Knicks Continue Win Streak as They Await Jackson’s Arrival, Nets Fall to the Wizards

After the questions of will he or won’t he swirled for a week or so, the answer is yes, Phil Jackson has gone to the New York Knicks. He will be the team’s new president and now the rumors will increase on whether Mike Woodson will remain as the team’s coach (unlikely) and whether Carmelo Anthony will remain with the team.

On the news of the signing, Anthony said via the Associated Press, “I’m a chess player, so that was a power move right there. So now we’re going to see what’s the next move. But that was a great power move.” … He then added, “Phil knows what to do and how to build teams and how to win, that’s the most important thing. When you know how to win, whether you’re a coach or whether you’re in the front office, that stands out.”

While it’s difficult to tell if that’s a resounding thumbs-up from Anthony, one player that may have indirectly given one is LeBron James. Could these two be future teammates?

One story has James as a possibly looking at the Knicks as a potential team now that Jackson has arrived. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News wrote via a “James confidant,” “There’s no way LeBron would have gone to New York under the current climate. He had a falling-out with CAA (agency) and that was a problem as well. But with Phil there I think he will look at it.”

In the short term as the Knicks (27-40) sit in the ninth spot for the Eastern Conference and 2 1/2 games behind the Atlanta Hawks (29-35), they advanced their win streak to six (all by double digits) on Saturday with a 115-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks (13-53).

Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James

Anthony led in scoring with 23 points, while Tim Hardaway Jr. added 20. Amar’e Stoudemire and J.R. Smith both scored 15. For the night, the Knicks shot 55 percent with 30 points apiece in the first and second quarters; at one point they had a 25-point lead. Saturday’s game represented the final one before Jackson’s new role is officially announced on Tuesday.

As for the Bucks, they have suffered their third straight loss. Nate Wolters was the team’s leading scorer with 15 points, followed by Brandon Knight and Ramon Sessions at 14 points each.

On Wednesday, the Knicks will take on a more competitive team, the Indiana Pacers (49-17). New York sits at 150/1 to win the 2014 NBA Championship and 75/1 odds to take the 2014 Eastern Conference.

Jason Collins

Also on Saturday, the Brooklyn Nets  (33-31) announced they had signed Jason Collins for the remainder of the season. The player came to the team on a 10-day contract and has shown his value over eight games. His total stat line for this period includes five points, six rebounds, and six steals; he has been averaging 9.8 minutes per game, reported NBC Sports.

While not the most impressive set of figures, Collins has been applauded for his leadership and mentoring.

Meanwhile, the team played the Washington Wizards (35-31) yesterday and gave up a fourth quarter 10-point advantage to lose, 101-94.

The Wizards’  Drew Gooden scored 11 of his 21 points for the night (nine rebounds) in the fourth quarter and with 2:37 remaining in the game, he hit a 3-pointer to break a 94-94 tie. In the game’s last 6:22, the Nets did not have a field goal.

John Wall led in scoring with 33 points and now the Wizards achieved a sweep for the 3-0 season series. They have jumped past the Nets for the Eastern Conference’s fifth spot.

For Brooklyn,  Marcus Thornton scored 19 points, while Joe Johnson contributed 16 and Paul Pierce added 15. Collins did not play against the Wizards.

On Monday, the Nets will play the Phoenix Suns (37-28). Brooklyn is 16/1 to win the Eastern Conference and 50/1 to win it all.