After the game, Larry Hughes had his feet in a tub of ice. The night’s stat sheet was resting in it.
Hughes had his boxscore brilliance nearby, as after not playing in his last few weeks as a Bull and after struggling in his first few games as a Knick, he is surprisingly becoming their version of Manny Ramirez – a trade deadline acquisition who’s
excelling.
The Knicks’ starting two-guard has shaken off the rust, becoming both reliable and productive, and he was terrific again last night.
With U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. in attendance for the Knicks’ 109-105 win over the Hawks, Hughes was just like the song that the band performed on David Letterman’s show the night before – “Magnificent.”
Starting his second straight game, Hughes poured in a game-high 23 points, added four rebounds, dished out four assists and racked up three steals.
Wearing an orange headband and sporting orange wraps on his lower legs, Hughes knocked down nine of 18 shots from the field. He sank multiple jumpers, dazzled with a pretty fake-and-take fast-break layup and even ran the point when Chris Duhon took a breather, playing a Knick-high 40 minutes.
“Coach [Mike D’Antoni] said I was off so long, so he has no limit of running me through the course of the game,” Hughes said. Prior to coming to the Knicks in a package headed by Tim Thomas on Feb. 19, Hughes hadn’t played since Jan. 12. In his
first game with the Knicks, he shot 1-for-9 from the field. And over his next two games, he clanged 10 of his 13 attempts. Add up his three-game total, he was 4-for-22.
But in his next two games, Hughes put up 25 points, seven rebounds and four steals against the Sixers and followed that
with 19 points, nine rebounds and two steals versus the Heat. Then came last night.
In his last three games, he’s averaged 22.3 points on 51 percent shooting.
“The biggest thing is defensively he is rock solid,” said Al Harrington. “He is making it easier for all of us. Usually we have to switch all the time, but with him we put him on their best offensive player and he sticks with them the whole time. He is doing a great job.”
Hughes insisted he wasn’t concerned after his early Knick struggles, saying, “I gave myself a week, just getting out there and running up and down and competing, and it was right on schedule.”