KNICK NOTES
CHICAGO – Jeff Van Gundy has three years left on his contact after this and he’ll tell you he doesn’t expect to finish it.
After all, coaches in this market usually don’t last as long as Van Gundy has. On Thursday night against Boston, Van Gundy slipped past Pat Riley into third place all-time for victories among Knick head coaches with 224.
Although Van Gundy’s winning percentage is much less than Riley’s (.595 to Riley’s .680), the milestone was a tribute to Van Gundy’s consistency and lasting power in a rough market for coaches. Perhaps the more impressive part of Van Gundy’s resume is he has never lost in the first round of a playoff series.
Entering last night’s game against the Bulls here, Van Gundy was 102 victories away from catching Joe Lapchick. Red Holzman has 613 victories. Asked the chances of catching Holzman, Van Gundy said, “Zero.”
“It is nice,” Van Gundy said of the milestone. “Although those things are secondary. I’ve learned a lot here, that’s the biggest thing in 12 years. I learned a whole lot.”
“Everyone knows how I feel about coach Riley,” Van Gundy said. “I think he is the best coach in team sports history. I feel very fortunate that I am here.”
Allan Houston said of Van Gundy’s coaching milestone: “He really puts a lot into is job. He has a great passion for it. One thing I’ve learned about Jeff is that he’s willing to change. It’s limitless what Jeff can do.”
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Glen Rice will undergo electro-shockwave therapy on his sore left foot today when the Knicks arrive in Toronto. Rice had the treatment in January in Toronto to treat his plantar fasciaitis. The treatment is not available in the U.S. The Knicks face Chris Childs’ Raptors tomorrow . . . The HorriBulls,who have lost five straight to the Knicks, were without their second-leading scorer Ron Mercer, who has an ankle sprain.