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QUICK TAKES: Jay Z, Will Smith, Cardi B, Bernie Sanders, Victor Cruz, and More | Ep. 148

How will the Tekashi69 abduction case end? La La Anthony is in the news again, and guys are here for it! Is the U.S. stock market sending a message?

IS VICTOR CRUZ IN LOVE?

Former NFL football standout, Victor Cruz, recently expressed his love and appreciation for Karrueche Tran on social media, stating: “I’m a grown-ass man and still get butterflies every time I think about my lady. This love thing has no age bracket.”

JAY Z and WILL SMITH INVEST

While many people are focused on Jay Z becoming a partner with the NFL, he and Will Smith were among the companies that were part of a $25 million investment round for an Airbnb-like app called Hipcamp. According to the founders of the company, the app is designed for an inclusive community that values the environment, preservation, and the great outdoors.

TEKASHI69

Recently, the attorney for one of the defendants in the Tekashi69 kidnapping case dropped a bombshell! If you recall in July 2018, the rapper who also goes by the name of 6ix9ine was reportedly abducted, forced into a car, assaulted, and robbed of hundreds of thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry. But Deveraux Cannick, the lawyer of the man accused of the crime, Anthony "Harv" Ellison, said not so fast, as he told reporters that he intends to argue that the incident was staged. Keep an eye out on this case.

LA LA ANTHONY

It seems like you can always tell when La La Anthony and Carmelo Anthony are on the outs because girlfriend is setting those “thirst traps!”

SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS HANGS OUT WITH CARDI B

Grammy Award-winning rapper, Cardi B, is no stranger to voicing her concerns about government and politics, and her support of US Senator Bernie Sanders for US President. Cardi recently spoke with the senator in a Detroit nail salon about issues surrounding policing, student debt, and wages.

STOCK MARKET HAS SOME ON EDGE

The U.S. stock market has been acting a little jittery recently in reaction to impending recessions around the world and to Donald Trump’s erratic imposition of tariffs on China, the effects the tariffs are having on US farmers and Americans as a whole.

 

Chris Rock Let the World Know He Thinks La La Anthony is Hot

VIDEO DISCUSSION: Should Carmelo Anthony be upset with Chris Rock's pass at his estranged wife, La La Anthony? Is Chris Rock pouring salt in the wounds?

Word on the street is that New York Knicks basketball player Carmelo Anthony is hopping mad at comedian Chris Rock for shooting his shot at his estranged wife, La La Anthony on The Wendy Williams Show.

The Jasmine Brand is reporting that Anthony was so mad, he texted several friends to complain/vent and called film director and NY Knicks super fan Spike Lee for help; and reportedly La La is amused.

What’s The 411TV Announces Its List of 25 People to Watch in 2017

Celebrity and Entertainment P.R. Guru Angelo Ellerbee Tops What’s The 411TV’s list of 25 People to Watch in 2017

 

Click Photo Below for Visual Presentation of 25 People to Watch in 2017

Angelo Ellerbee Photo Credit Unknown 800x445

Brooklyn, NY; January 9, 2016—What’s The 411TV, a Brooklyn-based media company, today, announced its list of 25 People to Watch in 2017; and 46-year veteran of celebrity and entertainment public relations, Angelo Ellerbee, president and CEO of Double XXPosure Media Relations and author of the new book Ask Angelo, tops the list.

A designer by training, Angelo Ellerbee started his business focused on entertainment 46 years ago, and his life is a clear example that relationships matter. Angelo got his start in entertainment publicity working on the film, Native Son, which starred Oprah Winfrey. The Native Son gig came about because of his association with James Mtume, a Grammy Award-winning R&B musician, songwriter, and radio personality, who created the music for the film. Angelo met James Mtume, because Mtume's wife, also a designer, often attended Angelo's shows. From film publicity to recording artist publicity, Angelo’s business took off. He became the “go to” publicity firm for record companies’ Black music divisions, particularly from the 1980s to the early 2000s.

