Rockets 88 Knicks 86
HOUSTON – Last night’s Texas heartbreaker should leave Cablevision boss James Dolan queasier than all the Mexican food he’s had on this trip.
After it looked as if Allan Houston had brought joy to the Knicks world, Moochie Norris planted a dagger through their hearts. After hitting the game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer, the Rockets guard hopped onto the press table and did a silly dance – a dance on the Knicks’ grave.
In the locker room afterward, it wasn’t clear if the Knicks were more frustrated at Norris’ wide-open shot or at Kurt Thomas’ irrational behavior, which got him ejected in the third quarter for arguing a foul.
The Knicks were left in tatters after the Rockets’ thrilling 88-86 victory. Charlie Ward abandoned Norris to help on a penetrating Steve Francis, though the Rockets star was already double-teamed in the lane by Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby.
Under Don Chaney, the Knicks are 4-11 and 14-20 on the season. They haven’t been six games under .500 since 1990-91 when John MacLeod ran the show.
Yes, the Knicks were ticked at the last-second loss but more upset at Thomas, who was ejected with 7:00 left in the third quarter after the team had already lost Travis Knight to a knee injury.
Though Thomas claimed official Derrick Stafford baited him into hurling a profanity, several players did not turn a sympathetic ear for his repeated temper tantrums. Thomas struggled in the first half defending Kenny Thomas.
“I don’t know if Kurt didn’t want to play tonight or was that upset he had to get it off his chest,” Sprewell said. “It doesn’t help the team.”
Indeed. As Camby said, “I was fighting fatigue down the stretch, coach was trying to give me a rest but nobody was there.”
Sprewell was alongside Francis on the final play and the Rockets guard drove straight into a helping Camby.
“I think Charlie has to stay home,” Sprewell said. “[Francis] was running the ball right into Marcus. No need to leave your guy.”
Norris post-game strut didn’t ruffle the Knicks’ feathers. The players seemed resigned about their disastrous state, in 11th place, three games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
“It’s disappointing to see people celebrating and that happy,” Houston said. “I look at it like that’s how I want my team to feel.”
Instead, they seem emotionally dead, not knowing whether to laugh or cry at their fourth-quarter misfortune as another late lead went bye-bye. The Knicks led by four points with 7:20 left and Houston gave them what appeared to be a safe one-point lead with 7.5 seconds to go.
Down one with 13.5 seconds left, Houston capped his 28-point night with a brilliant shot over Cuttino Mobley. Houston took the inbounds pass up top and the Knicks cleared out. Houston drove right and pulled up at the right of the key to bury the shot. A wide smile crossed his face, and the Knicks finally looked like victors.
“The only question was did I want to leave more time on the clock,” Houston said. “But I didn’t want to be out there, thinking too long.”
Thomas had showered by then, ejected after picking up two quick technicals after glaring menacingly at Stafford, then cursing him.
Stafford was overheard threatening Thomas about an ejection the moment he began staring at him.
“It’s not that he heard me, it’s I heard him,” Thomas said. “I’m a grown man. I’m not letting another man talk to me like a child.”