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January
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Knicks Have Bullets Number, Bullets Bomb On Broadway
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20 Janaury 1997. New York Knicks 95, Washington Bullets 79 (record: 20-19)
Game leaders: Webber (25 points), Webber (9 rebounds), Strickland (9 assists)Traditionally, the Bullets have played a game on Martin Luther King Day. The past couple of years, they have hosted the Chicago Bulls - with predictable results (although last year, Brent Price had his coming-out party in that game). This year, nobody stood out for the Bullets, and they lost their 14th straight at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks have swept all three matches this year from the Bullets, and none of them were close. The Knicks were without John Starks, but that didn't matter. Further, Buck Williams had a season-high 17 points off the bench, to go with 7 offensive rebounds (16 overall for the team). The Knicks got 44 points in the paint, even with Ewing settling for mostly jumpers over Muresan.
The Road Less Travelled So, when do the Bullets go from being an average team to a good team? Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon tackles this thorny issue. The Bullets only score 14 points in the fourth quarter, and were down by 19 at halftime. They got within 9 points in the third quarter, but that was it. Flatlined, baby. No emotion whatsoever.
We know the Knicks can play good defense. But when Charles Oakley says, "They don't really have a three-point threat. We can help out a little bit and stay back," you know you've got a problem. Hello, Jim Lynam, why did our 3-point shooters get a combined 45 minutes of playing time?
Boy, has Harvey Grant hit it on the head. He had this to say after the game: "We have a couple of game, we play good defense. Then we come out, it's like we never played defense. Once the commitment is there, playing defense, helping each other out, being confident that your teammate's got your back. ... Until then, we'll be an average team." Ouch, an average team. Unfortunately, that's the reality of the Bullets.
wtf 20 January 1997
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