Knicks beat the Jazz

THE RUNDOWN:

The Knicks beat one of the best teams in the NBA last night, the Utah Jazz. The win came thanks to Stephon Marbury, scoring with a layup in the final second of overtime to seal the win. The Knicks were without Nate Robinson and Jared Jefferies, two somewhat key players suspended after Saturday's brawl in the Garden with the Nuggets.

Marbury had 29 pts. and 8 assists, and David Lee added a career high 20 rebounds. Yes, I said 20. This was Steph's second quality game in a row, after dropping 31 against the Nuggets on Saturday. Having Starbury rolling on all cylinders is exactly what the Knicks will need over the next stretch of games. Without Steve Francis and Quentin Richardson, Steph will need to pick his spots wiseley - knowing when to dish, and when to swish.

The team is now 10-17, looking at two home games in the next 3 days. The Charlotte Bobcats come to town tomorrow night, followed by Chicago on Friday. Both of these teams have hit some road bumps this year, so the Knicks should look to exploit them. The Knicks go into Philly on Saturday, a game that is a must win simply because it would be embarassing to lose to the Iverson-less Sixers, who have a double digit losing streak.

Who knows, with STARBURY back in full force, it may be time. "Coney Island's Finest" might have just decided to start the season. Maybe that brawl was exactly what the Knicks needed. A littlw wakeup call of sorts. If they take the next three very winnable games, the Knicks will be looking at a manageable 13-17. Let's face it, any team that goes on a winning streak of 4+ in the Atlantic division will probably end up winning it.

NEWS AND NOTES:

- Allen Iverson is now a Nugget. This is important only because he is now out of the Atlantic, and was NOT traded to the Celtics.

- Due to Marbury's recent revival, Jamal Crawford has now been the recipient of boos and cat calls from the garden faithful. Let's wait and see if this treatment has the same effect on him as it did on Steph: STEP IT UP!