Knicks Be Flat Early, Jazz Win Late, 95-93

It would be accurate to say this was a last-second loss. Because the contest was decided when Toney Douglas's potentially game-tying shot missed just before time expired. When that errant off-balance chuck failed to find nylon, the Jazz "escaped" the Garden with a 95-93 win, their first triumph in NYC in five years. All of those things are true but it would still be incorrect to assert that this was a close game. It wasn't. For the sixth time in eight games, the Knicks trailed by 20 during the affair. By virtue of a key personnel move and a strategy change by coach Mike D'Antoni, the Knicks were able to make it close down the stretch, even managing to even the score. But this was not a close game. Please don't forget that.

The team came out of the chute playing aggressively and going at the rim. It looked like lessons had been learned. Larry Hughes went to the rim. Then Danilo Gallanari scored from in close. Up next was Wilson Chandler, who then hit a short shot. I mean, the Knicks weren't stopping the Jazz at the other end but at least they were actually making an effort to get good shots on offense. Actually, "effort" is probably the wrong word. It may just have been that in the frenetic first few minutes of the game both teams were both getting up and down at a good clip, yet to lock in to each other on defense and settle into their offensive gameplans. And, once the tip-off adrenaline spike came back down a few minutes later, and a proper hoops game broke out, it was clear that the Knicks were again outmatched.

With Jerry Sloan looking board and angry on the sideline, the Jazz looked a cohesive unit with a cogent strategy: move the ball and wait for the Knicks to either open a direct north-south passing lane into Boozer or miss a rotation on the perimeter and leave one of their several capable shooters open. Of the 11 field goals that Utah netted in the first quarter there were assists on 8 of them. Of the 8 field goals that the Knicks made in the first there were only assists on 2 of them. Both were credited to Larry Hughes.

Perhaps it was the presence of Jazz point guard Deron Williams in the Garden or perhaps it was just the way in which my eyes and brain were pairing to observe and consider what was happening on my television, but Chris Duhon looked particularly awful. In the first quarter he went 2-4 from the line (with bosses miss coming during one trip); committed an offensive foul; turned the ball over twice; missed a three; and presided over a shot-clock violation.

WWOD's Reasons Why Chris Duhon Needed to Be Benched:
1. We don't trust him to defend quality opposing point guards (like Deron Williams, por ejemplo) in our man-to-man sets. Hughes defends top point guards (unless he's on LBJ or some other top-tier 2 or 3, in which case their usually isn't also a top PG) and even Jared Jeffries gets some run alongside the other point in man. We try to hide Duhon on a shooting guard, preferably one who plays off the ball a lot and stays on the perimeter. Long story short: he can't defend his position.

2. We don't always trust him to get the team into its offense. Hughes has been bringing the ball up the floor a fair amount. And when Duhon does have the ball out of the backcourt, he seems to be stuck in slow-motion. He is not running. Nor is he making enough forays into the paint to keep defenses honest and/or to kick out to our shooters on the perimeter. Long story short, he can't affect the tempo of the game and get his teammates easier shots, either by getting them layups in transition or open looks on drive-and-kick plays.

3. He can't shoot. At least not right now. He's shooting 26% from the field this season. Short story short, he can't score on his own, either.

4. All he's got going for him is the pick-and-roll play with David Lee but everyone knows that which is actually making it harder and harder for this team to run it's lone effective set. Long story short: he's actually taking away things from his teammates.

5. Al Harrington is annoyed at him. Long story short: he is not a leader.

6. He's not going to be back next season and Toney Douglas will. If Duhon were, say, Andre Miller in the last year of a contract and playing well, leading this team into postseason contention, then I say let's win as many as we can and let Douglas wait his turn. But Duhon isn't coming back or playing well and his team is going nowhere. And he's not even getting us there quickly.

7. Nate Robinson will be back soon and we need to establish Douglas in the rotation before them. Already struggling to find an identity, the Knicks can't afford to muddy the picture even further with an even-ish three-way split at the point.

8. He exhibited fine towel-waving technique in the later stages of this game. Perhaps we've unearthed his one plus skill.

Mercifully, D'Antoni pulled Duhon and went with Hughes-Douglas backcourt to end the first (and to end the game). In the last few minutes of that quarter and the first few minutes of the next, Douglas scored 6 points and the Knicks got as close as 5. They were trailing by just 7 when Duhon checked back in with 8:49 to play in the half. Not surprisingly, they trailed by 17 points by the time the whistle blew for intermission. Duhon missed two shots and committed two fouls during this seemingly game-killing stretch.

To his credit, the former Dukie (and current dookie) came out with some urgency in the third quarter and even got a shot to fall. The team as a whole was also playing with greater intensity as the zone defense D'Antoni dialed up sparked them. Another comeback (from another HUGE deficit) looked to be in the offing except for the fact that Duhon-Lee side of the two-three zone was being exploited by Andre Kirilenko, who was knocking down threes like Trent Tucker with 0.2 to play. AK-47 knocked down four 3s in the quarter to maintain a comfy double-digit cushion for the Jazz even as the Knicks seemed revitalized.

