Well, the Knicks nearly gave this one away to the Celtics' B-team down the stretch, but a win's a win. I only caught the last quarter and a half of this one, so this'll be quick. Just a few player notes:
- Danilo Gallinari finally gave us the kind of game we'd like from him. He shot solidly (3-6) from downtown, but didn't rely on the outside shot alone. Gallo finished with 18 points in total, and managed to lead the team in free throw attempts (7-10) in 25 minutes. My favorite moment was in the fourth quarter, when he caught the ball in the paint, took a beat to gather himself, then backed down Marquis Daniels and spun baseline for a lefty scoop. The three is a hell of a weapon, but Gallo's got skills from everywhere. No reason to limit himself. Extra points for very pesky defense, too. The Celts looked ready to punch him.
- Chris Duhon: Please, please, please, please, please pull up for two or attack the basket when teams sag on the pick-and-roll. Thank you.
- I'm not sure I still buy the Jared Jeffries-guarding-point guards thing, but I'd bet that D'Antoni keeps that up for quick opposing ones throughout the season.
- Rasheed Wallace has long been one of my favorite players, but Celtic green truly contaminates people. I'm just not mature enough to see past it.
- 5 steals for Nate Robinson is a tremendous achievement worth a hearty round of applause. More to come, I hope.
Time to do some work, y'all. The Knicks are back in action for their 7th and final game of the preseason tomorrow night against the Nets. We'll talk before then. Love.