OT: Kings 106 – Knicks 102
Knicks president Isiah Thomas was in his normal stop in the tunnel. Owner James Dolan was in his seat behind the baseline, by the Knicks bench, next to Garden prez Steve Mills.
It seemed like just another Garden night but it was anything but. The Knicks tried to put the smile back on their president’s face but they got hurt by a final-second call in regulation, made a dumb foul late in overtime and were outlasted 106-102 by Sacramento in overtime, dropping their sixth straight game and falling to a despicable 13-27 almost halfway through the season.
Stephon Marbury, in his return, scored 22 points but got a fat lip on a controversial foul in the last second of regulation and then made an ill-advised intentional foul in OT. He also threw up a wild airball in the final minute of overtime.
With the backdrop of Thomas facing a sexual harassment lawsuit looming heavy, even Larry Brown is starting to get confused amidst this season’s dysfunction,
In overtime, with 30.1 seconds left, the Knicks cut it to three points on a Marbury layup. Instead of trying to get one stop, Marbury intentionally fouled Kevin Martin.
However, Brown denied the circumstances ever occurred, and apparently had the score wrong. “We were down four,” Brown said. “I thought we were down four. I don’t think that’s accurate. Down three with 30 seconds to go, I would never tell them to foul.”
Martin hit both free throws and the Kings survived the subsequent free-throw shooting contest, hitting seven of their last eight free throws, including four straight by Mike Bibby, who finished with 35 points.
It never should’ve gotten to overtime if the Knicks could’ve made one last stop in regulation. Trailing by one point, Sacramento center Brad Miller (25 points) drove left down the lane and cut left right into Marbury, as he went flying, absorbing a bloody lip.
The referees called a blocking foul with 1.3 seconds left and Miller went to the line with a chance to win it. Brown thought it should’ve been a no-call.
“There was a no-call when Jamal went to the goal (on the prior possession),” Brown said. “Those things happen when things are going bad.”
Marbury thought he got the call. “Normally that’s how the game is called in your building. It could’ve gone either way. The refs are human.”
Miller missed the first foul shot, the ball going in and out as the fans were on their feet making a din. The second one, with the noise at a crescendo, hit the front rim but rolled through, as Miller rolled his eye in relief, tying the score at 89. Marbury’s last-second desperation shot from the left side rimmed out.
Brown tinkered with the starting lineup upon Marbury’s return from a three-game absence, starting a three-guard unit. Marbury, Quentin Richardson and Nate Robinson began the game with starting small forward David Lee on the
bench. In general, Brown limited the play of the rookies, going with veterans.
The Knicks players awoke to another lawsuit yesterday, another scandal and more dysfunction they did not need a week after the Antonio Davis mess.
But it looked as if the night would end on a good note. After dogged defense by Malik Rose forced Miller into a missed jumper with 1:01 left, Maurice Taylor came back down for a finger roll and a 89-86 lead with 50 seconds left. Taylor, starting for AWOL Davis, had 21 points and a season-high 11 boards.
But after Bibby got the long rebound of his own miss, Miller was fouled on a drive left with 31.7 seconds left. Miller made both too make it 89-88.
The Knicks could’ve iced it, but Jamal Crawford (season-high 10 assists) went down the line and missed wildly on a runner, failing to hit the rim. Crawford finished with just 7 points on 3 of 14 shooting. Brown nearly busted a vein in his forehead arguing that Crawford was fouled.
“That’s bull (bleep),” Brown screamed.
The Kings were shorthanded, without Bonzi Wells, the departed Peja Stojakovic and their new addition Ron Artest, who’s joining the team tomorrow.
