If change finally came officially to the Knicks in the executive suite Monday, things seemed the same everywhere else throughout the organization. The Knicks put the same lineup on the floor. Mike Miller was still the interim coach.
But what happened when the game began was certainly different. Facing the high-scoring Houston Rockets the Knicks built leads of as many as 21 points and then hung on down the stretch as the lead slipped to just two points, getting the 125-123 win at Madison Square Garden.
With new team president Leon Rose looking on from center court, about 10 rows up, the Knicks took the lead late in the first quarter.