LJ's Four-Point Play

With the Knicks off for a few days, I'm going to try and bring you some cool videos this week. Here's just about the best video out there of Larry Johnson's infamous four-point play in the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals, with the full NBC coverage of the possession and Tom Hammond's famous call. Enjoy.


Mmmm.

Anyway, the Knicks' next game is against Larry Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers. Grrr. Walt and Crispino wondered last night why people don't have cool nicknames anymore like "Downtown" Freddie Brown. Here's one: "Bitch Bastard Douchebag Jizz Jar" Larry Brown. Has a nice ring to it.

Peace. Enjoy the football.

Knicks 111, Sonics 93

The Knicks finished their road trip on a high note, swiftly and soundly decapitating the Sonics for a wire-to-wire win. Stephon Marbury and Jamal Crawford worked hard and shut down Ray "Jesus Shuttlesworth" Allen to cripple the Sonic offense. Eddy Curry (9 for 9) and the Knicks shot the lights out, rebounded well, and had their most complete win of the season against an injury-plagued team. Game notes:

- Mike Crispino subbed in for Mike Breen on the play-by-play. He was jovial and informative, but definitely suffers from a case of Gus Johnson syndrome. He yells WAY too much- about things as commonplace as tip-ins and 24 second violations. As I was semi-asleep for most of the second half, he startled the shit outta me a few times. Crispino's loud enough to wake up my neighbors. And by neighbors, I mean Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware.

- Walt Frazier described Danny Fortson as "portly". Walt's kind-hearted. Anyone else might've called him "expecting".

Uh...yeah.
- Jerome James kicked off his Seattle return with 2 fouls in 2 minutes. Awesome.

- Who taught David Lee to pass? Suddenly, he's dropping some nifty dimes in the paint. Another good option to feed Curry. The ball.

- Clyde's take on Curry's continued dominance from Wednesday's game: "Different venue, same menu". It feels good to talk about feeding and menus with Eddy Curry and have it actually relate to basketball.

- I like those "Bobby Granger's Guide to the Rangers" commercials. The one where Brendan Shanahan hits a slapshot into his balls is hilarious. "What apple?". Hahaha. I guess you had to be there.

- Curry (22), Crawford (17) and Marbury (13) all had around their point averages by halftime.

- Every team has a big man whose job it is to block for the point guard when the ball is being brought up. This is typically done by just running into the opposing guard and thrusting your junk into his face so he backs off. Kurt Thomas used to have this job, and now it's Channing Frye's.

- More classic Frazier from this game...He called Crawford a "kleptomaniac" in reference to his numerous steals in the last few games. I love Clyde.

- The Sonics have the full word "SEATTLE" on the waistband of their shorts. It looks kinda dumb.

- Balkman had three pass deflections on one Seattle possession. Good stuff.

- Mickael Gelabale is listed at 215 lbs. I'd guess that about 55 of those pounds are from his head.

"C'mon Mickael, just try the hat on!"
"Coach, you're embarassing me."
- Ryan McNeill and I talked about Knick tattoos a few weeks ago on his Raptors Podcast, and I mentioned that David Lee hadn't gone with that trend. Now that I look at it, he appears to have some sort of tat on his right shoulder, usually hidden by his jersey. I could be seeing things.

- Great moment...Late in garbage time, the Seattle crowd started a "We Want Jerome" chant. MSG had a shot of the entire Knick bench joining in the chant, with Isiah inviting James to sub in, and Jerome declining with a laugh. That was pretty funny. I wish he at least did the Patrick Ewing stand-and-wave for the crowd. He mighta gotten a sarcastic standing ovation.

Anyway, it was an easy and complete win on both ends for the Knicks. Now they have a long rest before they start a three game home stand on Wednesday against the Sixers. What the shit am I gonna do with myself between now and then? Well, until tomorrow, Goodnight, and Peace to all.

Knicks-Sonics Tonight

The Knicks end their road trip in Seattle tonight...and Penny Hardaway might be involved. Great for Penny that he's getting back into basketball, but if he suddenly lights up the Knicks, I'm gonna have a canary.

Anyway, the Sonics are missing Rashard Lewis, which is nice, because Jeffries and friends would have a tough time containing him. Ray Allen is in, and he'll certainly get his. The Sonics' best big men are Johan Petro and Mouhamed Sene. For himself, for the Knicks, and for the U.S. of A, Eddy Curry's gotta have a big game against those guys. If all goes well, this should look exactly like the Portland game.

