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Knicks Throw Garden Party in Rout of Pistons
VIDEO: POSTGAME REACTIONS Coming into Sunday night's game at Madison Square Garden, there was no doubt that the Knicks were struggling and the first-place Detroit Pistons were on fire. That all changed in a hurry, however, as New York turned the tables on Detroit, dominating every facet of the game and giving their home fans a thrilling 89-65 victory. The Knicks played ferocious defense in the win, holding Detroit to 31 percent shooting from the field, while also employing impressive ball movement to create open shots, resulting in 47 percent shooting for themselves on the offensive end. "You look smart when you pass the basketball," said Knicks President, Basketball Operations, and Head Coach Isiah Thomas. "It really is a simple game. When you pass to an open teammate and you trust that your open teammate will do the right thing when he receives the basketball, then it becomes contagious and it really does become a simple game. A simple game can turn into a beautiful game to watch and when you move the basketball you can also look like you are a smart basketball team." New York enjoyed strong contributions from a multitude of players, but Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford were the big stars on Sunday. Randolph used an array of jumpers and moves in the paint to score 25 points on 11-for-18 shooting, while also grabbing eight boards and passing out three assists in the win. "It felt good. … Everybody was aggressive, everybody was moving the ball well," said Randolph. Thomas was particularly impressed with Randolph's effort on Sunday "He passed out of the double team and he passed with honest effort," Thomas said. "And I thought defensively, he guarded, he rebounded, he was a great teammate tonight. … He is a great player." Randolph's 17 first-half points propelled New York to an 11-point halftime lead, and Crawford's 15 points in the third quarter pushed a solid edge into an insurmountable deficit for the Pistons. Crawford scored all of his points in that quarter, including three 3’s in a row to really pad New York’s lead. "Jamal Crawford is a great player and he can do anything he puts his mind to doing," said impressed teammate Renaldo Balkman. In addition to the points, Crawford grabbed five boards and dished four assists from the point guard position, as the entire Knicks squad moved the ball well, resulting in 21 assists for the team on Sunday. Crawford's third quarter heroics helped the Knicks rise to a 29-point edge over the first place Pistons and put the game away. "It is always good to win and for us to win by such a large margin," said Thomas. "… It was a good night for us and good feel-good game for us." Coming into the game, the Knicks had to be concerned as they were facing an elite team without their captain and starting point guard, Stephon Marbury, who missed the game with a left anke injury. Replacing Marbury in the starting lineup was Fred Jones, who went on to score two points, grab four boards and dish out six assists in 23 minutes on Sunday. Renaldo Balkman, Jared Jeffries, David Lee and Nate Robinson all came off the bench to come up big for the Knicks. "I think when we have a good start it makes our job a lot easier. Just to keep even with them, our second unit came in and played great. They gave us a great lift," Crawford said. Balkman's seven points, three rebounds, two steals and a block hardly tell the story of his impact, as he tipped several balls to teammates to keep plays alive and was impressive running on the break. Jared Jeffriesalso impressed, with eight points, including two on an up-and-under reverse layup that energized the crowd. He also added three boards and two assists as a lot of Knicks did all the little things needed to win. "We really came out and played well early," said Jeffries. "… If we come out and play well early, we have the confidence later to put the game away."
New York's impressive effort helped overcome a strong showing from Detroit's Antonio McDyess, who put in 15 points and grabbed 13 boards in 28 minutes. But he, like all of Detroit's starters, was pulled after three quarters. The game was out of reach by then, as the Knicks won in convincing fashion "I think over the last couple of games we had honest play and honest effort," said Thomas. "… I thought we played with honesty and trust tonight. We trusted our teammates and moved the basketball and we shared it." Coming off this win, the Knicks are feeling confident. More than anything, they have once again shown just what this team is capable of when it moves the ball and gets open shots. "We are a great team. We just have to come out night after night and play hard and stay focused," Randolph said. Asked what the Knicks can take from this big win, Crawford commented on how much better the team feels after a victory. But he also stressed that New York still has work to do. "Tonight we can have a peaceful rest and get back to work tomorrow," Crawford said. One interesting moment in the game came when the final score of the NFL playoff game between the Giants and Cowboys was posted on GardenVision. The Garden cheered lustily, reminding the Knicks of where they hope to be at the end of the year. "They are where we want to be," Crawford said of the Giants. "They are making moves in the playoffs and hopefully … we can get there."
