At the end of yesterday’s marathon two-hour practice, Isiah Thomas spent a half-hour playing 1-on-1 with Fred Jones, Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson and Mardy Collins. There were yells, squeals, laughs. And even some swished jumpers from Thomas’ fingertips.
One day after the noose was removed from Thomas’ neck with the Knicks’ first victory in 18 days, he moved about the basketball court like a prisoner released from solitary confinement.
Thomas said he was just getting exercise. But this display was more than that. He knows he’s not getting fired anytime soon. Owner James Dolan felt comfortable enough to go away for the holidays and missed Saturday’s victory.
“I ate a lot of turkey over Thanksgiving,” Thomas said. “I haven’t had a chance to exercise. Basketball is still a good way to exercise. Still a fun thing for me.”
The previous 18 days were not fun. On Thanksgiving, after their eighth straight defeat in Detroit, a picture of Thomas’ head was superimposed on a cooked turkey on the Post’s front page. On Friday, the Post’s back page reported a Knicks intermediary had asked Warriors GM Chris Mullin in an informal chitchat if he’d ever be interested in coming to the Knicks.
That afternoon, obviously after a private vote of confidence from owner James Dolan, Thomas’ mood brightened and the Knicks coach/president predicted he would not be fired this year. After Saturday’s win, with a healthy roster and the Jazz on tap tonight at Madison Square Garden, Thomas spoke confidently that the club is on the cusp of turning the corner, despite a 3-9 record.
Thomas believes the feud with Stephon Marbury that fractured the club was not the only thing that wrecked November.
“A combination of things happened,” Thomas said, noting the death of Zach Randolph’s grandmother and injuries to Renaldo Balkman and Jared Jeffries. “I think we’re on the right track in terms of getting our rhythm back and style of play. I’d rather deal with this in November than March.”
Jamal Crawford said the turmoil from the Marbury-Thomas feud is over.
“We dealt with it and moved on,” Crawford said. “It didn’t go away easy. “It kind of hung over our heads.”
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Mullin rejoined Golden State this weekend after spending Thanksgiving week with his family in New York. As expected, Mullin would not confirm the Post’s report the Knicks view him as a candidate this offseason if Thomas is fired.
“I had a good laugh at it,” said Mullin, who called The Post “The Bible.”
Mullin wasn’t laughing when he told multiple confidants during his New York stay that a Knicks intermediary informally asked him if he’d be interested in the Knicks if there was a vacancy.
A noted San Francisco columnist wrote yesterday Mullin would be crazy to leave the Warriors for the dysfunctional Knicks.