The zone really found itself a few minutes into the fourth quarter when Hughes and Douglas were at the top and Harrington, Jeffries and Gallo were across the baseline. Douglas was the Defensive Player of the Year in the ACC last season and Hughes has been named an All-NBA Defensive player as well. Together they were tenacious and controlled each possession. Yes, the Jazz would find the right entry pass every few trips but there was less daylight around the edges. In less than 3 minutes on the floor together this quintet had a 12 point lead cut to 5. Everyone but Jeffries had scored and the IU product was the glue at the interior of the zone, which forced a shot-clock violation during this stretch. After two Gallinari free throws made it a three point game, 84-81, came the play that, for me, summed up all the good things that were happening for the team. Williams brought the balll across the equator for Utah. He dribbled into the teeth of the zone. The crowd at the Garden was as loud as they've been all season. DEEE-FENSE! Douglas jumps into the passing lane, deflecting the ball to Hughes. As soon as he sees that Hughes has secured possession the rookie out of Florida State goes charging down the right wing. He's breaking. Fast. Hughes pushes the ball ahead to him and continues down the center of the court. Seeing his teammates moving down the court with a quickness, Harrington comes charging down, looping around to fill the left wing. Douglas drives towards the rim at angle from the right, sees the trailing Harrington bending his run into the paint, flips him the ball just as the lone defender commits to him, and Big Al slams it home. 84-83. Timeout Utah.

That play was it for me. Aside from the fact that it gave them a legit chance to win this ballgame, that was when I saw the way this team should be playing: Defense and quick counterattack. From that point on, Boozer and Okhur battled Douglas to the wire and prevailed by two points. And not for lack of trying by the freshman. He scored back-to-back driving layups to keep pressure on the Jazz the whole way. But his last-second shot attempt was off and the Knicks lost. That was no surprise. Really, like not at all. But those few fleeting moments of tenacious zone defense and Douglas' emergence as a catalyst was quite the surprise. I'm encouraged that D'Antoni benched Duhon when it counted and thrilled that the move paid dividends.

Weekend at Jimmy's

Or, How Jimmy Dolan's Knicks Fared This WeekendIt was just one week ago this evening that I felt like everything in the world was alright. Or at least everything at the Garden. I sat in the stands and watched a determined, dogged Knicks squad outplay and defeat a more talented New Orleans Hornets side that got 30+ points and 10+ assists from Chris Paul. I watched the Knicks come out focused, maintain their intensity, fend off a late charge from their playoff-bound foe and then re-take control of the game in the fourth quarter. I gotta say, I felt good. I felt like this was going to be OK. Like the team would dispatch the Pacers later in the week, hold their own in a defeat to the Lebronaliers, and then spend this week looking to get to .500. Oh, how wrong I was. Again. Like the time in middle school when I bought all those Laser Discs thinking I'd have them forever. The Knicks dropped that game to the Pacers. In poor, poor fashion on the same night that the Yankees were winning the World Series. Oh, what a night. Sweet surrender. Oh, what a night. And that brings us to the weekend.

Friday Night: Lebron > Our Guys
This went exactly like you thought it would. Lebron led all scorers, people cheered, scenes were made, and the Knicks lost. With LBJ in town all eyes were on him and all ears were on anything he had to say about his impending free agency. The tea leaves were read in as many varieties as there are flavors put out by Celestial Seasonings. Jeff Van Gundy thinks he already knows what he's going to do. The beat writers all of a sudden think he's going to Miami. CC Sabathia says there's nothing like winning in New York. (Although I think that Stephon Marbury will tell you that there is also nothing quite like losing in New York.) Who knows what will happen? Not me. All I know for sure is that he is a special talent. He dropped 33 on the Knicks on Friday and we defended him well (see the full breakdown on a previous post). He hit contested shots. He passed the ball. Well. He grabbed boards and he put the game on ice after the Knicks clawed back into contention late. He is a fine specimen and I wish that he were a fine specamine. But those decisions are many months further on up the road so let's not waste breath just yet.

To me, this game was lost at the offensive end. As I mentioned, the Knicks defended Lebron as well as our roster could be expected to. The 24-year-old manchild did not have a dunk or a layup. He did not record a triple double. He did not kiss all of our girlfriends and turn in our latest project to our bosses well ahead of us. And none of his teammates exploded in any game-changing way, which Daniel Gibson has done to us before and Shaq has the potential to do against our undersized lineup. Nope, none of those things happened and the Cavs were "limited" to 100 points. Yet we were never even as close as the final score, 100-91, indicated.

This game was lost with terrible marksmanship and rudderless offensive possessions during a stretch that straddled the first and second quarters. After a Gallo three-point shot brought the Knickerbockers within 18-15 with about six minutes to play in the first, the team embarked on a 5 for 18 stretch that was mercifully ended by another Gallo 3. Before that trey, though, the score was 53-22. And there were about four minutes to play in the half. A shocking amount of those possessions lasted no more than one pass.

Chris Duhon and his teammates seemed in no hurry to get the ball down the court after a rebound or a Cavs score, refusing to make the size difference in the frontcourt work for them. Ironically, though, they were apparently in a great hurry to get a shot up once they finally made their way to the other side of the court. The ball rarely made it very far past the three-point line before a jump shot was lofted up. And missed. I was disappointed that D'Antoni didn't call a timeout or try to stop what was happening. Duhon was anonymous at the point and perhaps his teammates were somewhat spooked by the effortless manner in which Lebron was stroking it from the outside. We were not having the same success. During this stretch former Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said, "I never bought into the that the Knicks didn't have a will. I just don't think they're good enough. If you look at them, who is the frontline talent? They have a lot of guys that can come off the bench and be in a rotation but not necessarily a lot of guys who can be in a starting lineup."

