There they were with an actual chance to silence the wolves, the lambs and the vultures Friday night in Boston, and what did the Knicks do? Croaked from second-hand choke.
Up a dozen against the recently exhumed Celtics, they were hosing their hosts in the third quarter (7:15 left), until the Knicks reverted to playing like the Knicks: No movement, slurred shot selection (0-for-10 from the great divide in second half after downing 3-5 before intermission) and too many defensive breakdowns.
The Celtics had more second chances than a career criminal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even after the refs correctly (and interminably) decided a Paul Pierce prayer resulted after the shot clock had expired, the Knicks squandered their found fortune. An ugly miss by Carmelo Anthony and a last-gasp lunge by 10th man Steve Novak (or Novak Djokovic, I can’t recall) reaffirmed the regurgitation.
Interesting that Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, following the review of Pierce’s belated shot, needed a 20-second timeout — after time had been out forever — to draw the next play on the board.
Now I ask you, why would anybody get the impression D’Antoni might be in critical coaching condition?
Do you really think assistant Mike Woodson is capable of catching opponents off guard by springing subsidiary scorers (Iman Shumpert and Landry Fields) for open treys down one (versus the C’s) or marginal marksmen (Amar’e Stoudemire) from deep down three (Bulls) in the final seconds?
Think D’Antoni’s replacement would act equally gracious about asking pinch player Stephon Marbury, er, Novak if he wants to play with 4.4 seconds remaining against Boston?
How do these uninformed rumors get jump-started, anyway?
In case it slipped James Dolan’s mindlessness, the pointless Knicks (or, more likely, the cable-paying sucker) are footing Chauncey Billups’ $12 million tab this season as he leads my Hedge Clippers — 14-7 after last night’s 107-81 romp in D.C. — to the top of the Pacific Division.
I have no idea what Kenyon Martin might have left in his battered body, and I certainly don’t buy Billups’ contention his ex-Nuggets teammate is misunderstood. A good guy? Not by the hair of George Karl’s chinny chin, chin! But nobody can accuse the Clippers of not going all out to assemble a title contender. Team owner Donald Sterling has ruined his reputation.
All is not bad news for the Knicks. Baron Davis’ status has been upgraded — he currently has listed as trimester to trimester.
“D’Antoni’s very excited,” column chondriac Richie Kalikow reports. “He just heard Baron’s water broke, so it won’t be long now.”
While watching the 34-year-old Pierce go for 30 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal and one block, it finally dawned on me how absurdly resourceful he is and how utterly under-acclaimed.
As much as Pierce has accomplished individually — nine All-Star appearances, All-League second team once, third team three times and 31 points shy of surpassing Larry Bird (21,791) as the Celtics’ No. 2 all-time scorer (John Havlicek is first with 26,395) … and as much as he contributed to Boston’s ultimate success in 2008 and 2010 runner-up Finals finish, his greatness habitually gets ignored outside New England.
* Twenty-one years into his pro career, Rick Adelman continues to make major mistakes. One reason he is so good at what he does is his promptness to identify and correct them.
Against the Lakers, he cost the Timberwolves a win by substituting Anthony Randolph for Nikola Pekovic (13 points and nine rebounds in 20 minutes) in the fourth quarter and playing Michael Beasley and Martel Webster down the stretch. Andrew Bynum overpowered Anthony and Kevin Love (33 points) failed to get a touch for about eight straight possessions.
Friday night against the Nets, the 285-pound Pekovic was an immovable presence in the paint, flexing for a career high 27 and 11, Love went for 20, 10 and five assists (mostly to Pekovic) and we lost sight of Beasley for good at 9:56 of the fourth. Webster never saw daylight in the period, whereas Adelman hasn’t used Anthony in three games since his misuse against Los Angeles.
By the way, after Luca Brasi, er, Pekovic scores at home, the Wolves play the “Sopranos” theme.
Think Houston would be anywhere close to being 13-11 (after last night’s loss in Minnesota) with Pau Gasol and without Luis Scola, Kevin Martin and Goran Dragic?
* Love the new trend of regularly pairing two playmakers — Chris Paul and Billups/Mo Williams; Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis; Brandon Jennings and Shaun Livingston; Ricky Rubio and Luke Ridnour; Ty Lawson and Andre Miller; Kyle Lowry and Dragic. Makes teams far more difficult to defend due to the increased leadership, ball movement, practiced passing and sharp shooting from near and far.
The sign-and-trade involving Celtics reserve Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Magic starter Brandon Bass is yet another instance where Otis Smith failed to do proper homework. Orlando’s general manager should have known Davis — suspended two games for verbally getting into it with Stan Van Gundy — has far more screws loose than your average NBA problem child. Boston’s vets kept him halfway in line. On his own in Disney World he feels liberated to act infantile, make demands and not stand in line.
I’m shocked Flip Saunders’ name has yet to surface as a candidate to succeed one head coach or another in job jeopardy.