"For the fifth consecutive year, What’s The 411TV has brought great stories to the public," said Ruth J. Morrison, CEO and Executive Producer, What's The 411TV. “I never get tired of listening to the backstories of how people and things evolve. It is incredibly inspiring and moving to listen to Angelo Ellerbee, Vera Moore, and Eustace Greaves, entrepreneurs with businesses that are more than 25-years-old, as well as the millennial entrepreneurs Lisette Ffolkes; Cylla Senii; Brandon Brathwaite; and Asha Boston who are on an entrepreneurial startup journey. Our list also includes founders of nonprofits, the phenomenal Marian Wright Edelman and Carl Clay, each seeking to solve problems within their communities. On the sport side, athletes Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler, Sean Kilpatrick, Brook Lopez, and Jeremy Lin make the list, along with Dr. Riley J. Williams III, an Orthopedic Surgeon, Medical Director and Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA) professional basketball team. And, it warms my heart to watch and listen to DJ Annie Red, an eight-year-old inspirational kid rapper, athlete, painter, and musician.”

As in years past, the eclectic list consists of people interviewed by What's The 411TV reporters primarily as exclusives.

Below is What's The 411TV's list of 25 People to Watch in 2017:

 1. Angelo Ellerbee; CEO, Double XXPosure Media Relations
 2. Marian Wright Edelman; an advocate for the rights of disadvantaged children
 3. Dr. Riley Williams; an Orthopedic Surgeon, Medical Director and Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA)
 4. Carl Clay; writer, producer, filmmaker, visionary, and founder of the Black Spectrum Theatre
 5. LaTanya Richardson Jackson; actress, producer, and philanthropist
 6. Vera Moore; CEO, Vera Moore Cosmetics, owner a 37-year-old cosmetics company created for women with darker skin tones
 7. Carmelo Anthony; Forward, NY Knicks (NBA) professional basketball team
 8. Jimmy Butler; Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Chicago Bulls (NBA) professional basketball team
 9. Sean Kilpatrick; Guard, Brooklyn Nets (NBA) professional basketball team
10. Brook Lopez; Center, Brooklyn Nets (NBA) professional basketball team
11. Jeremy Lin; Guard, Brooklyn Nets (NBA) professional basketball team
12. June Ambrose; celebrity stylist and fashion designer dressing some of the biggest Hollywood stars in the business
13. Paulina Porizkova; a Czechoslovakian model, actress, author, and philanthropist
14. Eustace L. Greaves Jr.; LUTCF, the owner of Greaves Financial Services and The Bridge Insurance Agency
15. Paul D. Jones, financial wiz and author of several money management books including, I Quit Being Broke
16. Asha Boston; journalist and documentarian; widely recognized for the documentaries, The Dinner Table, and A Time Before Kale
17. Cylla Senii and Brandon Brathwaite; the producing team for the web series, Situationships
18. Lisette Ffolkes; millennial entrepreneur and President, Jam+Rico, a jewelry and apparel design firm
19. Blushhh Music; a harmonically blended hip-hop and R&B trio from the man and company that brought us Destiny’s Child
20. Terrell "T-Rex" Simon; singer, and artist management
21. Sean C. Turner and Douglas Wade; actors and principal actors in the Black Spectrum Theatre’s production of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running
22. DJ Annie Red; the seven-year-old dynamo athlete, painter, and musician
23. Roxanne Persaud, New York State Senator representing New York's 19th Senatorial District
24. Mercedes Narcisse; community activist, and former candidate for the New York state Senate
25. Natasha Leath; a Motivational Spiritualist, who has a gift to read people's past, present, and future

A special note:

Congratulations to Courtney Rashon!

Courtney Rashon is a celebrity makeup artist and beauty consultant; owner of Pretty Girl Gang Cosmetics; television host with the award-winning television show, What’s The 411; and now, Courtney is the author of the new book, Giving Face: The Art To Looking Flawless For Every Occasion.

Past Honorees:

Past personalities on What's The 411TV's list previously named 25 Most Interesting People include: Harry Belafonte; documentary photographer Steven Somerstein; the late Maya Angelou; Serena Williams; NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan; authors James Paterson and Ta-Nehisi Coates; breast cancer survivor and founder of Beating Cancer in Heels CEO, Marlena Ortiz; Motown Founder, Berry Gordy; Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov; New York Knicks great and Basketball Hall of Famer Willis Reed; Basketball Hall of Famer and entrepreneur Earvin "Magic" Johnson; NFL player Richard Sherman; former heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson; former WNBC-TV news anchor Sue Simmons; and more.