Ouch. And accurate. Van Gundy continually pointed out the team's seeming refusal to push the tempo and felt that it was a mistake. When talking about the team's reliance on (missed) jumpers, he said "You know, the Knicks are getting decent looks. They're just not a good shooting team. And when you're undersized and don't shoot particularly, that's not a good combination." And, no it wasn't. Thankfully the sudden emergence of Jordan Hill gave the Knicks a bit of a spark towards the end of the first half. He showed a nice midrange touch and fearlessness with the ball in his hands. Even though the Knicks came back to make the game close, 100-91, this was a dispiriting performance on national television.

Saturday Night: Incident on North Fourth Street
For the second night of a home-road back-to-back pair, the Knickerbockers were in Milwaukee on Saturday night. After a bright start, in which it looked like the shots were finally going to fall, things went predictably sour at the Bradley Center. Aussie center Andrew Bogut and rookie point guard Brandon Jennings, who the Knicks passed on to take Jordan Hill, turned the Knicks' early 10-4 lead into a 22-40 deficit by the end of the first quarter. It was a shellacking on North Fourth Street.

"They kept giving us a lot of open shots," Jennings marveled after the game. "They were giving us so many easy shots."

On the bright side, Chris Duhon was finally benched and our rookie PG showed some flashes. Toney Douglas came off the bench to chip in 16 points. But no number of garbage time points by the second-best rookie point in the building could wash the stink off this game. At least, that's what I've read. Because, you see, I was at the Garden on Saturday night while the Knicks were in Milwaukee. Rather than sitting on the couch for a second straight evening, I was perched in the third row of the 400 level just over stage left for a historic performance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. For the first, and likely only, time, they played The Wild, The Innocent and the E Street Shuffle in its entirety from start to finish as the centerpiece of the show. And they turned the Garden up to 11, bringing in horns and strings to recreate the masterpiece in full.

That seven-song album is my favorite of the Boss's and probably one of my favorite records overall. The seamless combination of funk, soul, jazz and rock and roll undergirds some of Springsteen's most evocative lyrics. After the precocious, fevered and near-ecclesiastical ecstasy of Greetings From Asbury Park but before the focused, anthemic explosion that was Born to Run there was the loose, reckless visionary passion of WIESS. With idiosyncratic, romantic and gritty characters populating a landscape fleshed out by a one-of-a-kind rhythm-and-blues bar band seemingly discovering it's power (read: "Rosalita" is perhaps the greatest rock and roll ever written/performed) as the record went along.

After taking in the performance on Saturday, a scribe from Glide wrote that "Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band symbolize everything that’s right about rock - they are honest, talented performers who put their all into every note. They mix it up from night to night, don’t rely on their greatest hits and are more substance than spectacle. Let’s not forget they decided to play WIESS after the show sold out just because they knew the fans would love it, not as a gimmick to sell tickets."

Closer to 57th Street than North Fourth Street, the performance was exuberant and precises, a combination that sets Springsteen and the E Streeters apart from their peers. The show opened with the outtake "Thundercrack," which is always a fave of mine and closed with an uproarious take on Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher," with an assist from Elvis Cotsello. It also provided the best Knicks-related moment of the night. During the song "Wrecking Ball," which was penned for the closing down of Giants Stadium but has since taken on a life of it's own as a sort of defiant rallying cry for the band as they close this chapter, Springsteen tweaked the lyrics to fit the current venue and give props to some of its tenants.

Now, my home is in the Meadowlands
But tonight New York City is going up in flames
here where the blood is spilled and the garden is filled
And Walt Frazier played his games.

When I think of Clyde, I think about the fantastical idea of New York City that comes across in Springsteen's early songs. It was a fitting tribute to No. 10. If only he could have been at MSG rather than stuck in Milwaukee calling that terrible game.

Monday Mudita

Onetime USA next-big-thing Brian Ching netted this 96th minute to cap a tense 1-0 win for Houston over Seattle. Thanks to Ching's golden goal, the Dynamo advance to the Western Conference Final in the MLS postseason. They will face the LA Galaxy thanks to a penalty cooly dispatch by Landon Donovan.

-In more important footie news, Arsenal continued their goal-scoring ways in a 4-1 win over outclassed Wolverhampton while Chelsea held the top spot in the Premiership by nipping Manchester United, 1-0.

-Real Madrid kept the pressure on the Catalan title holders in Spain as both teams triumphed at the weekend.

-Burnley once again gave one of the middle children (since they're not yet one of the Big Four kids) a trouble as they drew against Manchester City.

- In Italy, Roma drew against league-leaders Inter Milan as former Arsenal skipper Patrick Vieira was called out by the Roma gaffer for an "errant" elbow that fractured a player's cheekbone.

Monday Morning Schadenfreude

Meadowlark Lemon to the Knicks in 2010?