Recap coming your way late tonight (early tomorrow). Go Knicks. Peace.

It's TNT NBA Thursday

Ernie, Kenny, and Charles are back on your television this evening. Things kick off with the Pistons at Hornets, FOLLOWED by a can't-miss game: Lakers at Kings with Professor Barkley doing color commentary in Steve Kerr's place. Yes, that means Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Charles Barkley, and Vitaly Potapenko will all be in the same building. Shit will get crazy.

Anyway, who loves an NBA fight? I do! Here's a 5 minute video of some good ones over the last few seasons. My favorite is the last one, footage of that unforgettable moment when Chris Childs gave Kobe a nice 1-2 to the jaw. Awesome.


So hit up some TNT tonight, I'll get backatcha tomorrow for Knicks-Sonics. Peace.

Knicks 99, Blazers 81

For the first time in a little while, the Knicks won, and did so without any drama or sweat on my part. A balanced attack from Curry, Crawford, and Marbury, with some great rebounding and interior defense led the Knicks to victory. Game notes:

- Clyde donned a red and green plaid jacket this evening. The man can pull off just about anything.

- In the first quarter, Jeffries air-balled a free throw by the worst margin I've ever seen. He must've missed by about a foot. Yikes. Jared's range can only be seen with a microscope.

- I think the Blazers have my favorite jerseys in the league. They're slick, simple, and still show the same basic template as the uniforms of old.

You stay classy, Portland.
- LaMarcus Aldridge is sporting one of those outline beards that seems to be all the rage amongst rookie power forwards. Craig Smith and Leon Powe have rocked the jawline fuzz as well.

- Finally, the alley-oop! Both Marbury and Crawford had an oop-tossing bonanza, with Curry being the primary recipient. Curry converted at least 5 easy dunks off of high passes. There's good chemistry on those plays, and I'd like to see the lob thrown much more often.

- Speaking of Curry, young Eddy eats double teams like you for breakfast. He did a much better job of passing out of, and even maneuvering around double and triple coverage in the paint.

- The Knicks really made the Blazers look like...the Knicks. Portland was held at arm's length for most of the game, and every time they made a little run, the Knicks produced a good O-bound or a defensive stop to kill the momentum. It was a taste of opponents' own medicine for the Knicks.

- Crawford did a great job of playing passing lanes, picking off a lot of lazy ones and even converting a sick one-handed fast break flush over Brandon Roy.

Atta boy!
- The Blazers have a "Hustle Board" up in the Rose Garden, which posts stats like steals, blocks, and fast break points. That board does not belong in Portland.

- "Codename: The Cleaner" looks like it might very well be the worst movie ever made. I love bad movies, but come on.

- Sergio Rodriguez runs funny. He kinda steps with his heels. I'm not sure. I liked what I saw from him though, even if his name makes him sound like a professional poker player.

- Jamaal Magloire threw down a Harold Miner eyes-covered dunk on Balkman. That, or Magloire was lamenting the Blazers' poor play AND rocking the rim simultaneously, which would be some very talented multi-tasking on his part.

Baby Jordan?
- Martell Webster caught an alley-oop pass from S-Rod and stuffed it right into the crotch of the rim. (The side part where the ball always gets stuck. Is there a better name for that?) It was that kinda night for Webster.

- No one besides Jeffries forced a lot of shots tonight, which indicates good ball movement and patience. Some stat lines: Curry had an efficient 27 and 10, Marbury had 17, 7, and 7. Crawford had 25 and 6 assists. Lee had 9 points, 14 bounds, and 4 very pretty assists.

Anyway, it was a good, relaxing win for the Knicks. Let's hope the momentum carries over to Seattle, where the Knicks can almost wash the previous losses of this road trip. Goodnight.

Knicks-Blazers Tonight

The Knicks take on the Trailblazers tonight up in the mecca of basketball, Portland. This is the first meeting between the two, but Zach Randolph has had a history of burning the Knicks. He's a tricky-ass lefty, so why not put another lefty, David Lee, on him? Just might work.

Speaking of Z-Bo here's a video of Randolph visiting the home of a Blazers-obsessed little kid with a Randolph-themed room. Turns out they have a lot in common. They're both named Zack, both love basketball and video games, and both have very pinchable cheeks! Enjoy. (The video isn't available to embed).

