VAN GUNDY BELIEVES FANS' BOOS HELP THE KNICKS
By MARC BERMAN

November 21, 2006 -- Isiah Thomas delivered his strongest rhetoric yet on urging the Garden fans to treat the road team with the same hostility they often save for the Knicks. Ironically, Jeff Van Gundy, in the house for last night's 97-90 Rockets' victory over the Knicks, had a contrasting view to Isiah's.

The Knicks have the league's worst home record at 1-5.

"I do know the comforts of home and how a crowd can affect a game," Thomas said at the morning shootaround. "The crowd can have an effect on opposing teams just like it's had an effect on us. They can have a huge impact on the game by affecting the opposing team. The same discomfort some of our players feel, I know they can interject the same discomfort on the other side."

Van Gundy says his Knicks club was often booed, and it was a championship contender. Van Gundy said it was a plus. The fans last night were grouchy early, quick to boo every mistake in the first half, starting 2:45 into the game on a Stephon Marbury charge. The jeers, however, dissipated as the night wore on, perhaps out of boredom.

"(We were booed) about every bad first quarter, every bad start," Van Gundy recalled. "As coach, it was great. He didn't always have to be the one who's the guy to get on your team. You can win seven in a row here, play an uninspired first quarter and (the crowd) didn't do inspired well. It's extremely helpful you didn't have to be the lone wolf challenging them."

Countered Isiah, "You shouldn't feel so comfortable that you think you can give your best performance in our building," Thomas said. "We shouldn't let you feel that comfortable, our fans or our players. Shine in someone else's arena. Don't shine in ours."


The Knicks received good news on their prize offseason signing, Jared Jeffries. A CAT Scan on his wrist showed it's healing properly and he should be back in two weeks to make his long-awaited Knick debut. Jeffries will participate in today's practice, but only non-contact drills. There was fear he wouldn't debut until Jan. 1 after surgery Nov. 1. . . . Van Gundy held court for about 18 minutes with the New York media before tip-off, giving his usual offbeat take on things. At one point, he concluded, "Rocket hate is in. It's in vogue today. Especially Yao hate". . . . Rockets assistant Charlie Ward was cheered more last night when they showed him on scoreboard than his Knick days.



Home

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW YORK POST is a registered trademark of NYP Holdings, Inc. NYPOST.COM, NYPOSTONLINE.COM, and NEWYORKPOST.COM
are trademarks of NYP Holdings, Inc.
Copyright 2006 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.

so one coach says "you got booed because you stink."
another coach says "ignore them, your a winner in life."

Which is more effective you think? Let them get booed rotten. Only they can change it despite pleas from their coach (booed the most of all)

To be fair, one coach is trying to rehabilitate the negativity from LB, and the other is taking a retrospective view.

Am I the only one that thinks Q is gonna snap at some point real soon?

And Zeke needs to cease the "don't boo us, boo them" stuff.

[Edited by - K22 on 11-21-2006 2:01 PM]