Kritik und Lob » t due to lingering injuries. Whittingha

Two defensively challenged teams square off Wednesday in the first installment this season for basketball supremacy in New York.The Brooklyn Nets (3-4) make a quick jaunt across the East River to face the New York Knicks (2-4) in the first of four meetings between the Atlantic Division rivals.The Knicks have allowed at least 30 points or more in 10 of the 24 quarters this season, including a season-high 36 in the fourth quarter of a 114-109 loss at home to Utah on Sunday. New York was leading at the half 54-49.Teams are shooting 46.4 percent against the Knicks, ranking them 27th. Their 3-point defense is ranked 28th and their defensive rebounding percentage is the lowest among the 32 teams.The Knicks are 27th in the league in defensive scoring, allowing 109.8 points a game. Their defensive rating, which is based on points allowed per 100 possessions, is last in the league.The Nets are coming off a 119-110 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. They are allowing 107 points per game, placing them 21st in the league. Their defensive rating is 19th in the league.To hopefully help offset some of the Knicks defensive woes, coach Jeff Hornacek has put assistant Kurt Rambis in charge of the defense. Rambis was the interim coach during the second half of last season after Derek Fisher was fired.It couldve been anybody, Hornacek told the New York Post of the change. It couldve been Jerry (Sichting). It couldve been Corey (Gaines). We all talk as a coaching staff about the same things. Kurt had some of these guys last year, so just thought it was better to put him in there.The Knicks favored offense is the much ballyhooed triangle, which they also practice to defend. The problem is the majority of the NBA plays a pick-and-roll offense, which the Knicks are having problems defending against.I mean, thats the way that the game of basketball is being played these days, regardless of whether we want to admit to it or not, Carmelo Anthony told Northjersey.com.Anthony leads the Knicks in scoring at 22.8 points per game.I wouldnt say Im frustrated, Anthony said. Theres some things we have to get better at, some things that we have to do better. And we have to figure that part out. We have to work at it. ... I wouldnt be frustrated at this point in the season because we still have some work to do.To compound the Nets defensive shortcomings, coach Kenny Atkinson has been forced to play a short-handed backcourt. Atkinson said he has not decided if guard Jeremy Lin, who is out with a strained left hamstring, will travel on the upcoming road trip.Veteran Randy Foyes return from a hamstring injury will bolster the defense, although his minutes will be limited. Foye saw 14 minutes of action Tuesday.Backup guard Greivis Vasquez is also sidelined, forcing Atkinson to use rookie Isaiah Whitehead and combo-guard Sean Kilpatrick, who ranks second on the team in scoring and seems to have found stability with his third team in two seasons.I think Sean (Kilpatrick) can definitely play the point, Atkinson told the New York Post. Hes done it. He handles pick-and-roll, but we dont want to get Sean too out of his role. Hes done a fantastic job scoring off the bench for us.Atkinson also said the Nets will decide Wednesday if center Brook Lopez plays at New York on the second end of a back-to-back. Lopez led the Nets with 26 points against Minnesota. He sat out the second part of a back-to-back Oct. 28 in Milwaukee. Cheap NBA Jerseys . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said. http://www.cheapnbajerseysfromchina.com/ . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Cheap Basketball Jerseys .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Wholesale Basketball Jerseys . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. SALT LAKE CITY -- Hours after coach Kyle Whittingham said No. 24 Utah didnt sustain any season-ending injuries during its loss California, the Utes found out three-year starting center J.J. Dielman will miss the rest of the season due to a lower leg injury.Whittingham said several players were having MRIs on Monday to determine the severity of their injuries. Dielman clearly got bad news as the school said he was out in a release Monday afternoon.He joins former starting defensive end Kylie Fitts and tight end Siale Fakailoatonga on the sideline for the rest of the season with injuries.Utah is coming off its first loss, but it may have bigger problems in the quest for a Pac-12 title. The Utes have been ravaged by injuries at receiver, offensive line, running back, defensive line and in the secondary.Id be here for a half hour if we start talking about all the injuries, Whittingham said.Former walk-on Lo Falemaka is next in line on the depth chart, but Utah did not make the junior available to media Monday. He had a slow start with a pair of bad plays when he entered the game last week, but quarterback Troy Williams said they laughed it off.He told me, `Hey man, I just had to get my jitters out real quick, Williams said. I told him I understand fully. We have a great team, great guys all around. Next guy just has to step up and take advantage of his opportunity.Utah lost its No. 1 receiver Tim Patrick, starting cornerback Reggie Porter and Dielman during Saturdays game. Patrick said he expects to play this week.Whittingham and Utah give little details about injuries, so Porters status is unknown. He did mention that receiver Kyle Fulks had to leave the game last week and both running back Troy McCormick and receiver Tyrone Smith are both banged up.First-team All-Pac-12 defensive line Lowell Lotulelei missed last game after suffeering a shoulder injury the previous week against USC.ddddddddddddStarting slot receiver Cory Butler-Byrd didnt travel to California and Whittingham said it was a physical issue. The coach hopes he can play against Arizona.Theres about a dozen guys whos in that category, Whittingham said.Sophomore receiver Raelon Singleton had his best game with career highs in receptions (7) and yards (98) as the No. 1 option in the pass game after Patrick went down. Williams said he confident in all his receivers, but Patrick is No. 32 in the country with 429 receiving yards and is tied for No. 12 with five touchdown catches. The Utes didnt have a single receiver that caught five touchdowns in all of 2015.Utah had already lost senior running back Joe Williams to retirement due to lingering injuries. Whittingham announced that sophomore Armand Shyne has been promoted to starting running back over Zach Moss after he rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns against Cal.The Utes (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12) arent panicking despite the plethora of injuries. The goal of winning the conference title is still attainable as No. 21 Colorado (4-1, 2-1) is the lone Pac-12 South team without a conference loss. The Buffaloes host Utah in the regular-season finale. Whittingham doesnt believe anyone in the conference will go undefeated and said a two-loss team will likely win the title.Its easy to let yourself fall into that, like, `Why us? Utah safety Chase Hansen said. But then you realize, everyones banged up. You look at Arizona and they have the same thing going on with them.Honestly, it feels like it happens every year. So theres no point in being surprised. You just have got to be ready. Next guy up. ... No excuses, thats a team motto. ' ' '