ISIAH THOMAS ON THE FIRING LINE
By BRIAN COSTELLO

December 30, 2007 -- Isiah Thomas has made it through 2007, but even his players were wondering how long he can last in 2008 after a 100-83 loss to the Bulls yesterday.

"You can't help but think about it," center Eddy Curry said of Thomas' possible firing if the team doesn't turn it around. "We're trying to win games. But I think it's definitely in the back of some people's minds."

The Knicks put a fitting ending to the year at Madison Square Garden, falling to 8-21 in another uninspired game.

Thomas tried yet another new lineup that failed, Stephon Marbury watched from the sideline in street clothes, and the Knicks made the dismal Bulls look like world-beaters.

Though Curry said the players are wondering about Thomas' future, they don't want to see him fired.

"We're really trying and we hope our owner knows that we're trying," said Curry, who came off the bench for the first time since Dec. 28, 2005 in Orlando. "We don't believe that it's (Thomas') fault that we're losing like this. We just, for whatever reason, can't run that corner."

The year ended like it began for the Knicks. It started with a 112-100 loss in Sacramento, and finished with the sellout crowd serenading Thomas with, "Fire Isiah" chants. The team went 28-50 in 2007.

That should make James Dolan's champagne sour.

Yesterday was more of the same from Thomas' troops. They missed wide-open shots, turned the ball over 16 times and watched the Bulls make 10 3-pointers. The Knicks have lost four in a row and five of their last six.

"We miss layups," Thomas said. "We miss wide-open shots. We just have to work at it. That is all we can do. We just have to keep working and keep trying to get the players better."

For the second consecutive game, Thomas tinkered with his lineup. After benching Zach Randolph on Wednesday in Orlando, he sent Eddy Curry to the pine yesterday. Nate Robinson started in place of Jamal Crawford, who bruised his right hand Friday at practice.

Curry had 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench, but he clearly is not eyeing the league's Sixth Man Award.

"I'm definitely not embracing it," Curry said. "But what can I do? I've got to go out there and use the minutes I have and try to be productive. If I don't play a lot of minutes, I don't play a lot of minutes. There's nothing I can do. I can't sub myself in the game. I'm not going to go to him crying and whining about starting. It's not me. I've never been like that. I'm not going to start being like that."

In Orlando, Curry started but played five minutes. Curry said he thought he might be benched after playing significant time with the second unit at practice in the last few days. Thomas informed Curry during the morning shootaround that he would come off the bench, making Curry feel, "numb."

"It definitely bugs me," he said. "I think I'm a starter in this league, but I guess not on this team."

The Knicks lost the game in the closing minutes of the third quarter. They were down 59-55 with 6:42 left in the third, but then watched Chicago go on a 14-2 run that featured three turnovers, a missed layup, a missed dunk and four missed jump shot by the Knicks. The Bulls opened up a 20-point lead in the fourth, led by 10 points in the quarter from Mount Vernon's Ben Gordon.

"I thought we just lost our flow in terms of handling the basketball and taking care of the basketball, which led to some easy baskets again for them," Thomas said. "We end the half not playing too well and we go out in the third quarter and the same thing happens. We just have to get better at taking care of the basketball."

Posted by djsunyc:

ISIAH THOMAS ON THE FIRING LINE
By BRIAN COSTELLO

December 30, 2007 -- Isiah Thomas has made it through 2007, but even his players were wondering how long he can last in 2008 after a 100-83 loss to the Bulls yesterday.

"You can't help but think about it," center Eddy Curry said of Thomas' possible firing if the team doesn't turn it around. "We're trying to win games. But I think it's definitely in the back of some people's minds."

The Knicks put a fitting ending to the year at Madison Square Garden, falling to 8-21 in another uninspired game.

Thomas tried yet another new lineup that failed, Stephon Marbury watched from the sideline in street clothes, and the Knicks made the dismal Bulls look like world-beaters.

Though Curry said the players are wondering about Thomas' future, they don't want to see him fired.

"We're really trying and we hope our owner knows that we're trying," said Curry, who came off the bench for the first time since Dec. 28, 2005 in Orlando. "We don't believe that it's (Thomas') fault that we're losing like this. We just, for whatever reason, can't run that corner."

The year ended like it began for the Knicks. It started with a 112-100 loss in Sacramento, and finished with the sellout crowd serenading Thomas with, "Fire Isiah" chants. The team went 28-50 in 2007.

That should make James Dolan's champagne sour.

Yesterday was more of the same from Thomas' troops. They missed wide-open shots, turned the ball over 16 times and watched the Bulls make 10 3-pointers. The Knicks have lost four in a row and five of their last six.

"We miss layups," Thomas said. "We miss wide-open shots. We just have to work at it. That is all we can do. We just have to keep working and keep trying to get the players better."

For the second consecutive game, Thomas tinkered with his lineup. After benching Zach Randolph on Wednesday in Orlando, he sent Eddy Curry to the pine yesterday. Nate Robinson started in place of Jamal Crawford, who bruised his right hand Friday at practice.

Curry had 12 points and eight rebounds off the bench, but he clearly is not eyeing the league's Sixth Man Award.

"I'm definitely not embracing it," Curry said. "But what can I do? I've got to go out there and use the minutes I have and try to be productive. If I don't play a lot of minutes, I don't play a lot of minutes. There's nothing I can do. I can't sub myself in the game. I'm not going to go to him crying and whining about starting. It's not me. I've never been like that. I'm not going to start being like that."

In Orlando, Curry started but played five minutes. Curry said he thought he might be benched after playing significant time with the second unit at practice in the last few days. Thomas informed Curry during the morning shootaround that he would come off the bench, making Curry feel, "numb."

"It definitely bugs me," he said. "I think I'm a starter in this league, but I guess not on this team."

The Knicks lost the game in the closing minutes of the third quarter. They were down 59-55 with 6:42 left in the third, but then watched Chicago go on a 14-2 run that featured three turnovers, a missed layup, a missed dunk and four missed jump shot by the Knicks. The Bulls opened up a 20-point lead in the fourth, led by 10 points in the quarter from Mount Vernon's Ben Gordon.

"I thought we just lost our flow in terms of handling the basketball and taking care of the basketball, which led to some easy baskets again for them," Thomas said. "We end the half not playing too well and we go out in the third quarter and the same thing happens. We just have to get better at taking care of the basketball."

Posted by GKFv2:

Dolan probably hears this and is like "they're trying, cool" and goes back to sleep.