By the way, here's a weird little tidbit from the Blazers' current homepage:

Here’s a some trivia for all the fantasy basketball team owners out there: If you had chance at any player on a Knicks starting lineup that includes Stephon “Starbury” Marbury, Steve “Franchise” Francis, Quentin “Q” Richardson, sharp-shooting Channing Frye and NBA cast-off Eddy Curry, who would’ve been the smartest choice to anchor your fantasy team?

The answer? Eddy Curry, who despite starting on a roster filled with backcourt talent, averages a team-high 18.2 points per game and leads all starters with 7.2 rebounds...

Backhanded compliment much?

Game's at 10:00. Go Knicks. Later.

EDIT: On page 22 of this week's New Yorker Magazine, a cartoon by Danny Shanahan that shows a family sitting at a dinner table with the father saying, "And if you don't finish your vegetables Daddy will take you to a Knicks game." Oh I get it, because the Knicks are bad. Ha. They just had 3 straight overtime wins at the Garden, so the New Yorker can shove it. Because I'm very mature, I bit a big chunk out of the page. So there.

Kings 112, Knicks 100

The Knicks got completely outplayed tonight in Sacto. Congratulations to the Kings and Ron Artest, who threw down a career high 39 points. The Knicks were turnover-prone (18), inaccurate at the line (17-28), and overall slow-footed on defense in their defeat. Credit the Kings for hitting the tough, momentous shots to keep New York perpetually at arm's length. As I've said before, its the teams that don't sink those key shots when the Knicks cut it close (i.e. Cleveland, Utah, and Detroit) that end up squandering leads. Some game notes:

- Former Knicks announcer Jim Karvellas passed away at the age of 71. I honestly didn't know much about the guy beforehand, but fine stories from Clyde and Breen, as well as some audio footage and interviews of Karvellas revealed what a likable and Knick-crazy individual he was. Also, his trademark line was "BULLS-eye!", which is pretty cool.

- I've always wondered if Shareef Abdur-Rahim was always known as such, or if he assumed the name latter in life, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mahmoud Abdul-Raouf, or Tariq Abdul-Wahad. Well, according to Wikipedia the name is, in fact, his birth name. He is a devout Muslim and his father is an Imam, a leader within the faith.

- There were a few bizarre plays in this game. One occured when David Lee intercepted a pass late in the Kings shot clock. As he got his hands on it and started to throw an outlet, the 24 second buzzer sounded from the previous possession. Lee freaked out and blatantly shuffled his feet, getting called for the travel. They have a loud-ass buzzer in Sacramento.

- Maybe David Lee should be posting up a little more? He is ambidextrous, shoots a good percentage, and rarely wastes a good mismatch. It could definitely take some pressure off of Curry.

- Clyde used the phrase "Hurryin' and worryin" at one point to describe the Knicks' D on Francisco Garcia. Just like "draining and paining" from a few games ago, that's the first time I've heard that rhyme. Who are the 5 best rappers in the world? Clyde, Clyde, Clyde, Clyde, Clyde. Because he spits hot fire.

- Numerous filthy dunks in this game by the Kings. Kevin Martin blew by Crawford and threw down a two-hand 180 whilest sitting on Jeffries' face. Later, Shareef Abdur-Rahim neé Shareef Abdur-Rahim crossed up Mittens and flushed one on his head.

- Bizzare play number 2: With time winding down in the first half, Mike Bibby thought he felt contact (there was minimal, if any) from Mardy Collins, and jacked up an awkward three-pointer to draw the foul. He buried the weird three but the foul wasn't called. Asshole.

Yup, that went in.
- There's a different guy now speaking in that quick "express written consent of the NBA" bit during every game. I didn't just plagiarize by saying that, did I?

- Brad Miller wanted a whistle on one play, and let the ref know with a hearty "Gaw Dang! Hur durr da foul on ma!" He got T'd up for his tirade, responded by spitting a wad of tobacco at the ref's feet, and then got ejected. I don't have Tivo, but I'm pretty sure that's how it went down.

- Malik had a righteous smother chicken on Shareef, and it was completely clean. It was one of those blocks that lasted nearly a full second, with the ball never actually being dislodged. He blocked Shareef's whole body through the ball. It was cool.

- On a night when Ron Artest was unbelievably hot from every region of the court, Renaldo Balkman registered a big fat DNP-CD, or as I like to call it, a DiNoPlaCoDe. I don't actually like to call it that. Well, I didn't before. I do now. Dinoplacode.

