Games like Monday night’s 131-109 rout of the Jazz must be what Knicks management had in mind when they paired Carmelo Anthony with Amar’e Stoudemire.
New York’s offense was clicking from the opening tip, as the Knicks raced to a 40-24 lead in the first quarter. Anthony scored 34 points – his first 30-point performance as a Knick – and Stoudemire added 31, but their efficiency was even more impressive than their totals. ‘Melo needed just 16 attempts to reach his point total (12-16 from the field, 4-5 from three) and STAT just 15 (12-15 from the floor).
They also got plenty of help. Toney Douglas added 20 points – another strong performance starting in Chauncey Billups’ place. And with a big lead, Mike D’Antoni made liberal use of his bench – every active Knick but Jared Jeffries scored, including little-used Andy Rautins, who hadn’t seen a minute of game action since Groundhog Day. Shelden Williams scored 13 points off the bench – most of them from the line (7-8 on freebies).
via Knicks Easily Defeat Jazz – MSG.com.
