D’antoni: J.R. ‘frustrated a little bit’
Mike D’antoni said yesterday he was unaware J.R. Smith was not participating in the huddles during Friday’s loss to the Bucks.
“I didn’t know that. It’s news to me right now,” the Knicks’ coach said when asked about it after practice.
“I think he’s fine. I’m sure he’s frustrated a little bit about different things. But he’s finding his way. That usually happens after you come in with all this being geeked up a little bit and then having a little bit of a letdown. We’ll get through this. He’ll be important for us.”
The NBA fined Smith $25,000 yesterday for tweeting a photo of a partially naked woman Friday. The league said the fine was for “posting inappropriate pictures.” Smith said he regretted doing it, admitting Friday, “It wasn’t the smartest move.”
Smith started against Milwaukee but won’t this afternoon versus the Sixers with Tyson Chandler (sore hamstring) likely returning. D’antoni said Landry Fields will be the starting two-guard.
“Landry’s playing well,” he said.
D’antoni also plans to increase the amount of time Jeremy Lin and Baron Davis play together in the backcourt. The dual point-guard tandem worked together Friday.
“I think [it’ll be used] more. I don’t know how much. I think the game dictates that a little bit, who they’re playing,” D’antoni said. “But I do like two point guards on the floor.”
Lin says operating in the same backcourt with Davis works for him.
“It’s going well. I played offguard in college,” Lin said. “It’s nice to be able to have two ballhandlers in there because we can split the load. Sometimes I can run to the corner or he can run to the corner and we can be a spot-up shooter rather than initiating the offense.”
Jared Jeffries (sore right knee) will miss his third straight game today and may not play tomorrow against Chicago. “I don’t have any idea,” D’antoni said. “It could be longer but he’s a tough guy. He wants to play. I wouldn’t put it past him. But that’ll be up to the trainers.” … D’antoni on his team right now: “Sometimes we get sidetracked with issues I don’t think are that important. Important things should be getting a playoff spot and getting us going. Hopefully we’re getting there.” second-half rally by the Nets fell short in a 112-106 loss to Houston at Prudential Center.
“It is [a confidence booster], but, at the same time, we lost,” said Green, who signed his second 10-day contract with the Nets Thursday. “I’d rather have two points and get the win. … We lost, and it doesn’t really matter what I did.”
After a lackluster first half that saw the Nets allow Houston to shoot 59 percent from the field and 50 percent (5-for-10) from 3point range, the Nets fought their way back into the game in the third quarter. After Houston went up 73-60 on a Luis Scola bucket with a little more than eight minutes left in the third, the Nets went on a 23-11 run to end the quarter to cut the deficit to one, 84-83, and took their first lead of the second half on a 3-pointer by Green to start the fourth quarter.
“What a great second half by our guys,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “We weren’t playing very good or efficient in the first half. … We were kind of feeling sorry for ourselves, especially with Deron not being here.”
The most memorable moment of the game came late in the third quarter, when Marshon Brooks threw an alley-oop to Green, who slammed home a ridiculous windmill dunk. The play brought the crowd to its feet, and left his teammates in awe.
“Once I saw him and he pointed up, it’s just my job to put it up there by the rim,” Brooks said.
But, after the two teams traded the lead throughout the fourth quarter, Green inadvertently put the Rockets ahead for good with 1:03 remaining when, while fighting with Houston forward Luis Scola for an offensive rebound, he tipped the ball into his own basket to give the Rockets a 107-106 lead they never would relinquish.