Knicks 97 – Grizzlies 72
Glen Rice has made a bushel of 3-point shots at the Garden in his lifetime. It’s just he hadn’t yet done it as a Knick.
Rice needed this breakout game in the worst way. His confidence was at its lowest point. The centerpiece of the Patrick Ewing trade was turning into a bust.
Back in the starting lineup as a small forward with Jeff Van Gundy wisely going with the controversial “Big Backcourt” of Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston last night, Rice scored 23 points – tying his high with New York – while banging home five 3-pointers and pulling down seven rebounds as the Knicks routed the Grizzlies 97-72 at the Garden.
Rice, who entered the game shooting 27.6 percent from the 3-point line and 38 percent overall, was becoming more and more hesitant, passing up open shots.
Last night, he looked as smooth as silk, as smooth as in his Charlotte days, when he regularly came into the Garden to torch the Knicks.
What turned it around for Rice?
“One of the things the last two days, I did a lot of video-watching with my jump shot,” Rice said. “I got in the weight room, did extra shooting. All those things helped, as well as starting right away.”
Rice said he was “leaning back” more on his jumper because he was “not getting enough lift on jump shot.”
A relieved Rice also thanked Garden fans for not booing him during his struggles.
“I really appreciate their support,” Rice said. “It could get a little restless. It gave me a big lift, their support for me.”
Said Houston: “He definitely needed it [a big game]. He knew it was coming. We knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time. He knew what he had to do. He was very focused in practice the last two days. We happened to make the last pass to one of the best shooters in the game.”
Marcus Camby agreed, saying, “It was good to get Glen [going]. That was the most important thing right there.”
Rice’s downtown shooting was contagious as the Knicks hit 10 of 13 from 3-point range.
Rice finally got his touch back, hitting 4 of 8 from the field and finishing the half with 12 points. A straight-away 3-pointer by an open Rice vaulted the Knicks into a 32-21 lead early in the second quarter.
Before the game, Rice also complained that coming off the bench had stunted his style.
That role changed with last night’s “Big Backcourt” – a point-guard-less set-up in the wake of Charlie Ward’s arthroscopic knee surgery yesterday.
With Sprewell and Houston leading the way, the Knicks were rewarded. They rolled to a 7-0 lead with Houston hitting the first shot of the game from 18 feet along the right wing.
The three Gotham guns broke out for 63 points – a rarity this season. Houston had 22 points and Sprewell 18.
“It really comes down to not turning it over,” Houston said of the big alignment. “As long as you get shots up, we have a good chance to score. It could be dangerous.”
Van Gundy broke up the big lineup with 4:22 left in the first, taking out Sprewell and putting in Chris Childs with the Knicks leading 14-9.
Childs has been a staunch opponent of the Big Backcourt, saying he is “offended” by the unconventional lineup. By going big, Childs is booted from the starting role he feels should be his when Ward is injured.
Camby was rugged off the offensive boards, grabbing four in the first half. He finished with 14 rebounds overall but for the second straight game, he missed a dunk and had another one blocked.
The Knicks led by just six points at halftime and Rice got them rolling in the third quarter. The Knicks outscored Vancouver 52-33 in the second half.
Rice came out firing in the second half, hitting right away from the 3-point line with 10:42 left in the third. His trey along the right wing after dribbling twice with 2:00 left in the third put the Knicks up 63-52.
With eight seconds left in the third, Rice buried another three from the right wing, off the dribble, to send the Knicks ahead 70-62 after three quarters.
