The New York Knicks lost their sixth-straight game on Monday night, this time at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers. A lack of focus seems to be one of the team’s main problems, and Amar’e Stoudemire tried to do his part to break that trend before New York’s game in Portland.
According to Marc Berman of the NY Post, the Knicks were watching the Monday Night Football game between the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers in the locker room before their tip-off against the Blazers. Stoudemire had to put a stop to it.
Amar’e Stoudemire seemed ready to dig the team out of the hole before tip-off. When someone put on the Monday Night Football Game between the Redskins and 49ers on a locker-room TV, Stoudemire had them shut it. ‘We’ve lost five straight games,’ he said sharply.”
Before Amar’e knew it, the Knicks had lost six straight. Stoudemire’s minutes have increased as of late and he has scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds over the past two games, but the end result has been the same.
“Frustration is at an all-time high right now,” Stoudemire said. “I worked my butt off to get into top shape. It’s not fun to lose.”
Iman Shumpert, who has suddenly found his name at the center of trade rumors, finished the game with two turnovers, no points, no rebounds and no assists. As Berman pointed out, he was out-hustled and failed to make a significant effort to recover any loose ball. After the game, Shumpert insisted the trade rumors are not a distraction.
“I don’t think so,” he said. “I think we’re just losing. Losing affects everybody. I don’t think trade talks do.”
Whether it’s Carmelo Anthony calling a players-only meeting or Stoudemire trying to get his teammates to focus by turning off the TV, nothing seems to be working for the Knicks. If they don’t start winning soon, there’s no telling what an already frustrated James Dolan is going to do next.
H/T SI Hot Clicks
