By MARC BERMAN
The Knicks were a Quentin Richardson lefty layup from evening the Jets at 7-3 at the 10-game mark..
What a heartbreaker tonight, blowing that seven-point lead in the final 2:30 of regulation and ultimately missing their final 14 shots in a 124-114 Garden defeat. They are 6-4, and it just doesn’t sound nearly as good as 7-3.
Richardson missed the layup in the final 10 seconds, Zach Randolph missed the tap and Jason Terry got the rebound. Overtime beckoned and the Knicks lost all their mojo, failing to record a field goal during the extra period. Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph disappeared in the second half. Randolph didn’t even take a shot in OT.
Was this an aberration of a team that will fold in the clutch like all those past Knick teams? I think so. Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greats and he carried the Mavericks in the overtime on his way to 39 points.
The Knicks wasted big nights from Zach Randolph and Chris Duhon. If the Knicks are a .500 team in January, the coaches may tab Randolph onto the All-Star Team with the gaudy numbers he’s putting up. He’s got five 20-and-10 nights this season. (He had 20-and-11 at halftime tonight).
All wasted, though.
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Dallas owner Mark Cuban is the best. It’s priceless watching him scream at the referees from his seat behind the Mavericks’ bench as he did tonight. You just can’t see James Dolan doing that. Cuban held court before the game, and said he understood the Knicks’ decision with Stephon Marbury regarding changing the culture.
Cuban also suggested there’d be a number of teams bidding for Marbury’s services when he becomes a free agent. Cuban was a guest on Marbury’s “Stars on Stars” TV show two years ago. Cuban likes him, thinks he’s a smart guy, has always lauded his business acumen from the Starbury sneaker campaign. The struggling Mavs (3-7) could use a deeper bench and a backup for Jason Kidd. Kidd and Marbury linked again. Priceless.