As Iman Shumpert exited the game with 2:12 left in the third quarter, Knicks coach Mike Woodson patted him on the rear as he got to the bench. That’s the kind of sweet night it was in Brooklyn.
In his best game of the season, Shumpert lit up the borough with a season-high 17 points, draining 5 of 7 3-pointers, perhaps getting himself out of Woodson’s doghouse in the Knicks’ 113-83 shellacking of the Nets Shumpert also had two steals and six rebounds, creating fast breaks after several of his boards.
If he’s still on the trading block, his stock rose during the nationally televised game with passionate play as the Knicks broke their nine-game losing streak.
“He looked like he had a chip on his shoulder,’’ Carmelo Anthony said.
Anthony and Shumpert exchanged angry words on the bench during the Knicks’ loss to the Pelicans Sunday. Thursday night, Anthony came to Shumpert’s defense on the court. Nets backup center Andray Blatche had moved up into Shumpert’s face after the Knicks guard had stared at him after receiving an elbow on a Blatche pick. After they were separated, Anthony started jawing at Blatche as they ran upcourt.
This was a different Shumpert than Woodson has seen this season. The two have had their tense moments since training camp, and last week Woodson had to put to rest the perception he doesn’t like Shumpert.
“I was just playing hard,” Shumpert said.
Shumpert’s 3-point shooting was reminiscent of his third-quarter scoring rampage in Indiana in Game 6 of last season’s playoffs, and he again looked like he was having a blast on the court.
“I think the ball was moving a little better [Thursday] just because of our pace,’’ Shumpert said. “We were pushing the ball better. Everybody got involved. Everybody touched it. Everybody stayed in rhythm.”
Anthony didn’t exactly say he’s ready to “retire in New York’’ Thursday but denied he has made the decision to leave the Knicks this summer as a free agent, saying it would be “selfish’’ to think along those lines. Responding to Stephen A Smith’s claim on ESPN Radio Anthony had decided he’s out, Anthony said, “I don’t think nobody goes where [they’re] expecting to lose. I’m going through it and dealing with it. As far as me leaving and thinking about it, I’d be selfish to think about it at this point.”
Woodson said before Thursday’s contest he was disappointed Jason Kidd didn’t return this season, and thought Kidd would return after their exit interview the day after the Indiana second-round KO.
“Absolutely I thought he was coming back,’’ Woodson said. “I did. I was surprised. Jason spent a long time in this league. He has the right to retire and move on. Obviously he had something else going and wound up [with the Nets] as a head coach. We would have loved to have him back. It wasn’t the case.’
J.R. Smith, who bounced back with a solid eight-point outing, credited Kidd for his career year. “He was a coach to me last year, a player-coach,’’ Smith said.
Kidd appreciated the sentiment.
“I enjoyed those guys,” Kidd said. “I had a great time, we had a great run, probably ended earlier than it should have, but we lost to a talented Indiana team.
“J.R.’s a very talented player. I hoped I helped him.’’