As New York continued to be shorthanded with names, such as Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Andrea Bargnani still out of action, the team decided to bring in a new player from the D-League. Langston Galloway, who was playing for the Westchester Knicks, was granted a ten-day contract.
During the first 12 minutes of the game, the Knicks had a solid frame. They were shooting it at 47 percent while grabbing 11 boards, but found themselves down, 30-21. Second-year man Tim Hardaway Jr. contributed with seven early points. In the last seconds of the first half, some careless back-to-back turnovers were committed by New York, which allowed Washington to blossom their lead to 16.
The Knicks allowed the opposing team to convert on 50 percent of their shots at halftime. Hardaway Jr. and Jason Smith were leading the Knicks with seven points each. After starting off the game shooting 3-4 from the field, Hardaway Jr. went scoreless in the second quarter. John Wall had 13 points to go along with three steals to lead the Wizards. New York then began to get competitive by cutting the lead to just ten after trailing by as many as 20 points. Jose Calderon began to build a little of an offensive rhythm towards the end of third quarter which helped New York trim down the lead.
With 12 minutes left in the game, the road to a comeback would still be alive for the Knicks. They continued to fight and had a better offensive period than the first two frames, but the Wizards talent would prevent the Knicks from taking this Win.
Washington ended the game shooting 51 percent, including 50 percent from the three-point arc. The Knicks were able to conclude the game having less turnovers than the opposing team, but the percentage shooting for the Wizards turned out to be a major reason New York couldn’t pick up the road win.
Nene ended up being the game’s highest scorer with 20 points. Wall finished with 18 points, while Marcin Gortat achieved a double-double with 12 points and 11 boards. The new Knick Galloway, played 17 minutes and recorded seven points. Calderon was New York’s top scorer with 17 points. Hardaway Jr's shooting percentage dropped, as he went 3 of 10 for the night and remained with seven points.
With Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith gone, this should be an opportunity to shine for Hardaway Jr. and display his full talent. His numbers have dropped compared to his rookie season, and one can only hope he can turn it around for the second term of the season.
Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has publicly expressed he still has faith in Phil, and that he is not ready to call quits on the season just yet. "I’m not shutting it down for the season yet. I’m just trying to take some time to get it right." He also added, “Greatness don’t happen overnight, and that's something that we’re trying to build here."
The next game won’t get any easier for New York, as they will be back in action against the Houston Rockets on January 8th. For the Wizards, they will matchup with the Chicago Bulls on January 9th.