Quotes Head Coach Isiah Thomas On tonight’s game: “It is always good to win. For us to win by such a large margin it was a good night for us. It was a good feel-good game for us.” On Stephon Marbury: “Not sure when he will be back. I was so focused on the game, I didn’t know he wasn’t on the bench. He was inside the locker room so it wasn’t a big deal.” More on tonight’s game: “We knew they would be pretty tired. We just tried to play as much energy as we could. They were a little flat and we played a good basketball game.” On Zach Randolph: “Well he passed out of the double team. He made honest plays tonight. I thought defensively, he guarded, he rebounded and he was a great teammate tonight. He is a great player, but we have to learn how to do is learn how to win. We have to learn as a team how to win basketball games. Some nights you may not be the reason you win, but you can be a part of a collective effort.” Renaldo Balkman On playing more: “I was still cheering my teammates on. I am a team player but I like going out there to play.” On the Detroit Pistons: “They are a great ball club. We played our game and we came out on top.” On Jamal Crawford: “Jamal Crawford is a great player. He carried us for the whole game.” On Zach Randolph: “We practiced the other day. He just came out on fire. Everybody played great tonight.” Jared Jeffries On playing more: “I knew it would take a while for me to find a rhythm. The coaching staff worked me back in the lineup and hopefully things will start to get better.” On tonight’s game: “We really came out and played well early and that gives us confidence in the game. Right now, the key for us is to have a tempo in the first quarter. It is hard for us when we get down.” More on tonight’s game: “Any win is good for us. We played well today.” Eddy Curry On tonight’s game: “We just came out and just tried to play hard the first eight minutes in the second half and it worked for us. We got a nice lead and we never looked back.” More on tonight’s game: “It hasn’t happened in a long time. It was cool. It was a good feeling to be up by so much especially against a great team like that.” More on tonight’s game: “It is one of those wins where it makes you think that if we were played like that, we would be in a great situation right now.” David Lee On tonight’s game: “They didn’t hit shots and we hit shots. They had an off night at the end of their road trip and we just tried to come out with energy. We had a solid first half. Where Detroit usually gets everyone is the start of the third quarter and in the fourth. Sometimes the start of the third quarter has been a weak part of the game for us but instead we turned it into a strength.” More on tonight’s game: “Our starters did a great job tonight and our bench just tried to fill in when they were done.” Zach Randolph On Isiah Thomas: “I understand where he is coming from. We have to just go out there and give it our best.” On getting off to a good start: “It was the difference. We got off to a good start. Guys were moving the ball. We came out with a lot of energy. We played the whole game tonight.” On Detroit playing back-to-back games: “It is the NBA. We are all tired. Everyone plays back-to-back (games). There is no excuse. We just played hard.” On ball movement: “I just wanted to move the ball well. I have played out of the double-team for three or four years. I know how to play out of it. Like Coach says, we all have to trust each other and get the ball moving.” Jamal Crawford On tonight’s game: “I think when we have a good start, it just makes our job a lot easier. Just to keep even with them, our second unit came in and played great. They gave us a great lift.” On the team’s effort: “When you compete you give yourself a chance to win.” Nate Robinson On the team’s improvement: “It is something we are working out in practice. Just playing and having fun and playing together. That is what we are doing. Just taking it to the court to in-game situations and we are out there executing.” On the team’s effort: “All of practices are hard. Sometimes it just doesn’t show by the way we play but everyday we come here to work.” Substitutions First Quarter
David Lee in for Eddy Curry at 3:46 Second Quarter
Curry in for Jones as 12:00 Third Quarter Lee in for Curry at 0:54 Fourth Quarter
Robinson in for Jones at 12:00
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