NEW YORK -- The Hawks are trying to maintain momentum on a tough road trip, and the Knicks just trying to keep a winning record.
That's why when the teams play Wednesday at Madison Square Garden, there doesn't figure to be much talk about the fisticuffs and resulting exchanges in the media between All-Star players that marked the last time they met.
Yeah, right.
This is New York, after all, where juicy story lines get all the oxygen they need. So Knicks forward Amar'e Stoudemire, when offered a chance to reiterate his distaste for Hawks center Al Horford pounding his chest to fire up fans during that Jan. 28 game, obliged.
“It’s going to be a very, very intense game after what happened in Atlanta," Stoudemire told reporters at Knicks practice Tuesday. "He don’t want to see me. I watched him play in Florida, and I’ve seen him play a few years in Atlanta. We’ve got two different games, and we’ll see how it plays out tomorrow.”
Stoudemire's implication seems to be that he's tougher than Horford, who also is an Eastern Conference All-Star. Stoudemire made comments of a similar nature after the Hawks' 111-102 victory, saying Horford "is not that type of player" and "doesn’t want to see me on any night, so he’d better relax and calm down.”
That prompted Horford to respond with a post on his Twitter account: “I am that kind of player, who does what he needs to win ...”
Horford didn't have much to add after the Hawks' 94-79 victory at Detroit on Monday.
“He’s a competitor; I am, too," Horford said. "That’s all there is to that.”
And Horford and Stoudemire weren't even directly involved in the fight. The two players who were, the Hawks' Marvin Williams and New York's Shawne Williams, both said there is no lingering animosity.
Things escalated in the final minute of the game, when Marvin Williams pushed Shawne Williams in the back of the head as the two ran down the court. Shawne took exception, Marvin threw a punch and then players from both teams got tangled up.
Marvin Williams, who was ejected from the game and later suspended by the NBA for two games, said he reacted to a number of unspecified actions by the Knicks. Even so, he said he's not looking for a repeat.
“I am sure it is going to be intense,” he said. “But it’s in the past for me, and I’m sure it is for Shawne, too. It’s over; it’s done with. I am sure he feels the same way. It’s just another game.”
Shawne Williams, who was suspended for a game for his role, also said he has moved on.
"We were competing in the heat of the moment, and it got out of hand," he said. "There’s no hard feelings after. You play the game and you get caught up in the moment, and things happen sometimes. It’s not like it’s premeditated or anything. Everything’s good.”
No doubt the potential penalty for another incident serves as a strong disincentive for the Williamses, who aren't related. Shawne Williams, who was waived by New Jersey last January before catching on with the Knicks this season, said he "can't afford" another fight.
For their part, the Hawks (34-20) say they are focused on beating the Knicks (27-26) and entering the All-Star break on a high note. Starting Tuesday at the Lakers, they will play five games in seven days against West opponents.
In the aftermath of the previous Knicks game, Hawks coach Larry Drew said he doesn't condone fighting, but that his team's reputation may have been helped. He said backing down when "things got tough" might lead to the Hawks being labeled as "soft" around the NBA.
What does Drew expect in the rematch?
"Same thing," he said, chuckling. "It won't be any different. It's going to be a very hard-fought basketball game. It's going to be a physical game. ... We won't get caught up in a lot of the hype behind it. We've got a job to do."
