Isiah Thomas' claim that coaching in New York is like being on death row every day is a feeling that his assistant coaches apparently experienced Friday night as well.

According to a source, before the Knicks' dramatic comeback victory over Milwaukee, at least two assistant coaches said that if the team suffered another blowout loss they were convinced that Thomas and the coaching staff would be fired. Three hours later, the Knicks overcame a 17-point, second-half deficit and won in the final minute.

Garden chairman James Dolan, who has not spoken publicly on Thomas' job status since last March, was not seated in his customary baseline seats at the Garden for a third straight home game, according to the New York Daily News. There is a possibility that Dolan could have watched any one of the last three home games from a luxury suite. Garden president Steve Mills also was conspicuously absent.

It is unclear if the two assistant coaches had been told by Thomas that no one would survive another ugly loss or if the coaches based their feelings on the fallout from an embarrassing 45-point defeat to Boston one night earlier on national television.

During the TNT broadcast, studio analyst Charles Barkley speculated about Thomas' job security, saying, "He's about as safe as me in a room full of cookies. If I'm in a room full of cookies, the cookies ain't got no damn chance."

Later, Barkley said that if the Knicks lost to Milwaukee, "I think it could be (Thomas') last game."

The coaches also are losing patience with Eddy Curry, whose defensive shortcomings are being exposed each night. Thomas, however, denied that he is disappointed in Curry's play.

"With Eddy we've just got to find a way for him to impact the game on the defensive side of the ball," Thomas said.

Via New York Daily News

New York Knicks

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