This went in...(AP Photo/Nikki Boertman)

Sweet baby Jebus, that was nuts. The game started slowly, was ugly through much of two quarters, and then absolutely blossomed into a bouquet of fine passing, aggressive defense, and hot shooting. Here are some stat-laden notes from the most outstanding offensive performance we've seen in years.

- I have one complaint. Let's get it out of the way. The Knicks started slow, which happens, but took a turn for the worse in the opening of the second quarter. Malik Rose got in for about 6 minutes in that quarter and single-handedly dug the Knicks into a hole. He committed stupid fouls, ruined good passes, and missed two threes. Two threes! Malik Rose! Ok, done complaining.

- 19-34 from three. 55.9%. 19 threes is a Knick record. That's 19-32 minus Malik Rose. Unbelievable.

- 28 assists, 11 steals, 12 turnovers. I might print that stat out and tape it to my ceiling, if you catch my drift.

- Wilson Chandler had a career night despite being a little sick and getting his eye poked pretty hard late in the game. Wil had 27 points on 11-12(!) shooting to go with 7 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals. He was absolutely unconscious. Most impressive were his four threes, at least two of which came when heavily contested and with one eye completely closed.

- I heard Dwyane Wade's mother likes to paint her nails and wear high heels. Does that mean Dwyane likes to do that too?

- Zach Randolph did, indeed, rebound with a solid 18 and 10 in 36 minutes. Also 3 steals, oddly enough. He couldn't really handle Marc Gasol on defense, but who can these days?

- Jamal Crawford's outside shot was streaky, but he asserted himself, got to the basket, and had himself a very nice game. 25 points on 10-20 and 8 assists for JC. Solid, unselfish basketball from Jamal.

- Chris Duhon got into the flow of things in the second half and had himself a nice Du-line: 12 points, 7 assists, and 1 turnover. That's all we ask of Du.

- Hey Nate Robinson, keep being you. 21 points on 8-8 shooting. That's just silly.

- Hey Malik Rose, I heard D'Antoni's looking for another assistant coach.

- Man, I wish they had ribs at Knicks games.

- I really love the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay's been one of my favorites since he came in the league, and now with Gasol and Mayo they're an absolute delight to watch. Especially when they're so gracious with the Knicks.

- How's this for a sequence? Randolph has the ball stolen on the perimeter, recovers it, and swings the ball over to Richardson. Richardson bricks a three, but Randolph rebounds it, only to miss a putback. Chandler rebounds but completely shanks a tip dunk, so hard that the ball shoots off the rim back into his hands as he falls to the ground. From the ground, Wilson passes it back out to the perimeter. The ball gets to Crawford in the right corner, where Jamal promptly completes a four-point play. Hey Gian? We need replay of this at 7SoM.

- The Knicks look a lot better shooting threes off the drive-and-kick. When Robinson, Crawford, or Duhon streaks into the paint and hits an open man in the corner, I'd bet that's our best percentage from downtown.

- Knick blowouts hadn't really crossed my mind, so you know what I hadn't though of? We don't really have a garbage squad. D'Antoni plays a 9-man rotation, and pretty much everybody else is injured or Stephon Marbury. The garbage lineup tonight was Collins, Roberson, Rose, Robinson, and Randolph. I would've just put Quentin Richardson out there to make it the "R" lineup. Woulda been a good night for Danilo Gallinari to get some shots in.

That's all for now, folks. I'm gonna stay up late to fully revel in the glory of tonight's win. And because I have a buttload of work. Next game's on Friday against OKC. I may be traveling, so is anybody down to recap that one? Let me know.

Two questions. 1. Remember Lawrence Moten? I had an autographed Moten rookie card when I was a little one. No big deal. 2. Where did MJ's arm go?

Anyway, the Knicks are in Memphis, not Vancouver, tonight to face the Grizzlies. The Grizz are 2-0 at home and will likely pose a big challenge. O.J. Mayo can score in bunches, and will likely be psyched to show New York what we're missing. Marc Gasol is a 7-foot oso who will give Lee and Randolph a heap of trouble. Rudy Gay and the point guard tandem of Conley and Lowry aren't too shabby either. On the other end, look for Zach Randolph to rebound from his clumsy performance in San Antonio with a big night against the much lighter Darrell Arthur.

The good news is that this will likely be a more open, free-form game than last night's slugfest in San Antonio. Marc Iavaroni is a D'Antoni disciple, and the Grizzlies are sillier and more athletic than Popovich's slave army of defensive stalwarts. The downside is that our guys are playing for the second night in a row. For a squad that plays a tight, nine-man rotation, back-to-backs might be an issue. Then again, I've always heard players dispel the back-to-back myth, since games are easier than practices on the body. Who knows. It'll be interesting to see how the Knicks come out in the first quarter tonight, and if they can maintain the stamina for 48 minutes. Get them W's, dammit. Tipoff's at 8.

Happy hump day, babies. I've got some delightful links for you this morning. Enjoy.

- Steve Mills got demoted in favor of some guy named Scott O'Neil. Since Walsh ostensibly reports directly to James Dolan, none of this should matter on a basketball court. In the court of law, though, O'Neil's experience and unselfish play brings a whole new look to the MSG lineup.

- Tommy Dee thinks the Balkman deal was a step in the right direction. I just think we're short on fun hairstyles now. Mardy Collins should get himself an afro hat.

- An extensive, somewhat schizophrenic opus on the current state of the Knicks from an excellent new sports blog in three parts.

- For those of you still worried (or still hopeful, I suppose), it sounds like Artest isn't our guy. When's the last time two stars were exchanged in a fair deal?

- It's that time of year, my friends: the rookie photo shoot! Watch as your favorite up-and-coming players pantomime basketball action and generally look like douchebags! My favorite part is the variety between photos. I want to meet the person who decided that O.J. Mayo should straddle the ball like it's a flying mechanical bull, but Ryan Anderson? No, he should hold it by his side and take on the persona of a solemn, wistful orphan. Meanwhile, Donte Greene gets the classic Burt Reynolds treatment. What gives? Maybe I missed it, but I don't see Danilo Gallinari anywhere, and I don't know why. They could use his experience. Let's just say he's done this before. Could be that he's in Italy with the Olympic team.

- Knicks positional battles this offseason: point guard, small forward, and 17th Knicks City Dancer. Cece has my vote, but I'm in the minority.

- I was just about to wrap up this post, but then I found this bit of news. Our very own Randolph Morris is taking his talents to Atlanta. Dolph, a free agent, is said to be signing a two-year deal with the Hawks. I don't know if he warrants a whole farewell post, but I wish the best of luck to a guy who never got his due in New York. Let us not forget Dolph's notorious late night ride in Kentucky, nor the ill-fated "Let Dolph Spin!" campaign.This week has been a hard one for pot dealers in midtown Manhattan.

That's it for this morning, folks. Remember to say please and thank you. Get big dogs.*

*Myself and a couple of my friends have decided that "get big dogs" ought to be the new cool phrase for bros like ourselves to say to one another. Make it stick.