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Carmelo Anthony scores just 16 points as the Knicks fall to 2-4.
Mike Woodson’s job security may or may not be an issue. Only James Dolan knows the answer and considering the owner’s sometimes irrational behavior — remember he expects an NBA title this season — anything is possible.
Woodson, though, is only a small part of the problem. A no-show performance like the Knicks turned in Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden reflects poorly on everyone, from Carmelo Anthony on down. The Knicks weren’t just bad in their 120-89 loss to the ageless San Antonio Spurs, they were embarrassingly bad.
Simmons, Howard/New York Daily News
Kawhi Leonard and the Spurs open up on a 10-0 run and the Knicks never get close.
It was a 48-minute exercise in futility that had the Garden half empty midway through the fourth quarter. The Spurs led start to finish — they opened the game on a 10-0 run — and the Knicks never put up a fight. The idea of a noon start was to compromise the Spurs, who played a home game Friday night in Texas and might struggle with the short turnaround.
Instead, the Knicks played with dead legs, no fighting spirit and heart. The same team that started 6-0 last season is now 2-4 and with Tyson Chandler sidelined at least another four weeks things could get worse before they get better.
North Babylon’s Danny Green scored 24 points, All-Star point guard Tony Parker scored 17 and back-up forward Kawhi Leonard added 18 as the Spurs improved to 6-1. The trio shot a combined 23-for-33 while San Antonio shot 54 percent. Tim Duncan added 11 points and 10 rebounds and Manu Ginobili added nine points.
Simmons, Howard/New York Daily News
James Dolan has a pained look on his face as the Spurs run all over his Knicks.
The Knicks trailed 35-17 after one quarter and the deficit eventually grew to 37. The fans were so tired of booing that they stayed silent for most of the final period. J.R. Smith’s return from a five-game drug suspension failed to provide the spark they were hoping for. Instead, he was part of the problem. Smith missed his first six shots and finished 1-for-9 with four turnovers.
Carmelo Anthony and Andrea Bargnani both shot 5-for-10 and scored 16 points while Raymond Felton was 3-for-10 with just two assists and Amar’e Stoudemire went 1-for-5 and missed two free throws. Metta World Peace, who has been part of a championship team in Los Angeles, played like he actually cared about the result. The Queens native was 5-for-11 with 13 points and five rebounds.
The Knicks don’t play again until Wednesday night at home against the Atlanta Hawks.