Coulda used the Humpty Hump...
- Final thought: Both of the Knicks big men are very slow-footed on Defense. I suppose Mittens has an excuse because he weighs 280 pounds, but what's Channing Frye's excuse?

Anyway, it was a tough loss in a raucous arena, but there was enough excitement to keep the basketball fan in me intrigued while the Knicks fan in me pouted. The Knicks continue their trip in Portland tomorrow night. See you then. Peace.

Knicks-Kings Tonight

The Knicks play the third game of their West Coast bogus journey this evening, taking on the Sacramento Kings at 10 EST. Pay close attention the Brad Miller- Eddy Curry matchup down low. Miller's a good passer and jump-shooter, a type of center that Curry has had trouble defending. Hopefully, Mittens can muscle him around and get him in foul trouble on the other end. Let's get that Mean Streak started again. This is a decent opportunity for a win on the road trip, so the Knicks best get their shit together.

What's that you ask? You'd like to see a tear-jerking video montage of the Kings' recent glory days? Well looky here, young fella. I've got just the thing, but be warned that it has a very sad ending.


Ahhh, those were the days.

Anyway, in other news, Steve Francis is giving the Knicks the Penny Hardaway treatment and peacing out for an undetermined amount of time. Stevie will be heading home to Houston, where trainers can give more personal attention to his crappity-ass knees. Obviously, I hope he feels better, but the Knicks have already proven to be in decent shape without him. With Nate returning soon and Mardy Collins starting to show some signs, it's an insignificant loss. So why am I even talking about it. I don't know. Shut up.

Francis may miss the rest of the season, and may even be done as a Knick, but nothing's certain. Meanwhile, I'm sure most Knicks fans have no problem with Steve spending his time rehabilitating, resting, and inappropriately looking at the camera when having his picture taken.

No, Steve! This is supposed to be the warm-hearted and charitable picture!
Well, tonight's game should go pretty late, but expect a recap on your computer screen immediately afterwards or tomorrow afternoon. Go Knicks. Peace.

It's 2007...

...and things are getting back to the way their they're (NICE!) supposed to be.

- The leather ball is back.

- Yay Sports! is back.

- The Knicks are back to losing.

- Bulleted lists are all the rage.

By the way, is it just me, or is every single decent player in the NBA injured? Off the top of my head, readysetgo: Yao, Pierce, Chris Paul, Shaq, Wade, Peja, David West, QRich, Bosh, Rashard Lewis, Billups, Odom, Krstic...alright, time to cheat... Josh Smith, Gerald Wallace, Marcus Camby, Jason Richardson, Bonzi Wells, Sam Cassell, and Bobby Simmons.

What...
...the...
...shit...
...is...
...up!?
That's 20 important players right there...and that's excluding all the day-to-day and sick guys. Just about every team has been hit hard by the injuries. I blame that new ball.

Anyway, let's hope this 2007 is a good one for the New York Knicks. May the guys be healthy and wise in the new year. Kings tomorrow night. Peace and Happy New Year.

Knicks-Clippers Today?

Uh...apparently the Knicks are playing in LA this afternoon (3:30 EST). They play games on New Years Eve...Day?

Anyway, the Clippers own the Knicks in Los Angeles, having won their last 7 meetings at home. This is a good test for the Knicks. It's a decent, healthy, streaking Clippers team that's 11-6 at home, and the guys are coming off a thorough beatdown from the Suns. One thing to look for is the matchup on Elton Brand. Expect to see Frye, Lee, and even Jeffries trying to slown down the beast. Keep an eye on the Clips three-point shooting as well, as Mobley, Maggette, and Sam Cassell (took me a few tries to spell that right) can all heat up from the perimeter. Sam-I-Am in particular has always been a Knick-killer, and loves to hit those dagger shots down the stretch. Sam Cassell is not my friend.

If this is among the top results in a Google search of your name, well...I'm very sorry.
Oh, and the lollygagging enigma of a swingman they call Tim Thomas is wearing an LA uniform these days, so I suppose there's an added motivational factor of "Fuck You" for Isiah and the kids.


So let's do this, everyone. This game and this road trip are key to getting closer to .500 and moving to the top of the Atlantic Division. Go Knicks.

Sunday Lookalikes

We're trying something a little different this time. Tell me what you think...

William Hurt...
+Donuts
= George Karl!

Happy New Year, everyone. Backatcha in 2007.

Guess Who's Back?

