Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni went on a heated 4½-minute explanation on his philosophy about committing intentional fouls when his team is up three points in the final 15 seconds.
D’Antoni has been criticized for his distaste for committing international fouls late in games. Friday in their 118-116 overtime victory over Washington, the Knicks did not foul center Javale McGee, a 50 percent foul shooter, behind the 3-point arc with 12 seconds left and the Knicks up three. Nick Young ultimately tied the game with a trey with six seconds left.
The Knicks still won on David Lee’s layup with 1.6 seconds left. Last weekend, it was more costly when the Knicks failed to foul Kevin Durant with six seconds left in the fourth quarter with the club up three. Durant buried a game-tying trey, and the Knicks lost in overtime.
D’Antoni said he feels it’s not a given to foul with that much time left because the Knicks are a poor rebounding team. Against the Wizards, for instance, he said the fear is if McGee missed the second free throw, the Wizards could’ve grabbed the offensive rebound. The undersized Knicks, during their eight-game losing streak, were a minus-79 in rebounding, and allowed the Grizzlies to grab 17 offensive boards in last night’s 120-109 loss.
D’Antoni said he also is afraid the player about to be fouled could go into a quick shooting motion and be awarded three free throws.
“Conventional wisdom is to foul by everybody who has never coached a game,” D’Antoni said, taking a shot at his critics.
“Under five seconds, you always foul,” D’Antoni said. “Above five seconds, it gets dicey. You watch players, all you have to do is motion right there [to shoot]; he’s taking three [foul] shots. That’s a bad mistake. I play the percentages. The worst that happens is you ÿcontrol your own destiny and we had a shot at the end.”
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Six Knicks were dealt at the Feb. 18 trade deadline and, |in an upset, Al Harrington wasn’t one of them. Harrington, an expiring contract, was nearly sent to Chicago in a Tyrus Thomas deal two days before the deadline, according to a source. The Bulls eventually traded the coveted Thomas to Charlotte.
Had he been traded to Chicago, Harrington would not have been in position Friday to meet President Obama, but would have been playing for the president’s favorite team.
“He’s a big Bulls fan,” Harrington said.