Not only do I enjoy that Knicks fan Chris Rock flexed his hoops knowledge last night during the game and that he cracked a few jokes at our team's expense (self-deprecation is a quality that I admire in sports fans) but I feel forever glad that there was one C. Rock-JVG improv moment. After this clip, Rock kept talking to Burke about the Knicks and Lebron. Burke then relayed to Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy that Rock suggested sending Lebron to the Nets in exchange for Devin Harris, Brook Lopez and some draft picks. To which, JVG responded that Nets GM Rod Thorn would piggy back both those two to Cleveland if he could. There's a buddy comedy here somwhere.

The Unstoppable Force Meets the Movable Objects

So, yeah, Lebron Really, Really Can't Be Stopped

The Knicks lost to the Lebroanliers last night at the Garden. LBJ went off for 33 points His team amassed a 26-point lead before a late charge by the Knickerbockers made the final score look respectable. CC Sabathia and assorted Yankees were in the crowd. Jay Z was there. Chris Rock was ripping on Toney Douglas. Charles Oakley was in attendance and looked dashing and terrifying in his all-black ensemble. I was on the couch solo with six High Lifes and a bottle of wine. And a lot of leftover Halloween candy.

There are a lot of issues to talk about with this game but attention must be paid to the shooting display that James put on last night. The reason is twofold. First of all, he's just undeniably unstoppable. His midrange game is leaps and bounds better than it used to be back when his best moves were his leaps and his bounds to the basket. Tonight he was hitting all those contested shots that Kobe has proven so adept at. His third field goal was a three-pointer with Larry Hughes wallpapered all over him. With a hand in his face as he faded slightly away on the jump, James drained the shot. On the way back down the court he smiled, slapped Hughes on the butt and shrugged one of those MJ in the first half of Game 1 of the 1992 Finals against the Blazers shrugs. It was just one of those days. Which meant a long night for the Knicks.
As you'll see below, the Knicks did a fine job of covering James (or at least as fine a job as you can) and denying him the paint. Larry Hughes did the bulk of the work and seemed most adept. He played him tight and worked harder than his teammates to deny the ball or at least ensure that James got it far from the rim. Wilson Chandler, Jared Jeffries also guarded him at times and rookies Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas accidentally ended up D-ing him up, too. No matter who was on LBJ, though, most every shot he took was contested. And, shockingly, he didn't register one dunk or layup (although he did hit a falling, floating +1 shot in close that was boxscored as a layup even though I disagree) in the game. And by keeping him out of the painted area, the Knicks were able to hold him to just 7 free throws. Overall, it was the sort of effort against Lebron that should give you a chance to win. You'll take 33 points almost exclusively on 15+ foot jumpshots and no dunks.

The Knicks didn't lose tonight because of their defense on James. Or on any of the Lebronaliers for that matter. Lebron's 33 were hard-earned and from the perimeter while just two of his teammates broke double digits (Boobie Gibson hit for 11 and Mo Williams for 12). Disconcertingly, especially for a D'Antoni-coached team, the Knicks lost this game on offense (but more about that in another post). Let's take a look at each of Lebron's shots to both appreciate how deadlier he is and how well he was actually defended.

James dropped this early-in-the-clock jumper from 22 feet. Hughes had a hand in his face and was defending with an eye toward keeping the King from the paint. This is the sort of shot that you, in theory, "want" LBJ to take. 2-0 in favor of the city that CC Sabathia used to play for before coming to New York.
After assisting on two of the next three Cavs buckets, LBJ went back to the well once more. With Hughes playing off him a bit to defend the penetration, James rose from about the same spot and canned another jump shot.
Having realized that James was content to shoot from the outside if Hughes allowed, the onetime Cavalier got into Lebron hard on this possession, nearly pushing backing him off the court altogether. James faded towards the sideline and away from the rim from beyond the three-point line. Hughes rose with him, faded with him. His arm extended, his hand in James' face, obscuring his view of the rim. But the shot dropped pure from 26 feet.
It's officially a futile enterprise defending this guy. He's got 9 of the Cavs' 18 points and the Knicks have 10. The Knicks can barely keep pace with him, let alone him and four other guys playing together.
He missed! Hughes didn't defend this one any better than previous shots. If anything was different, it may have been that he didn't match LBJ's leap as well as he has shown he can.
Chandler fouls James as he powers his way into the paint and Gallo smothers him and his shot to keep the ball from getting up near the rim. Gallo's authoritative play is heartening. I feel like too many young players don't realize that this play goes even past the whistle.
With Harrington substituted for Hughes, it's Jeffries turn. The former Mr. Basketball in Indiana is on James so tight for this shot that he is nearly invisible in this picture taken from behind the play. Did it matter? Nope. Two more for the tally.
See above.
See above.
This is getting ridiculous. Wth Jeffries all over him and with time ticking down in the first quarter James launches up an off-balance three. Good! The score is 40-21 after one quarter. The Cavs' lead is 19 ponts. Lebron James has scored 19 points. Coincidence?
After Gallo and the suddenly relevant Jordan Hill winnowed the Cavs lead from 25 to 18, LBJ feels compelled to take another shot. But this time he's got the nearly-seven-foot Hill guarding him deep in the corner. Hill is playing really tight but uses the baseline well to keep LBJ from using his speed advantage to blow by him. James rises and tries to shoot over the lengthy hoopcat. Finally. A miss. So maybe seven-footers are long enough to bother James on the outside?
After starting the second quarter on the bench, then hanging along the perimeter and playing the role of distributor upon entering, Lebron finally looked to drive the ball into paint. He got equal-to and then past Chandler at the elbow before the third-year player out of DePal fouled him to send him to the line. LBJ had still yet to touch the rim or get a layup.




