WASHINGTON — Twenty four games into his Knicks career, Amar’e Stoudemire tied one franchise record, and there may be many more to come.
Stoudemire slammed into the Knicks record books last night, scoring 36 points and pacing the way for another road victory, 101-95, over the Wizards.
Stoudemire notched his seventh straight 30-plus game before an adoring road crowd that chanted “MVP” repeatedly late in the fourth quarter at Verizon Center that should now be nicknamed Madison Square Garden on the Beltway.
Stoudemire tied Willie Naulls’ record that has stood since 1962. Stoudemire could set the new record tomorrow against Carmelo Anthony’s Nuggets at the Garden when the schedule turns rough.
A Knicks spokesman who talked to Naulls last night said the former Knicks player is proud of Stoudemire, was rooting for him to tie the record, and was honored his name had become part of the chatter. Naulls is a minister in Los Angeles.
The Knicks won their seventh straight game and have captured eight straight on the road — the second-longest in franchise history. The franchise road record is 13 — set during their 1969-70 championship season.
On this historic night, Stoudemire posted an unorthodox triple-double, with 11 turnovers and 10 rebounds. Stoudemire, who said he got “hit a lot,” also dished out five assists as the Knicks moved to 15-9, owning the fifth-best record in the East after their seventh straight victory and 12th in 13 games.
The Knicks are 7-0 during Stoudemire’s 30-point surge. With the Phoenix Suns, Stoudemire’s longest 30-point streak was four games.
“It’s actually great,” Stoudemire said. “First year here, the success we’re having. A lot of people didn’t think we’d have success. The way things are panning out, it’s a great record to have and on top of that we’re winning.”
Winning like New York hasn’t seen a in long while. The Knicks haven’t gotten off to a 15-9 start after 24-games since the 1999-2000 season. They haven’t won 12 of 13 games since 1994-95 and their seven-game winning streak is the longest since 2000.
Nearly half the crowd pulled for the resurgent Knicks. After Stoudemire got his 30th-point on a turnaround with 4:59 left, some fans erupted with “MVP!” chants. He heard it first when he checked back into the game one minute earlier, then got the serenade repeatedly in the final minutes.
“I’m very surprised to hear it down here,” Stoudemire said.
To put this streak in perspective, Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe and Patrick Ewing have their jerseys hanging from the Garden rafters and never came close to this 30-point run.
Stoudemire was 13-of-24 and made 10 of 11 free throws.
“It’s team success. We’re doing such a great job shooting outside to where teams are having a hard time figuring out how to guard us,” Stoudemire said. “It leaves me somewhat open, making teams stay honest and makes it easier for me. It’s a great accomplishment. It feels good to be on a run like this and feels greater to win.”
Stoudemire capped his night with an emphatic block on wayward rookie No. 1 pick John Wall at the rim with 25 seconds left and the Knicks up five. Wall had his second straight brutal game against the Knicks, shooting 4-of-14.
“You know when he gets the ball, he’s coming full throttle,” Stoudemire said. “He’s a kamikaze man. I saw he was trying to get an easy basket. You can’t afford to have momentum slip. It was a great time to block a shot.”
It’s a great time to be a Knicks fan as the tests get tougher. Denver, then Boston, then Miami next Friday in what is being called by the Knicks “Dream Week.”
“I think now we’re going to be forced to really, really see what we’re made of,” Stoudemire said. “We’re playing against tougher teams and we’ve got to keep our confidence high. We’ll get to measure up.”
Said coach Mike D’Antoni: “We’re going to the hard part of our schedule but we think we can do it against anybody.”
Stoudemire, who has been playing with a sore neck, scored his 28th point early in the fourth but didn’t get to 30 until 4:53 left. He even missed a driving dunk, seemingly tight knowing the record was in reach. Appearing tired, Stoudemire was removed, then checked back in with 5:55 left to “MVP” chants and reached 30 on a turnaround jumper.
Stoudemire, who’s on his way to winning a third Eastern Conference Player of the Week Award, again scored in a variety of ways, inside and outside, finishing off the half with a fastbreak slam.
Wilson Chandler added 16 points — 14 points in the first half when he went 6-of-6. The Knicks won despite an erratic shooting night by Stoudemire’s partner in crime, Raymond Felton, who was 5-of-17 for 13 points.