PENNY FROM HEAVEN By ANDREW MARCHAND ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - SAVING THE DAY: Penny Hardaway was just a throw-in to the Stephon Marbury deal, but veteran has become Knick savior while subbing for injured Allan Houston. February 6, 2004 -- On Penny Hardaway's left arm, he has a tattoo that reads, "Part II, Heaven Sent." He got it in 1999 after Orlando acquiesced to his request and traded him to Phoenix. On his right arm, another tattoo says, "The Storm is over." He decided on this one when he thought his injury problems were behind him as a Sun. Hardaway has no plans to add a new emblem of exclamation about his young Knick career, even though something like "Penny Savior" might work. For now, "Heaven Sent" will have to do because Hardaway - the throw-in in the Stephon Marbury blockbuster - has been angelic for the Knicks, filling in for the injured Allan Houston by hitting big shots and playing tight defense. "To me, [Hardaway] was looking at it like he was going to be the sleeper," Marbury said of the deal. "With him being the sleeper and everyone thinking he was hurt and that he couldn't play anymore, it's definitely been a plus for the team." At 32, Hardaway still feels he can star, but understands his role. "It was hard at first, but now I've been able to accept it," Hardaway said. "A lot of people always like to try to put me in the same era and say, 'Hey, man, why aren't you scoring 20 points per game anymore?' I'm not getting those shots anymore. That was the toughest thing because I still feel like I have the talent." After knee surgeries in May and November of 2000, the Suns made it clear to Hardaway that he would not be the central figure in their organization. Sure, they hoped he could come back and star, but their business plan wasn't going to be based on Hardaway. Suns President Bryan Colangelo and coach Frank Johnson were straight with Hardaway. "They were going in another direction," Hardaway recalled. "They couldn't wait for me to get healthy again. They just had to move on." While Hardaway appreciated Colangelo's and Johnson's honesty, he didn't have to like it. This season, when the Suns decided to sport a team that was recruited from the local day care, Hardaway knew he didn't fit in. "With Phoenix going young and going in another direction, I wasn't able to show all my skills, there," Hardaway said. "Here, I am able to do that and I'm happy to do that." His stat sheet as a Knick is littered with a 13-point night here and a 16-point night there. The No. 3 pick in the 1993 draft, he is not the same player he once was, but he is solid contributor. "I'm not 21 years old anymore, when I was really explosive," Hardaway said. "I have enough explosiveness to get to the basket whenever I want to, to rebound the basketball and to defend. I'm not dunking the ball every time, like I was back in the day, but I still have enough hops to get it in there." Hardaway may not be where he once was, but he is finally healthy enough that the four-games in five days stretch the Knicks begin tomorrow in Miami isn't intimidating. "This is the first time in about three years that I haven't worried about back-to-backs or anything," Hardaway said. -- 我的明日報新聞台 http://mypaper5.ttimes.com.tw/user/hughes/index.html 歡迎批評指教 --

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