LOS ANGELES, 10 January 2004 — The stage was set and the atmosphere was electric as the diehard Knicks fans eagerly crowded famed Madison Square Garden for Stephon Marbury’s New York homecoming.
Instead, the Houston Rockets pulled the plug on the party.
Steve Francis scored 27 points and the Rockets gave Jeff Van Gundy a successful return to the Big Apple by blasting the Knicks, 111-79, on Thursday night.
“You can’t play here or coach here and have this place not mean something extraordinary,” said Van Gundy, who recorded 248 coaching victories from March 1996, including a 1999 NBA Finals appearance, before surprisingly resigning in December 2001.
Jimmy Jackson had 21 points, Yao Ming and Maurice Taylor added 15 points apiece, while Cuttino Mobley netted 14 for Houston, which roared to a season-high point total, just one night after being held to a season-low 66 points.
The fans were abuzz with anticipation of Marbury’s first game at home after being acquired in an eight-player blockbuster trade with Phoenix on Monday.
But the two-time all-star guard struggled making just 3-of-12 shots and finishing with six points and 10 assists in 41 minutes in front of family and friends in the Knicks’ most lopsided loss of the season.
“Everything has been great other than us not getting a win,” said Marbury, who had eight points and eight assists in his Knicks debut Tuesday night in a loss at Cleveland. “I would never think it would happen this bad. Right now, you have to be patient with us because it’s destined for us to eventually click.”
Keith Van Horn and reserve Moochie Norris scored 17 points apiece in New York’s (14-22) fourth consecutive loss, and third worst home blowout in team history. “I was ready to go,” Knicks coach Don Chaney explained.
Houston made a laugher of the contest by scoring early and often. They made their first seven shots to grab a 23-2 lead with 6 1/2 minutes gone in the open quarter and were never threatened by the passionless Knicks.
The Rockets’ lead swelled to as many as 33 points in the final minute of the fourth quarter as the hometown fans booed their disapproval and chanted, “Fire Chaney.”
Elsewhere:
Timberwolves 96, Trail Blazers 75:
Kevin Garnett had 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Latrell Sprewell scored 25 points, as the surging Timberwolves crushed the road-hapless Trail Blazers for their 14th win in the last 17 games.
Sam Cassell added 10 points and 11 assists as Minnesota built a 55-33 halftime cushion and coasted to its seventh straight home victory.
Zach Randolph scored 19 points and Jeff McInnis added 15 for Portland, which fell to 1-13 on the road.
