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 last night, had a contrasting view to Isiah’s.
The Knicks entered with the worst home record in the league at 1-4 when they hosted the Rockets last night, with former Knicks coach Van Gundy on the visiting bench.
“I do know the comforts of home and how a crowd can affect a game,” Thomas said. “The crowd can have an effect on the opposing team 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 club was often booed and it was a championship contender.
Van Gundy said it was a plus.
“(We’d be booed) about every bad first quarter, every bad start,” Van Gundy said. “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.” The boos at the Garden have clearly affected the play of Stephon Marbury, for one. Thomas’ contention is the Garden can be a much stronger home court if the fans channeled their passion on jeering the visitors. He feels opponents are too “comfortable” and confident at the Garden.
“I never ever had a thought as a player when I get to the other arena, I’m putting on a show,” Thomas said. “That thought never entered my mind. We somehow have to get players not to think they can feel so comfortable they can walk into New York onto the Garden floor and say, ‘I’m here to put on a show.’ You shouldn’t feel that comfortable. You should be hoping you can get out of here with your life instead of feeling so free and comfortable that you say, ‘I’m coming to put on a show.’ No, we put on a show.”
It’s ironic, because Van Gundy’s presence usually means doom for the Knicks coach. After Van Gundy’s Rockets destroyed Don Chaney’s Knicks in January, 2004, drawing “Fire Chaney” chants, Chaney was fired days later.
And Lenny Wilkens was forced to resign an hour after the Rockets beat the Knicks at the buzzer two seasons ago.
“Our guys have been knocked around pretty tough at home,” Thomas said. “It’s a two-way street. I’m not getting on the crowd. The last couple of games they’ve been great to us. They’ve been the reason why we’ve come back from 20. I’ve never felt comfortable in the Boston Garden or Chicago Stadium. Opposing teams didn’t come into the Pistons’ arena feeling comfortable.”
The Knicks’ season-ticket base is down 15 percent from last season, but that’s not the issue. The Knicks just don’t excel here. Two years ago, Thomas ordered all home morning shootarounds to be held at the Garden instead of the Westchester campus to get a better feel of the court. But it forced the players to be holed up in a Manhattan hotel all day to make it feel like a road game.
In training camp, Thomas considered holding shootarounds at the Garden at 5 p.m., forcing the players to arrive an hour earlier than normal reporting time.
“We need to feel comfortable in the Garden,” Thomas said. “It’s got to become ours. It’s got to become home.”
On Friday, the Knicks posted one of their finest wins of the Isiah era, pounding the Heat. Then Saturday, they gave it back up by losing to Boston at home. Eddy Curry and Quentin Richardson heard boos for their shoddy play.
“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.”
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Garden gloom
Entering last night’s game against the Rockets, the Knicks had won just one home game but were 3-3 on the road. A look at their 2006 results:
HOME GAMES (1-4)
Nov. 3 Indiana L 102-92
Nov. 6 San Antonio L 105-93
Nov. 13 Cleveland L 102-96
Nov. 15 Washington W 102-82
Nov. 18 Boston L 122-118
AWAY GAMES (3-3)
Nov. 1 at Memphis W 118-117
Nov. 3 at Atlanta L 102-92
Nov. 8 at Denver W 109-107
Nov. 10 at Houston L 103-94
Nov. 11 at San Antonio L 100-92
Nov. 17 at Miami W 100-76