When Isiah Thomas was asked to clarify whether he had an exchange with fans seated behind the bench, Thomas paused and said, "I just want to make sure our team stays focused. The fans are great, we love them, I'm glad they're here and they give us a lot of support."
According to an individual seated behind the bench, Thomas told the fans it was their fault that the Knicks were making fundamental mistakes such as missing layups and blamed them for not offering support for the team.
In addition to the now familiar "Fire Isiah" chants, there was a brief chant of "Jeff Van Gundy!" According to the whistle-blowing fan who spoke to the media after the game, Thomas shot back, "You kicked him out of town, too!"
Van Gundy resigned December 8, 2001. The Knicks haven't had a winning season since.