About What's The 411TV

Based in Brooklyn, New York, What's The 411TV connects sophisticated multi-cultural audiences with its content through its distribution platforms of television, online, and mobile.

What's The 411TV produces two weekly television shows, What's The 411, an award-winning entertainment and lifestyle television show and What's The 411Sports, a sports news and commentary television show. The company covers the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, New York Giants, US OPEN, and other sports events.

What's The 411TV's celebrity portfolio consists of interviews with Magic Johnson, Beyonce, Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Danny Glover, Harrison Ford, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Hudson, and many, many more.

About Ruth J. Morrison

Ruth J. Morrison is the CEO and Founder of What's The 411 Networks, an integrated media, marketing, and events, company, which produces the award-winning weekly news and information television show, What's The 411; What's The 411Sports, and the soon-to-be, What's The 411Business.

A video streaming pioneer, Ms. Morrison developed and launched from conception the City of New York's multi-channel cable television network and served as a Communications Director and Legislative Advisor to a New York member of the U.S. Congress. She is the first African-American independent television producer to have a weekly television show on WNYC-TV and for three years, she worked in Brasil as an entertainment and television licensing consultant for an American company.

Ms. Morrison earned a master's degree in Interactive Telecommunications from the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts at New York University and she was a Communications Fellow at the Annenberg Washington Program of Northwestern University. She taught courses in telecommunications at Fordham University and she completed her coursework towards a Ph.D. in Political Science at Columbia University.

###

Tom Brady Returns; Colin Kaepernick will be centered in Game 6

Was that a diss from Knicks' Carmelo Anthony to Nets' Jeremy Lin? Carolina Panthers Cam Newton still in concussion protocol

 

Check out video of Episode 79 of What's The 411Sports, where the panel of Keisha Wilson, Mike McDonald, and Sydney Wayman, are talking about:

The return of Tom Brady after serving an NFL four-game suspension for deflated footballs

MLB Playoffs - in particular, the Chicago Cubs; can the Chicago Cubs take it all?

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick will come under center in NFL Week 6, and a whole lot more in the video for What's The 411Sports Episode 79.

  • Published in Sports

NBA All-Star 2015 Meant More To New York City Than Basketball

When it was announced last year that the NBA All-Star 2015 would be held in New York City, fans from across the world were excited that one of the largest basketball events would be coming to the Big Apple. With the new Barclays Center in full effect located downtown Brooklyn, minutes from the Brooklyn Bridge and a new and improved Madison Square Garden, it was no question that the best city in the world could handle three days of NBA festivities. The remaining question that lingered going into NBA All-Star is whether or not Madison Square Garden is still the Mecca of Basketball and, perhaps, by extension, is New York City still the Mecca of Basketball. With the Knicks struggling to win games and the Brooklyn Nets remaining a team of overpriced players with a seemingly disconnected owner, there was only one New York born and partially raised player that made it on the All-Star roster—Carmelo Anthony. Yet despite the politics of basketball, it became evident that the events were more than just basketball.

The city had been recovering and healing after news spread on November 14 that Akai Gurley, a 28-year-old African American man who was shot to death by a NYPD officer in the stairwells in the New York City Housing Authority's Louis H. Pink Houses in East New York, Brooklyn. The rookie officer, Peter Liang who was patrolling the dark, unlit stairwell, fired his gun, resulting in a bullet ricocheting off a wall, striking Gurley in the chest. If that wasn't enough for the city to handle, a grand jury decided on November 24 not to indict Officer Darren Wilson after fatally killing Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri. Then two weeks later, here in New York, a Staten Island grand jury cleared an NYPD cop in the chokehold death of Eric Garner after the attack was caught on video. Garner was arrested for allegedly selling loose cigarettes. To top an already bad ending to 2014, two uniformed NYPD officers were shot to death in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn execution style in the line of duty after a gunman's mission revenge for the deaths of Garner and Brown.

The NBA has always been an organization in which players were allowed to express their voices, and due to the protests over the grand jury's decisions in the Brown and Garner cases, players like LeBron James, Derrick Rose and Brooklyn Nets players Kevin Garnett and Deron Williams wore T-shirts that read, "I can't breathe," the final words of Garner before he died in the chokehold. The players were responding to the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture that had been a worldwide slogan due to the deaths of Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. During media day for NBA All-Star, Miami Heat Dwayne Wade spoke about the importance of the NBA coming together during the course of these tragic events.

