NEW YORK – If Carmelo Anthony had a dream, it would be to make the game winning bucket. In reality, Anthony failed to close out the game off an offensive rebound, and the Knicks suffered another devastating loss to a Dwight Howard-less Atlanta Hawks team 108-107.
It was a compelling Monday matinee game on Martin Luther King Day as both teams exchanged leads throughout with Anthony hitting a 3 point shot at the buzzer, giving New York a one point lead at the half.
Atlanta opened the third quarter on an 11-2 run ending with a 5 point lead heading into the fourth quarter. New York on the other hand, went on a 12-0 run and maintained a comfortable 5 point lead midway through until Atlanta scored on five of their six possessions including a 3 point shot by Dennis Schroder with 22.4 seconds remaining. The Knicks had a chance to win the game but Derrick Rose’s layup was blocked by Hawks forward Paul Millsap. Anthony grabbed the rebound but misfired a shot from the right as time expired, leaving a sellout crowd of 19,812 in disbelief.
For the Knicks, it was their 11th loss in 13 games, falling six games below .500. Anthony who led the way with 30 points on 10/16 shooting explained about the final shot.
“When things are not going your way, sometimes it goes all the way left. That’s a shot that I could hit in my sleep. That’s something I work on. It’s something I believe I can make that shot I just missed it. I missed it today.”, said Anthony.
The Hawks who rested Howard for this game, were led by Schroder’s 28 points and former Knick Tim Hardaway Jr. with 20 points. Rose contributed 18 points and 9 assists while Joakim Noah grabbed 17 rebounds for the struggling Knicks.
Both teams play on Wednesday on the road; Atlanta visits Detroit and New York travels to Boston.
Reported By: Tennie Sumague, Eagle News Service US, New York Bureau
