KNICK NOTES
These days, a double-double is cause for celebration for Patrick Ewing. A 20-20 game would be cause for a parade in downtown Seattle.
Tuesday night vs. Orlando, Marcus Camby, Ewing’s replacement, matter-of-factly posted his first 20-20 game of his career – the first time a Knick has accomplished the feat since Ewing did in 1997. (Ewing did it 19 times, according to the Elias Sports Bureau).
Camby bombed the Magic with 23 points and 20 rebounds Tuesday in continuing to make management’s decision of shipping Ewing look golden. Over the past few weeks, Camby is no longer hesitant to launch his rainbow jump shot with more frequency – a shot that had been missing from his arsenal since his Raptors days.
The Knicks still aren’t running plays for Camby – as Orlando coach Doc Rivers pointed out after the game – but it’s not holding him back.
“I’m just being more aggressive going down the stretch,” Camby said. “I’m not waiting for guys to make plays. I’m going to go out there and make plays and assert myself a lot more.”
Over the summer, Camby hoped to relocate his medium-range jump shot. He worked with then-Knick assistant Brendan Malone, who had noticed from comparing videotape that Camby was bringing the ball back further behind his head last season than during his Toronto days. However, Camby’s summer program was cut short when Malone took the Indiana assistant job in August.
Camby is averaging a double-double – 11.9 points and 11.5 rebounds – and is ranked third in the league in field-goal percentage (52.5). Ewing, meanwhile, likely will fail to average double figures in points for the first time in his career – he’s currently at 9.5 points and 7.4 rebounds. Ewing is nursing a bad back and missed his third game of the season Tuesday night in San Antonio.
*
No, Michael Jordan will not suit up tonight for the Wizards, but he did practice with Washington Monday for the second time this season. “The only thing it signifies is I’m getting some exercise,” said Jordan, the team’s president. Washington coach Leonard Hamilton said Jordan was still the best player on the court. Jordan has revised the Wizards’ starting lineup by 100 percent since the last time these two teams met Jan. 7. The lineup is expected to be Courtney Alexander, Christian Laettner, Richard Hamilton, Laron Profit and Jahidi White. Gone are Juwan Howard, Calvin Booth, Felipe Lopez and Rod Strickland. Chris Whitney and Tyrone Nesby are on injured list.
Allan Houston, who has been benched the last two fourth quarters for ever-improving Glen Rice, is averaging just 16.4 ppg since the All-Star break, down from 20.3 ppg. His 3-point shooting is 31.9 percent since the break compared to 41.2 percent before . . . Knicks will name Garden broadcast booth after Marty Glickman tonight.
