Pre-Game: Finally … A Basketball Game

The Knicks, after a long, nightmarish summer of controversy and turmoil, finally leave the courtroom for the basketball court tonight.  They are welcoming Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, who are expected to bring throngs of Israeli fans to Madison Square Garden.  Maccabi, who some consider the New York Yankees of Israel, has won 47 Israeli championships since 1954 and five European Cup titles, including its most recent one in 2005.

In the pre-game press conference Isiah Thomas couldn't escape questions about his turbulent summer.  Thomas gave terse answers to most questions, almost of all of them non-basketball related.  When asked directly about the recently concluded trial, he reiterated that he felt he was "innocent of charges" and that the "truth would eventually come out." 

Also, notable by his absence is Allan Houston.  Houston, out of action since 2005, is attempting to come back with the Knicks, with whom he has maintained a strong relationship during his absence.  Houston has signed his contract and is expected to practice with the Knicks tomorrow.   

The main question prior to opening tip is whether the home crowd with be partial to the Knicks or Maccabi?  Judging by the number bright yellow jerseys walking around the arena, the Knicks might have to overcome Maccabi's home-court advantage tonight. 

And Maccabi has some talent to throw out there on the court, including former NBA'ers Marcus Fizer, Vonteego Cummings and Will Bynum.  Cummings made some noise earlier this week by guaranteeing a victory. However, the Knicks do catch a break because Nikola Vujcic, Maccabi's center and one of the best big men in all of Europe, is sidelined with an injury.   Nonetheless, this will be a stiff, early test for the Knicks because you know Maccabi will bring plenty of energy and enthusiasm.  And that energy will only be fueled by the partisan crowd. 

Should be an interesting night – I'll check back in at half-time for an update…    

Halftime:  Knicks own second quarter

The answer to the previous question was answered very early on; the Knicks are the visiting team tonight.  Chants of "Mac-ca-bi" were heard early and often throughout the first half.  And the Maccabi fans had plenty to cheer about in the first quarter.  But before we get to the game action, the pre-game introductions were also eagerly anticipated. 

This would be the first time the Garden crowd would have a chance to voice their opinion of the embattled Isiah Thomas and Stephon Marbury.  However, the reaction was tough to gauge because the Maccabi fans were still screaming vociferously for their team when Isiah was introduced as the Head Coach.  Still, there were definitely some audible boos.  Less of a reaction for Marbury... 

OK – onto some game notes:

- The Knicks were badly outplayed by Maccabi in the first quarter, much to the delight of the Israeli fans in attendance.  Vonteego Cummings came out on fire, scoring 11 points in the first 10 minutes of action.  Marcus Fizer also chipped in 4 points and 3 boards in the first stanza. 

- The Knicks couldn't find the basket, connecting on just 6 of the 18 shots they attempted. 

- But the Knicks bounced back strong in the second quarter.  Knicks guards Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, and Mardy Collins led the charge.  Starbury and Jamal each scored five points in the quarter, while Collins pumped in six.  Interestingly Collins was the first Knick off the bench.  Malik Rose, who could see extra time at center with Eddy Curry dinged up, was the second Knick off the bench. 

- The Knicks were able to turn a 20-25 deficient, into a 10-point, 53-43 halftime lead.  They are looking to move to 2-0 in the preseason by turning in a solid second half.   

Post-Game: Final – New York 112 Maccabi 85 …Knicks dominate "road" game

After a strong second quarter gave the Knicks the lead at halftime, New York cruised home for an easy, blowout victory.  The Knicks got solid contributions from a variety of sources.  In fact, they had seven different players score in double figures.  Jamal Crawford led the team with 16 points, followed by Zach Randolph (15).

It's only a preseason game, so Knicks fans can't get too excited, but there were some positive signs.  First among them being the defensive effort the Knicks exhibited.  After a sloppy first quarter, the Knicks ratcheted up the defense and the results were immediate.  Isiah had the guards pick up their men at half-court, which is something we haven't seen in the past.  Isiah has been talking more about defense this month than in years past, so we'll see if it sticks.  As an aside, there is no reason why Nate Robinson doesn't shadow the guy he is guarding the length of the court every second he is in the game.  Mugsy Bougues made a career out of being a defensive pest – Nate could too.  And how about mixing in some full-court presses when the second-unit is on the floor?  Maybe a diamond-press with Jared Jeffries at the top and guys like Nate, Renaldo Balkman, and Fred Jones using their athleticism and quickness to try and create some turnovers…

Speaking of Fred Jones, Allan Houston may have a tough time beating out Isiah's former draft pick.  Jones played well for a second straight game.  He finished with 14 points tonight and was extremely active on both ends of the court.  As a result, the future is not bright for Demetris Nichols.  Nichols was anchored to the bench the whole night and only got in for the final 5 minutes of garbage time (he missed the only shot he took.)  Nichols career as a Knick may be over before it starts.  Watching to see how Isiah whittles this roster down to 15 will be a real interesting subplot to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.    

Some sound bites from Isiah's post-game press conference:
On tonight's win:
"For us, every time we win a basketball game, it counts.  We want to win every game.  We understand that we have a lot of work to do.  We are prepared to do the work."

On the fans at MSG for tonight's game:
"I thought the crowd was great for Maccabi.  They really came out and showed their support.  I just thought it was a great crowd tonight.  I thought everybody enjoyed themselves."

On the growth of the international game:
"The whole idea behind Dream Team One, was to globalize the game and introduce our product to a global world.  I think it did that.  I think a lot of kids across the world now play basketball, and they play at a very high level.  Not only do they play, but they also coach at a very high level.  We've learned a lot for the international coaches, just as they've learned from us."

A few random notes:
- Allan Houston will wear #7 in preseason games and will practice with the team for the first time tomorrow. 
- Quentin Richardson lead the team in minutes played (28) but didn't score a single point, missing all three of his field goal attempts
- Vonteego Cummings, who guaranteed a victory before the game, took a shot at the Knicks on the way out the door.  When asked about the importance of following the game plan, Cummings responded: "We didn't follow our game plan, we need to when we get back.  We need to go over things because there are teams better than the Knicks in Europe right now."