NBA

Knicks give Aldrich game ball after double-double

BOSTON — As starting-center-for-the-night Cole Aldrich spoke to a phalanx of media following the Knicks’ 116-92 rout of the Celtics, J.R. Smith shouted across the locker room, “Hey Cole Chandler.’’

Aldrich was thrust into the starting lineup because Tyson Chandler was dealing with a family illness and Amar’e Stoudemire was resting his knees.

The Knicks barely missed a beat, and Aldrich was awarded the game ball because of it.

In a stout performance, the former Kansas lottery pick was strong on the boards and finishing on the pick-and-roll and posted his third career double-double — 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 of 5 from the field, 4 of 5 from the free-throw line.

“We gave him the game ball after the game,’’ coach Mike Woodson said. “All season long I’ve been preaching, we have so many different lineups based on injuries. Cole reminded me of last year’s team. When a guy goes down, another guy’s in line steps in and plugs right in, keeps it flowing.’’

With Aldrich making his first start as a Knick, Woodson has used 18 different alignments.

“It meant a lot,’’ Aldrich said of getting the game ball. Aldrich is popular with his teammates because he’s also the club’s union representative.


Stoudemire’s decision to rest his left knee was a surprise because the team had a day off and two upcoming.

The Knicks called it a “recovery day,’’ and he is expected back Saturday against the Bucks at the Garden.

Chandler is also a possibility for Milwaukee, Woodson said.

Stoudemire is at a point where he makes the call on when he sits. Entering the season, the medical staff ordered him to sit out back-to-back games. But after a month, Stoudemire ditched the plan.

Recently, when the Knicks were falling out of the playoff race, Stoudemire said he wanted to go back on the plan — presumably thinking about his long-range future.

Now Stoudemire, now a starter, is taking it on a case-by-case basis.


LeBron James on the prospect of Phil Jackson joining the Knicks as president: “Obviously, as a coach, we’ve seen his success,’’ James said in Miami before the Heats’ 96-95 loss to the Nets. “We understand he has a great basketball mind, from the outside looking in. But I’ve never been around him. We’ll see what happens. If it happens, we’ll all be able to see it unfold.”