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THE 2003-2004 KNICKS
PLAYOFF PAGE |
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Knicks - Round 1 Playoffs vs. New Jersey Nets
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| Game | Date | Place | Time | Final | TV/RADIO |
| Game 1 | April 17, 2004 | Away | 4:30 pm | L (83-107) | ESPN/WFAN |
| Game 2 | April 20, 2004 | Away | 8:00 pm | L (81-99) | TNT/WFAN |
| Game 3 | April 22, 2004 | HOME | 7:00 pm | L (78-81) | MSG, TNT/WFAN |
| Game 4 | April 25, 2004 | HOME | 7:00 pm | L (94-100) | MSG, ESPN/WFAN |
Players to Watch in the Series
Knicks Players to Watch
Point guard Stephon Marbury is the key to the Knicks’ success. Since returning to his hometown in a January trade, Marbury has played in 47 games and averaged 19.8 points, 9.3 assists and 1.4 steals. Marbury is clearly the Knicks most dangerous offensive weapon, but in addition to running the offense, he must also find a way to slow down All-Star point guard Jason Kidd.
Forward Tim Thomas, since being acquired for Keith Van Horn, has brought energy and athleticism to the Knicks’ frontline. He has averaged nearly 16 points per game and has been lethal from long range, shooting 40% from behind the 3-point arc, while being one of Marbury’s favorite targets on the fast break. Defensively, Thomas will be assigned to the Nets’ leading scorer, small forward Richard Jefferson.
Nets’ Players to Watch
Jason Kidd is the other half of elite point guard matchup that highlights the Knicks and Nets playoff series. Kidd has been injured throughout the second half of the season and has struggled over the course of the past two months, scoring under 10 points per game. However, Kidd has torched the Knicks this season in the two games of which he has been a part—27 points, 11.5 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Power forward Kenyon Martin, the Nets second leading scorer behind Richard Jefferson, is the toughest matchup for the Knicks. While Martin lacks any strong offensive moves, he is more athletic and tenacious than any of the Knicks’ big men. Similar to teammate Jason Kidd, Martin has also struggled over the last couple of months due to injury.
Wildcard: Health
No one can predict whether Kidd or Martin will be able to recover from late-season injuries. The Nets ran away with the Atlantic Division and, long ago, clinched the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference. As a result, it is possible that the deflated numbers for both Kidd and Martin may be a result of coach Lawrence Frank making sure that his stars are ready to make a third straight run to the NBA Finals.
Injuries have also plagued Knicks’ shooting guard Allan Houston, who has only played in 50 games this season. Houston was placed on the injured list on April 2nd after having missed 6 of 7 games due to a left quad contusion. Houston has been receiving treatment and may still be added to the Knicks playoff roster. If he were able to return, he would give the Knicks a much-needed scoring threat from the outside. Houston ranks seventh in the NBA in three-point shooting (43%) and is third in free throw shooting (91%).
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To look back at how the Knicks did in past playoffs, visit our
Knicks Playoff Archives. |
To see how the Knicks did in the regular season this year, visit our
Knicks Regular Season Page. |
Game One
Richard Jefferson scored 21 points and Kerry Kittles added 20 points to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 107-83 win over the New York Knicks in Game One of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal on Saturday, April 17th.
Jason Kidd won the battle of the point guards, scoring 14 points and dishing out 13 assists for the Nets, who have won 11 straight Eastern Conference playoff games. Stephon Marbury struggled for the Knicks, recording only 13 points and two assists, as New York made its first playoff appearance in two years. Marbury shot 6-of-14 from the field, but was unable to score in the second half, which is when the Nets put the game out of reach.
After a Brian Scalabrine's buzzer-beater gave the Nets a 62-55 halftime lead, New Jersey began the third quarter with a 9-0 scoring run to open up a 16-point cushion. Kidd's three-pointer with 6:54 remaining capped the spurt, giving his club a 71-55 advantage.
New York collapsed in the third quarter, going the first 6:18 without a basket and finishing the quarter with only 13 points. The tough times continued in the fourth quarter for New York, as the Nets extended their lead to 20 points early on and would not relinquish their lead for the remainder of the game.
Kenyon Martin finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Nets, who used a strong transition game to outlast New York. The Nets outscored the Knicks 28-4 on the break, shooting 50-percent from the field.
Anfernee Hardaway scored 18 points off the bench to lead the Knicks, while Nazr Mohammed added 16 points and seven boards.
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Game Two
Kenyon Martin scored 22 points and pulled down 16 rebounds, as the New Jersey Nets cruised to a 99-81 victory over the New York Knicks in Game Two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series at Continental Airlines Arena on April 20th.
Richard Jefferson netted 20 points while Jason Kidd contributed 15 points, six boards and eight assists for the Nets, who lead the best-of-seven series two-games-to-none. Kerry Kittles had 16 points and Rodney Rogers added 12 for the Nets, who have won 12 consecutive playoff contests versus Eastern Conference opponents.
Stephon Marbury led New York with 23 points in the losing effort. With Tim Thomas out of the lineup because of a Game One injury to his neck and back, both Kurt Thomas (18 points and 12 rebounds) and Anfernee Hardaway (13 points and 10 assists) tried to carry the extra workload.
The Nets’ high tempo offence proved to be too much as the Knicks got no closer than 11 points in the fourth quarter and were behind by as many as 22. These two teams have met twice before in the postseason with New York capturing a pair of first-round victories; however, the Nets have defeated the Knicks in 14 of their last 16 meetings. Game Three is scheduled for Thursday, April 22nd, at Madison Square Garden.
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Game Three
A 19-point, 15-rebound performance from Kenyon Martin led the Nets to an 81-78 Game Three victory over the New York Knicks, giving them a 3-0 advantage in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinals. The Nets also received a strong performance from Jason Kidd who tallied 19 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds.
The teams went into halftime tied at 40, but the Nets’ offensive surge allowed them to open up a 10-point lead at the end of the third quarter. The Knicks held the Nets to just six points in the final 4:30; but it wasn’t enough, as Kenyon Martin converted a critical three-point play with just under 30 seconds to go to seal the victory for the Nets.
Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway, and Nazr Mohammed each had 18 points for the Knicks, who were playing in their first playoff game at Madison Square Garden in three years. Kurt Thomas added 15 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
Game Four will also take place at the Garden as the Knicks hope to send the series back to New Jersey for Game Five. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a seven-game series.
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Game Four
On Sunday, April 25th, the New Jersey Nets closed out the series, four games-to-none, with the New York Knicks after a 100-94 victory. For the second consecutive game, the Knicks kept the score close inside the Garden, but were unable to find a way to win. Nets forward Kenyon Martin demonstrated, once again, that he was the most-talented player in the series as he scored 36 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
Unlike the previous three games, the Knicks did have their moments. With 6:50 remaining, they held a six-point lead (85-79) following three-pointers by Stephon Marbury and Frank Williams. However, they managed only two field goals the rest of the way.
While the Knicks refused to back down at home, Jason Kidd (20 points, seven assists and eight rebounds) and the Nets proved to be too much for an undermanned Knick squad.
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Last Updated On:
Monday, April 26, 2004 | |
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