Starbury Shines Bright; Knicks PG Nets 41 in 3 OT Win Over Pistons

Although no one likes to admit it, the Melee in Manhattan may have lit a fire under the Knicks. Since the brawl the Knicks have won 4 out of their last 5 games, including 4 straight on their home floor. Last night the Knicks received a terrific effort from several key players in defeating a tough Pistons team after 7 periods of play. Even more incredible, the win vaulted the Knicks to the top of the division. Just to reiterate, the much maligned Knickerbockers are now in first place. Granted they are in one of the worst divisions in the history of the NBA, this team is actually putting a good product on the floor. There are many reasons to watch this team right now, below are just a few:

The Evolution of Eddy Curry. It is still hard to justify the steep price Isiah paid (and is still paying in draft choices) to bring the young big man to New York, but the 25 year old "veteran" is shaping in to one of the most talented Centers in basketball. With Shaq sidelined for a while, Curry has a good chance to be selected to his first All-Star Game. His strong play continued with 33 points last night, including 11 of 15 from the free throw line. Unlike many of today's big men, he knows his place is filling the lane. He can score in a variety of ways close to the basket and has not been trying to take shots out of his range.

The Return of "Starbury". A few weeks back, Isiah had his star point guard talk to former Knick great Walt "Clyde" Frazier. Although he may be terribly irritating to listen to on Knicks tv broadcasts, he may have struck a chord with their court general. To borrow a line from Frazier, Marbury is back to "swishin and dishin". His numbers are up all across the board and he's providing a ton of energy. With Robinson and Francis out of the lineup, it seems he enjoys having more responsibility in the offense. He's developed a nice rapport with Jamal Crawford, who has also played very well during this recent run. Isiah clearly trusts Crawford with the game on the line, opting to let Jamal let loose in the final seconds of every tight game.

The Sophomore Forwards. Whenever there's a discussion on Isiah Thomas, it always goes something like this: "He's never enjoyed success running a team, but he always has drafted well." Watching the progress of second year forwards Channing Frye and David Lee, it's hard to argue that. Frye, who enjoyed success as a rookie but struggled early in the year, is finding his rythym again. He knocked down a long range jumper at the buzzer to send the game in to triple overtime and totaled 26 points for the game. For many, the bigger story has been the emergence of David Lee. Lee has been a rebounding machine since his minutes have increased and leads the team with over 10 per game. Unfortunately, with the return of Jared Jeffries last night, he resumed his role as sixth man. For a team that struggled at the beginning of games to start the season, it seems more than coincidental that they've been more competitive since Lee cracked the starting rotation. Hopefully Isiah can realize this and keep the team rolling.

For all that's been made of the Garden crowd booing the home team, excitement is back in the world's most famous arena. Last night's thriller with the Pistons had the fans out of their seats and involved in all the key moments. As they say, winning cures a lot of ills. It's been a while since the Knicks have been perched on top, but the fans must have cautious optimism. The team is still five games under .500 with a lot of season to play. For Isiah Thomas, the current winning streak at the Garden has made his seat a little cooler but still has little chance of survival without a spot in the playoffs.