Yo yo yo. I'm home, kids. The Knicks played three games while I was gone. There was an inexplicable blowout loss in Philly which I did not see, an inexplicable 3OT victory against Detroit which I saw in part, and a perfectly understandable blowout loss in Phoenix last night, which I missed. I have nothing to say about the two losses, but god DAMN how bout that win against the Pistons!? That game really proved the notion that the Knicks love to play basketball. They've played 6 overtimes in the last two weeks, mainly because they don't put away games in the final seconds. We've seen at least two Crawford fadeaways and one inexplicable defensive lapse against Detroit to push games into overtime. Those dastardly kids just can't stand to see a game end. They want five more minutes. And five more. And five more. Gotta love that heart. Either way, I'm damn tired from a day of travel, so we'll get back into the swing of things tomorrow. Peace.

Knicks 103, Bulls 92

I gotta catch a plane early in the morning, so we'll make this quick. The Knicks, in one of their most convincing wins of the season, comfortably defeated the Bulls with 9 players. All of the bigs were in foul trouble, but New York obliterated Chicago on the glass (57-36) and the Bulls shot a miserable 3-18 from downtown. Eddy Curry pushed his Mean Streak to 2 games, scoring 20 with 6 rebounds. A few game notes:

- The Baby, the Knicks mascot I pointed out from a win against Washington earlier this year, was once again in the house. For those of you who haven't seen him, this kid must be about 2 years old (I'm no good at judging age), but he sits front row and dances and cheers throughout the entire game. It's magical. Well, Breen and Clyde spent a lot of time talking about this kid, and we found out that his name is Luca. I will continue to call him The Baby. Either way, the Knicks are 2-0 in The Baby's presence. They should keep him around the locker room like Pedro Martinez did with that little friend of his.

- Michael Sweetney is still the same old Michael Sweetney. He had 3 fouls in his first 3 minutes in the game.

- When Chan Frye got his 5th foul, he was LIVID. He had about a 5-minute flipout on the sidelines, stomping his feet and throwing stuff. I guess it's cool to see that kind of passion from the kid but...whoa.

- Eddy "Mittens" Curry actually did a great job of catching and converting some tough passes, even among double teams. Way to kill the nickname, man.

Skeets and Tas, where you at?
- I don't watch much Bulls basketball, but my guess would be that Ben Gordon is to Chicago what Jamal Crawford is to the Knicks. Some nights he can't miss. Other nights you scream "NOOOOO!!!!!" everytime he squares up for a 30 foot fadeaway.

- At the very end of the game, Tyrus Thomas couldn't find a man for his inbounds pass, so he just threw it to himself off David Lee's ass. Thought that was funny.

- Speaking of Lee...Shit, son. With Lee playing with such intensity and Frye so fluid in his shot, it's gotta be tough to distribute minutes. Isiah's handled it pretty well.


Anyway, this was a great win for a surely tired Knicks team (9 guys playing 3 overtimes over the last week). They have to play the Suns Sixers tomorrow night, but then get a nice 3-day break before taking on the Clippers. I'm gonna be out west until next Saturday so, as I mentioned before, I'd love if someone would write up recaps and/or summaries of the games this week and send them over. I'm probably not gonna be able to watch much.

Happy Holidays, everyone.

Knicks-Bulls Tonight

The STREAKING Knicks take on the Chicago Bulls this evening at MSG. The Bulls have pretty much been the Knicks' kryptonite (who hasn't?), winning both of their previous contests this season by double digits. Hinrich, Deng, and Knick-killer Ben Gordon can all fill it up from downtown, which has been the downfall of the Knick defense. I'd be very impressed if Eddy Curry could stretch his Mean Streak to 2 games against the formidable Ben Wallace.

A few more things:

-In defense of Mardy Collins at TrueHoop.

- Feel Good Knicks? from Father Knickerbocker.

- A new blog called Thank You Isiah all about your-...Chicago Bulls. Ooh, that's low. Very funny stuff though. Go check it out. (Found on Blog-a-Bull)

Well, I'm gonna do my best to catch most of the game tonight, but I can't guarantee it. I'm gonna be peacing out for a little western vacation tomorrow morning, returning on the 30th. I'll try to get some posts up while I'm out west, but I can't promise anything. Get your comments up, and if anyone wants to write some stuff about any of the upcoming games against Philly, Detroit, and Phoenix (previews, recaps, etc.), feel free to e-mail me and I'll put it up. I most likely won't be able to catch all three of those.


