THIS ONE’S FOR FIZ
KNICKS RALLY PAST GRIZZ TO BEAT COACH’S FORMER TEAM, EARN THIRD STRAIGHT WIN
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — David Fizdale got the victory in his Memphis return, got the message out that he and his former sparring partner Marc Gasol were well over their celebrated tiff and got a postgame bath.
It was win-win-win for the teary-eyed first-year Knicks coach Sunday at FedExForum, his former workplace.
Fizdale celebrated in style with a 103-98 comeback victory over the Grizzlies for his team’s third straight triumph. As he entered the locker room, Fizdale was doused by a bucket of ice water, his trademark black glasses flying off. The locker room’s carpet was drenched and ice was all over the place as reporters were let in.
“You’re getting me emotional,’’ Fizdale said. “They soaked me down with freaking water. My suit is ruined. Mud [Emmanuel Mudiay] — and Tim [Hardaway Jr.] came up to me and said it was for me. Then they all said it. That meant a lot to me they put forth that effort with me in mind.”
Fizdale was fired by the Grizzlies almost a year ago to the day because of a feud with Gasol.
“I really didn’t want this game to be on me at all,’’ Fizdale said. “We were playing good basketball and I didn’t want to take the focus from that. We’re chopping the tree. The effort they put for me and what they said to me after the game, I love these kids.”
Mudiay, the new apple of Fizdale’s eye, put the finishing touches on the triumph by storming in on a fast break and throwing down a vicious one-handed dunk over Garrett Temple with 1:35 left, got fouled and completed a three-point play. It put the Knicks (7-14) ahead 97-93 after rallying from a 13-point third-quarter deficit. “I took it personal,’’ said Mudiay, who contributed 17 points. “All of us took it personal. We wanted to come out and get a win for him.” “I saw the tears,’’ Trey Burke told The Post. “[Fizdale] wanted this one. I’m glad we got it for him.’’ Fizdale got a nice round of applause from Grizzlies fans during pregame introductions. As the players took the court moments before tipoff, only Memphis point guard Mike Conley came over to Fizdale for a handshake and “bro” hug. But moments after the final buzzer, Fizdale hugged successor J.B. Bickerstaff, several players and saved the last embrace for Gasol, chatting with him for a few moments. “It was a hug we needed to have a long time ago,’’ Fizdale said. “I’m really proud of the man he’s becoming.’’ Gasol scored 27 points and Memphis blocked 19 shots, and it still it wasn’t enough because of Enes Kanter’s rabid night (21 points, 26 rebounds, six on the offensive glass) and Hardaway supplying 22 points after a big second half. “He was on a mission,’’ Fizdale said of Kanter. “We knew it was going to be an emo- tional game,’’ added Kanter. “In the [player] huddle before the game, we got together and said, ‘Hey let’s do it for the coach.’ At halftime coach said play your game, worry about nothing else but we wanted to win for the coach.”
The Knicks moved to 7-14 after previous victories over the Celtics and Pelicans. It’s their third straight win over clubs .500 or better.
The arena was more than half-empty for a Sunday earlyevening contest despite their surprisingly stout record (12-6) under Bickerstaff, Fizdale’s onetime assistant. The Grizzlies announced a crowd of 14,331.
During his pregame press conference, Fizdale confirmed he had phone conversation this summer with Gasol, with whom he feuded last season.
“It was a fantastic conversation,’’ Fizdale said. “It was two men that evolved. And that’s pretty cool to see a moment in your life individually as a man where your life changed and grew. And you got better because of something.”
“He pulled a migrant out of the ocean this summer,’’ Fizdale added, referring to Gasol’s summer rescue of a woman in the Mediterranean Sea. “That’s way more important than a basketball beef.”
Gasol’s 3-pointer put the Grizzlies up 66-53 early in the third quarter but the Knicks embarked on a 23-3 run spearheaded by Hardaway and Kanter. It was a 35-19 third quarter and they repelled Memphis’ comeback.
“It was a competitive game,’’ Gasol said. “We asked about our families. All good.’’
Indeed it was all good during this holiday weekend.
“Emotions were all over the place — as you can see,” Hardaway said.