Surprise, surprise. Mike D’Antoni ball is an immediate hit in New York. Of course, these things happen when you score 120 point right out of the gate of the franchise’s latest bid for recovery. Everything D’Antoni did last night — from “humiliating” Starbury and benching Eddie Curry to handling the cardiac ending where his Knicks almost allowed the Heat to come storming back — D’Antoni looks like exactly what the doctor ordered … for one game, anyway.

While Marbury being benched is the focus of the game’s aftermath, there is a new energy around the Knicks and has long as they stay entertaining this season, expect the good vibes to continue. It’s doubtful folks will expect the Knicks to immediately turn the page and become a winning franchise again, but bringing excitement to the fans that have been begging for something positive to happen the Knicks is the next best thing. Hell, even Gus Johnson got excited — surprise — by what he saw.

Wilson Chandler had a hand in getting the Johnson and the home crowd hyped with this nasty put-back:

If you can’t be champions, at least try to be exciting.

There are still a lot of questions D’Antoni still has to deal with, like the Marbury matter, but today, it’s highly doubtful Knicks fans are feeling one drop of last season’s pain.

Tags: Gus Johnson, Mike D'Antoni, New York Knicks, Wilson Chandler

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