Anyway, I hope everyone has a relaxing week. Have a great holiday and a happy New Year. Peace.

Knicks-Bobcats Crumbs

Sorry about the screw-up in the last post's title. It was past my bedtime. Here's what's floatin' around from last night's exciting game:

- Game summary from Live from Section 404.

- Jake Appleman of Slam's game notes.

And some additional game notes that I forgot:

- Derek Anderson is being paid to play basketball. Now I've seen everything.

- Eddy Curry's Mean Streak now resumes at 1 game.

- It's amazing how much the refs have slacked off the zero tolerance calls since the start of the season. I'm happier with the way it is now, but is it really acceptable for the league to adjust the rules that much within one regular season? It's like getting rid of the three-point line midseason, or changing the ball or something...

- More on that British guy...On one play, Ray Felton threw a reeeeeally high halfcourt alley-oop pass for Gerald Wallace, who reached up for it and came down with a ridiculous stuff. British guy: "Am I allowed to say that was good?" Me: "Yeah. Yeah, that was good."

- I called every single one of Channing Frye's baskets before it went in, except for his ugly hook shot that tied it late in the fourth. When Chan shoots without hesitation, he's unbelievably wet on his jumper. As soon as he gets to his spastic faking, the shots clang. Have confidence, friend. (Great game for him, by the way. Really looked fluid from outside, and had a few nasty stuffs.)

Anyway, tonight is TNT NBA Thursday. Cavs-Pistons followed by Wizards- Kings. Good stuff. The Knicks take on the Chicago Bulls tomorrow night at the Garden. Until then, Peace.

Knicks 111, Bucks Bobcats (I was tired) 109- 2OT

I'm so tired I can barely sit up straight. I was screaming and jumping throughout this entire, fantastic game. For those of you who missed it, David Lee won the game on a inbounds tip-in with .1 seconds remaining. Kind of an iffy basket, but awesome either way. Really fun game. Quick-ass game notes so I can sleep.

- I went to the game with my friend Al, and the guy sitting next to us was a very friendly British chap who was visiting the city for four days alone. This was his first NBA game, and he knew absolutely nothing of basketball. I was a bit disappointed in the showing these two teams were giving him when the Knicks fell behind early, but he was really into it by the end. We had a lot of fun and he got his money's worth, fo sho.

- At the end of regulation, and at the end of the first OT, Crawford blew chances to break the tie with awful fadeaway threes. I do not understand. Even the British guy knew that those shots were "bollocks".

- Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, John Starks, and Michael Jordan were all in the house. I wish I could've somehow instigated a brawl between them.

- We walked through the entire Gonzaga basketball team in Times Square. They play Duke at the Garden on Thursday. That was pretty cool.

Eh, fuck it. Great game, great night, but that took a lot out of me. I'll get back to you tomorrow. Go Knicks. Goodnight.

Knicks-Bobcats Tonight

I will be in attendance, holding down section 335 tonight, as the Knicks play host to the Charlotte Bobcats. It is their first meeting of the season. I've gotta run, but in lieu of a preview, I give you this amazing video that I found last night, which includes just about every memorable buzzer beater of the last decade and change. It's a fuckin chillfest, yo.


I want David Stern to watch this, and then tell me with a straight face that online videos are bad for the league's image. This made me wanna watch basketball for the rest of my life.

Anyway, recap of the live action coming later tonight. Peace.

Iverson to Knicks!

Kidding. Sounds like he's going to Denver, which should be extremely interesting.

Nothing much to discuss today. Just a few things.

Some really fantastic posts about the brawl-

-Henry Abbott at TrueHoop

- From the Fan House...Big Lead...Miss Gossip...Mutoni...Jones. The Fan House is the shit.

- Also, Nate Robinson apologized. If he means what he says, then his lessons will be a Gr8 help to a team that could use the better half of his energy.

Anyway, the Knicks won last night. No game tonight. Good times for now.


Peace.

EDIT: Can you picture AI in a Nuggets jersey? Weeeeeird. Also, what number is he gonna wear? DerMarr Johnson is currently rocking number 3.

