By Antonio Suarez
Indiana Pacers defeated New York Knicks 106-93 yesterday as the Knicks failed to perform to their potential. Power forward Tyler Hansbrough top scored with a career-high 29 points, including 18 in the second half. Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire combined for 23 second-half points. "I think our penetration was there for us tonight," said Hansbrough, who entered the night averaging 9.8 points. "We really moved the ball and hit the open man."
The Knicks were expecting a lot from Anthony and Stoudemire but they failed to create magic. "We were a little stagnant out there," Stoudemire admitted. Pacers' leading scorer, Danny Granger, missed yesterday’s game due to flu. Pacers however, were free-flowing on offense, shooting 57%. They had 44 points in the paint and seven Pacer players shoot 50% or better.
Anthony scored 12 points in the first seven minutes but nearly disappeared in the second half. He scored 11 points over the last three quarters and was 1-for-8 in the second half. "I really wasn't worried about Dahntay Jones," Anthony said. "Foul trouble got to me a little bit. The way they let him play tonight was kinda weird. They let him beat me up tonight. It happens. You have nights like when they don't blow the whistle and the whistle doesn't go your way and tonight was one of those nights." Anthony added that he'll be thinking about the loss until their next clash with Indiana. "I just want my whole team to be on the same page with me when we step on the court Tuesday."
