NEW YORK -- As his team awaits punishment for its role in a brawl, New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas insists he never threatened NBA scoring leader Carmelo Anthony but contends the Denver Nuggets caused problems by leaving their starters on the floor too long.
The NBA is to announce penalties Monday, since both teams play that night. Anthony is certain to miss a few games for throwing a punch, and the league must determine if Thomas played a part in the mayhem Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks' coach had a discussion with Anthony about 20 seconds before Mardy Collins delivered a hard foul on J.R. Smith that triggered the melee. Though Thomas acknowledged telling Anthony not to go into the paint, he said he meant it not as a threat but as a lecture on sportsmanship.
"It wasn't necessarily not go to the basket, but basically don't rub it in," Thomas said Monday after New York's shootaround. "It wouldn't be a good idea for you to rub it in and go to the basket and dunk it on our guys. We're down 18, we're down 19, you don't need to act like that. Basically, show some class."
After the game, which Denver won 123-100, Thomas and Knicks players were angry that the Nuggets had four starters on the floor with 1:15 to play. And while Thomas wouldn't say if Denver coach George Karl was trying to embarrass the Knicks, he again stressed that starters shouldn't have been in.
"I can't speak for him, but he put his players in a tough position," Thomas said. "I think he put his players in a very bad position."
