"All ten players have been ejected!" was the mysterious message over the Garden public address system in the Nuggets' rout of the Knicks.

What happened?  In nearly 30 years of following basketball, going back to the great 1978-9 Washington Bullets (my favorite team in addition to the 1980s Showtime Lakers), I have never seen all ten players ejected at same the time.

My friend Prashanth (AKA PG), the rest of the Garden faithful and myself were almost sent home with another depressing loss. However, with about two minutes left, PG asked why Marcus Camby, Carmelo Anthony and other Nuggets starters were still on the floor.  I yelled out with about 1:33:  "George, take Carmelo out of the game!" PG and other witnesses can corroborate this. George would have none of it as he played for Larry Brown at North Carolina and just maybe wanted to rub it into to Isiah and Mr Dolan who was critical of Larry Brown earlier this week.  Furthermore, Carmelo played for Larry Brown in the Olympics.  Small world, eh?

A few seconds later, the Nuggets' J.R. Smith is going for a lay-up when the Knicks' Mardy Rollins intentionally fouls him by pulling him down by the shoulders. 

Let's get the following straight. I am a huge Carmelo Anthony fan as he played for my beloved Syracuse Orangemen. As a scrappy teenager, my high-school classmate Jim and I were on the winning 1985 Jim Boeheim Basketball Camp championship team. We were a hustling group of over-achievers who won the championship on the same floor in the Carrier Dome that the Orangemen play on to this day.

Over 21 years later, I wanted to see Anthony play and thank him for bringing me basketball closure by winning the 2003. (We should have won in 1987 but Keith Smart sunk the winning fade away jumper to seal the win for the Indiana Hoosiers.)

However, after the fight broke out, it calmed down, and then erupted again when Anthony threw a punch at Rollins. This was the ugliest incident since the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills between the Pistons and Pacers in November 2004. Anthony should be punished for this. The referees covened for several minutes and reviewed the tape. (Is anyone in MLB paying attention?)

Nuggets coach George Karl, who I have always admired as a coach and analyst, should have never ever have had Anthony, Marcus Camby and other Nuggets starters on the floor with a 20-point lead and only two minutes. Karl is an old pro and screwed up here. You don't want to risk injury (hurt hand) and probable suspension as Knicks coach Isiah Thomas had pulled Stephon Marbury, who played great with 31 points.

The referees finally decided to throw out all ten players. Therefore, since the Knicks "had surrendered", Stephon Marbury had to come back into the game.  The Knicks ended up losing 123-100.

What does this mean for the Knicks? This maybe the turning of the corner for them as the City can rally around them. Do I think they will replicate the Red Sox championship after the fight between A-Rod and Jason Varitek galvanized the 2004 team? Highly unlikely but the Knicks are only 1.5 games out of the Eastern division lead and the eighth playoff seed - so you never know what can happen.

Let's see what happens. Until next time, Go Knicks!