The Grit Patrol = Balkman, Nate, Jamal, Lee

BALKMAN GIVES KNICKS A BOOST
By MARC BERMAN

November 16, 2006 -- Isiah Thomas may have found a way to fill all the empty seats that surfaced at the Garden last night - play rookie Renaldo Balkman more.

Thomas was searching for grit and he found tons of it in Balkman, the star in the Knicks' first home victory of the season - 102-82 over the Wizards.

Balkman, averaging 7.8 minutes, scrapped for a career-high, team-leading 18 points with seven rebounds and two blocks as the Knicks (3-6) put down the hammer in the second half, running the Wizards into the ground. The club entered winless at the Garden (0-3), desperately needing a victory.

"I just had to sit back and wait my turn," Balkman said. "I had a chance to shine tonight. My teammates said, 'Welcome to the NBA.' [I] can't wait for everybody to come around talking to me. I'm shocked everyone's around now."

What was shocking was the vast amount of empty Garden seats. The 400 level, once known as the blue seats, were almost completely empty and a few sections of the 300s were also barren. It was the smallest contingent in years, with the Knicks announcing a crowd of 14,836. The Knicks' low last season was 16,221.

But one soul on celebrity row - Charles Oakley - embodies the gritty spirit Thomas sought. And it didn't hurt the Wizards were way off - shooting 0-for-15 from 3-point range, an NBA record for most treys without a make.

Balkman was not alone on the second-half grit patrol. David Lee ripped down 15 boards and added 10 points. Nate Robinson, who has by far the best plus-minus on the team, had 11 points. The Knicks outgunned the Wizards 25-13 in the fourth quarter, the reserves scoring 17.

"Me, Nate, Jamal, Lee, that's all we do," Balkman said. "The second team just tries to outrun everybody and tire the other team."

As the final seconds ticked off, the fans rose to give the Knicks a standing ovation and chanted "Let's go Knicks."

On a two-day rant about the Knicks failing to be scrappy enough to snatch loose balls, Thomas gave extended minutes to Balkman.

"Tonight I'm happy the intensity and energy," Thomas said. "We just didn't come up with the basketball, but got on the floor and got dirty. That really is the difference in the game, the dirty things you have to do."

Stephon Marbury recovered from his awful outing Monday with a respectable, no-turnover outing and played sound defense on Gilbert Arenas (an inefficient 22 points on 5-of-19 shooting). Marbury notched 16 points with four assists. Lee, Robinson, Balkman and Jamal Crawford were the key cogs during the fourth quarter when the Knicks jacked the lead up to double-digits. Balkman even rang up a 3-pointer from the right corner.

With 8:02 left, Balkman blocked Jarvis Hayes' shot, creating a fastbreak. Balkman crashed in for a layup that he missed but drew a blocking foul and made both free throws. That's his game in a nutshell.

"Sitting on the bench, you want to go in the game," Balkman said. "I'm always ready. He gave me a chance tonight to go out and prove myself."

Last night may be Balkman's birth as a steady rotational player.

"Time will tell, I had a great game tonight but I have to get ready for next time," Balkman said. "I had to wait my turn, be patient. When it's my time, it's my time. Tonight was my time to do my thing."

Thomas, in a desperate attempt to paint the Knicks' start with a rosy coat, said before the game that their 2-6 start is better than it looks and they're not far off from being a winning team. The Knicks had succumbed twice to San Antonio and lost to Indiana, Cleveland and Houston. The combined record of the teams they lost to, counting the Spurs' record twice, is 30-13. So they needed last night to prove Thomas wasn't insane.

"It feels good to beat this team because they were in the playoffs," Thomas said.

it's all about the GRITS baby!

Crawford's more girly than gritty but I love how hard the other three play

Merissa in the day was hot!

Not Alba hot, but hot.