The Knicks Fix

Isiah Thomas punctuated the gap that still exists -- although it is shrinking -- between the Nets and Knicks when he made this comment about Clifford Robinson, who made the game-winning tip over Eddy Curry in the Nets' 101-100 win over the Knicks.

"The guy that tipped it in," Thomas said, "I played against him in the NBA Finals."

Robinson was a rookie with the Portland Trail Blazers when Thomas' Detroit Pistons won their second straight NBA title in 1990.

He's learned a few things in 17 NBA seasons. One of them is how to get in position to make a play like he did over Curry's back to beat the Knicks. And Thomas recognized it.

“Right now, at the end of the game we play a little too fair," Thomas said of his young front court, which includes the 24-year-old Curry. "Veteran guys know how to push, grab and hold, push you out of the way. They know when an official is going to blow the whistle and when he’s not going to blow the whistle.

"At the end of the game, in that situation, you probably get away with a little bit more."

Thomas pointed out how Wizards forwawrd Antawn Jamison held Jared Jeffries just enough to keep him from getting to Caron Butler, who put down a game-winning dunk with 2.2 seconds left to beat the Knicks on Wednesday.

These things are what Thomas considers education. And one day Curry will come up with that rebound because he'll know how to keep Robinson off his back.

"The longer we hang around and stay in these kinds of games, the more we grow up on that back line, we won’t continue to get beat on what they just call in the NBA old veteran know-how," Thomas said. "And that’s what we got beat with tonight. You have to give Cliff Robinson credit.”