Eddy Curry said he would apologize to teammates on the plane ride to Los Angeles last night. Curry’s flagrant foul against Rajon Rondo with 5:21 left in regulation helped the Celtics force overtime and ultimately prevail 107-105 yesterday at the Garden.
Curry made his Garden debut after not playing at the Garden since March, 2008. He received cheers when he checked into the game in the first quarter.
“I was so nervous in the beginning my hands were shaking,” Curry said. “Definitely I was expecting boos when I came out. I was pleasantly surprised. It’s the best place to play in the world.”
With 5:21 left and the Knicks up three, Curry missed a 4-footer against Kendrick Perkins. Curry thought he got hacked by Perkins, and as Rondo grabbed the rebound, Curry pushed him hard to the floor. It’s unclear if Curry will be suspended for the flagrant 1 foul.
“I felt like he was holding me, but I can’t let frustration get to me,” Curry said. “It was [the] heat of the moment. I can’t let emotions get the best of me. It was just stupid.”
Rondo made 1 of 2 free throws and the Celtics regained possession because of the flagrant. Paul Pierce drove the lane for a layup to tie the score.
Curry, in his third game, matching last season’s total, scored six points with four rebounds in 15:50 — the most minutes he has logged. Curry said he feels referees still are adjusting to his unique inside game.
Regarding the flagrant four, coach Mike D’Antoni, suddenly seems to have a man crush on the slim Curry.
“I’d rather see someone who cares than someone who doesn,” D’Antoni said.
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Nate Robinson slowly crawled out of D’Antoni’s doghouse with a season-high 19-point outburst (7 of 12). Before the game, D’Antoni still seemed disgusted by Robinson’s shenanigans Saturday in Jersey when he shot at his own basket at the first-quarter buzzer and made it. (Time had expired, barely).
Though Robinson shrugged it off, thinking he had waited for the buzzer to sound before hoisting it, D’Antoni wasn’t pleased.
“That would be nice – to attack our basket,” D’Antoni said. “A little pet peeve I have. When you’re 2-9, which we were at the time, any distraction is bad. Our focus is to trying to win and turn this thing around. It’s not right.”
Robinson was benched in the second half Saturday because of his poor play. Yesterday, he still committed a couple of overemotional sins – chest-bumping with Chris Duhon after making a 3-pointer with Boston bringing the ball upcourt. And after blocking Rondo, Robinson posed as Paul Pierce grabbed the offense rebound for a putback.
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Funny scene during pregame press conference when Chinese reporter from China Slam Magazine asked D’Antoni series of questions about LeBron James in broken English.
Asked to describe James, D’Antoni said, “Like a locomotive going down the tracks.” When the Chinese reporter looked quizzical, D’Antoni amended it to “Like a train going down the court.”
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Danilo Gallinari did not play in virtually all of crunch time. He finished with 10 points in 24:52. . . . Knicks sold out for fifth time in eight games.