From Newsday:

The Knicks appear to be close to landing athletic forward Al Harrington from the Golden State Warriors in a trade that possibly could send the team's leading scorer, Jamal Crawford, out to Oakland, Newsday has learned.

Details of the deal were only starting to slip out late last night and the only concrete piece of information so far is that the Knicks were getting Harrington, who Knicks president Donnie Walsh, while with the Indiana Pacers, drafted out of St. Patrick's High School in Elizabeth, N.J., in 1998. Harrington before the season had demanded a trade from the Warriors after a falling out with coach Don Nelson.

...

The New York Post, who posted a report on its Web site early Friday morning, suggested Malik Rose's expiring contract ($7.6 million) was the player going out to Oakland, which makes far more sense for the Knicks on the court -- Rose is a little-used, though well-respected big man, while Crawford leads the Knicks in scoring -- but not in payroll. Crawford makes $8.6 million this season, though he does have an opt-out in July. If he picks up the option, he has two more years at $9.3 million and $10 million in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

I just woke up and have to go to class, but more on this if and when it becomes official. My original comments on this deal are here. Leave your knee-jerk comments here. Oh, and this report originally comes from Peter Vescey, so, you know...

UPDATE: Is it Crawford or Rose? The implications on the rest of this season are pretty big. Could this possibly be a deluge of Crawford and Randolph in a three-team deal for Harrington, Cuttino Mobley, and TIM THOMAS!? More as it comes.

AFTERNOON UPDATE: It's Crawford for Harrington, it's done, and the Knicks may not be done today. Analysis will come once things settle down and the Knicks themselves makes it official.

MORE: The next step could be that aforementioned Randolph for expiring contracts deal. The GS deal might also include Italian guard Marco Bellinelli, who I think I wanted the Knicks to draft back in the day.

HOW ABOUT ANOTHER UPDATE?: Jamal Crawford:

"It's a whole new regime. You can't take stuff like this personally. I got to be professional and not take it personal. I'll be closer to home. It wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be disappointing. When things were bad, I was there. I wanted to be there when things got good.''

Mike D'Antoni:

"Donnie's plan is pretty clear that in a couple of years we'll be under the cap,'' D'Antoni said in Milwaukee. "Everything we do will lead us to the possibility of being under the cap in two years. Then I'll deal with making sure the team is competitive. We're not going to compromise our future because we might take a half-step.

UPDATEBURY: The Knicks Blog is reporting that the Knicks will activate Stephon Marbury for tonight's game in Milwaukee. Apparently this is because another trade will be made that is so ravaging that Steph will be needed to suit up enough guys. That promises to be awkward.

LAST UPDATE?: The second deal is done. Zach Randolph is heading to L.A. it seems, with the previously mentioned expiring friends Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley coming in return.

Somehow, this photo summarizes tonight's game better than I ever could. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

A loss is a loss, but the Knicks hung around tonight in Boston, and even made the Celtics sweat a little down the stretch. The guys actually squandered a bit of an opportunity, as Doc Rivers decided to compound the suspension of Kevin Garnett by benching Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo for much of the first half. Unfortunately, the Knicks' undersized big men groveled at the feet of larger bodies once again. This time it was the brutish Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe, who had 16 and 14 points respectively, that caused problems for the New York frontcourt. The C's pounded the ball down low and scored easily and efficiently through 3 quarters to gain enough ground to keep the Knicks at bay later on. Some more notes:

- This was a chippy one throughout, and tempers were flaring everywhere. Zach Randolph was frustrated all night, and his aggravation bubbled to the surface in a little face-to-face altercation with Leon Powe. There wasn't so much as a shove, thankfully, and the two were issued double techs. Later, Richardson and Pierce had some words, rekindling a confrontation that's presented a couple times since Q's been a Knick. It's hard to blame the players for being feisty, though, since both coaches had their panties all in a bunch on the sidelines. The refs got an earful from both Doc Rivers and Mike D'Antoni, but Coach Mike was especially bitchy, and got a tech for damn near shanking Mark Lindsay at the end of the third quarter. He was still jawing after the commercial break, and I wouldn't be surprised if Lindsay wakes up in bed with a horse head some time soon.

Mike D'Antoni objects to a call. Anthony Roberson learns his first curse word. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

- The Knicks came out shooting threes and nothing else, as they often do, but tonight the shots didn't really go down in the first quarter, and never picked up. They were 9-30 as a team, which won't hurt our proud lead in the "made and attempted" department, but turns the stomach a bit when you calculate the percentage. (My number-crunching parrot did it for me, and it's 30%. Quoth Polly, "that sucks".)

