Fire Thomas Chants Flare Up As Knicks Lose at Home

March 4, 2008

(Long Island, N.Y.) The crowd at Madison Square Garden cheered wildly a familiar season-long chant “Fire Isiah” as the waning seconds of another embarrassing Knicks defeat at home drew a close. The New Orleans Hornets crushed the New York Knicks in a 100-88 victory at the place many legends of the game speak of as the “Mecca of Basketball” in New York.

Chris Paul directed the Hornets offense as New Orleans used a blistering 10-0 run late in the fourth quarter to dispose of the Knicks in an otherwise tightly contested match-up. Paul used his explosive dribbling ability to lose Nate Robinson and score on two consecutive field goal attempts while orchestrating a magnificent Alley-oop dunk to starting center Tyson Chandlier on the third possession to effectively take the game away from the cudgels of the Knicks.

MVP-candidate Chris Paul finished the game with 27 points peppered with 8 assists, 5 rebounds and swiping 3 steals. Fellow All-star David West provided ample support with 19 points and 8 rebounds while starting center Tyson Chandler provided interior toughness in a monstrous effort as he tallied 15 points and grabbed 18 rebounds.

“Tyson is one of the most athletic centers in the league,” Paul said. “Nate Robinson was talking to me out there on the court and he was like, ‘Wish I had a big guy who could go up to the rim like that.’ It’s amazing how much him doing that has changed my game. I take it for granted that when he’s not in the game with me, it’s like ‘What am I going to do?’”

Meanwhile, the loss for the Knicks represents an assurance that the team will finish the season with a losing record as it mathematically decimates any chance of a winning record even if the team wins all of its remaining ballgames. Jamaal Crawford led the Knicks with 20 points and 6 assists while Eddy Curry finished with 19 points and 8 rebounds. The Knicks will play the defending Eastern Conference champion the Cleveland Cavaliers at home on Wednesday while the Hornets face the lowly Atlanta Hawks on the same day.

Posted by News LI Editor · Edited by Brianna - Filed Under Sports