By DAN KELLY
Special to ZAGSBLOG
NEW YORK — It was a wild and crazy night at Madison Square Garden in the Knicks’ 110-106 loss to the Chicago Bulls.
First, Carmelo Anthony got ejected, then Mike Woodson got ejected, and then Tyson Chandler got tied up with Joakim Noah, and both were ejected.
Beyond the drama of the disappointing home loss, a concerning December trend continued for the Knicks: Ronnie Brewer can’t make shots.
By JOSH NEWMAN
Special to ZAGSBLOG
After the NCAA crushed the University of Texas and sophomore point guard Myck Kabongo with a one-year suspension for receiving impermissible benefits and then lying about it, the NCAA cut the Longhorns and the Canadian sensation a break.
Early Friday evening, the NCAA announced it has reduced Kabongo’s suspension to 23 games following an appeal being heard by the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement. Additionally, he will need to repay $475 in impermissible benefits to a charity of his choice.
NEW YORK — Former Kentucky point guard Marquis Teague called current Kentucky point guard Ryan Harrow to offer support after the Wildcats lost to Notre Dame Nov. 29.
“I called him, I talked to him, I just tell him, ‘Just play your game, don’t worry about what nobody’s saying or anything like that,'” Teague, now a rookie with the Chicago Bulls, told SNY.tv Friday before his team met the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
“Just like he’s good and all that.”
Teague said he called Harrow on the suggestion of several Kentucky coaches.
“I was talking with some of my coaches,” Teague said. “They was like, ‘Call him.’ I just called him to make sure was good.”
NEW YORK — Knicks coach Mike Woodson will huddle with Amar’e Stoudemire Saturday morning to map out the power forward’s schedule leading up to his return.
Woodson did not rule out Stoudemire making his debut for Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but gave no firm return date.
“I still don’t know yet,” Woodson said before the Bulls game.
“I’m going to sit and probably have a long talk with him [Saturday] morning when I get into the office over at our training facility, and I will sit down and talk and just kind of map out and see where he is.”
After Sunday, the Knicks visit the Lakers Tuesday, Phoenix Wednesday and Sacramento next Friday, so it’s possible he could debut on the road.
After missing the entire season so far after a knee procedure, Stoudemire practiced twice this week — Tuesday and Thursday — with the Knicks’ D-League outfit, the Erie BayHawks. Woodson said he’d like the power forward to practice with the Knicks at least once before playing in a game. That could potentially happen Saturday.
Syracuse pledge Chris McCullough will remain in the Class of 2014 and won’t reclassify to 2013, he told SNY.tv Friday in an exclusive interview.
“I’m staying Class of 2014,” the 6-foot-10 McCullough said. “I had a meeting with my family and my coaches and that’s the best thing for me.”
In his ZAGSBLOG entry, McCullough had previously mentioned he was considering reclassifying but has opted to change his mind.
Hofstra forward Jamal Coombs-McDaniel will undergo season-ending