- There's a difference between passing a lot and ball movement, ya dig? You can stand still and swing the ball all around the perimeter as much as you want, but it's setting screens and hitting cutters that'll get things done in a half-court set.

- I'd rather see Duhon and Lee play the ball and commit a foul than grab their nuts, shut their eyes, and stand still in hopes of a charge.

- The Knicks actually held a lead after the first quarter, which was garnered by being active and forcing turnovers on the defensive end. I'm pretty sure the C's turned the rock over 6 or 7 times in the first 12 minutes. After that, not so much. Boston (the most turnover-prone club in the league, we learned), finished with a relatively light 14 TO's, considering the first quarter damage.

- Wilson Chandler had himself a really nice game on both ends. Save for a spasm of ill-advised threes in the second half, Wil was attacking, taking and making open shots, and letting the game come to him. It's becoming apparent that his best look is a catch, one dribble with the left hand, and then a nice 18 footer from either side of the key. On defense, Chandler got completely abused by Celtic big men, which is hard to criticize since he's out of position. On Pierce, though, he showed some real mettle. Particularly in the fourth quarter, Wilson harassed the indomitable Pierce into a few misses, even physically deterring a doubling Nate Robinson to take his man one-on-one and force a brick. Wilson Chandler got a heart and a pair of balls, and I respect his 7 rebounds and 4 fouls as much as his 23 points. Cut out a few of those threes and he's got one more fine performance.

- That guy in the Bud Light freeze-frame "drinkability" commercial (Not the hipster cabin one, not the chick tailgate one- the other one.) should send 20% of every paycheck to Dave Chappelle.

- Nate Robinson stuffed Kendrick Perkins in the fourth quarter. It was called a foul, but Perk will lose a little sleep over that one.

- Mardy Collins got a relatively heavy 11 minutes in this one, and didn't completely wet the bed. He still seems pretty wild on offense, and even his makes look accidental, but he got a few good looks at Pierce and Tony Allen, and did a fine job.

- Speaking of Collins, around 20 seconds left in the first quarter, I'm pretty sure Kelly Tripucka said he was "shitting the defense". No doubt I misheard that, but can I get a second opinion?

- Collins' minutes undoubtedly sent a message to Jamal Crawford, who was ghost like Swayze in 25 minutes. He was 1-4 for 3 points, played no defense, and turned the ball over a couple times. Crawford knows he's got what it takes to accomplish a lot in D'Antoni's system, but he's gotta use his head and capitalize on his skill set to stay on the floor. Coach has made that clear.

- What's with Malik Rose's pump-faking? Has Anthony Mason been hired as an assistant coach? By the way, we need video of Rose pulling the chair on Leon Powe in the second half, and Powe somehow maintaining his dribble during his awkward descent.

- Dwyane Wade: "G2 is the smart choice for athletes...'cause it is low in calories". That's not funny. That's just a poorly-researched statement of opinion. WHY ARE YOU ALL LAUGHING?

- I tried really hard not to get myself worked up over a sure loss after the Dallas game nearly burst my aorta, but I gotta admit, it got a little tense at the end there. The Knicks cut it to 4 in the last two minutes, but credit Brian Scalabrine with a huge corner three to ice the thing. Dick.

Oddly, this makes me feel much better. (Original AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

That is all. The Knicks have now fallen to 6-5, and the next game's on Friday in Milwaukee. That's gonna be a big one.

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.

ESPN won't put up any pictures of people playing basketball, so here's Phil Collins. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)

1-0! The Knicks are above .500 for only the fourth time in the last 4 years (thanks Mase). It was very nearly a full-on, feel-good win, but it's never that easy. Some notes on the win:

- Clyde kicked off the season in style, with a full-body black leather outfit. Word has it was borrowed from the "Friday Night" drawer of Mike Breen's wardrobe.

- Our starting lineup is now the "T-Mobile Starting Lineup". What does that mean? Does Mike D'Antoni text "im strting qrich 2nite...lol oopz!" to the MSG producers?

- David Lee is already showing that he's more committed to playing defense. Udonis Haslem's preposterous 10-14 would lead you to believe otherwise, but I promise Dave's getting it together. He put up a workmanlike 16,11, and 5 of his own, too.

- Danilo Gallinari made his rather surprising debut late in the first quarter. He looked pretty shaky and rimmed out a few jumpers, but what do you expect from a man who hasn't played organized basketball since July? The debut lasted only four minutes, but it was terribly exciting to see him on the floor.

- Speaking of terribly exciting, Jared Jeffries was interviewed in a tight-fitting gray and yellow sweater Jared Jeffries shops at Aber-Camby & Fitch.

- Wow, I'm really rusty.

