NBA disciplinarian Stu Jackson phoned Tim Thomas yesterday to tell him to stop the threats.
“I was told to keep a muzzle on my mouth,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be hard for me. I’m the type of person who can’t hold my tongue. I like my money and I’m not trying to give it up. I guess I’m the pit bull with a muzzle. I’m not going to trick no money like that.”
Thomas made explosive remarks Wednesday, challenging his Knicks teammates to retaliate last night against the Nets in Game 3 for Jason Collins’ hit on him that could keep Thomas out of the Lincoln Tunnel Series.
Jackson said in a telephone interview yesterday he would not fine Thomas, who is suffering from back spasms but has not ruled out returning for Game 4 on Sunday. The Nets led the best-of-7 series 2-0 before last night.
“I had a conversation with Tim but I don’t want to comment on the content,” Jackson said. “But the conversation went fine.”
A league source said, “Stu basically told him you can’t say those things.”
Thomas was fined $7,500 two weeks ago for criticizing the officials. Thomas said he wanted back in the series “just to hit somebody.”
Thomas did not attend the Knicks’ morning shootaround but was hopeful he’d sit on the bench last night. Thomas got a supportive call from Stephon Marbury yesterday morning.
“I talked to Steph . . . he called me,” Thomas said. “He told me everybody heard the remarks and understood and they’re with me. Everybody in this locker room knows what we have to do.”
Jackson attended last night’s game at the Garden.
“In any series there’s always a higher level of intensity and the officials will have their ears perked to be on the lookout,” Jackson said. “There’ll be a keen eye on the physical play.”
Marbury did a flip-flop and said Collins’ foul on airborne Thomas was “dirty.” The Knicks respect Thomas’ words but understood winning was the priority last night rather than taking out a Net.
Some Knicks wrote off Thomas’ rant as being frustrated at missing out on the playoffs.
“He is my teammate,” Dikembe Mutombo said. “I understand his frustation. All I can do is support him 100 percent what he says. When you’re hurt that bad, you’re waiting on something. He didn’t see no suspension from the league office [on Collins].”
Isiah Thomas said Tim Thomas’ controversial remarks will not “divide the club, but will bring them closer together,” adding he supported the comments.
“I think Tim wants us to win the series for him and we want to do it,” Mutombo said. “He had a right to say what he had to say.
“I am supportive. That’s why I was so upset. I took the game to another level if you looked at my face [bloody] scratch.”
Marbury said, “[Tim’s] very frustrated. He got hit by a dirty play. He has a right to be. Yeah it was dirty. You look at the tape, [Collins] went across his body.”
Allan Houston is out for the series, but the Knicks captain said the team has to use its energies in other ways than what Thomas wants.
“Our job is not to worry about taking hard fouls and revenge; our job is to pay attention how to win the game,” Houston said. “That speaks louder than anything else. We can’t afford to get so worried about taking a stance.”