Breaks Going Against Knicks

The phone at Coach Stu Jackson’s home rang at 12:30 Wednesday morning, about two hours after the New York Knicks had hit what he thought was rock bottom. On the other end was team physician Norman Scott. He was not the bearer of good news.

Scott confirmed Jackson’s worst fears after the Knicks’ humiliating loss to the Orlando Magic Tuesday night.

Forward Charles Oakley, the Knicks’ leading rebounder and their symbol of strength, had suffered a broken bone in his left hand, the fourth metacarpal bone, and will be out six to eight weeks.

Immediately after Tuesday’s game, Oakley was examined by Scott, who told Jackson he thought the hand was broken. Oakley was taken to Lenox Hill Hospital, where X-rays revealed the fracture. He was placed in a cast that stretched almost to his elbow.

It is a blow the Knicks (39-26) may not be able to overcome, considering their recent play. They’ve lost 10 of their past 16 games, including six of eight at Madison Square Garden. And they trail the front-running Philadelphia 76ers by one game in the Atlantic Division race.

Jackson said, “I didn’t want to think about it” right after the game, and when it was confirmed that Oakley suffered a broken hand, the first-year coach said his first reaction was to laugh. “It was the same reaction I had when (the Magic’s) Otis Smith hit that half-court shot off the backboard at the halftime buzzer,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to laugh a little to keep from crying. You know, it borders on the comical.”

Comical as in ironic, not funny. Least of all to Oakley, the fifth-year player who before this season had not missed an NBA game. But he was suspended by the league in December for one game for fighting Seattle’s Xavier McDaniel. Then, he was out three games because of a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee.

Now, Oakley, 26, probably is finished for the remainder of the season -- unless the Knicks make a miraculous about-face and advance to the second round of the playoffs. And that’s if he recovers in six weeks, the minimum. The Knicks were 3-1 in the games Oakley missed this season. “It’s a big loss for us,” said forward Johnny Newman, a close friend of Oakley’s. “He not only rebounds, but he does the other little things, the intangibles that you don’t notice. We’re going to really have to come together now.”

Oakley said that he was not certain when he injured the hand, but replays show that early in the first quarter he quickly withdrew his hand and grimaced when he hit teammate Eddie Lee Wilkins’ arm as they went up for a rebound. “I don’t know when I hurt it,” Oakley said. “It bothered me the whole game, but I just kept playing.”

Oakley played a team-high 40 minutes before fouling out. He grabbed a season high-tying 19 rebounds and scored 14 points. Still, the Knicks blew a nine-point, fourth-quarter lead and lost, 121-118. “There is never a good time to lose a player like Oak,” Jackson said. “But this is as bad a time as any.” Added General Manager Al Bianchi, “We’ve been very fortunate over the last few years with injuries. Now, we have to rise above it.”

Jackson said Kenny Walker, one game removed from the injured list because of tendinitis in his right knee, probably will start in Oakley’s place. The problem there is that Walker’s knee might not be able to withstand the punishment that comes with playing extended minutes at power forward.

The other option is to start Eddie Lee Wilkins, the 6-foot-10 player who has served mostly this season as Patrick Ewing’s backup at center. Also, playing time for Kiki Vandeweghe, rookie Brian Quinnett and Stuart Gray should increase with Oakley sidelined.

“Losing Oak is big,” Jackson said. “He plays tough defense and keeps guys off the block. We now have a rebounding liability, especially on the offensive glass. Plus, we lose that enforcer image. And he played with a reckless abandon.”

That he played for most of the game with a broken bone in his hand is a testament to that. “We’re going to need bigger contributions from everybody to make up 15 points and 11 rebounds a game,” Jackson said. “It’s a real challenge for us.”

Other teams, such as the Milwaukee Bucks, for instance, have won despite injuries to key players. In fact, the Bucks -- without Ricky Pierce, Greg Anderson and Jack Sikma -- still beat the Knicks by 12 at the Garden Saturday. That’s of some comfort to the Knicks, but if they did not win with Oakley.

“I think we played well (against Orlando),” Walker said, “but we just didn’t get it done at the end. It was better than we’ve been playing. So, to me, that’s encouraging.” There are other matters on the Knicks that merit attention, particularly after the Magic’s Scott Skiles had a triple-double of 23 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists while playing a turnover-free 48 minutes Tuesday. Jackson said he was “50-50” on making Maurice Cheeks the starting point guard over Mark Jackson. “I just don’t know yet,” he said.

Said Trent Tucker, “We’ve got to be men. We have to keep fighting. We can’t run and hide. We’ve got to come out and face adversity.”