boutons
12-30-2004, 12:41 PM
Knicks 100, Timberwolves 87: Marbury Turns the Garden Into His Playground
December 30, 2004
By HOWARD BECK
Fiery Knicks leaders, past and present, crossed paths at
Madison Square Garden last night, and for the first time
since Latrell Sprewell left town, it was clear the building
no longer belonged to him.
Stephon Marbury now carries the fans' hopes and the team's
emotion, and it was Marbury who left the greatest imprint
on the evening, powering the Knicks to a 100-87 victory
over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the game tight down the stretch, Marbury cut up
Minnesota's defense, scoring the Knicks' next 9 points as
they pulled away. The 19,763 in the stands roared approval.
Those cheers were once directed at Sprewell, the Knicks'
celebrated bad boy for five seasons. But he lost a lot of
support in his first trip back here last December, when he
spewed profanities at James L. Dolan, the Garden chairman.
The Timberwolves won that game, and Sprewell scored 31
points.
This time, he drew as many boos as cheers and walked
dejectedly off the court before the final second had
elapsed.
The Knicks, having chased off one more ghost of the past,
made their greatest declaration yet about the state of the
present. They have won three straight games for the second
time this season and, at 16-13, are three games over .500
for the first time since April 18, 2001.
"This is a nice roll we've got going," Tim Thomas said. "To
beat some teams that have been putting up a lot of points,
teams that have been together - it's a great win for us, a
great win."
Until this week, the Knicks had beaten just one team with a
winning record. Now they have rolled past two, including
Monday's victory at Orlando. Marbury was the critical
factor both times.
Last night he scored on a series of driving floaters and
finger rolls, converted all seven of his free throws and
finished with 32 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds.
The Knicks rolled as Marbury did, and as he approaches his
first anniversary in Knicks gear, he is starting to assume
the leadership role that Sprewell once occupied.
"I believe so," said Knicks forward Kurt Thomas, who was
Sprewell's teammate for five years. "It's still early. But
he's definitely showing more leadership out there on the
floor. He's definitely bringing it every night."
Nazr Mohammed, the beneficiary of many of Marbury's
assists, scored 19 points. Kurt Thomas had 14 points, and
Tim Thomas finished with 10.
But it was a rare defensive grit that pushed the Knicks
past Minnesota (16-11), a preseason favorite to win the
championship. They held the Timberwolves to .402 shooting,
and held them without a field goal for nearly five minutes
late in the fourth quarter.
Marbury did the rest.
"That's the Steph I grew up knowing, just constantly always
penetrating, getting to the basket, creating for others,"
Tim Thomas said. "And when he's doing that, it's just going
to open up the floor for everybody else."
Sparked by a series of Knicks miscues, Minnesota closed the
third quarter on an 11-3 run and cut the deficit to 69-66.
The Knicks were fortunate to have the lead by the buzzer.
With seconds to go, Tim Thomas hurled an ill-advised
downcourt pass that Kevin Garnett picked off, and Fred
Hoiberg just missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
The entire third quarter had gone that way. Allan Houston
shot an air ball from the arc, Mohammed was called for
basket interference, negating a Marbury layup, and Marbury
caused a pair of 24-second violations by overdribbling.
Amid that mayhem, Sprewell found his opportunity and, after
a stoic first half, unleashed his familiar fury. He scored
10 points in a five-minute burst and missed a ferocious
dunk when Mohammed fouled him at the rim.
But Sprewell's second return to the Garden was profoundly
less intense than the first. Dolan, the object of
Sprewell's ire, was on vacation, so there was no
possibility of a confrontation. A rebel without a cause,
Sprewell went 9 for 23 from the field and finished with 22
points. Garnett, the reigning most valuable player, had 17.
Houston stripped Sprewell, his former backcourt mate, early
in the first quarter. Sprewell returned the favor later,
blocking his 19-foot jumper.
"It wasn't anything personal," Sprewell said of Houston,
who last year criticized his on-court tirade. "I just
play."
There was no obvious animosity or added fire in his game,
though, and asked to size up Sprewell's demeanor, Houston
merely said, "Spree."
REBOUNDS
Penny Hardaway ran full speed without complications
yesterday and said he hoped to play as soon as Saturday,
when the Knicks play the Nets. That's a drastic turnaround
from where Hardaway was just a few days ago. He was forced
to cut short a workout Saturday when pain in his right
hamstring resurfaced. "But I did some things yesterday and
today that made me feel really good," Hardaway said. ...
With Jamal Crawford out with an injured toe, the Knicks
need an experienced shooting guard to spell Allan Houston.
... The Knicks honored Eddie Layton with a moment of
silence before the game. Layton, the Yankee Stadium
organist for more than three decades and the Garden
organist during the 1970 championship season, died Sunday.
Layton's rendition of the national anthem from Game 7 of
that N.B.A. finals was played before the game.
