Glenn
11-21-2007, 08:53 AM
New York (2-8) at Detroit (6-4)
Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Wed Nov 21, 2007
By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA, STATS Senior Writer
The last time the New York Knicks won in Detroit, they started a point guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. That player wasn't Stephon Marbury, who almost decided to miss this series' next matchup.
Marbury is expected to make his second straight start for the Knicks, who will be trying to snap a nine-game losing streak in Detroit and a seven-game slide overall as they face the Pistons on Wednesday night.
Marbury rejoined New York's starting lineup Tuesday night, one week after he responded to a demotion by leaving the team for one game, and had 18 points amid boos from the home crowd as the Knicks (2-8) were routed 108-82 by Golden State.
The enigmatic guard was thinking about missing this contest to attend the funeral of an aunt who died Monday, but said he would travel to Detroit.
"We have to revamp," said Marbury, who came off the bench his previous three games. "We have to go back to the drawing board."
Knicks coach Isiah Thomas acknowledged before Tuesday's contest that Marbury's demotion was a punishment for defensive lapses, and hopes Marbury has learned his lesson.
Marbury will be leading a Knicks team that hasn't won at The Palace of Auburn Hills since Mark Jackson, who preceded Marbury in what has been a long line of great point guards from Brooklyn, had 11 points and 12 assists to lift New York to an 89-82 victory on March 27, 2002.
New York has been held to 85.9 points per game during its skid in Detroit.
The Pistons went 2-1 overall against the Knicks last season. New York's lone win was a 151-145 triple-overtime victory on Dec. 27.
In this matchup, the Knicks expect to lean on Zach Randolph, who is averaging 27.5 points and 11.2 rebounds in his last four games against Detroit. The veteran forward, who had missed three of the last five games after the death of his grandmother, had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks on Tuesday.
Despite shooting just 40.0 percent from the field, Randolph has double-doubles in all seven games -- the longest streak by a Knicks player since Charles Oakley had nine in a row to open the 1989-90 campaign. Randolph is averaging 18.3 points and 14.2 rebounds on the season.
Detroit (6-4), beginning a five-game homestand after a 2-3 road trip, hopes to have Antonio McDyess (shoulder) in the lineup for the first time in four games. McDyess, who practiced Tuesday, would be critical for a Pistons team trying to contain Randolph and Knicks center Eddy Curry in the paint.
"We've got to jump out of the gate early," Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince told the team's official Web site. "When you're playing against a team that's very offensive-oriented and has guys like Eddy Curry and Zach who can score in the post and guys that can create like Jamal (Crawford) ... we've really got to get out of the gate early, try to create some turnovers and establish our defense."
Prince, second on the Pistons with 15.7 points per game, had 19 in a 105-95 loss to Sacramento on Sunday night.
Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Wed Nov 21, 2007
By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA, STATS Senior Writer
The last time the New York Knicks won in Detroit, they started a point guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. That player wasn't Stephon Marbury, who almost decided to miss this series' next matchup.
Marbury is expected to make his second straight start for the Knicks, who will be trying to snap a nine-game losing streak in Detroit and a seven-game slide overall as they face the Pistons on Wednesday night.
Marbury rejoined New York's starting lineup Tuesday night, one week after he responded to a demotion by leaving the team for one game, and had 18 points amid boos from the home crowd as the Knicks (2-8) were routed 108-82 by Golden State.
The enigmatic guard was thinking about missing this contest to attend the funeral of an aunt who died Monday, but said he would travel to Detroit.
"We have to revamp," said Marbury, who came off the bench his previous three games. "We have to go back to the drawing board."
Knicks coach Isiah Thomas acknowledged before Tuesday's contest that Marbury's demotion was a punishment for defensive lapses, and hopes Marbury has learned his lesson.
Marbury will be leading a Knicks team that hasn't won at The Palace of Auburn Hills since Mark Jackson, who preceded Marbury in what has been a long line of great point guards from Brooklyn, had 11 points and 12 assists to lift New York to an 89-82 victory on March 27, 2002.
New York has been held to 85.9 points per game during its skid in Detroit.
The Pistons went 2-1 overall against the Knicks last season. New York's lone win was a 151-145 triple-overtime victory on Dec. 27.
In this matchup, the Knicks expect to lean on Zach Randolph, who is averaging 27.5 points and 11.2 rebounds in his last four games against Detroit. The veteran forward, who had missed three of the last five games after the death of his grandmother, had 15 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks on Tuesday.
Despite shooting just 40.0 percent from the field, Randolph has double-doubles in all seven games -- the longest streak by a Knicks player since Charles Oakley had nine in a row to open the 1989-90 campaign. Randolph is averaging 18.3 points and 14.2 rebounds on the season.
Detroit (6-4), beginning a five-game homestand after a 2-3 road trip, hopes to have Antonio McDyess (shoulder) in the lineup for the first time in four games. McDyess, who practiced Tuesday, would be critical for a Pistons team trying to contain Randolph and Knicks center Eddy Curry in the paint.
"We've got to jump out of the gate early," Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince told the team's official Web site. "When you're playing against a team that's very offensive-oriented and has guys like Eddy Curry and Zach who can score in the post and guys that can create like Jamal (Crawford) ... we've really got to get out of the gate early, try to create some turnovers and establish our defense."
Prince, second on the Pistons with 15.7 points per game, had 19 in a 105-95 loss to Sacramento on Sunday night.