The New York Times-20080128-The Knicks Squander Their Size Advantage And a Lead in the 4th

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The Knicks Squander Their Size Advantage And a Lead in the 4th

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Eddy Curry left Oracle Arena with many regrets Sunday night, though none of them related specifically to the 26 rebounds that were gathered by his waiflike counterpart on the Golden State Warriors.

Curry did not play much (18 minutes, 18 seconds), or rebound much (4) and was hardly on the floor in the fourth quarter, when the Knicks let a 4-point lead turn into an 8-point deficit and, finally, a 106-104 loss to open a week-long trip.

He finished with 17 points, going 5 for 5 from the field and 7 for 9 from the free-throw line. And he finished with the distinct feeling he could have done more had he been given more court time and passes in the post, with only the 230-pound Andris Biedrins between him and the basket.

A couple times I felt like I really wasn't involved in what was going on, said Curry, the Knicks' erstwhile franchise player and No. 1 scoring option. I've got to do a better job of not letting that affect me mentally out there on the court, because it kind of affects the way I play.

While Curry was being neglected or forgotten, Biedrins was springing for loose balls at an impressive rate. He grabbed 10 rebounds in the first quarter and 7 in each of the final two quarters as the Warriors (27-18) overcame a 10-point third-quarter deficit. Biedrins's final rebounding total was the most by an N.B.A. player this season, and the most by a Warrior since Larry Smith grabbed 31 on March 28, 1981.

A great performance, Warriors Coach Don Nelson said.

Only Curry seemed more impressed. Honestly, I thought he had 30, Curry said. When they said 26, I'm like, Oh, he got cheated. I'm sure he got about 30 rebounds.

So the Knicks (14-29) once again squandered their supposed size advantage with Curry and Zach Randolph and opened this five-game trip with a tough loss. Curry, who has seemed lost for most of the season, played well enough. But Coach Isiah Thomas was concerned about the pace against the frenetic Warriors and kept Curry on the bench for all but 3:15 of the fourth quarter.

I never like to be taken out, Curry said, but like I said, I trust in him and I believe that his goal is to win a basketball game.

Curry expressed no shame about being outrebounded by Biedrins, who weighs 55 pounds less. The best answer to Biedrins, he said, would have been to knock him out of the game with foul trouble.

I feel like a lot of players I play against, I have a good opportunity to get them out of the game, Curry said. They're reaching and hacking and the refs are calling fouls for me. I think it would have been a big difference if we could have gotten him out of the game, but he was just everywhere.

Stephen Jackson had 25 points to lead five Warriors in double figures. Baron Davis had 22 points, including a 17-footer from the baseline that helped seal the game down the stretch. Monta Ellis had 24 points.

The Knicks built a 10-point lead in the third quarter, but just as quickly lost it as the speedy Ellis repeatedly scored on uncontested layups and free throws. The streaky Jackson found his shooting touch in the fourth, making three 3-pointers as the Warriors surged ahead for good. The Knicks pulled within 103-99 with 48.9 seconds left, but Richardson and Jamal Crawford missed 3-pointers as the rally sputtered.

We had our chances to win it, Thomas said. We had good looks at a couple open shots that just didn't go down.

The road trip gets no easier from here. The Knicks play the Lakers and the Utah Jazz on consecutive nights, Tuesday and Wednesday, then finish the week with a back-to-back set against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics.

REBOUNDS

The Warriors appear to be closing in on a most unlikely reunion with Chris Webber, the skilled forward whom they traded nearly 14 years ago. Webber, who finished last season with the Detroit Pistons, is a free agent and is being pursued by a handful of teams. I just hope that it happens, Coach Don Nelson said of signing Webber. The two famously feuded during 1993-94 season, when Webber was a rookie and Nelson was in his first stint with the team. But they have since patched things up and Nelson said he was not worried about working together again. I'm not afraid of that at all, he said. I'm afraid that if we don't get him here our team is not strong enough to be a playoff team. ... Although Webber is close to Coach Isiah Thomas, the Knicks are not among the teams pursuing him.

[Illustration]PHOTO: Zach Randolph being guarded by Golden State's Al Harrington during the first half. The Knicks are 4-15 on the road. (PHOTOGRAPH BY BEN MARGOT/ASSOCIATED PRESS)