Several Knicks downplay blowout against Celtics

While Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire expressed grave concern over a blowout loss to the Boston Celtics, their teammates weren’t so worried.

by Kevin Zimmerman

Dec 8, 2013, 9:39 PM UTC

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics walked into Madison Square Garden looking for a game, but they instead left with a 114-73 thumping of the New York Knicks.

New York forward Carmelo Anthony called it an embarrassment afterward, according to MassLive.com's Jay King, and head coach Mike Woodson took the responsibility, the Wall Street Journals' Chris Herring reported.

But there wasn’t such a consensus in the locker room. Apparently, a few Knicks didn’t share the same feeling of concern now that their team is 5-14 after taking a major step backward following two wins in a row.

Felton: "I don't think we had a bad effort. Those guys hit shots."
— Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) December 8, 2013

Shumpert says a couple of shots the team normally hits didn't fall, and that game would've been a lot different. Really?
— Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) December 8, 2013

Artest then starts flexing in locker room amongst reporters & says, "Ya'll trying to get a body like this." #NYK
— Tony Williams (@TBone8) December 8, 2013

Felton, on whether loss negates the small 2-gm win streak: "Why would it?" Says he wouldn't call it a step back.
— Chris Herring (@HerringWSJ) December 8, 2013

Defense was the Knicks' biggest problem in the loss. Brad Stevens' squad shot 54 percent for the game and went 14-for-25 from three-point range. Meanwhile, New York couldn't get anything going. Woodson's team shot 34 percent for the game, and his two starting guards went a combined 0-for-12 from the floor.

Shumpert and Felton each went 0-for-6, and starting center Andrea Bargnani went 1-for-7 on Sunday. Aside from rookie guard Tim Hardaway Jr., the Knicks starters all had plus-minus scores of -30 or less.

The play of Amare Stoudemire might be the only positive to come out of the game. The forward played 21 minutes and scored 17 points.