Once upon a time, Carmelo Anthony was warned his behavior during an MSG rout might cause grave offense. Of course, Melo was playing for the opposing Denver Nuggets at the time, while Saturday’s 120-81 Knicks demolition of the hapless Kings draws the ire of the New York Daily News’ Filip Bondy who argued, “such a one-sided game raised thorny matters of etiquette usually faced only by our city’s high school powerhouses.”
How long do you keep your starters in the game? Do you really need to launch 3-point shots with a 50-point lead in the fourth quarter? Did J.R. Smith over-celebrate his baskets? (Yes to that one, definitely).
There were several moments, though, that were definitely cringe-worthy, such as Kurt Thomas’ 3-point attempt with a 110-60 lead. Smith performed a windmill dance after one of his successful threes. Anthony and Steve Novak mimed pseudo-gun gestures, right in front of several Newtown families sitting in the front row.
The Newtown Choir, including young students from Sandy Hook Elementary School, sang a heartrending version of the national anthem before the game. A few boors in the crowd screamed out loud during the performance about nothing in particular. The Knicks had visited Newtown earlier in the week. Despite those fingers to their own heads after 3-pointers, they surely understood exactly what this group represented.
“A lot of these kids never had a chance,” Mike Woodson said. “They got hit hard and they’re still trying to recover from it.”