The Phil Jackson Effect..
Remember a month ago when the New York Knicks were the laughing stock of the league? How about that cold winter afternoon in December when they took a 41 point loss at Madison Square Garden to a tanking Celtics squad? It was ugly, but those days seem to be behind Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks as they picked up their seventh straight win over the East leading Pacers with a 92-86 victory.
Ever since The Zen Master Phil Jackson’s name was mentioned, this Knicks squad has gotten their act together. They played with passion, toughness, and moved the ball consistently and effectively against the best team in the East. Jackson does have 11 rings and just might be the right man to deliver the Knicks to the promised land, so the Knicks on the current roster seem willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they are apart of the future of the Knicks. From the moment Jackson’s name was mentioned in contention for an executive position in the Knicks organization, to the standing ovation he received at MSG tonight, New York City and the rest of the NBA have been buzzing and it looks like Knicks fans have a real reason to get their hopes up.
This game was a good measuring stick for the Knicks. Taking into consideration that they played the Bucks, Celtics, Sixers (losers of 22 straight by the way), Cavaliers, Jazz and Timberwolves in their six game winning streak (all teams that will likely be out of the playoffs), on top of not playing since Saturday, combined with the hype surrounding new Knicks President Jackson being in the building, no one knew what we were going to get from this Knicks team against the tough Pacers.
Knicks introduce Phil Jackson as team president and beat Pacers, 92-86. Carmelo’s 34 Pts lead NY to 7th straight win. pic.twitter.com/inCiy3F2aZ
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 20, 2014
The Knicks showed that they are ready to make a serious push for the playoffs with their win over the Pacers. Anthony finished the game with 34 points and five assists. Paul George was ice cold as he finished the game with 17 points on 4-17 shooting. Amare Stoudemire continues to resurrect his game as he finished with 21 points for the Knicks.
With the Sixers, Cavaliers, Lakers and Kings up next, the Knicks are in position to go on a necessary winning streak with 14 games remaining. The Knicks currently sit 4 games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the Eastern Conference Playoff picture.
Check out the standing ovation Jackson received at the Garden last night.
-Patrick Hazel (@pattywack25)