Dwayne-Wade-at-2015-NBA-All-Star-Media-Day 650x650Miami Heat guard Dwayne Wade at the 2015 NBA All-Star Media Day

"I think the individual guys have done a great job of [taking] a stand or getting behind on whatever they believe in. Nowadays it's obviously a lot easier because of social media...for your voices to be heard," he said. "The NBA supports us doing that....When we leave here (New York), we are obviously going to do something in the community."

Additionally, Wade revealed that he constantly talks to his sons about being "aware."

"My kids...are shielded from the real world. This doesn't happen to every kid in America or across the world," he said. "You try to show them as much as possible. I am an open book with my kids. I don't try to hide them from what's going on in the world; I try to educate them and hopefully one day if they get into a situation they know how to or what not to do." Wade's comments made it clear that NBA All-Star came at the perfect time.

New York City is labeled as one of the greatest cities in the world because the people have proven that they can and will always overcome adversity. The city has undoubtedly produced a lot of basketball talent, and the argument is still up in the air on whether or not it's still the Mecca of Basketball. However, what the NBA All-Star 2015 did do was help to unify a broken city, if only for a short while.

Brooklyn Nets Beat Lowly New York Knicks as Expected

Jarrett Jack's Stealth Three-Pointer Helps Net Win 92-88

In the initial year of the brand new Barclays Center of downtown Brooklyn, NY, when the New York Knicks visited the Brooklyn Nets, it meant something.

It was 2012, and the Nets opened their brand new home-arena, completing the transition from the Izod Center in East Rutherford New Jersey to the pressured and prestigious grounds of the city.

Both teams were competitive and every Nets-Knicks game gave fans an excuse to choose their side, creating exciting environments, whether it was Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.

It's 2015 and times have changed.

The Knicks are no longer the Atlantic Division champs and tonight the Nets reminded them how far they have fallen.

As ice covers our sidewalks creating dangerous walking conditions, New York had no trouble packing into Barclays tonight to witness the Nets defeat the Knicks, 92-88.

This win, increased the Nets winning streak to three, improving to (21-28) on the season as the Knicks, who showed fight, fell to (10-40).

30 games under .500, I know.

At least that's not the Nets who are in the midst of turning their season around, heading in the right direction for a change, after a horrendous month of January.

In the first month of the New Year, the Nets lost 12 of their scheduled 15 games, which included losing streaks of seven and four.

February, the month of love, is proving to be much kinder to the Nets as they have won the first three games of the month, including thrilling wins over NBA powerhouses in the Los Angeles Clippers (102-100) and the Toronto Raptors (109-93).

"The last three games have been great," said Deron Williams, according to ESPNNY.com.

"Three wins in a row. Tonight it was another where things didn't go right for us, but down the stretch we found ways to win."

If Williams is referring to "things didn't go right for us" as far as this game is concerned, then he must be questioning why his teammates only beat one of the worst teams in the league by four points.

Right now, the Nets are in the playoff race, occupying the 8th and final spot and in order to solidify their status as a playoff team or attempt to move up in the standings, the Nets have to be better than just four points against lottery teams,

All in all, they won this game, despite losing their grip on early leads and making the significant plays late in the final quarter to pull off an expected victory.

In the first half, the Nets enjoyed comfortable leads of 10 and 17 behind the strong play of Brook Lopez, who scored 14 of his team-high 22 points in the first half.

As for the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, with help from Lou Amundson, Jason Smith and Lance Thomas, would score nine of his team high 21 points in the last 4 min of the second quarter, battling back from a deficit of 17, entering the halftime period down by eight, 45-53.

I mentioned before that the Nets made the significant plays in the final period to achieve the victory and here they are:

With 1:38 remaining, and the Nets up by a slim 1-point lead, 87-86, Lopez, as he feasted all night from the painted area, connected on a 9-foot floater assisted by Jarrett Jack, to give the Nets a little breathing room, up three-87 to 84.

And here's the dagger.

