The latest blunder in the New York Knicks 2013-2014 comedy of errors took place Friday night in Houston, courtesy of J.R. Smith. And it leaves embattled coach Mike Woodson one step closer to the unemployment line.
USA TODAY Sports' For the Win posted a YouTube video of a Knicks last-minute possession in the fourth quarter of a road game against the Houston Rockets.
With 43.3 seconds left in the game, the Knicks were coming out of a timeout with the ball and 17 seconds left on the shot clock of a game tied at 100.
They worked the shot clock down to less than two second left when Carmelo Anthony passed to Beno Udrih for a 3-pointer in the corner. Udrih missed the shot, but Tyson Chandler grabbed the rebound and passed the ball back out to Udrih, giving the Knicks the opportunity for the last shot of regulation.
Udrih, however, passed to Smith, who inexplicably fired a 3-pointer with just more than 21 seconds left. The shot missed. Houston's Aaron Brooks grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Udrih.
Brooks made both free throws, and the Knicks missed two game-tying shots as time ran out.
During postgame interviews, Smith said he didn't know the game was tied and said, "That's bad basketball IQ on me," according to a tweet by New York Daily News reporter Frank Isola.
It's the second time in a month that a member of the Knicks has exercised inexcusable late-game judgment. In overtime of a Dec. 18 game against the Milwaukee Bucks, New York had a two-point lead with the ball with 20 seconds remaining. Carmelo Anthony took an off-balance shot to beat the shot clock, and Chandler again grabbed the offensive rebound to give New York a chance to run out the clock or get fouled.
He passed the ball out to Andrea Bargnani, who promptly fired and missed a 3-pointer. The Bucks got the rebound and tied the game to send it into double-overtime. At least the Knicks won that game in double-OT.
Though NBA players are expected to understand late-game strategy, Woodson has to be held responsible for not making that clear to his players. The loss to the Rockets dropped the Knicks to 10-22 on the season.
Woodson so far has kept his job, but how much longer will management put up with embarrassing late-game finishes by his team?
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