Knicks 97, Jazzes 96- OT

Wow! If you haven't noticed, I'm easily excitable when it comes to the Knicks. I'm having a little trouble typing right now cause I'm still having some mini heart attacks, but let's get this recap on. First of all, for those of you who missed it, the Knicks, playing with only 8 men, started off miserably, fell down by 16, came back with some hyper defense, took the lead, and pushed it to 10 in the fourth. The Jazz then came back on a flurry of threes by Mehmet Okur and the absolutely cold-blooded Deron Williams. After Williams buried several more ridiculous shots, including one to take the lead with 3 seconds left, Marbury ran the length of the court to lay it in at the buzzer. Game notes:

- Keep in mind that these game notes started at about 7:10, long before tip-off.

- Isiah looks kinda like a Furby when he does press conferences. His eyes are wide open, gazing off into infinity, and his voice is light and carefree, no matter the meaning of his words. It's fucking eerie.

What the hell are you smiling about, you psycho!?
- (Again, this is pre-game). Maybe the Knicks should check out John Basedow for the coaching spot? The infomercials for his workout tapes show that he's really good for your self esteem and focus. Tell me the Knicks wouldn't benefit from that.

Coaching made simple?
- George Karl came right out and called Isiah a "jackass" for his actions. It's displeasing to see such hostility between coaches, but, what are you gonna do. You make risky decisions, sometimes you pay the price. And sometimes the price is a fat guy calling you a jackass.

- MSG had some interesting camera angles from the brawl, including both benches and the scorer's table. The Knicks bench were all on their feet (Balkman was trying to get in to the fight), except for Marbury, who was hunched over with a towel on his head up until Carmelo's punch. Also, there were two Nugget scrubs at the scorer's table when it happened, in case you thought George Karl really was trying to run up the score.

- Eddy Curry had 3 rebounds in 22 minutes. David Lee had 3 rebounds in the first 52 seconds of the game. Just a thought.

- (I've really gotta say all these mean things I was writing down at the beginning). One of the things I disliked about Larry Brown was that he let his ego control the team and make news. Isiah Thomas might very well be heading in the same direction.

- In the second quarter, Kelvin Cato had the chair pulled out from under him, but managed to bank in a reverse while falling on his ass. He was called for a travel, but that was great.

- Kelvin talks a lot of trash. He blocked Dee Brown in the second quarter and grumbled something that appeared to include the words "You...out...my...house" in Brown's face.

- Paul Millsap might very well pop a basketball. I like him.

- Is it just me, or is Channing Frye trying to grow a Marbury mustache? That's a bold move.

- My favorite play of the game, besides the game winner: After a missed three or two, Lee and Balkman got around 5 offensive rebounds, repeatedly hitting the glass hard and putting it back up. Lee finished it with an and-one off the backboard, followed by a huge fist pump and a primal scream from the enthralled Marbury. That is basketball.

- Walt Frazier used the phrase, "Draining and Paining" in reference to Derek Fisher's repeated buckets over the Knicks. I'm pretty sure I've never heard that rhyme from him.

- As someone who spent much of his childhood in the Museum of Natural History, and knows it pretty much by heart, I'm definitely gonna go see "Night at the Museum". I'm pretty fuckin excited. Stop laughing, you heartless bastard.

- Crawford missed his first 11 shots, but it looked like he was just a tiny bit off calibration. Most of those misses were in-and-out or unlucky bounces. It doesn't justify his gunslinging, but a little WD-40 on the elbows might've made that a 30 point game for Jamal. That's just the way he is.

- Deron Williams is GOOD at basketball. His D needs some work, but he showed some sweet touch around the rim, and some absolutely ridiculous clutchness in the closing moments. To recap, he hit an off-balance, contested game-tying three in regulation, a similar three that got a soft bounce in late in OT, and a deadly fadeaway two with 3 seconds left in OT. I was very impressed.

They were not kidding about this guy.
- I'm still baffled by Jamal Crawford. He missed a long 3 when he had plenty of time to pass or create, putting the game into overtime. He also bricked a 3 when the Knicks were up with more than 15 seconds left on the shot clock very late in overtime. He had a few nice plays, but you've gotta wonder what's going through his head during these moments.


- Lee- 17 points, 20 rebounds. Marbury- 29 points, 8 assists. The rest of the team shot a combined 20-62.

- If Marbury didn't connect on that layup at the end, I think I might've cried. D-Will, again deserves plentiful props for his performance down the stretch. Had the Jazz won, he would've been instantly famous for his clutch shooting. I'm glad that didn't happen.

What a game, my friends. What a game. For one night, it feels good to be a Knick fan.


Goodnight.

HOLY SHIT!

I need a little bit to calm down. Recap coming in like a half hour.