And these free throws produced points 18 and 19 in the first half for the King. Not too shabby.

As the announcers discussed, the Knicks had held James without a dunk, layup or even a shot attempt in the paint through two quarters. Yes, he did make almost all of his jumpshots but you still take that every time you can get it.


A 9-0 Knickerbocker run early in the third quarter made the game competitive insofar as it woke up James and Company. After a dunk from Shaq to open the half and three Cleveland turovers, James took matters into his own hands. He got the ball on the left wing, guarded by Hughes, and dribbled towards teammates at the top of the key, looking to shed his defender long enough to get some daylight. Not that daylight had mattered much in the first half.


After Hughes was held up by the scrum at the top of the key, LBJ exploded into the paint. He was a freight train rolling down the tracks and Chris Duhon seemed a damsel in distress tied to the tracks like the heroine in some old-timey Western. Except in this case, his shoulders were squared and his feet were set outside of the restricted area well before the train came through.



This was the prototypical charge scenario. 6-foot-8-inch player comes full steam ahead down the lane, his 250+ pounds knocking a point guard with established position several feet back off his spot. Except that this behemoth was no plodding power forward of olden times. It's the point forward next generation prototype: Lebron James. A charge becomes a blocking foul and LBJ gets two shots from the line. Yes. And yes.

After another bucket by Lee brings the Knicks back within 16 points, 67-51, Lebron again answers. Guarded by Hughes as they come down the floor he runs his old teammate off a screen on the left wing. Chandler switches on to James. Wilson doesn't have the same confidence as Hughes while covering LBJ and is giving him more space.



I'm not sure if Hughes' familiarity with James is what he's got over Chandler or if it's just his confidence. Either way, Chandler is giving James some breathing room. And LBJ is more than happy to "take what the defense gives you." I hear that all the time but this play, really illustrates Lebron doing that.




With Chandler playing him with a few feet of cushion, LBJ takes a few hard dribbles toward the paint. Chandler cedes more ground to keep James in front of him. But the reigning MVP plants his foot, stops, rises and fires. The combination of the initial buffer zone he had and the extra step/second he gained with his drive-pull up gives him one of his most open looks of the night.



But to Chandler's credit he recovers almost immediately and is able to turn his own momentum around and still get a paw in the King's face. Although his look was clear, the shot and follow through were most certainly contested as Chandler's athleticism got him back on James, almost totally making up for his timidity in coverage when James was handling the balll earlier in the possession. Chanlder is a terrific athlete and this saves him against most players in a situation like this. Not here. Not against this opponent.


But Chandler's late recovery doesn't stop this one from being pure. Two points and the Lebronaliers lead is back up to 18.

With Chandler and Hughes barring entry to the interior of the offensive end, Lebron "settles" for another jumpshot. This one isn't true. The King intercepts a poor pass by Lee. The crowd is amped, expecting his first dunk of the night. But Gallo hustles back and intercepts LBJ just inside the three-point line. He barrels into him. Whistle. Play stopped. No dunk. Or at least no dunk that counts. James continues towards rim, rises and slams one home for the amusement of the crowd, but the Garden public address announcer quickly notes "No basket."

On this play, Lebron set up deep in the corner away from the ball. Eventually both Big Z and Andy Varejoa set up on the low block and elbow respectively. LBJ ran Hughes off screens by both bigs as he made his way towards the top of the key and the ball handler. Once he cleared Varejoa he made a hard left back into the paint and towards the rim.



I've watched too many games where Reggie Miller would run off two such screens before turning suddenly to receive the ball and fire up a quick shot. For Reggie, though, both screens would usually be on the blocks as his run would be along the baseline to get his shot from the opposite corner or wing from where he had started the sequence.



But Reggie wasn't built like Willis Reed. James is. So he recieves the pass and takes off for the rim. En route he is met by David Lee, who brings both arms down on James to stop him from getting to hoop. The 250-pounder absorbs the blow, hangs in the air, floating off course (more upcourt towards the benches) but still towards the baseline. He hangs and he pushes the ball up at the goal before coming down. And, it's good. He then dispatches the free throw.
With Chandler draped all over him like one of my ill-fitting $100 suits from Target, Lebron didn't get this 22-footer down.LBJ got himself back into the paint after beating Toney Douglas who was ended up covering him as the team came down the floor. Our No. 23 played their No. 23 way too tight way too far from the rim and LBJ blew by him. He was soon swarmed by three Knicks. Chandler fouled him low and Harrington went up high to block the shot and make sure that this wasn't a +1 situation. Again, though, there was nothing easy. Even with the Knicks trailing 77-58 in the waning seconds of the third quarter they are not surrendering to James, who hits one of two free throws.18 feet from the rim. Inches from Hughes. This time the ball doesn't fall true. A miss. Not that this picture looks any different from the ones where he scores. To further minimize the impact of the defense, it could be argued that he missed this shot because it's the first one he took after a few minutes on the bench to start the fourth quarter.
Another 19-footer from the wing, with a Hughes in his front pocket drops for 30 and 31.
Lebron came across the court and took this fading running jumper as his momentum carried him towards the Knicks bench on plane and away from the hoop on the other. It was a tough shot, Chandler was contesting as well as one could but the ball got up about the rim with a softness and bounced through the net for points 32 and 33. Game over.

