that he always seemed comfortable in any situation are a few of many.  These characteristics are hard to teach.  Derek Jeter never had to learn them.  They came along with the aura.  True greatness in its purest form. 

Growing up I used to hear people talk about Mickey Mantle as if he were a god or saint.  Thanks to Derek Jeter I now understand why.

Knicks lose to lowly Kings

Midway through the third quarter of tonight's game against the Sacramento Kings the Knicks held on to a modest  three point lead.  Leading for much of the game up until that point,  the Knicks once again allowed a team to creep its way back into a game they should have closed out.  Tonight's game in so many ways is a reflection of the Knicks season thus far.  A young team lacking chemistry came into MSG and outplayed the Knicks down the stretch.  A game New York desperately needed to make the playoffs.

Jimmer Fredette torched the Knicks for a career high 24 points tonight.  The New York native connected on six of his eight attempts from downtown and made the Knicks pay for leaving him open.  Isaiah Thomas poured in 20 points and seven assist continuing his stellar play this season. 

Carmelo Anthony finished with 36 points and 11 rebounds.  His hot shooting start cooled off and the Knicks struggled to score down the stretch.  Carmelo scored only four points after the third quarter.  He appeared to be fatigued missing an easy layup to open the overtime period. 

The one bright spot for New York going forward tonight was the play of Amar'e Stoudemire.  Stoudemire scored 20 points and pulled down eight boards in 37 minutes of action. His minutes restriction appears to be over.  The Knicks are going to need production like this from Stoudemire if they expect to make the playoffs.

At this point the only thing that matters for the Knicks is wins.  With this type of loss the playoffs is going to get away from the Knicks.  The Knicks limp into the All Star break a wounded team.