END OF THE ROAD: Rudy Gay, dunking on J.R. Smith, and the Grizzlies ended the perfect 6-0 start for Mike Woodson and the Knicks last night in Memphis with a 105-95 victory. (NBAE/Getty Images (2))
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It was nice while it lasted.
The referees and the Grizzlies got under the Knicks’ skin as they unraveled in the third quarter and sustained their first loss of the season, a 105-95 Beale Street bruising, before 17,516 Friday night at FedEx Forum.
It was a chippy game and the big frontline of former Knick Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol proved too daunting as they combined for 44 points. In addition, some questionable calls led the Knicks to blow their stacks and blow themselves out of the unbeaten ranks, falling to 6-1. It was the 19th anniversary of the Knicks’ best start in franchise history at 7-0, but they weren’t able to match the 1993-94 team’s feat.
“We didn’t want to see it end, but it did,” coach Mike Woodson said. “We [have] got to start a new streak.’’
The Knicks lost their cool, committing four technical fouls.
“We shouldn’t have let the frustration affect the way we executed tonight,” Rasheed Wallace said. “Hats off to the Grizzles, but I just have to say one thing — they need to come to the Garden [on March 27].’’
The Grizzlies (7-1) entered with the league’s second-best record, boasting that traditional big front-court tandem that figured to be a tough matchup for the Knicks’ small unit with Carmelo Anthony at power forward. The Knicks were playing on the second night of a back-to-back after their stunning 104-100 statement win in San Antonio. So the end of the unbeaten run was not shocking, but tempers flaring on a team stacked with leaders was a bit of a surprise.
The third quarter unraveled for the Knicks amid fouls, technical fouls and a potent Grizzlies attack. Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Wallace found themselves in serious foul trouble in the third and Jason Kidd was in foul trouble in the first half.
Anthony, with the tall task of defending center Gasol, finished with 20 points, but five fouls and just three rebounds. Randolph finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds in one of his throwback games, and Gasol dominated Anthony, scoring 24 points and making 12 of 13 free throws. Memphis shot 28 free throws to the Knicks 19. Raymond Felton finished with 18 points for the Knicks.
Asked about his combative matchup against Gasol, Anthony said: “It would’ve been fun if they let things go. But we’ll see them in New York.’’
Woodson said his team will make “adjustments” the next time it faces Memphis.
“That’s a decision we made,” he said. “We got to live [with it] and move on.’’
Anthony received his fourth foul with 9:05 left in the third and fired an epitaph at the official, drawing a technical as he headed to the bench. The Knicks were trailing 58-55 at the time, but it got worse.
The Grizzlies were further buoyed by Chandler getting called for his fifth with 6:32 left in the third, forcing Kurt Thomas, who did not play in the previous two games, into duty. Immediately, Randolph dribbled into the lane and scored on a lovely lefty hook to put the Grizzlies up, 71-56. They went on a 23-7 run overall to lead by 21 points, 77-56.
“There were some things that went on that we didn’t appreciate on our bench,’’ said Wallace, who had a solid offensive night with 13 points.
Chandler said sometimes even a veteran group such as the Knicks can lose their cool.
“[It] just shows you it was that frustrating,’’ he said.
Anthony returned to the game for the fourth quarter, but picked up a fifth foul with 8:43 left while jostling for defensive position. All he could do was laugh.
Coming in, the Knicks were reveling in their San Antonio victory.
“It was a big win for us,’’ Woodson said before the game. “I think our guys know that we an play with anybody in this league. I know it’s early but our team in particular I don’t think there’s a team we can’t play with.’’
Afterward, Felton said, “We wish we were 3-0 on the [road] trip, but a lot of teams would take the record we have.’’
The first half was highlighted by a scuffle between J.R. Smith and Jerryd Bayless in the second quarter. Both received double technicals. During the third-quarter meltdown, Smith committed a questionable flagrant foul, on Tony Allen as he drove for a dunk attempt. Smith looked to be going for the ball, but got his arm hard.
Soon after, Wallace, the NBA’s all-time leader in technical fouls, added another after his apparent clean block of a Gasol turnaround in the lane got whistled. Wallace ran to the sidelines in disbelief and got nailed.
Minutes later, Woodson, who had been yapping at referee Ed Malloy, received his own technical and the Knicks trailed 85-67 entering the fourth.