THE more I’m around Eddy Curry, the more I like his honesty and off-court jesting. He smiles easily, good-humoredly messes with teammates and is quick to poke fun at himself.
About a half hour after the Knicks’ 37-20 fourth quarter domination of the Nuggets, thus acing their first troublesome test of the unsullied season, Baby Huey sat half-dressed in front of his dressing cubicle and welcomed his last visitor.
“As big as you are it’s amazing how light you are on your feet. You must be a good dancer,” I submitted.
“I can’t dance a lick. When the music starts I take a seat,” Curry cracked.
A craze that often carried over from the dance floor to the basketball court his first two years as a Knick, Curry added nonchalantly without any witness-leading whatsoever.
“Usually I’m on the bench at the end of a close game. For defensive reasons,” he clarified.
As tactlessly as possible, I told Curry I thought his failure to hit free throws also might have something to do with it.
“It’s probably a combination of the two,” he said cheerfully.
Imagine that: Someone who can handle the truth.
Yet despite missing three welfare payments out of four in the final quadrant, Curry never sat down until the victory was in the bag with 21.4 seconds remaining.
Isiah Thomas is like that sometimes; against his better judgment he sticks with a player just because he manages to manufacture seven points, five rebounds, one block, one steal and acceptable defense.
It meant a lot to Curry that Thomas showed him some, er, love. Except for the sporting greats, a player’s confidence is only as strong as his coach’s confidence in him.
“This was something to build on,” Curry said happily as he tied his non-dancing shoes.
Tuesday night’s soirée was the most fun Curry said he had between the lines since who knows when.
Dwight Howard’s appearance on the Garden tarmac tonight is expected to put a slight crimp in that emotion.
With about two minutes left Tuesday and Orlando losing ground fast on what was a big lead over the T-i-m-b-e-r Wolves at the Off-Target Center, Hedo Turkoglu missed a springer.
Just when Minny-ha-ha thought it had a chance to cut the spread to two, the exceptionally bulked-up Howard parted two opponents for the rebound and was mugged on the attempted put-back.
Hovering just below 60 percent from the line the last two seasons, the Magic’s licensed liquidator demonstrated what pride and practice is all about by being pristine from 15 on both foul shots.
“Dwight keeps turning pages in the Moses Malone career guide,” noted an e-mail contributor whose name escapes me, and for that I apologize. “If Curry has to play Howard I don’t think the crowd will be get a chance to chant ‘Eddy. Eddy.’ ”
That’s life in the bigs; another subject, another exam.
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Earlier this week I branded the Magic’s Keith Bogans and Jameer Nelson the NBA’s weakest starting backcourt. In Tuesday night’s 105-96 win against the Raptors in Toronto, they combined for 27 points, 17 rebounds, 10 assists and three turn overs.
This just in: Boston’s 119-93 bludgeon ing of Denver 24 hours later is easily explained: The Nug gets got caught fondly looking back at their effort in the final 12 minutes against the Knicks.
As we near the second weekend of the season, five outposts (Washington, Miami, Golden State, Minnesota and Seattle) remain on the schneid, a combined 0-and-21; the Wizards continued to cooperate last night by losing to the Nets, the Warriors failed to resume their command of the Mavericks, and the Bulls (1-4) blemished column continuity by beating the Pistons. How is this professionally possible?
More important, how many of these downtrodden denizens can Kobe Bryant save?
Well, Miami (82.8 points per game), Chicago (87.8) and Washington (91.7) can’t score; last, 28th and 25th, respectively.
Golden State (119.5) and Seattle (110) can’t stop anyone; last and next-to-last in the porous parade.
As for the ‘Wolves, I’m breathlessly awaiting Glen Taylor‘s next State of the Spewnion before I come to any conclusion.
For anyone who missed the owner’s brutally honest evaluation in question-and-answer form of past and present coaches/players, including Kevin Garnett, it’s well worth it to Google.
By the way, aside from Kevin Durant (22.6), if you guessed the only double-figure scoring plebe would be Miami’s Daequan Cook (10.5), you’re lying.
It has been a rather difficult indoctrination for Reggie Theus, who’s without Mike Bibby and Ron Artest.
“We’re looking at every game as a must win,” Kevin Martin remarked.