Newsday is reporting that there are reports in the Detroit Free Press that Larry Brown hopes to remain with the Detroit Pistons through the end of his coaching career, meaning if this was to happen he will never take the helm for the New York Knicks, his apparent dream job.

"I told him what I'm telling you," Brown told the Free Press. "Did I say it was my dream job? Yes, I told him it once was. But they passed me over twice. I grew up in New York. I talked to the guy about that. I talked to him about Red Holzman. ... I've never been smart enough to say 'no comment.'"

The Hall of Fame coach, who has three-plus years left on his $25 million, five-year contract, declined comment at Sunday's practice, but told the Free Press that coaching the Knicks is not in his future.

"Even if they offer me the job at the end of this season, I am not going to go coach the Knicks," Brown said.

While Herb Williams currently mans the fort for the Knicks in the Big Apple, the vacant head coaching position certainly is attracting some big names.

Phil Jackson said last week that should Isiah Thomas call him in regards to him possibly being the next coach of the New York Knicks he'd certainly listen (which, as Jackson made clear, doesn't mean he'd actually accept the position), and now the NBA's reigning champion head coach appears to be at least showing an interest in the job.

Larry Brown, the veteran head coach of the Detroit Pistons who won his first ever NBA championship as coach of the team last season, told the New York Post before Saturday's game with the Knicks that the New York position has always represented his "dream job" and that he "loves" New York president Isiah Thomas.

But Brown was careful not to lobby for the job in The Post interview.

"I've dreamed about it a number of times," said Brown before his Pistons crushed the Knicks on Saturday in Madison Square Garden. "Growing up there, being a Knick fan, of course it was my dream. And I've been passed over a few times. I'm an East Coast person. Red Holzman was my hero growing up. But I'm here. These people [in Detroit] have been wonderful to me."

"I want to do my job here and move on. I don't look at myself at coaching much longer."

Brown passed on chances to shoot down rumors about him possibly leaving the Pistons after the season to coach the Knicks both before and after the game.

The Hall of Fame coach, who has three-plus years left on his contract, didn't meet with the media before the game for the first time in his 1? seasons with the Pistons.

Then Brown, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., passed on the postgame news conference, sending assistant coach Gar Heard.

"I've got the flu," Brown said in a brief interview with The Associated Press on his cell phone from his office. "Sorry, that's all I have to say."

Brown, according to ESPN, has been one of the more well-traveled coaches in history, with head coaching stints at Detroit, Philadelphia, Indiana, the Los Angeles Clippers, San Antonio, New Jersey, Denver (NBA and ABA) and Carolina of the ABA, UCLA and Kansas. He also coached the 2004 U.S. Olympic men's team.

As Larry Brown dodged reporters before and after the game, as rumors fly about him being earmarked to take over the reigns in New York, his Pistons held the Knicks to just 61 points.

The Knicks, whose previous low this season was 73 points in a loss to Boston on Nov. 6, made just 36.1 percent of their shots.

Trevor Ariza unintentionally broke Carlos Arroyo's nose. Arroyo will have surgery Monday and is expected to wear a protective mask when he returns. He is doubtful for Detroit's game Tuesday at Washington.

A minute later, Ariza sprained his left ankle stepping on the foot of Ronald Dupree.

Amidst retirement talks, New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas announced today that star shooting guard Allan Houston has been placed on the Injured List due to left knee pain caused by patellofemoral arthritis. Guard/forward Anfernee Hardaway and guard Moochie Norris have been activated.

Hardaway, 6-7, 215-pounds, had missed the past 10 games due to a strained right hamstring. Placed on the Injured List for the second time this season on Jan. 5, the 11-year NBA veteran has averaged 5.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 16 bench appearances.

Norris, 6-1, 185-pounds, had missed the past five games due to left Achilles tendinitis. Placed on the Injured List on Jan. 17, the seven-year NBA veteran is averaging 2.7 points and 11.1 minutes in 26 games this season.

Houston, 6-6, 205-pounds, had been averaging 11.9 points and 26.6 minutes in 20 games this season, but has missed the past three (21 games overall) due to left knee pain.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that things have gotten so bad for Allan Houston in terms of injuries that the word 'retirement' has reared its ugly head in the big apple, but the talk is not coming from Houston himself.

Isiah Thomas is not convinced Allan Houston will ever be an All-Star caliber player again and hinted that early retirement is an option Houston may want to consider.

Thomas, the Knicks president, didn't totally dismiss the idea of Houston hanging them up before his contract, which runs through the 2006-07 season, expires.

Asked during a conference call yesterday if Houston's condition - chronic knee pain - could reach a point where the Knicks ask their veteran shooting guard to retire, Thomas said: "I think Allan has to make the decision himself in terms of retiring. That's a question that only the player can answer. That's probably a good question for you to ask him. As an organization we'll continue to support him and try to help him overcome his injuries."

"I think we all hope that he can get back to being Allan," Thomas said. "But I think realistically we may all have to come to the conclusion that he may not ever get there again and we may have to start dealing with that reality."

Jamal Crawford's 40 points on 14 of 25 shooting wasn't enough to lead the Knicks to victory on Tuesday night, as New York's porous defense gave up 133 points to the Suns.

Amare Stoudemire led the Suns with 29 points.  Quentin Richardson and Joe Johnson had 25 and 24 points respectively.

The loss dropped the Knicks to 17 and 23.  The Suns improved to 32 and 10.

New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas announced today that forward Tim Thomas has been placed on the Injured List with a strained right calf.

Thomas, 6-10, 240-pounds, has missed four of the last seven games due to a strained right calf. In 36 games this season, the seven-year NBA veteran has averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds.

The active roster is now at 11, with three on the Injured List.

Former Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls coach Phil Jackson said in an interview Monday with ESPN in Melbourne, Australia,  while at the Australian Open, that he has not been contacted by New York Knicks president Isiah Thomas, but he would listen if the call does come.

"What I did say [is that] I'd have to listen if they came and talked," Jackson told Fowler. "I'd have to listen to them, but that's not saying I'd be ready to coach."

There may be a new face in charge on the sidelines but it was not enough to drag the New York Knicks out of their losing slump, the Milwaukee Bucks winning 101-96 in Herb Williams' first game as head coach since Lenny Wilkens resigned Saturday.

It was a season-high sixth straight loss and the 10th loss in the past 11 games for the Knicks, who are only one game ahead of last season's pace at the same stage while falling six games below .500.

Asked to compare himself to Wilkens, Williams said, "I'm going to get things a little more towards defense. Lenny was real good at running offense, but I think you have to shut teams down in this league."

In Herb Williams' debut as the Knicks' head coach, at least for the remainder of this season, Desmond Mason poured in 22 points, leading six Bucks scoring double figures in a 101-96 victory.

This was the tenth loss in 11 games for the Knicks, one day after Lenny Wilkens stepped down as coach.

Stephon Marbury had 33 points to lead the Knicks and Jamal Crawford had 20.  

Michael Sweetney gave the Knicks a silver lining by turning in another good game off the bench at 14 points, 11 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Crawford said that he was sure the decision for Wilkens to leave was Wilkens' alone, despite rampant speculation to the contrary.

Coach Williams said he does not know if the Knicks will fill the assistant coaching spot vacated when he moved up to take the top coaching job.