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Don Chaney's job
as coach of the New York Knicks was rumored to be in jeopardy recently. However,
on Monday it was Scott Layden who was fired as team president, and replaced
by Isiah Thomas.
Thomas has been out of the NBA since being fired as coach of the Indiana Pacers
during the summer. He will get his first look at his new team when Knicks host
the Minnesota Timberwolves in Latrell Sprewell's first game at Madison Square
Garden since being dealt in the offseason.
Layden's firing comes after New York missed the playoffs the past two seasons with a roster he was largely responsible for assembling. Layden replaced Ernie Grunfeld in the summer of 1999 after the Knicks were coming off an appearance in the NBA Finals.
``This was a very difficult decision for us to make,'' said James Dolan, the chairman of the team's corporate owner, Cablevision. ``Scott is a good man who worked tirelessly for the Knicks over the last few years.''
Layden's last major
move was the four-team deal that sent Sprewell to Minnesota and brought Keith
Van Horn to New York from Philadelphia.
The deal has appeared to favor the Timberwolves during the first two months
of the season. Sprewell has averaged 17.2 points for Minnesota while Van Horn
has struggled, averaging 14.8 points and getting benched for the fourth quarter
of several recent games.
Sprewell didn't have the kind of outing he hoped for in his first meeting against New York, scoring only five points on 2-for-11 shooting in a 97-92 loss to the Knicks at the Target Center on Nov. 26.
``It was nice to see those guys,'' Sprewell said of his former teammates after the game. ``I don't have any animosity toward them.''
He does carry some bitterness towards Knicks management -- namely Dolan and the now-fired Layden.
``I just think that they, for whatever reason, didn't care about me,'' Sprewell said in October. ``I don't think they were too concerned with me as a person and what I gave to the organization. I just don't think they appreciated me.''
The six-foot-five swingman was certainly appreciated by the fans, becoming a favorite in New York as he rehabilitated his image after a 68-game suspension during the 1997-98 season for attacking coach P.J. Carlesimo of the Golden State Warriors.
``I definitely had some bad games there, but they never got on me,'' he said. ``I appreciate that commitment, that caring lovingness they were able to display for me. That helped me get through the tough times there.''
The Timberwolves will be looking for their sixth straight victory after closing out a three-game homestand with a 102-80 win over Indiana on Saturday. Kevin Garnett scored 28 points, Fred Hoiberg had 21, and Sam Cassell added 18 points and 10 assists for Minnesota.
The Timberwolves, one-half game out of first place in the Midwest Division, have also won five straight away from home and will be opening a three-game trip.
Minnesota has the highest scoring trio in the NBA, as Sprewell complements Garnett's 24.3 points per game and Cassell's 19.7.
New York won for just the third time in 11 games with Saturday's 103-92 win over Atlanta. Van Horn and Allan Houston each scored 20 points for the Knicks.
Antonio McDyess continued to make strides since returning from knee surgery with 19 points and 10 rebounds in a season-high 37 minutes.
STANDINGS (through Dec. 21): Timberwolves - 2nd place, 1/2 GB, Midwest Division. Knicks - 5th place, 4 GB, Atlantic Division.
PROBABLE STARTERS: Timberwolves - F Sprewell, F Garnett, C Oliver Miller, G Trenton Hassell, G Cassell. Knicks - F McDyess, F Van Horn, C Dikembe Mutombo, G Howard Eisley, G Houston.
TEAM LEADERS: Timberwolves - Garnett, 24.3 ppg and 13.8 rpg; Cassell, 7.5 apg. Knicks - Houston, 20.7 ppg; Kurt Thomas, 9.3 rpg; Charlie Ward, 4.9 apg.
SEASON SERIES: Knicks, 1-0.
LAST MEETING: Nov. 26; Knicks, 97-92. At Minnesota, Mutombo had 18 points and 17 rebounds while Houston scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Knicks.
ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Timberwolves - 10-4 on the road; Knicks - 7-6 at home.
INJURIES: Timberwolves - C Michael Olowokandi (knee); F Wally Szczerbiak (foot). Knicks - F Mike Sweetney (tendinitis); F Macief Lampe (shin); C Slavko Vranes (knee).
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