Jason Kidd's dominance over the Knicks during his Nets tenure has been well-documented. Remove him from the equation and the playing field is tilted heavily back in the Knicks' favor.
In fact, remove two starters from the Knicks and you still come up with a 100-93 win by the Knicks last night at the IZOD Center. It was the first time the Knicks beat the Nets since April 19, 2006 and only the sixth time in the past 26 games the Knicks have defeated the Nets. It counts as the Knicks' first road win this season.
This is all new to Zach Randolph, who had 25 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals in his first Knicks-Nets matchup. When presented with the lopsided numbers in recent years - the Nets are 19-2 against the Knicks with Kidd in the lineup - Randolph was baffled. "Over how many years?" he asked.
We've lost count.
The Knicks (6-11) were without Stephon Marbury, who is grieving the sudden death of his father, and they also played without center Eddy Curry, who sprained his ankle during the morning shoot-around. Without two key starters, the Knicks looked overmatched against Kidd & Co.; that is, until Kidd didn't show up for the game. The team said he stayed home because of a migraine, but there were reports after the game that suggested Kidd refused to play as a form of protest. He has been asking the Nets for a $15-million contract extension, according to The Record of Hackensack. There is speculation that the superstar guard is close to demanding a trade. (...)
