Hawks vs Knicks (Josh Smith engages Melo in small ball)

[Ruhiel]

Some excerpts

* Through three quarters Carmelo Anthony had 31 points on 19 shots. In the fourth quarter he had five points on five shots. The Hawks can live with a night when he gets 14 of his 36 points from the line (with a couple suspect calls) and is quiet at the finish while Iman Shumpert (25 points on 14 shots) was the only other Knick helping out.
* Drew: “Melo’s a great player. He’s been playing well for them, Once he gets into a groove, a rhythm they are tough to defend. They are going to give him enough touches. You have got to make him work. He’s going to make shots. I told the guys don’t get discouraged. My concern was putting the ball on the deck and getting to the basket and drawing fouls.”
* Melo did that a few times against Josh and Marvin. When they played the drive, he pulled up for Js. These things happen. “Trying to keep a body on him, stay physical,” Josh said. “He’s definitely an offensive player that likes to create the contact. I was trying to be there throughout game and wear him down. I think me and Marvin did a solid job.”
* Josh defended Melo solo for the most part. Melo had trouble with Josh, too, and so in the fourth quarter Mike Woodson decided to come with early doubles against Josh, who didn’t handle them well. “They were real aggressive on the catch,” Josh said. “They came down before I could even whip my head around and try to find the other guy. They were real persistent with it and I kind of got careless with the basketball. But Willie came in that fourth quarter and made some big shots and made some big plays to get us over the hump.”