01-09-2006, 03:09 AM
Quote:January 9, 2006
Knicks 120, SuperSonics 116
Knicks Build a Victory in an Unexpected Way
By HOWARD BECK
A poor free-throw shooter delivered in crunch time. A brilliant free-throw shooter hiccupped. A derided role player regained his honor. A player presumed to have no jump shot made the biggest one.
This is probably not a formula for sustained success, but in the unusual and the unexpected, the Knicks have at least found short-term contentment.
With Eddy Curry at the line and David Lee deep in the corner and Trevor Ariza rising again, the Knicks kicked past the Seattle SuperSonics, 120-116, and stretched their winning streak to three games yesterday at Madison Square Garden.
The new year continued to be a happy one, with a 3-0 record, and a victory total that eclipsed the Knicks' total for all of last January (2-13). They have their first three-game winning streak since last February, and suddenly all the jagged edges seem to be softening.
"I think everyone finally just clicked with each other," the rookie Channing Frye said.
Three Knicks scored at least 20 points. Stephon Marbury led the way with 23 points and 15 assists. Maurice Taylor, only recently given a major role, also scored 23 points as the Knicks overcame a 3-point assault from Seattle (14 for 35 from the arc).
The Sonics fell to 14-19, and 1-2 since Bob Hill replaced Bob Weiss as coach last week.
Ray Allen led Seattle with 33 points. Vladimir Radmanovic added 30 points and hit eight 3-pointers. Radmanovic hit two 3-pointers down the stretch, the second one tying the score at 111-111.
Then the game turned unusual. Curry, a 64 percent foul shooter this season, hit two to tie the score again with little more than more a minute left. Lee, who only recently developed his jumper, took a pass from Marbury and hit a 20-footer from the right side to make the score 115-113.
It finally came down to Sonics guard Luke Ridnour, standing at the foul line with 9.8 seconds left. Ridnour was 79 for 83 for the season, but he misfired twice. The Knicks sealed the victory with free throws by Ariza, Nate Robinson and Lee.
Coach Larry Brown marveled at the contrast in fortunes.
"Those things are hard to understand," he said. But the Knicks (10-21) are becoming a more poised crunch-time team, and Brown noted, "I think we got a little more confidence."
No one's fortunes changed faster than Ariza's. A week ago, Brown said he was out of the rotation. Ariza seemed crushed and confused. A few days later, Brown called Ariza delusional - three times - for claiming not to understand the decision.
Far from benched, Ariza was indispensable yesterday. He grabbed two defensive rebounds in the final 42 seconds and - a 57 percent foul shooter himself - made two free throws with 8.8 seconds left.
Ariza said he met with Brown last week - "the day before he said the D word" - but politely steered clear of revisiting the issue. That, as much as his play, is an indication that the 20-year-old Ariza did some maturing last week.
"That's the only way to get back in good graces or be on the court, doing what I want to do, play basketball, is by just staying away from this stuff," said Ariza, who received a lot of advice from his older teammates in recent days. "It's hard. But you've to do it. That's what this league is about, being professional."
Curry looked as if he might dominate the game when he opened with 10 quick points against the rookie Johan Petro. But Curry played just four minutes in the second quarter, then got into foul trouble in the third quarter. He finished with 22 points and 5 rebounds.
The Knicks are 3-1 since Curry rejoined the starting lineup. After using 18 different lineups in the first 27 games, Brown has stuck with the same group for four straight games, and he has kept his rotation tighter.
"I think the only way we can start to play better is if you limit the rotation and play the young kids," Brown said, "because that's our future right now."
REBOUNDS
Larry Brown's stinging remarks two weeks ago may have spurred a resurgence by Stephon Marbury, but Brown said his criticism was not intended as motivation. "You ask me a question, I answer it honestly," Brown said. "I'd rather have it where I say what I feel, because I tell my players the exact same thing. But I don't pick spots to do it." On Saturday, Marbury said he disagreed with Brown's habit of publicly critiquing players. "I don't get into that," Brown said. "I coached him 28 games, and I questioned two shots he's taken in 28 games. And one game, I didn't like the way he played. Steph Marbury has been great, he's getting better. I don't know what motivates players, but I think you try to coach them and make them better, and that's what I do." Brown did agree, as Marbury said, that the Knicks were trying to adjust to his methods. "You get a new girlfriend, you have to adjust," Brown said. "But I have to adjust to players as well." ... Channing Frye hurt his left ankle when Nate Robinson tumbled into him. Frye said that the ankle was "just a little tender" and that he did not expect to miss any time. ... Jamal Crawford missed his second straight game because of a sprained foot. ... Antonio Davis and Quentin Richardson, both coping with back spasms, played limited minutes. ... The Knicks commentator John Andariese is recovering from eye surgery. His return date has not been determined, the MSG Network said.