- The first half set the bar for a half of D'Antoni basketball. The Knicks dropped 60 by playing pretty solid defense, pushing the ball, and staying in motion on the offense. Granted, the Heat were pretty cold, but it was a great start to the season.

- The second half was a bit of a drop-off, but in a different way than you might expect. In the preseason, we got accustomed to first-half excitement giving way to second-half drudgery and poor shooting. The third quarter tonight was a refreshing departure from the norm. Save for a few bonehead threes, the Knicks responded to defensive adjustments by pounding the ball inside and utilizing the multiple talents of Lee and Randolph to get looks around the hole. It was in the fourth quarter that things fell apart. Towards the end, Crawford was heaving premature threes, Robinson was over-dribbling, and nobody got back on defense. Miami was able to cut the double-digit lead down to as little as three.

- I don't want to give this too much attention, because we're sure to get some sort of "BENCHBURY!!11" headline from the Post, but Stephon Marbury didn't play a minute in this game. Not one. The likes of Mardy Collins and Malik Rose preceded him off the bench. I trust D'Antoni, but when the team is collapsing in the fourth quarter, Marbury's cool head and sure hands might steady the ship.

- Jill Martin's halftime interview was with Phil Collins and his two little kids. Future poll: Mardy or Phil?

- My girlfriend thinks Donnie Walsh looks like the giant evil booger from the Mucinex commercials. I think he looks more like the grumpy lizard secretary from Monsters Inc.

There can only be one.

- "The one thing you like about Mardy Collins is his size"- Gus Johnson. Don't ever tell me what I like, Gus. Especially if it's Mardy Collins.

- Eddy Curry spent the entire second half icing his knee in the locker room. How he injured his knee on the bench, I can't explain.

- Q-Tip performed pre-game and at halftime. Here's an analogy. '93 Knicks are to Knicks now as '93 Q-Tip is to Q-Tip now. I love Tribe, but...oy.

- Wilson Chandler was everything we want him to be and more. He had a very quiet 17 and 8, canned a couple jumpers, and scrapped all over the glass to get putbacks and loose balls. "Wilson is my homeboy" t-shirts coming soon.

- Dwyane Wade got his 26 points, but was held to 9-24 shooting by a carousel of Knick defenders. Duhon, Richardson, and Chandler all got looks, and Wade looked off the whole night. The fact that he still manages to put up near-triple doubles on awful nights speaks to his greatness. I'll take the win, though.

- The Knicks as a team shot 9-25 from downtown. The number really should've been about 8-21. As I mentioned, Crawford went into his glassy-eyed shooting seizure, jacking up any ball he caught and throwing away a handful of crunchtime possessions. So, Jamal's fourth quarter late-game gaffes aside, the downtown numbers were both reasonable and respectable.

All that said, Game 1 of '08-'09 was a solid glimpse of things to come (hopefully), though there were understandably some kinks in the machinery. It felt great to kick things off with a win. The next game's on Friday, so more on this one tomorrow. Leave your post-game thoughts in the comments.

Greetings, snitches. It's a lovely Friday afternoon, and there are a few stories of interest in the world of the Knicks. Let's peruse the the day's events, shall we?

- The Randolph-to-Memphis rumors are resurfacing, this time in earnest. ESPN is reporting that the Knicks have an offer on the table for the Grizz-men that would trade the Lefty Southpaw for notably mediocre foreigners Darko Milicic and Marko Jaric. I get the feeling from past comments that we're mostly on board with dumping Randolph at all costs, and this deal is probably as good as any. Darko adds some defensive chops to the Knicks' sagging frontcourt, while Jaric could contribute his supply of hair gel and unfiltered cigarettes to the locker room. His contract does extend past 2010, but is considerably cheaper than that of Randolph. Check out The Knicks Blog for more updates on that front.

- Next, big congratulations to Mr. Patrick Ewing, who enters the Hall of Fame today. Matt Wong of ESPN has a nice piece about the Big Man's legacy in New York. As someone whose most vivid memory is of Ewing getting his wrist broken by Andrew Lang, I have little to offer. Like many people my age, Ewing was the figure who got me interested in the Knicks, and the first guy I'd ever pretend to be on the playground. Number 33 set the table for kids like me to get interested in the Knicks, and I owe much of my fandom to watching his dazzling play before I even knew what a legend I was witnessing. Hats off to Pat.

- Barnesgasm celebrates his 200th post the traditional way: with babies dancing to iO commercials.

- Wilson Chandler considers Malik Rose a mentor. Someone needs to end this quickly before he starts pulling chairs.

- UPDATE: One more thing: apparently the Knicks are number one in the league, at least in one regard. (Tip of the hat to Skeets).

That's all for now, friends. Have a good in weekend and I'll be in touch.