Jack, courtesy of horrible Knicks defense and an assist by Joe Johnson, stood at the arc of the three-point line, all by his lonesome and connected from deep, giving the Nets the final say, up by four, 90-86, with 13 seconds remaining until the end of regulation.

Anthony couldn't dig the Knicks out of this hole, nor could the triangle offense.

The Nets did what they were supposed to do and that is the only praise that counts.

"This is big for us to close out the first half, especially before All-Star break, going into it on a positive note knowing that we start out from the West Coast right after the break," Joe Johnson said post-game, via ESPNNY.com

Every win is big, especially when you take care of your business at home as the superior to your opponent.

Four players in double-figures for the Nets in Lopez, Jack (20 points), Johnson (13 points), and Garnett (12 points) is big.

Brooklyn-Nets-players Brook-Lopez Joe-Johnson Kevin-Garnett 750x250

Brooklyn Nets center, Brook Lopez; shooting guard Joe Johnson; and forward, Kevin Garnett

Lopez, albeit coming off the bench receiving starting minutes (33 min tonight) and Williams seeing some action, returning from ailments this season and contributing to the Nets cause is also big.

In the Nets three wins this month, Lopez and Williams have provided stability from two of the most important positions on the court, with Lopez and Williams, both reaching double-figures in wins against the Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and tonight against the Knicks (Lopez: 24 points vs. LAC, 22 vs. Knicks, Williams: 15 points vs LAC, 11 Raptors).

It might not be what Nets management expected from this team, with how they envisioned Williams and Lopez as the primary pillars of success, but this format is working (Williams and Lopez-role players) and head coach Lionel Hollins would be foolish to remove Jack and Mason Plumlee from the starting lineup as they have earned their current roles.

The Nets will look to improve their streak against the Washington Wizards tonight, and hopefully, if the opportunity presents itself, against the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets over their next five games (including All-Star Weekend).

A three game-winning streak could prevent Nets management from blowing up Brooklyn basketball, looking forward to the future in rebuilding.

In February, it appears the Nets are not interested in that plan.

For the moment, the playoffs are actually a possibility.

Phil Jackson Asks Knicks’ Fans to be Patient

After falling to 5-26 following their 102-91 loss to the Washington Wizards on Christmas Day, New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony shared his thoughts on the current state of the players comparing it to one of the fans that lives and dies by the orange and blue.

"I feel what the fans are feeling," Anthony said, according to ESPNNY.com. "The Fans are dying, we're dying....As much as I feel for the fans, I feel for us going through it too."

He's not lying.

On ESPN FirstTake with Cari Champion, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith, last week Chris Rock stopped by as their guest and when asked about the state of the Knicks, Rock said that the Knicks were "Eddie Curry Bad."

If you know the Knicks, then you KNOW what Eddie Curry bad is.

The Knicks are in the midst of a six-game losing streak, with their last win coming in Boston almost two weeks ago. Tonight they will travel to the west to take on the "okay", 12-17 Sacramento Kings at 10 pm tonight.

It will probably be a loss but what's new.

As far as the losses are concerned, first-year Head Coach Derek Fisher remains as cool as ice-cream on the sidelines, keeping his emotions in check without showing any signs of melting throughout this season.

"No I have plenty of (emotion)," Fisher said, according to ESPN.

"It's just there are appropriate times to do it....Emotions during the game are already high enough. Oftentimes that's when you see confrontations between players and coaches.

"There are ways to be confrontational and let guys know how you feel without being angry and out of control. But as time goes on, the longer I'm here, the more you'll see."

There it is, Fisher expressing himself the only way Fisher can.

Fisher won't say he's suffering but it's obvious he is, especially for a first-year Head Coach whose playing career revolved around winning championships and having a win-at-all-cost type of mentality.

And if this hurts Fisher, you can only imagine how the newly appointed President of Basketball Operations in Phil Jackson feels.

Jackson is a two-time NBA Champion as a player and an 11-time NBA Champion as a Head Coach.

His Wins, have Wins.

So in his first experience as a general manager, without the opportunity to pace along the sidelines and teach and draw up strategies for the players to digest and implement, Jackson is out of his natural element.

Knicks fans did not expect the 2014-15 Jackson-Knicks to win a championship in its first year, but Jackson hauling in an excess of $12-million over the next 5-years should, at least translate to the 8th seed this year right?