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company
December 30, 2004
By HOWARD BECK
Fiery Knicks leaders, past and present, crossed paths at
Madison Square Garden last night, and for the first time
since Latrell Sprewell left town, it was clear the building
no longer belonged to him.
Stephon Marbury now carries the fans' hopes and the team's
emotion, and it was Marbury who left the greatest imprint
on the evening, powering the Knicks to a 100-87 victory
over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
With the game tight down the stretch, Marbury cut up
Minnesota's defense, scoring the Knicks' next 9 points as
they pulled away. The 19,763 in the stands roared approval.
Those cheers were once directed at Sprewell, the Knicks'
celebrated bad boy for five seasons. But he lost a lot of
support in his first trip back here last December, when he
spewed profanities at James L. Dolan, the Garden chairman.
The Timberwolves won that game, and Sprewell scored 31
points.
This time, he drew as many boos as cheers and walked
dejectedly off the court before the final second had
elapsed.
The Knicks, having chased off one more ghost of the past,
made their greatest declaration yet about the state of the
present. They have won three straight games for the second
time this season and, at 16-13, are three games over .500
for the first time since April 18, 2001.
"This is a nice roll we've got going," Tim Thomas said. "To
beat some teams that have been putting up a lot of points,
teams that have been together - it's a great win for us, a
great win."
Until this week, the Knicks had beaten just one team with a
winning record. Now they have rolled past two, including
Monday's victory at Orlando. Marbury was the critical
factor both times.
Last night he scored on a series of driving floaters and
finger rolls, converted all seven of his free throws and
finished with 32 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds.
The Knicks rolled as Marbury did, and as he approaches his
first anniversary in Knicks gear, he is starting to assume
the leadership role that Sprewell once occupied.
"I believe so," said Knicks forward Kurt Thomas, who was
Sprewell's teammate for five years. "It's still early. But
he's definitely showing more leadership out there on the
floor. He's definitely bringing it every night."
Nazr Mohammed, the beneficiary of many of Marbury's
assists, scored 19 points. Kurt Thomas had 14 points, and
Tim Thomas finished with 10.
But it was a rare defensive grit that pushed the Knicks
past Minnesota (16-11), a preseason favorite to win the
championship. They held the Timberwolves to .402 shooting,
and held them without a field goal for nearly five minutes
late in the fourth quarter.
Marbury did the rest.
"That's the Steph I grew up knowing, just constantly always
penetrating, getting to the basket, creating for others,"
Tim Thomas said. "And when he's doing that, it's just going
to open up the floor for everybody else."
Sparked by a series of Knicks miscues, Minnesota closed the
third quarter on an 11-3 run and cut the deficit to 69-66.
The Knicks were fortunate to have the lead by the buzzer.
With seconds to go, Tim Thomas hurled an ill-advised
downcourt pass that Kevin Garnett picked off, and Fred
Hoiberg just missed a 3-pointer as time expired.
The entire third quarter had gone that way. Allan Houston
shot an air ball from the arc, Mohammed was called for
basket interference, negating a Marbury layup, and Marbury
caused a pair of 24-second violations by overdribbling.
Amid that mayhem, Sprewell found his opportunity and, after
a stoic first half, unleashed his familiar fury. He scored
10 points in a five-minute burst and missed a ferocious
dunk when Mohammed fouled him at the rim.
But Sprewell's second return to the Garden was profoundly
less intense than the first. Dolan, the object of
Sprewell's ire, was on vacation, so there was no
possibility of a confrontation. A rebel without a cause,
Sprewell went 9 for 23 from the field and finished with 22
points. Garnett, the reigning most valuable player, had 17.
Houston stripped Sprewell, his former backcourt mate, early
in the first quarter. Sprewell returned the favor later,
blocking his 19-foot jumper.
"It wasn't anything personal," Sprewell said of Houston,
who last year criticized his on-court tirade. "I just
play."
There was no obvious animosity or added fire in his game,
though, and asked to size up Sprewell's demeanor, Houston
merely said, "Spree."
REBOUNDS
Penny Hardaway ran full speed without complications
yesterday and said he hoped to play as soon as Saturday,
when the Knicks play the Nets. That's a drastic turnaround
from where Hardaway was just a few days ago. He was forced
to cut short a workout Saturday when pain in his right
hamstring resurfaced. "But I did some things yesterday and
today that made me feel really good," Hardaway said. ...
With Jamal Crawford out with an injured toe, the Knicks
need an experienced shooting guard to spell Allan Houston.
... The Knicks honored Eddie Layton with a moment of
silence before the game. Layton, the Yankee Stadium
organist for more than three decades and the Garden
organist during the 1970 championship season, died Sunday.
Layton's rendition of the national anthem from Game 7 of
that N.B.A. finals was played before the game.
Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company