As one might expect from a disciple of Hall of Fame head coach Bob Knight,Mike Woodson is a blue collar, old school-type of coach.
He stresses defense, he prefers rookies and young players be seen but not heard and he is willing to hold players accountable for their actions in what is largely a player-driven NBA.
All of those attributes helped save the Knicks’ season when he was named interim head coach in the wake of Mike D’Antoni resigning on March 14. (more…)
With the Knicks now making their first round series with the Miami Heat at least a little interesting by stealing Game 4 and avoiding elimination on Sunday afternoon, the attention has turned to a possible Jeremy Lin return when the series moves back to South Beach for Game 5 on Wednesday evening.
People may be hoping Lin can somehow save the day like he saved the early part of this truncated, 66-game season, but judging from Mike Woodson on Monday morning, you have probably seen the last of Jeremy Lin this season.
On a conference call with reporters, the Knicks’ interim head coach would not entirely rule out Lin, who has been out since March 24 with a slightly torn left meniscus, but he wasn’t exactly sounding confident, either. (more…)
NEW YORK — The Knicks have already lost two point guards to knee injuries in Jeremy Lin and Iman Shumpert.
Now, they are without a third.
Baron Davis crumpled to the floor with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter of New York’s 89-87 victory over the Miami Heat in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference playoff series and was taken off the floor in a stretcher.
Davis smiled and waved to the fans as he was carted off and initially diagnosed with a dislocated right patella.
An MRI on Monday revealed that Davis suffered a partial tear of the patella tendon, and complete tears of the ACL and MCL. He will have surgery later this week and is expected to be out approximately 12 months. (more…)
NEW YORK — LeBron James played the first playoff game of his life at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
And for the first time in his life, he heard more than 19,000 fans serenading him with an expletive every time he touched the basketball–
“A–hole, a–hole.”
“No, it’s not the first time, it’s just the first time it’s been in unison like that,” James said with a chuckle Friday at Madison Square Garden. “Everybody at the same time said it.” (more…)
NEW YORK — Shane Battier may be the only player in the NBA who uses the word “serendipitous” but leave it to a Duke product to break out that Scrabble word.
Battier was asked Friday how he felt about the Knicks breaking the Memphis Grizzlies NBA-record of 12 straight postseason losses and he came up with this gem.
“It was a serendipitous turn of events for Mike Miller and I,” Battier said.
“How many NBA players use the word serendipitous?” Miller asked. “You’re at the top of your game, brother.” (more…)
NEW YORK – In a season that has been full of surprises, but is now teetering on the edge of playoff elimination, Amar’e Stoudemire appears to be intent on going down with the ship.
After the franchise power forward smashed his left hand through a glass encasement holding a fire extinguisher after the Knicks lost Game 2 in Miami on Monday evening, he missed Wednesday’s Game 3 loss and was officially called doubtful for Sunday’s Game 4. At Friday’s practice, those plans may have changed. That is, those plans have changed, depending on who you’re listening to.
“I’ll see how it feels tomorrow [Saturday],” Stoudemire said. “I’ll practice again [if I can] and see how it feels and we’ll see for Sunday. It’s definitely not 100 percent. It’s a little bit sore too.’’ (more…)
NEW YORK — Like Yankee fans everywhere, LeBron James is feeling Mariano Rivera’s pain.
After dropping a game-high 32 points on the Knicks in Miami’s 87-70 victory in Game 3 Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, James went back to his hotel room and learned with the rest of the sports world that Rivera had been felled by a torn ACL.
“I think it’s unfortunate, honestly,” James said Friday at Heat shootaround at MSG. “We all know the great baseball player he is. Probably the best closer that MLB has ever seen. For him to have a freak accident like that, you can’t explain it. No one can explain it.” (more…)
The Indiana Pacers training staff is having a little fun at Amar’e Stoudemire’s expense.
Pacers’ analyst Austin Croshere Tweeted this picture of a fire extinguisher with the caption “Please do not hit!” written on masking tape.
With his injured left hand in a sling, Stoudemire sat on the bench last night when the Knicks lost Game 3 to the Miami Heat, 87-70.
He said Wednesday there’s a “great chance” he’ll play Game 4 Sunday when the Knicks try to stave off a sweep, but interim coach Mike Woodson said it would be a doctor’s decision.
NEW YORK — The Knicks’ season has come down to one game.
One game on Sunday at Madison Square Garden to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Miami Heat.
And as much as Amar’e Stoudemire talks about the “great chance” of him playing in Sunday’s do-or-die Game 4, odds are he won’t. He’s officially listed as doubtful for Game 4.
During the Knicks’ 87-70 loss in Game 3 Thursday night — their NBA-record setting 13th straight postseason loss — Stoudemire sat on the bench with his heavily bandaged left hand in a sling after his losing battle late Monday night with a fire extinguisher. (more…)
NEW YORK – With Amar’e Stoudemire (lacerated left hand), Iman Shumpert (torn left ACL, lateral meniscus) and Jeremy Lin (slightly torn left meniscus) all on the shelf for the Knicks on Thursday evening, it was crucial that certain guys stepped up in Game 3 of their first round playoff series against the Miami Heat.
With Landry Fields and Steve Novak getting starting nods and J.R. Smith assured of heavy minutes, the Knicks didn’t get nearly the production they needed to turn this into a series in falling to the Heat, 87-70. (more…)
“Adam Zagoria sees the story behind the daily happenings.”
~ St. Anthony Coach Bob Hurley
Zagoria covers the New York Knicks and Big East hoops for NBA.com and SNY.tv. He also appears as a Big East Basketball Insider on SNY and 1050 ESPN Radio.
He is an award-winning journalist whose articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, SI and Basketball Times.
By JOSH NEWMAN
By JOSH NEWMAN
NEW YORK — LeBron James played the first playoff game of his life at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
By JOSH NEWMAN & ADAM ZAGORIA
The Indiana Pacers training staff is having a little fun at Amar’e Stoudemire’s expense.
By JOSH NEWMAN
