GAME THREAD: NBA: UTAH (10-4) at NEW YORK (3-9)

[SportsTicker]

NBA: UTAH at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">UTAH (109) AT NEW YORK (113)

UTAH

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

C BOOZER F 30:30 12-18 6-9 5 7 12 3 4 2 1 30
A KIRILENKO F 30:10 4-8 1-2 1 1 2 2 1 3 5 9
M OKUR C 35:52 3-11 1-2 1 4 5 3 4 2 0 8
R BREWER G 33:42 5-9 3-4 3 3 6 3 2 1 3 13
D WILLIAMS G 40:46 10-16 5-6 2 3 5 8 4 1 3 26
J HART 7:14 2-2 0-0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 4
M HARPRING 17:50 2-8 0-0 3 0 3 1 1 0 1 4
P MILLSAP 23:34 5-8 3-4 3 3 6 2 2 0 0 13
J COLLINS 6:02 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
R PRICE 14:20 0-4 2-2 0 3 3 1 1 0 0 2
G GIRICEK DNP - COACH'S DECISION
C MILES DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 43-85 21-29 18 24 42 24 20 10 14 109
(.506) (.724) TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 14 (17 PTS)

NEW YORK

REBOUNDS
PLAYER POS MIN FGM-FGA FTM-FTA OFF-DEF-TOT AST PF ST TO PTS
====== === === ======= ======= =========== === == == == ===

Z RANDOLPH F 34:08 11-15 3-5 6 8 14 0 3 1 3 25
Q RICHARDSON F 35:47 3-7 0-0 0 1 1 2 2 3 1 8
E CURRY C 33:34 4-11 0-0 2 3 5 1 2 0 1 8
J CRAWFORD G 40:29 7-16 7-8 0 1 1 1 1 2 1 22
S MARBURY G 36:41 9-14 7-8 0 2 2 6 5 2 4 28
D LEE 20:22 3-6 2-2 2 2 4 0 5 0 2 8
N ROBINSON 13:59 3-5 1-1 0 0 0 2 2 1 1 8
R BALKMAN 15:14 1-3 2-2 1 4 5 3 2 1 0 4
J JEFFRIES 9:46 1-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 2
M ROSE DNP - COACH'S DECISION
F JONES DNP - COACH'S DECISION
M COLLINS DNP - COACH'S DECISION

TOTALS 240:00 42-79 22-26 11 21 32 15 23 10 14 113
(.532) (.846) TEAM REBS: 7 TOTAL TO: 14 (14 PTS)

UTAH 27 25 28 29 - 109
NEW YORK 31 27 31 24 - 113

BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - C BOOZER, R BREWER. NEW YORK - E CURRY 2, S MARBURY,
D LEE, R BALKMAN, Q RICHARDSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 2-15 (.133), A KIRILENKO 0-3, M OKUR 1-6, D WILLIAMS 1-
2, M HARPRING 0-1, R PRICE 0-3. NEW YORK 7-17 (.412), Q RICHARDSON 2-
4, J CRAWFORD 1-6, S MARBURY 3-3, N ROBINSON 1-3, R BALKMAN 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: UTAH - DEFENSIVE THREE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: DEREK RICHARDSON, STEVE JAVIE, TONY BROWN.
A - 18,816. T - 2:23.</div>

 

[SportsTicker]

NBA: UTAH at NEW YORK

<div class="pre">UTAH (109)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
C Boozer 30:30 12-18 6-9 5-12 3 4 30
A Kirilenko 30:10 4-8 1-2 1-2 2 1 9
M Okur 35:52 3-11 1-2 1-5 3 4 8
R Brewer 33:42 5-9 3-4 3-6 3 2 13
D Williams 40:46 10-16 5-6 2-5 8 4 26
J Hart 7:14 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 0 4
M Harpring 17:50 2-8 0-0 3-3 1 1 4
P Millsap 23:34 5-8 3-4 3-6 2 2 13
J Collins 6:02 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
R Price 14:20 0-4 2-2 0-3 1 1 2
G Giricek DNP - COACH'S DECISION
C Miles DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 43-85 21-29 18-42 24 20 109
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.506, FT-.724. 3-Point Goals:
2-15, .133 (A Kirilenko 0-3, M Okur 1-6, D
Williams 1-2, M Harpring 0-1, R Price 0-3).
Team Rebounds: 10. Blocked Shots:2 (C Boozer,
R Brewer). Turnovers:14 (A Kirilenko 5, D
Williams 3, R Brewer 3, M Harpring, C Boozer,
J Hart). Steals: 10 (A Kirilenko 3, M Okur 2,
C Boozer 2, J Hart, D Williams, R Brewer).


NEW YORK (113)

fg ft rb
min m-a m-a o-t a pf tp
Z Randolph 34:08 11-15 3-5 6-14 0 3 25
Q Richardson 35:47 3-7 0-0 0-1 2 2 8
E Curry 33:34 4-11 0-0 2-5 1 2 8
J Crawford 40:29 7-16 7-8 0-1 1 1 22
S Marbury 36:41 9-14 7-8 0-2 6 5 28
D Lee 20:22 3-6 2-2 2-4 0 5 8
N Robinson 13:59 3-5 1-1 0-0 2 2 8
R Balkman 15:14 1-3 2-2 1-5 3 2 4
J Jeffries 9:46 1-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 2
M Rose DNP - COACH'S DECISION
F Jones DNP - COACH'S DECISION
M Collins DNP - COACH'S DECISION

______________________________________________________
TOTALS 240:00 42-79 22-26 11-32 15 23 113
______________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.532, FT-.846. 3-Point Goals:
7-17, .412 (Q Richardson 2-4, J Crawford 1-6,
S Marbury 3-3, N Robinson 1-3, R Balkman
0-1). Team Rebounds: 7. Blocked Shots:6 (E
Curry 2, S Marbury, D Lee, R Balkman, Q
Richardson). Turnovers:14 (S Marbury 4, Z
Randolph 3, D Lee 2, J Crawford, N Robinson,
J Jeffries, E Curry, Q Richardson). Steals:
10 (Q Richardson 3, S Marbury 2, J Crawford
2, Z Randolph, N Robinson, R Balkman).

