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Knicks Top Warriors at MSG

Feb. 2, 1965 - Beating a team which has lost 20 of its last 21 basketball games is nothing to brag about. But some of the Knicks did have legitimate reasons for extra-wide smiles tonight.

Art Heyman, for one, can finally unpack the luggage in his new Manhattan apartment. Johnny Green can stop thinking about things other than what he does on the basketball floor. And Dave Budd can feel wanted.

Rookie Howie Komives still isn’t completely happy with his status on the team, but things may be looking up. And all of the Knicks know that they are not the worst team in the NBA.

The San Francisco Warriors retained their right to that title tonight by blowing a 14-point lead and bowing to the Knicks, 113-102, at Madison Square Garden.

San Francisco coach Alex Hannum amused the crowd of 10,003 by parading up and down in front of his bench with his hands massaging the top of his head in exasperation. Alex probably would have ripped his hair out if he had had any to start with.

“Well, we did improve. Our shooting went all the up to 39%,” Hannum said with a sarcastic groan after the game.

It was in the Knicks dressing room where hearts were light. Heyman, the Knick “bad boy” who has been screaming to be traded most of the season, was justifiably in a jovial mood. He played.

A bench warmer when Eddie Donovan was coaching earlier this season, Heyman is playing more under Harry Gallatin. In his 21 minutes of action tonight, Art scored nine points, pulled down six rebounds, and had three assists. And Heyman finally felt at home in a Knick uniform. The NBA trading deadline passed midnight last night.

“I honestly thought I was going to be traded,” Heyman said. “I moved into a new apartment in my building, but I didn’t unpack. Now I can.”

Meanwhile, the Knicks put Tom Hoover on waivers tonight after Gallatin drove the club hard in a workout this afternoon. Gallatin had some private chats with some of the players. The longest was with Green, who has also been mentioned in trade rumors.“We talked about what Johnny’s duties on the team should be,” Gallatin said. “I think we ironed out a lot of things. Johnny knows what I want.”Green’s 23 points tonight was just what Gallatin wanted.

“I guess I was a little loose,” Green admitted. “I won’t say it was because of the trade deadline though. I just felt good. You can’t help but think about being traded though, and I guess I have been thinking about that.”

The deadly shooting of Komives also stood out during the spree in which he hit four long jumpers and a free throw to boost the Knick lead from 62-61 to 71-62. San Francisco was out of it from there on.

“Komives did a tremendous job,” Gallatin said. “I think he’s going to come along wonderfully.”



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© 2024 by Joe Rubenstein

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