Knox to LBJ: Hello & see you Laker
Kevin Knox said he would be unable to finally meet LeBron James after he helped lead the Knicks to a stunning 124-123 win over the Lakers on Sunday at the Garden. Knox’s parents and little brother were in town, and spending time with them was the rookie’s priority.
But Knicks coach David Fizdale wouldn’t let Knox leave the Garden without introducing him to James, and they met briefly before the Knicks departed for Toronto, according to a source.
Fizdale had wanted Knox to meet James in hopes of the NBA legend offering the rookie some advice, but hadn’t been successful until Sunday. Fizdale and James are buddies from back in their Miami days when Fizdale was the Heat’s top assistant. James gave Fizdale a bear hug before tipoff.
Knox didn’t match up against James as much as he expected in their first meeting on the court — James had missed the teams’ January encounter — but that gave him plenty of energy for the offensive end. And Knox looked as lively as he has all season, going for a scorching 13 points in the f irst quarter and 19 overall. He shot 8-of-14, including 3-of-5 on 3-pointers.
“Hello, Kevin Knox,’’ Fizdale said. “It was good to see him play well. He’s had his ups. We know it’s there. It’s a matter of the ball going in and getting his confidence up. He came out with the mindset he was going to get out of this today. He was attacking and going after rebounds.’’
Indeed, in the f irst quarter, Knox pushed the ball upcourt to start the offense after both of his defensive rebounds. He finished with six boards and was a plus-7.
“I just came out aggressive and made some shots, had a couple of nice layups,’’ Knox said “My teammates found me for some nice passes. Coach Fizdale made some nice passes for me.”
Mario Hezonja proved the hero with a last-second block on James, but this was a progression for Knox, who has struggled, shooting just 36 percent.