DAN ŽALOSTI U NEW YORKU: 12-2 Celticsi izbrisali 4-10 Knickse s NBA mape...

petak, 30.11.2007.

KNICKS: THIS AIN'T HAPPENIN'...

BOSTON MASSACRE - ROCK BOTTOM

November 30, 2007 - BOSTON - Isiah Thomas viewed last night's nationally televised matchup vs. the vaunted Celtics as a chance to put the Knicks on the map.

Instead, with a motivational lift from Quentin Richardson, the Celtics blew the Knicks out of the new Boston Garden, blew them off the NBA map, blew them off the world map, blew them all the way to Mars by the time this disgusting 104-59 carnage was over.

The Knicks' two-game winning streak ended in humiliating fashion, as they fell behind by 52 points in the fourth quarter. They only avoided setting their franchise low for points because Nate Robinson sank a 38-foot, buzzer-beating 3-pointer.
The franchise low is 58 points in 2000.

The players were devastated and talked about being embarrassed. Thomas ripped the team for playing selfish.
Eddy Curry bolted out of the locker room, brushing off reporters. Zach Randolph and Malik Rose talked in choked tones. This 45-point loss was so sickening a new Isiah Watch could begin anew as the Knicks (4-10) try to erase the stench tonight vs. Milwaukee at a potentially venomous Garden.

“We take two steps forward and one giant step back," Isiah Thomas said. “I don't know where this game came from. I thought we played extremely selfish tonight. No ball movement. We didn't screen for each other. I definitely didn't see this game coming after the last two games we played. We didn't compete."

Their offensive display was nauseating with low-post beasts Randolph and Curry combining for eight points on 3-of-21 shooting. The club didn't fare much-better, shooting a woeful 30 percent. None of the starters hit double-figures, and they wouldn't have had a double-digit scorer if not for the late trey, leaving Robinson with 11.

In an incredible display of surrender, with 8:09 left and the Celtics mounting a 50-point lead on Eddie House's jumper, a Knicks fan sitting behind the basket ripped off his blue Knicks jersey, threw it onto the court in a rage and marched up the stairs and out of the building as Celtics fans applauded.

“I've never lost that bad in my life," Richardson said. “I don't think you're not a competitor if you're not angry. To lose that bad is just ridiculous."

There was a very brief “Fire Isiah" chant from the Boston crowd, and TNT's Charles Barkley predicted Thomas' demise with a Milwaukee loss tonight at the Garden. Unfortunately, that's not happening.

“I don't know what's going up right now," Randolph said. “I don't know what to say. I never ever lost like that in my career."

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Thomas continued the selfish theme.

“I thought, game on national television, they came to the arena thinking, ‘I was going to have a good game,' instead of the Knicks having a good game," Thomas said. “Every player was thinking about himself instead of thinking about the team."

Said Jamal Crawford: “That was embarrassing. No way around it. No excuses.

“Of course I'm embarrassed. We almost lost by 50 points."

The Celtics showed no mercy in building up an 82-37 with 2:44 left in the third quarter, with Ray Allen still driving to the hoop for a driving bucket like it was a one-point game.

Allen had a right after Richardson foolishly gave the Celtics bulletin-board fodder, saying the Knicks were not “in awe of them," that the Celts (12-2) hadn't won anything and claiming Boston has no depth after the Big 3. Allen and Paul Pierce each scored 21 points in 29 minutes, and only eight was needed from Kevin Garnett, who had 11 boards.

Richardson was awful in a 3-for-12 effort and two early-third-quarter turnovers that opened up the floodgates further after the Celtics took a 54-31 halftime lead. Stephon Marbury was a disaster (four points, 2-of-6, one assist, three turnovers).

“The most selfish half of basketball I've seen," Thomas told TNT's Craig Sager at halftime. “We got to get men involved. We got to move the ball. We're not competing."

Then they competed even less in the second half. After taking a 23-point cushion into the locker room, the Celtics piled it on in the third quarter, posting a 16-2 run, with Richardson falling apart.

Richardson's bounce pass was stolen, leading to Allen draining a 3-pointer, then running downcourt laughing, the Celtics up 60-31.

Garnett then drained a top of the key jumper for a 62-31 bulge. Richardson came down and threw up an airball, with Pierce coming down the other end for a trey and 65-31 slaughter.

“We're not ready for prime time yet," Thomas said, “that's for sure."

MARC BERMAN
marc.berman@nypost.com

30.11.2007. u 17:38 • 5 Komentara • Print • #

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