A TOUGH PILL TO WALLOW Jennings triumphant in return as Dolan’s frustration mounts
KNICKS owner James Dolan should thank his lucky stars the Garden is still packed in these final, wretched days, filled with lively, singing, dancing fans chanting De-Fense in the final minutes of a Knicks’ fourth-quarter comeback Thursday against the Wizards. A rally from 12 points down in the last nine minutes got the game tied at 101 with 50 seconds left. You could never tell the Knicks had been out of the playoff race for a month. Carmelo Anthony notched six points in the final two minutes but missed the potential game-tying 3pointer in a 106-103 loss, dropping the Knicks to 30-49. No surprise there. The only surprise was ex-Knick Brandon Jennings, in his 20 minutes, didn’t get into any scrum. “Coming in here and playing in front of 20,000 every night, that is lovely,’’ Jennings said.
Six weeks after being waived, Jennings returned to MSG in a better place — key bench cog of the playoffbound, third-seeded Wizards. But he’s not with better fans — just a better offensive system.
Jennings struggled massively with the triangle.
“We were trying to learn a new offense guys really didn’t know,’’ Jennings said.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks said Jennings had no problems learning the offense in D.C.
“I only know one play,’’ Brooks cracked.
Jennings lived the Phil Jackson circus that Dolan has overseen — led by the silliness of the Anthony Sweepstakes.
“It was roller coaster, everything he had to go through,’’ Jennings said. “It was unfair to wake up every day hearing he might be gone. That was one of the wildest things I’ve seen. Everyone was on their phones checking. It definitely took a toll on the team.”
Jennings has taken his act to D.C.
where he is more appreciated by his coaches.
“He gives us a little bit of a swagger, some confidence,’’ Brooks said. “We like his toughness, love his enthusiasm. He plays bigger than his size.’’
Dolan plays bigger than his size, too, not always wise for an NBA owner. Dolan’s possible Napoleon complex led him to Tuesday’s incident outside the Garden, cursing out a Knicks fan who dared tell him to “sell the team.’’ That taunt is about as cliché as a mayor getting booed at a ballgame when shown on the scoreboard.
Still, Dolan was compelled to prove a point, got up into the season-ticketholder’s craw, called him “an a-hole’’ and proudly boasted to Dead- spin about why he did it.
“I get it. They call me names every day in the paper. Fine. I get it,” Dolan told the website. “But you’re walking up to the place where I work? It’s like they’re laying in wait for you. These people who yell at you act surprised when you yell back.”
Maybe Dolan blew his top because of the laughingstock state of his franchise. But repeatedly threatening to bar a fan from the arena is something the NBA Board of Governors should discuss during its meetings that continue Friday. Dolan was not in his baseline seats Thursday, attending that league pow-wow.
If Dolan has any beefs, it cannot be with his team’s ridiculously loyal fans. Jennings admitted the franchise “wanted to go in a different direction’’ and he was fine with it. “I’m in my contract year and didn’t want to go home in April,’’ Jennings said.
Dolan can only wish his Knicks played with as much in-your-face force on defense as he showed with a 35-year-old attorney from Astoria, Mike Hamersky, a lifelong Knicks supporter.
Jennings carried that sort of fury as a Knick, displaying it initially at the Garden in the preseason against these Wizards. The Garden chanted his name after he got into a tiff with Wizards reserve Casper Ware in October.
Jennings, finding an oncourt connection with Kristaps Porzingis, did his part before falling apart like the rest of the team around Christmas. The Knicks waived him after February’s trade deadline, the front office fearing Jennings could become a locker-room cancer as his minutes were reduced.
Jennings has had his episodes with Washington, getting fined $35,000 for making a gun gesture at Jared Dudley of the Suns and shoving Javale McGee on Sunday for launching a 3 at the end of a Warriors’ blowout.
“Brandon’s always that way,’’ Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek said.
The Garden fans love the fiery, enforcer types, like Dolan adversary Charles Oakley. Knicks fans don’t appreciate when the bully is the owner going against his own great fans. At those prices and a fourth straight season out of the playoffs, Dolan must realize sober Knicks fans have a right to vent.
Dolan carries around a chip on his shoulder wherever he goes. It’s too bad the rest of Dolan’s crew hasn’t followed suit for four empty years.