Even though he didn't hit 50 points or notch another triple double I'm thoroughly impressed by Lebron James. He is at the point where he still gets 30 when you stick to your defensive gameplan on him, which I think the Knicks actually did tonight. They deserve some credit for that and LBJ deserves even more for being impervious to their efforts. He is one of a kind. Not since Bernard King have the Knicks had such a gifted scorer. And that's not even talking about all of the other superlative facets of Lebron's game.

No. 27

Once again, I found myself lucky enough to have a ticket for a World Series game. And, once again it featured my least two favorite professional baseballing organizations. But, hey, I'm a sports fan and it's the World Series so I'll be there. Early and drinking crappy beer out of a souvenir cup well before the first pitch.
The No. 4 train was loaded and the tired commuters heading home to Harlem or the BX were not pleased with the rowdy suburban white folks talking loudly and crowding them. Unlike past trips there was no "Let's Go Yankees! banter from the conductor as we pulled into the elevated station. And no "Yankees fans please take the stairs at the end of the platform to reach the Stadium and Phillies fans please get back on the train and go back where you came from" from the uniformed MTA official directing foot traffic on the platform.
Per usual the streets up at 161st Street and River Avenue were jam-packed. The street vendors were hawking their wares. The "Who's Your Daddy?" T-shirts had been pulled from storage and laid out on every table and displayed in every window. I'd say my favorite was the Star Wars themed one. The ticket touts were asking "need tickets? need tickets?" in that loud whisper that they have. Sad sack Yankees fans were holding up 1 or 2 fingers looking for their dream like hippies outside of a Phish concert.

While waiting to meet my fellow ticket holders on the patio outside of the McDonald's across the street from the ballpark I happened to notice a pair of youngish kids (late teens-early twenties) selling drugs to the older, whiter Yankees fans with the $300 tickets in their interior jacket pockets, the Brooks Brothers overcoats over their rarely worn grey Yankees hooded sweatshirts. One of the kids, I'm guessing the guy that was holding, stood a few feet away from one of the cops stationed at McD's while the other guy roamed the area acting shady and attracting prospective customers with the aforementioned shadiness. This floater would then lead the buyer over to his buddy stationed near the cop (and me) outside of McDonald's. At this point the holder would go off with the buyer while the scout took up the spot next to the cop. It was impressed when I realized what was happening. They kept one guy with the nearest cop at all times in order to keep J. Law off the back of the other. Well played, sirs.
I don't know if it was the drugs or what but the crowd was better tonight than it had previously been right from Jump Street. In other words, I didn't get the feeling that I was going to hear "down in front" from someone sitting a few rows back of me in the bleachers. Which, by the by, happened at Game 1. Yes. I'm not kidding. Someone in the famed Yankee Stadium bleachers yelled "down in front" when CC had two strikes on a batter and there were two outs in the inning. That happened. The reason I was lucky enough to score tickets was because there are some seriously obstructed views in the left-center field bleachers that are made available very, very late in the game and are even given away hand over fist to groups with some fiscal connection to the Yankees. Rather than sitting in those seats and watching the small televisions mounted on the wall of the hulking, angular Mohegan Sun Restaurant and Bar, I've opted to find a good standing room perch with nothing in my line of sight. Tonight that has me in prime position to watch Pedro Martinez as he comes up to loosen up before the first pitch.
For all the vitriol that Yankees fans have for Pedro I was actually surprised earlier in the Series by how mild the "Who's Your Daddy?" stuff was. It would flair up following a big hit but was mostly dormant. I expected it to be bludgeoned about the ears by that query. As, I would imagine, did Pedro.
Tonight, though, the crowd is in good voice. A "Lets Go Yan-Kees" chorus resounds a Pedro long tosses with Carlos Ruiz. The appearance of Andy Pettitte warming up in the home bullpen spurred the partisans. There wasn't a full-throated chant like this until the seventh inning of Game 2.
Normally I don't go in for all the pregame celebrity appearances and such but Mary J. Blige ruled the National Anthem. She was amazing, No unecessary flourishes, she just nailed it. And her sunglasses had her initials on them at the hinge.
With 38-year-old Pedro starting this game you had to figure the men heading out to the visitor's bullpen would have a say in this game. When Brett Myers had been added to the World Series roster I had sort of assumed he was Pedro insurance in case old Petey lost the plot early in a game. And with the mercury dropping, it seemed less than ideal conditions for the diminutive Dominican hurler.
Pedro took his time ascending the mound after getting out on to the field. Based on what he had to say during his workout day press conference on Tuesday it seems like Pedro really gets it and appreciates this sudden (considering he wasn't even on a team a few months ago) and momentous (uh, it's Game 6 of the World Seres) opportunity.
And even if Pedro is more than happy just to be here and even if he is pitching for the Phillies there is something special about seeing No. 45 deliver the opening pitch of a key postseason game to No. 2.

"A Big Difference Between Wimping and Thinking"

Will various Spurs (notably rookie Dujaun Blair) and Kings were caught "wimping" as a bat flew about the court on Saturday night at the Alamodome, Spurs guard Manu Ginobli thought clearly and leapt into action, taking that winged mammal down with an open-handed power slap. He then calmly picked up the interloper and walked him over to someone who promptly disposed of the little fella.

