THE Knicks didn’t beat the Cavaliers last night, but at least they accomplished something meaningful – they won the Garden back.
Unlike Monday night, when the home crowd cheered Kobe Bryant as if it were the Staples Center, it was in full throat last night trying to encourage the Knicks to pull out a victory over LeBron James and the Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers.
It was not to be, as the Knicks couldn’t overcome a season-high 52 points by James in the Cavs’ 107-102 win. The Knicks played with more energy and resilience than they did in losing 126-117 to the Lakers on Monday night. But every time they got close against the Cavs, James, who scored 50 points here last year, would either convert a basket or make a key assist that gave Cleveland breathing room.
James put all of his impeccable skills on display, authoring a triple-double that included 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He became the first player to have a triple-double with at least 50 points since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975. But at least he wasn’t cheered by the Garden crowd the way Bryant was Monday, en route to 61 points, the most scored at the new Garden.
The adoration shown Bryant was shameful – an insult to the proud history of the Garden. It’s called the World’s Most Famous Arena for a multitude of reasons, including the loyalty of the Garden faithful – the so-called sophisticated fans, who have backed the Knicks since their glory years.
The Garden embarrassed itself by worshipping Bryant, cheering on the Lakers superstar as if the Knicks didn’t exist. The chants of “M-V-P . . . M-V-P” every time he attempted one of his 20 free throws was the loudest heard in the building since Larry Johnson and Patrick Ewing were with the Knicks.
“It felt like a road game for us,” coach Mike D’Antoni said.
It wasn’t long ago when stars such as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird came to town and were treated like the enemy despite their greatness. Jordan’s 55-point night in 1995 was acknowledged but not deified. No one in an opposing uniform ever heard the chant “M-V-P . . . M-V-P.”
That’s the way it was last night, as James didn’t get the kind of support Bryant enjoyed. Not even when he got off to a fast start, scoring 20 points in the first quarter and looking every bit like he intended to chase down Bryant’s record.
“I wanted to continue to work the hand to see if it was hot,” he said of his shooting touch.
The Knicks did their part by not folding. They played more competitively than they did against the Lakers. Though they trailed by 15 early, the Knicks actually took a brief lead late in the third quarter and always were within striking distance down the stretch, with the crowd urging them to keep fighting.
“I’m happy with the way things went,” D’Antoni said. “We had a shot to win. We just didn’t quite get it done.”
Some misguided folks might argue that by cheering James, he or she is doing the franchise a favor, showing King James some love to persuade him to come to Manhattan when he becomes a free agent at the end of the 2010 season.
Truth is, the best way to get James to New York is to have him experience more nights like last night, where the Garden is alive and backing the Knicks. A loyal fan base, a team with a future, and an organization that wants to win as badly as he does, that’s what will bring James to New York permanently.