Former Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni was booed heartily during pregame introductions and wasn’t in any mood to wax eloquent about Carmelo Anthony or his tumultuous three-and-a-half years in New York that ended with an Anthony rift.
After all, D’Antoni is going through more rough times. Certainly the weather is great in Los Angeles and he has a nice pad in Manhattan Beach, but the injury-riddled Lakers are plummeting in the West and some have projected he won’t be around to finish his four-year contract.
When asked if he got a chance to see Anthony, D’Antoni said after the 110-103 loss, “I said hi to him. He said hi to me. What do you want us to be, pen pals or something? We’re fine.’’
D’Antoni was short in his praise of Anthony’s 62-point Friday record-setter and wanted no part of a question regarding Anthony’s future.
“I watched clips, it looked like he was making baskets,’’ D’Antoni said. “He’s got that ability. If he’d played the whole game he probably would’ve had about 80. Obviously scoring talent he does not lack.’’
D’Antoni, however, thought Anthony never bought into the spread-the-wealth, speed-ball attack that earned him the offensive genius label in Phoenix. It seems farfetched Anthony, a free agent this summer, and D’Antoni would make the perfect marriage in Los Angeles. But you never say never.
Asked about Anthony’s free-agent future, D’Antoni demurred: “I’m good. I just want to drink my water and watch a little basketball.’’
D’Antoni defended Knicks coach Mike Woodson, who has been on shaky ground. Woodson replaced D’Antoni late in the 2011-12 season. Fans that year chanted “We Want Wood-son.” Now they chant “Fi-re Wood-son.’’
“Woody does a great job,’’ D’Antoni said. “They’ve had injuries, it’s a tough league, and some years it doesn’t go well. [But] they have a lot more basketball to play, and they win two or three in a row they’ll be in second place in the East, so they’ll be fine. It’s a great organization, I enjoyed my four years here, but you’ve got to win. Everything is going to be questioned. It should be.’’
Knicks owner James Dolan was back in his customary baseline seat Sunday after missing the entire homestand including Friday’s explosion by Anthony. Dolan was in Los Angeles reopening the new Forum that is now owned by the Garden.
Metta World Peace never got to see his old team, the Lakers. He called in sick with a stomach virus. … Raymond Felton scored 20 points for the first time this season. … The Knicks are 2-0 without Andrea Bargnani after going 15-27 with him.