And, then yesterday I read that Ginobli had to receive a battery of rabies shots. Typically a rabies vaccination is administered via 3 to 5 shots. The injections are often made into the deltoid muscle.

On his Facebook page, he wrote that:
"Just wanted to give you guys an update on the bat situation. As many of you already know, it wasn't a great idea. Not only for the fact that bats are great part of the ecosystem, but also, because some carry rabies, which is an incurable disease. That's why I had to get vaccinated today [and it wasn't just one shot!]."

Still, I think that offending animal rights folks and foaming at the mouth are potentially fair risks for having moved into first place (by a long shot) with most successful bat catching since the Adam West Batman era.

No. 14 in Your Hearts and on Your Ballots

All the talk late last night (that wasn't about those Kevin Durant airballs in the clutch against the Lakers) was about the election results from the various gubernatorial races mayoral battles around the country. And there is something to be said for the significance of those results but for me the real bellwether race to watch is next year. In Oregon. Because that's when former Knickerbocker Chris Dudley will likely be on the ballot for governor.

I don't live in Oregon, am not planning on moving there anytime soon and wouldn't be likely to vote for No. 14 in your 1998-99 Knicks program due to his party affiliation but, still, I was psyched when I heard about this. After all, I was very nearly the proud owner of Knicks jersey with Dudley on the back. Except I couldn't find a store carrying any in my size and "settled" for a Sprewell jersey to wear while watching the 1999 NBA Finals.

Although he had inexplicably notched a 14/12 game against the Atlanta Hawks in the second round of the playoffs that year, Dudley's greatest Knicks moment came in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Patrick Ewing had been ruled out for the remainder of the postseason due to that Achilles injury after Game 2. The series was level coming back to the Garden and Dudley was inserted into the starting lineup ahead of Marcus Camby, who had been a force coming off the bench. The bleary-eyed Jeff Van Gundy made the call and was taking a lot of heat for it. And when the Pacers assigned shooting guard Chris Mullin to defend Dudley at the start of the game it looked like JVG may have erred.



A fourth round draft pick out of Yale, Dudley was one of the worst free-throw shooter by percentage (.458), Dudley grabbed a few early boards in the game, combining with Larry Johnson for 9 rebounds in the first quarter. Dudley helped keep Pacers pivot Rik Smits scoreless deep into the second quarter (although the Flying Dutchmen did go off for something like 15 straight just before the half) and his high intensity electrified the crowd and his more talented teammates. In 20 minutes on the floor, Dudley notched 5 points (on 2-5 shooting and 1-2 from the line) and grabbed 6 boards, 4 off the offensive glass. He stole on ball and committed five fouls. Although he was not on the floor for Johnson's epic four-point play to give the Knicks the 92-91 win, there was no doubting that Dudley's effort after being forced into the starting lineup was crucial to the win.

The next day, I headed out to a Modell's sporting goods location in Paramus, NJ to find myself a No. 14 road jersey. Alas, this poor-shooting white kid could not find a store (although I spent a few hours driving around) carrying that jersey.

Even if Dudley's lack of political experience or atrocious record at the charity stripe keeps him from making a strong charge at the office then he does seem to have a chance to go backdoor on the voters and still get to the rim. Another candidate, former state legislator John Lim, has made some noise about appointing Dudley to the role of Lieutenant Governor, a role that Lim would create. My read is that he would sort of be like the backup governor to step in when Patrick Ewing goes down in the playoffs.

And, We're Off

Bing. Lobby. Right to Park. Left to Lex. Goodnight office. Hello Moon? Evening had already descended on the Big Apple. And it wasn't a particularly late night tethered to the desk for yours truly. Nope. It's just dark now. And it will last for months and months. Dark is the new morale-sapping normal. Cue the seasonal affective disorder.

Or, actually cue that vague feeling of uselessness and melancholy on Tuesday night at 6:15 p.m. because Monday night I had a pair of tickets to the Knicks' game in my front-left pants pocket. And it should be dark for this. For me, walking to the Garden under the night sky and the city lights, through the steam rising from manhole covers and grated gutters and in between the taxi cabs convinced of the sinfulness of jaywalking, is the way it's supposed to be.

The season may have begun last week for the team and the first home game may have been on Halloween. But Monday was opening night for me. And with trick or treating behind us and the ice skating rink and holiday shopping village promptly being erected in Bryant Park behind the main branch of the New York Public Library it finally felt like hoops season as I briskly traversed Midtown en route to the Garden. The air is supposed to be crisp to cold for such walks. The city is supposed to be deep into the Fall (and so it seemed is the team at 0-3). I know the year is waning fast as I've already had a few tense conversations about whether I'm going to spend Christmas with my girlfriend's family (And I am. Sort of). Yes sir, it's basketball season. No doubt about it. No matter what is happening on FOX. Tonight is a night for the Knicks. The Yankees don't belong in November (just like the Mets clearly don't belong in October).

Walking south on 7th Avenue, crossing 34th Street, I pass under a towering advertisement featuring Lebron James. Hopefully his marketing presence will be even more significant next season. But tonight the biggest star at the Garden will be New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul.