It all goes back to Jackson's first summer as a GM and the transactions he executed.

He fired then Head Coach Mike Woodson and his coaching staff and replaced them with Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis.

Phil Jackson signed Jason Smith.

He also traded center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to the Dallas Mavericks for guards Jose Calderon, Shane Larkin and Wayne Ellington, center Samuel Dalembert and two second-round draft picks.

Jackson extended Anthony to a 5-year deal worth over $120-million, re-signed Cole Aldrich, drafted Cleanthony Early, exercised the third-year option on point guard Tim Hardaway Jr. and acquired forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw from the Sacramento Kings for guard Wayne Ellington and forward Jeremy Tyler.

It was a busy off-season, including many moves which have yet to pay dividends.

Chandler has rejuvenated the Mavericks providing the authority in the middle that is so absent from the Knicks right now as Dalembert's efforts scream "Release".

Ellington could've been a viable option from the perimeter but the log-jam at the shooting-guard position with Hardaway Jr., Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith forced Jackson to part ways with the shooter.

Calderon suffered an injury early in the season, forcing Fisher to start Larkin, which spelled trouble for the Knicks as early as the first month.

Anthony is Anthony and everyone else has struggled to grasp the concept of the new "Triangle" offense.

To be honest, Jackson didn't sign many winners and that can have an effect on a franchise hoping to change its dreadful past into an optimistic future.

Aaron Brooks, backing up Derrick Rose for the Chicago Bulls could have helped.

Rumors circled around Pau Gasol wanting to team-up with Jackson once again, but he, like Brooks elected to go to a winner in the Bulls.

Shaun Livingston, Kris Humphries (actually playing well for Washington), Rasaul Butler (Shooting 51.2% from three), and Al-Farouq Aminu (a good defender) were all available, and Jackson failed to sign these players who are all playing essential roles for their teams, who all sport winning records (Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards and the Dallas Mavericks respectively).

Jackson made moves with the future in mind and the immediate future of this season is an absolute travesty.

I hate to mention Andrea Bargnani and his allergic reaction to playing basketball.

What saves Jackson is the fact that it is only year-one.

Rome wasn't built in one day.

Even pancakes take time to make.

The Knicks need time.

If you want some good news: the Knicks are on pace to secure a top-5 pick in a draft that boasts potential stars in center Jahlil Okafor (Duke), guard Emmanuel Mudiay (China) and forward Karl Towns (Kentucky).

The Knicks will also have enough money coming off the cap next off-season, to sign a max player when unrestricted free-agents in Marc Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Al Jefferson, Goran Dragic, and Paul Millsap, among others, will all be available.

But the 2015 NBA Draft and the 2015 NBA Off-Season seem like years away and New Yorkers are hurting as we speak.

Until then there's not much we can do except "Hold On......." like Drake said.

And cut Jackson some slack because it's his first year.

At 10:33, Phil Jackson tweeted to #Knicksnation: "Merry Christmas to all and Peace on earth. Please be assured your hopes and wishes are getting through to Santa. He will bring a better 2015 than 14. The effort and skill of our team will grow as the players learn how to play with and for each other."

Let's hope so.

NEW YORK KNICKS BEAT THE CHARLOTTE HORNETS 96-93

Carmelo Anthony Makes History

Things went so well this Sunday evening for New York Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony; he made history and led his team to victory.

That usually doesn't happen on the same night.

Anthony became the 40th player to join the NBA's 20,000 points club, finishing with a team-high 28 points to lead the Knicks to a thrilling 96-93 win over the re-branded Charlotte Hornets.

Unfortunately, the Hornets were hit with the injury bug.

A member of their young core in forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist suffered a rib contusion mid-way into the first quarter after falling awkwardly in trying to corral a rebound from Knicks guard, Shane Larkin.

I must say that I love the new look Hornets re-branding returning to the NBA because the Bobcats logo and branding was horrible.

Just seeing those Jerseys reminds me of Muggsy Bogues, Larry Johnson and Alonzo Mourning, but anyway the Knicks won.

The early ball-movement of the Knicks offense was very encouraging and along with solid team defense, the Knicks were able to build an early 15-5 advantage on an Anthony made three-pointer with 7:42 remaining in the first quarter.

