KNICK NOTES
TORONTO – Vince Carter not only wants to play for the Knicks, he also wants to do well every time he faces them.
That’s how it seems anyway.
Carter, who’s been struggling this season, averaging a paltry 15.8 points on 39 percent shooting entering last night, saved his season’s best game for the Knicks and his former coach, Lenny Wilkens, in the Raptors’ 114-91 win.
Carter admitted it’s different playing the Knicks after developing a rivalry four years ago.
“There’s always respect,” said Carter, still on the trading block. “The first-ever playoff berth was against the Knicks and they swept us. Our first playoff win in a series was against them. Teams have changed, both sides, but I think there’s history there.”
Penny Hardaway warned Raptors management that trading Carter could come back to haunt it. “That guy’s a talented player,” Hardaway said. “You think the grass is greener on the other side. You let a guy like that go, and you end up regretting it.”
Carter (22 points, 9 of 13 shooting) doesn’t have a name for the monster windmill slam he inflicted on the Knicks last night that drew a standing ovation. “I don’t even know what I did,” Carter said. “I’ll leave that to Darryl Dawkins.”
When Wilkens was fired, Carter said the game had passed the coach by. Last night, Wilkens took a little dig at Carter’s past injuries. Asked if Carter needed a change, Wilkens said he couldn’t comment, not knowing Carter well enough. “I wasn’t here that long. I was only here three years and he was hurt for two of them.”
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When the Knicks face Atlanta on Tuesday, Allan Houston could be in the lineup, though it could be premature. Houston said it’s very possible he’ll scrimmage tomorrow for first time and has said he’ll need two or three scrimmages before suiting up. The Knicks will have practices tomorrow, Sunday and Monday.
Knicks PG Jamison Brewer saw his big dunk in his Knicks debut Tuesday on a highlight show. “It’s just two points, but it was exciting,” Brewer said.
Brewer played another 13 minutes last night. “We want to take a good look at him because he really pushes the ball,” Wilkens said. “Plus he can guard bigger guys. Over the next seven games we’ll be playing bigger guards.”