NEW YORK — David Lee had 12 points and 12 rebounds for his NBA-best 65th double-double, and the Knicks beat the New Jersey Nets 102-73 Wednesday night in the final pro game in the New York area this season.
Wilson Chandler scored 16 points for the Knicks, who won for only the fourth time in their final 17 games and finished coach Mike D’Antoni’s first season with a 32-50 record.
New York completed its fifth straight season without a playoff appearance. Since Portland qualified for the postseason, the Knicks will enter next season tied with Minnesota for the longest playoff drought.
New Jersey is headed home too, its second straight long summer following six years in a row in the postseason.
Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 18 for the Nets, who sat out top players Devin Harris (sore left shoulder) and Vince Carter (sprained right big toe).
Lee capped his breakout season by becoming the first Knicks player to lead the NBA in double-doubles since Patrick Ewing had 47 in 1996-87, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Now the Knicks will have to decide whether to keep him and Nate Robinson, who are both eligible for restricted free agency. New York can match any offer to either player.
As usual, the Knicks have plenty of time to plot their summer strategy.
D’Antoni and the Nets’ Lawrence Frank said they expected to make the playoffs this season, even though their bosses are playing for the future. Frank hopes he is still part of New Jersey’s, with speculation New Jersey’s 34-48 record could cost him his job.
Both teams lacked talent after making moves to position themselves to be players in the free agent summer of 2010, with the Nets dealing Jason Kidd last season and Richard Jefferson in the summer, and the Knicks trading away Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford, their two leading scorers, in November.
The Knicks and Nets hung around in the playoff race until last month, with the Nets getting an All-Star season from Harris in his breakout campaign. But with the point guard sitting next to Carter on the bench, the Nets were hopeless in this one.
There was plenty of sloppy play early. New York’s Al Harrington threw a bounce pass a few feet from anyone on either team and out of bounds a few minutes in, and the Nets finished the first quarter with five baskets and three turnovers to fall behind 24-16.
The play improved in the second quarter, when Robinson and Chris Wilcox each scored eight points to help the Knicks extend their lead to 52-40. New York continued to extend the lead in the second half, with Frank walking onto the floor in disgust after calling timeout midway through the fourth quarter with the Knicks flirting with a 30-point bulge.
Notes: Before the game, USA Basketball presentedD’Antoni with a
ring to commemorate the Americans’ gold medal-winning performance at the 2008 Olympics. D’Antoni was an assistant coach on Mike Krzyzewski’s staff. University of Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma, selected Wednesday to coach the U.S. women’s team in the 2012 games in London, was at the game. …F/C Chris Hunter, a former NBA D-Leaguer who signed with the Knicks on Tuesday, did not dress because of a sprained left ankle.
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