Reeling from a Western trip gone astray, with the eighth seed fading fast from view and another lottery staring GM Scott Layden in the face, the Knicks get Yao Ming tonight as the 7-6 Chinese phenom plays the Garden for the first time.
So much for a breather. After Yao’s Rockets, it’s the Nets in Jersey tomorrow, eighth-seeded Orlando on Patrick Ewing Night Friday and a road affair in Minnesota Sunday.
“It doesn’t get any better,” Don Chaney said of the post-Western trip schedule.
Both Yao, who stunk it up against the Knicks in his first meeting in Houston, and the Nets will be seeking revenge. While the Knicks pushed around Yao in the first meeting Dec. 27, the rookie center seems to get more polished by the week.
The Knicks (23-32) could well be weary and jet-lagged from their 11-day, six-game trip. They looked to have jelly legs Sunday in Sacramento when they shot 2 of 21 from the 3-point line – an area that has given them an identity.
The Knicks landed in Westchester at 6 a.m. yesterday, flying all night from Sacramento on the heels of the 2-4 Western swing. The trip had begun with such giddiness with a gutty win in Phoenix, a 53-point night from Allan Houston in L.A. followed by a congratulatory locker-room phone call from James Dolan to Chaney. But it ended with four straight defeats.
Now four games out of the eighth seed, the Knicks haven’t been this far out of the race since mid-January. For those thankful Latrell Sprewell survived Thursday’s trade deadline, ensuring the Knicks have the league’s puniest frontcourt, the club is three games under .500 (22-25) since his return.
“What’s frustrating about this team is, it’s like a double-edged sword, we do certain things so well when we win games than when we don’t do those things,” Houston said. “So I’m pulling my hair out and I know the fans are pulling their hair out.”
But Houston is still not willing to admit it’s over.
“That’s what’s encouraging about the NBA right now,” Houston said. “We’re nine games under and we’re still in the hunt. I don’t ever look at our record any more. I just look at the standings.”
The Garden gets its first look at Yao, who shot 5 of 12 in the prior Knick victory, scoring eight of his 17 points in garbage time. It was so bad even Clarence Weatherspoon, who usually dunks on no one, threw down a jam in Yao’s face.
The 6-9 Kurt Thomas and 6-11 Michael Doleac outdid themselves in their physical play of Yao.
“We just have to have the same mindset we had last time we played them,” Thomas said. “Hopefully we can be physical with him and just try to push him out of his comfort zone and play solid defense.”
“I was just trying to get him off the block,” said Doleac. “I just got to meet him early and didn’t let him get established.”