Sports

ANTONIO NO HELP IN OT DEBACLE

OVERTIME

Pistons 79

Knicks 78

It’s going to take awhile.

Antonio McDyess said before making his Knicks’ debut that this was “my training camp.” And he was in vintage preseason form last night at the Garden.

McDyess’ debut was a dud, held without a field goal in 13 rusty, nervous minutes as the Knicks lost to the Pistons 79-78 in overtime.

But after McDyess finished with two points – both on free throws – McDyess declared, “I think I’m going to be alright. I could feel it. The first half I had so many butterflies, but I calmed down in the second half and I was running and jumping like I wanted to. It was bad as in scoring and rebounds, but physically I give myself an A.”

After missing all of last season, all of November and the season’s first 17 games, McDyess went 0 for 5, finishing with three rebounds, two turnovers, which came on his first three touches. He left for good with 9:13 left in the fourth quarter of a distressing overtime in which the Knicks (7-11) blew a 15-point first-half lead. A sympathetic Garden gave him a strong ovation as McDyess came out.

“I never felt that nervous,” said McDyess. “I’ve never felt that way in my life.”

McDyess, during the National Anthem, even left the court for the Garden tunnel, heading to a coach’s office, because he was “tearing up” and didn’t return until tip-off. “I got teary-eyed a little bit, because I never thought I’d be back on the court, at times I thought I’d have to retire,” he said.

McDyess didn’t provide the Knicks the offense they desperately craved in this defensive struggle that ended 70-70 after four quarters. McDyess was long gone when the Knicks gave away the game. The Knicks were held without a field goal for a 5:19 stretch of the fourth as they blew a nine-point fourth-quarter lead.

Charlie Ward forced overtime by draining a right-wing jumper with 12.6 seconds left in regulation, but committed two consecutive fouls on Piston hero Chauncey Billups in the final 37 seconds to cost the Knicks the game.

Billups put the Pistons up 78-76 on a 3-point play after getting a bump from Ward and flipping in circus shot in the lane. After Allan Houston tied it, Billups drew another ill-advised foul on Ward after being doubled in the lane. Billups made 1 of 2 foul shots with 6.7 seconds left for the winning points. On the final chance, Houston bobbled the ball, passed to Michael Dollar, whose buzzer-beating jumper was blocked.

In six first-half minutes, McDyess missed all four of his shots. He entered with 2:06 left in the first period. He lost the ball out of bounds under a backcourt press. McDyess, after getting an entry pass deep on the left block, coughed up the ball as he rolled to the hoop.

His first shot came after getting the ball on the right block, cutting into the lane but missing short on a turnaround that barely grazed the rim. On the next possession, McDyess got the ball underneath, but missed two consecutive shots around the basket.

McDyess re-entered with 3:22 left in the third. There was one scary moment when he barreled in for a dunk, got hacked by Bobby Sura then collided into Pistons center Mehmet Okur as the Garden crowd held its breath.

McDyess was fine, but the Knicks might not be as they begin a five-game West Coast trip tomorrow in Seattle against five clubs with winning records. “I think I’ll get a little more relaxed on the road and just play my game,” McDyess said.