More of the same ball movement trend leaked into the 2nd quarter in which the Knicks took the largest lead of the game, leading 45-30 with 4:37 remaining until halftime.

Iman Shumpert starred in the first half contributing 11 points doing most of his damage from outside.

His defensive tenacity, over-zealous at times, regulated him to the bench as he gained his second foul with 6:41 remaining in the first quarter.

He would contribute the game-changing play later in the game.

With basketball being a game of runs, it was only a matter of time until the Hornets got their feet wet and familiarized themselves with their surroundings.

As the Hornets cut the early lead to single digits, the ball-movement the Knicks exhibited throughout the first half vanished which then resulted in a game of possessions.

The Hornets cut the Knicks early double digit lead and trailed by two points, going into halftime down 50-52.

It was homecoming for the Hornets All-NY back-court, Lance Stephenson and Kemba Walker who did everything in their power to spoil the Knicks second home game of the year.

With the Knicks unable to preserve their early lead and the Hornets evenly matching up with their opponents, the second half of this game produced plenty of gut-wrenching moments for both fans of both teams.

It was a back-and-forth affair. You score, I score.

The biggest lead held by either team in the second half was three points.

That explains it all.

The Knicks can never win comfortable and give their fans an easy night off.

Everything the Knicks do is designed to provide a difficult task for themselves as well as their fan-base.

From that perspective, they definitely delivered.

Al Jefferson plagued the Knicks all night long scoring inside with ease with the only capable defender being Samuel Dalembert, who troubled Jefferson by forcing the low-post scorer to his left.

Due to Dalembert's defense, Jefferson was taken out of the game offensively as he produced a scoreless fourth quarter.

It was all up to the back-court hailing from New York City, who both came up short in the deciding quarter.

Stephenson was less aggressive and played the role of facilitator while Walker was limited to a two-point fourth quarter courtesy of Knicks reserve guard, Pablo Prigioni's defense.

There's a reason why he's still on this roster.

Even with the limited production of the Hornets back-court, the Knicks struggled to put the Hornets away and found themselves in a hole with the game hanging in the balance.

A made jump-shot by Hornets reserve guard Gary Neal and a Walker reverse lay-up granted the Hornets a 93-90 lead with 2:49 remaining.

It was make or break time for the Knicks and they chose wisely, executing timely hoops which proved to supply the damage necessary in order to achieve the victory.

Down by three, Knicks guard Iman Shumpert connected on a three-pointer which tied the game at 93-all with 2:06 remaining till the end of regulation.

All the Knicks needed now was a stop: Check.

How about a basket to put the Knicks ahead by someone who was brought here for these moments worth $122 million? Check.

Anthony has provided clutch baskets throughout his career and did not disappoint the Knicks fans in attendance tonight.

Guarded by Hornets forward Marvin Williams, Anthony sank an elbow jumper from the triple-threat position giving the Knicks a 95-93 lead with 1:24 remaining in the fourth.

Game-over.

Other than Anthony's historic night, Amare Stoudemire displayed flashes of his old-self adding 17 points and 10 rebounds.

Larkin also played well contributing nine points, five assists and two steals.

For the Hornets, Walker finished with 16 points while Stephenson compiled 14 points, 8 assists and 9 rebounds, two assists and one rebound away from a triple-double.

If Stephenson can improve his outside shot, he will be scary.

The Knicks shot 50% from the field and totaled 23 assists.

Last year, this would have been a game that the Knicks would have lost without a doubt.

This year's team is much improved.

My biggest takeaway from this game was the coaching.

Knicks Head Coach Derek Fisher has a presence and is pushing the right buttons early on.

No less than 30 seconds off the clock in the 4th quarter and Fisher elects to call a timeout as Hornets center Cody Zeller rose for an uncontested dunk.

Fisher was disgusted with the defense and showed no tolerance for the defensive effort on that play specifically.

That's what the Knicks need.

They need to be held accountable.

All in all, the Knicks are 2-1 and their next opponent is no walk in the park as the Knicks will host the Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

That means the explosive exploits of guard John Wall and forward Paul Pierce, Knicks public enemy no.1.

The road gets tougher but for now Anthony is the 40th member of the NBA's 20,000 point club.

Congrats.

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