D’Antoni Era Ready to Descend Upon Madison Square Garden

The Mike D’Antoni era descends upon Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night, as the new Knicks coach makes his home debut in a preseason tilt vs. the Philadelphia 76ers.

“(It’s going) to be great,” D’Antoni said in a recent interview about the first time he will coach the Knicks at The Garden. “Obviously I will be proud, and feel a rush of adrenaline going on.”

D’Antoni has reason to be proud, especially after the Knicks have shown a knack for playing in his high-octane offense. Following a narrow 113-11 loss to Toronto to open the preseason, the Knicks were dominant in defeating Philadelphia 110-104 last Friday.

David Lee and Chris Duhon led the way for the Knicks, as both tied for a team-high 19 points against the 76ers. Lee also chipped in a game-high 15 boards. Most impressively, he showed great improvement on his mid-range jumper, which could elevate his game to even greater heights.

Duhon meanwhile, shook off a less than impressive debut against Toronto with a terrific game against the 76ers, adding a game-high five assists, three rebounds and one steal in addition to his 19 points.

“I had to make up for my first showing,” he said. “I worked too hard over the summer for this, and I’m excited for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to making the best of it.”

Despite the feel-good atmosphere following Friday’s win, where six players finished in double-figure scoring, there are still areas for improvement in Tuesday night’s rematch.

First off, the Knicks will look to contain Elton Brand, who scored 24 points in just 22 minutes on Friday night. They also strive to get off to a quicker start on both ends of the court, as they gave up 38 first quarter points to Philly while scoring just 22. Brand scored 18 of those points in the opening 12 minutes, while Andre Miller notched nine of his 12 assists in the opening frame.

Overall, however, it will be a festive atmosphere on Tuesday night as the new era of Knicks basketball makes its official debut at Madison Square Garden. Furthermore, Eddy Curry is expected to make his preseason debut after missing the first two games recovering from a bacterial infection, and D’Antoni has also said he wants to get a look at young Patrick Ewing, Jr.

Click here for tickets to be one of the first to greet D’Antoni and the new, high-flying Knicks in the first of three preseason home games before Opening Night on Oct. 29 vs. the Miami Heat.