--------------------------------------------
UTAH 27 25 28 29 - 109
NEW YORK 31 27 31 24 - 113
--------------------------------------------

Technical fouls: Utah - 1 (Defensive Three,
11:29 2nd).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,816. T: 2:23.
Officials: Derek Richardson, Steve Javie,
Tony Brown.</div>

 

[SportsTicker]

By Larry Fleisher
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer


NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Two weeks ago, Isiah Thomas benched StephonMarbury. But on Monday night, he may have finally received theperformance he envisioned from his point guard.


In possibly his finest game of the season, Marbury scored aseason-best 28 points as the Knicks held off the Utah Jazz,113-109, at Madison Square Garden.


Zach Randolph collected 25 points and 14 rebounds for his eighthdouble-double of the season for the Knicks, who put togetherconsecutive wins for the first time in 20 days.


Randolph had his double-double early in the third but one of hisbiggest boards came with 8.9 seconds left when he grabbed amissed 3-point attempt by Jamal Crawford and prevented Utah fromtying the game or taking a one-point lead.


Crawford scored 22 points for New York, which also avoidedbecoming the NBA's fifth 10-loss team and did so by shooting aseason-best 53 percent (42-of-79).


The win also came on the two-week anniversary of Thomas tellingMarbury he was sending him to the bench in favor of second-yearguard Mardy Collins. It came a day after he was burned on thedefensive end by Miami's Jason Williams in a 75-72 loss.

Marbury left the team in Phoenix but returned as a reserve thefollowing day in Los Angeles and his tone seemed to suggest thathe has moved on.


"That's over with," Marbury said. "We played a really goodgame. When they made their run, we didn't panic."

He also came off the bench in the next three games as the Knickswent winless on their Western swing before Marbury returned tothe starting lineup last Tuesday in a sloppy home loss to GoldenState. The Knicks committed 29 turnovers in a 26-point defeatin that contest.


The combination of the Marbury-Thomas rift and the eight-gamelosing streak appeared to have the Knicks spiraling out ofcontrol before they could even get to Thanksgiving.

But Marbury has played well in the last two games, and theKnicks have improved to 4-9, which is a lot better than the 2-11mark they could have taken into Boston for a nationallytelevised contest on Thursday.


"It is all in the player," said Thomas, who wanted moreleadership out Marbury. "He definitely has the talent and theskill. Not only that, he also has the determination andmotivation. He is self-driven and self-motivated. You don'thave to get on him too often, but you do have to remind himsometimes how good he should be."


After scoring 19 points in Saturday's 85-78 win over Chicago,Marbury still heard some boos during pregame introductions. Bythe time he checked out for a break late in the third quarterwith 22 points, he was getting some cheers.


In 36 minutes, Marbury was 9-of-14 from the floor and made allthree of his 3-point attempts. He also was 7-of-8 from the lineand handed out six assists.


"I thought Marbury was great," Thomas said. "Just from start tofinish."


"I have the ball more," Marbury said. "When I have the ballmore and I am able to create and make plays, I will be in a niceflow."


Marbury and Crawford combined for 50 points and were 16-of-30from the floor. They also scored 12 of New York's 24 points inthe fourth.


"They looked great tonight," Utah forward Carlos Boozer said."They were talking out there. They were communicating.Honestly, I was really impressed."


The fans had plenty of reason to react positively towards theKnicks in this one. They took an 89-80 lead into the fourth anda 10-point edge with 7:54 left when Marbury finished off athree-point play.


"We were able to play well in front of our home crowd and getwins," New York center Eddy Curry said. "They (fans) were hugefor us. They definitely will help us get the wins as addedsupport."


Utah got it to 105-101 when Boozer put back Andrei Kirilenko'smissed foul shot with 4:26 remaining. The Jazz missed twochances to further get closer, but after Boozer grabbed anoffensive board, Deron Williams coasted in for a layup with 3:41remaining and it was a two-point game - forcing Thomas to calla timeout.


The Jazz hung around but, with 2:26 remaining, Marbury forcedWilliams into making a backcourt violation. However, the Knickscould not capitalize as Crawford missed a runner, but Williamshad his layup blocked by Randolph.


Following a missed 3-pointer by Crawford, Randolph swooped infor a basket for a 109-104 advantage. Quentin Richardsonintercepted Utah's pass, and Marbury finished the play with alayup for a seven-point edge with 1:19 remaining.


New York took a 58-52 edge into halftime after nearly blowingall of a nine-point lead. They had a 53-44 lead quickly cut toone, but Crawford capped the half with a fadeaway 3-pointer fromthe right wing.


Crawford scored eight points in the third, including a jumperwith 4:17 remaining that put New York up 81-70. He also helpedthe Knicks maintain their lead by scoring two consecutivebaskets for a 69-59 edge with 8:29 remaining.


Boozer collected 30 points and 12 rebounds and Williams added 26and eight assists for Utah, which made five turnovers in thefinal 12 minutes.


"Turnovers killed us," Williams said. "It was uncharacteristic.I just gotta do a better job of taking care of the ball."