"Are you going to the Knicks game tonight?"
"Yes. Yes we are."
"Then head downstairs and they'll have a table for you in a moment."

And they did. Rather than usual stop at Nathan's for the No. 2 meal with a lemonade before the game, me my better half ducked into Stout, just east of Peepworld on 33rd Street. Because I'm classy like that when on a date she wanted to. Good burger. Domestic bottled beer for less than $6. And back on the street in perfect time to catch the pregame video montage. Not too shabby. I mean, it was no Nathan's but that'll do, Stout. That'll do.

"Straight to the top, please," said the ticket scanner in his thick wool purple coat as I passed through the turnstile on the A/B Tower side of the entrance.

First night. Last row. With my free magnetic schedule in hand I escalated to the 400 level and looped around to section 412, behind the basket on the Knicks end of the court. Row G. Last row. Wait, come back you just walked past row G. Seats 3 and 4. Always first class for me and mine. These were cheapest tickets in the house at $10 (before fees that nearly double that). Still, I do declare that it's a good deal to get in the building knowing that most nights it's no problem to migrate to the 300 or 200 levels by the second quarter.

Finally. Folded into a chair at the Garden for a home game. The lights soon dimmed (perhaps better not to notice how many empty seats there still were) and the scoreboard came alive with the voice and visage of.... Hulk Hogan. Hot off his name-check at the start of last week's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, the Hulkster is exhorting Knicks fans to get excited for tonight's game. OK. From that unexpected treat, I guess, it was on to a video-game inspired player montage before the home team's introductions.

Game Time:
It's possible that CP3 was greeted by more applause than any of the other nine men starting in this game. And it's a lock that Emeka Okafor out of UConn was in the top five. David Lee may have pushed the noise-o-meter needle farthest, nipping Paul of the honor. Maybe. After those two was Danilo Gallinari, for certain. The surprise of the starting lineup introductions, though, was not the lackluster reaction of the crowd to the home team. Rather, it was the inclusion of shooting guard Larry Hughes. After getting DNP-CD in the first two games, and one solid performance off the bench he was back out there for the tip off. Good.

Okafor easily won the opening tip. Bad. David West corraled the ball and easily bulled his straight-line way to the rim for an easy two. Bad. Okafor stuffed Wilson Chandler at the other end. Bad. The Knicks small starting lineup present matchup problems at both ends. The Knicks are vulnerable inside and Okafor has had good games against us going back to his time in Charlotte. The pair of bigs put up NOLA's first six points. Getting the home squad on the board early is (surprise, surprise) none other than Hughes. His first bucket comes after grabbing the rebound off his own miss. He looks hungry.

And after three losses on the bounce, so did his teammates. The Knicks jumped out to an early lead. They held it through the half. The weathered the inevitable Hornets comeback, even trailing heading into the final quarter, and closed out the game like a confident team.

The Takeaways:
-Larry Hughes is back. I was disheartened by the DNPs to start the season. I know that he shot the ball terribly in the preseason but I didn't need to see D'Antoni alienate another veteran during the opening week. I still think he misplayed the Marbury situation last year and am glad we didn't end up there once again. Credit also goes to Hughes for being ready when called upon. He defended Chris Paul most of the time they were on the floor together and did a stellar job. CP3 was held to 13 points entering the fourth quarter before exploding down the stretch to prolong this game. Aside from being the only natural shooting guard on the roster, Hughes just displayed that veteran savvy that this team sorely lacks sometimes.
-The Knicks are weak on the interior defensively, but they showed they are capable of swarming and switching pretty cleanly. Obviously we also know they are capable of being demolished by big men.
-Gallinari is extremely talented. Yes, he's shot the lights out thus far but even on an off-night, he showed great awareness with his passing and his steal of Peja late in the fourth really closed the door on the Hornets comeback bid. That was a play that was all instinct. Especially for a forward so far from the paint.
-Darko is part of the rotation. For reals. I was sort of upset when this dawned on me in the third quarter. And he pretty much single-handedly created a four-point swing for the Hornets upon checking in for Lee. But the margin between the teams was about the same when he checked out. OK. For now.
-Toney Douglas is not ready for prime time. He seemed to have very poor body control, losing his balance a few times when he first came in while backpedaling on defense and even barreling into Paul near midcourt. Seeing how lackluster he looked, made me wonder how out of sorts Jordan Hill must be if he can't even steal a minute off of Darko.
-Al Harrington is doing exactly what he needs to do. With the Hornets' top three (CP3, West, Okafor) on the bench early in the fourth it was time for the Knicks to regain the lead and take back control of the game. I looked over to my date and said "if the Knicks are going to win than Al" needs to get going right now." And, he did. Big Al scored 7 of the team's first 11 in the fourth and we got the lead back. Seeing him come off the bench, I have no doubt that he could be a solid fourth (and even shaky third) option on a high-level playoff team. He's like a poor man's Lamar Odom mixed with a dash of homeless man's Paul Pierce. And, most importantly, the NJ native gets it. He gets fired up. He runs down the floor with his hands raised after a key stop and tugs at that New York on his chest.
-The Duhon-Lee pick-and-roll is alive and well. It took them a while to find it but when they did it looked as good as it did during any point last year. And like last year, the fell so deeply in love with it so quickly that they started to force it to the detriment of the other players on the court.