Knicks 95 Raptors 85 The Knicks said they wanted to honor Charles Oakley last night with a videotape tribute. In a curious move, however, they ran the one-minute tape of some of Oakley’s Knick highlights at half-time, when Oakley already was in the locker room with his new Raptor teammates.
The man being honored didn’t even have the chance to watch and take a bow. To Oakley, it was another slap in the face after being sent to NBA Siberia. His night completely collapsed when the Knicks won their fourth straight, burying Toronto 95-85 at the Garden before 19,763 “We Luv Oak” fans.
“That was kind of embarrassing. If they wanted to do something, they should have done it before the game,” a disappointed Oakley said as he sat at his locker in the foreign turf of the visiting locker room.
“I appreciate [showing the video], but do it professionally. They always talk about being professional. I didn’t see it. It was for the fans, not for me. It was special for the fans. I’ll see it one day.”
At first the Knicks talked about showing the tape before the game, but president and general manager Ernie Grunfeld made the decision to show the tape at halftime, a decision backed by coach Jeff Van Gundy.
Evidently, that was the Knick plan all along. The Knicks said that a pregame tribute would hinder “the pregame flow.” Van Gundy said, “I thought it was an excellent decision. I definitely wanted it at halftime. To me it struck a balance between giving tribute to him and not taking away from our preparation for the game.”
Asked beforehand if he would cry like Mark Messier did in his return to the Garden as a Canuck, Oakley said, “I’m 6-[foot]-9, he’s only 6-4. He won a Cup for them. All I did was good for a glass of water.”
His cup was never half empty, though. During his 10 years with the Knicks, Oakley always gave his best.
“He watched my back for 10 years,” Patrick Ewing said. Despite all that, Oakley didn’t get the opportunity to watch his video.
While Oakley came up with 11 points, seven rebounds and made five turnovers, Camby broke out with 11 points and 12 rebounds.
Six Knicks scored in double figures, with Allan Houston’s 20 leading the way.
Oakley plans everything. The suit he wears on game day always has the opposing team’s color somewhere within the threads. Not last night, though. Oakley wore a gray pinstriped number. Asked where the Knick colors were, the Raptor said, “Not tonight. This is strictly business.”
Business closed for Toronto once center Kevin Willis, their leading rebounder, was ejected at the 9:47 mark of the third quarter for a Flagrant Two foul after he leveled Charlie Ward with an elbow to the chin as the two fought for position on a rebound.
Said Ward: “I wish I was wearing a helmet.”
Willis said Ward was going after his knees, that’s why he shed him in such a manner.
The Knicks led by as much as 15 in the third. With five minutes left the Raptors trimmed the Knick lead to five, but Ewing nailed two free throws.
When Oakley led the Raptors on the court 20 minutes before the game he received a spontaneous standing ovation by the early arrivals.
When he was introduced he received a roaring standing ovation from the crowd. As he came out to the foul line he gave the Oakley bounce and a warm wave back to the fans.
Oak did not shake hands with any old teammates, as is his custom before the opening tap, and when the ball went up he got the tip. He took the first shot and missed an 18-footer off the front rim. His man, Kurt Thomas, then went down and scored the first basket on a short jumper.
Oakley picked up his first rebound at the 9:06 mark and went into the stands for the first time 15 seconds later, causing a Knick turnover, along the baseline. His first serious pick came against Ward at the 6:59 mark and less than a minute later, Ewing rejected an Oakley shot in the lane. At 4:38 Oakley buried a trademark spot-up jumper for his first points. At the 1:40 mark he lowered his head and drove the lane and scored on Camby.