Jeff Van Gundy sent as loud a message to his team as the Nets did last night, suggesting a major shake-up after the Nets convincingly earned bragging rights as the best basketball team in the area reports the New York Post.

As the second half opened and the Knicks trailed by 23 points, Allan Houston sat on the bench, alongside Mark Jackson, both wearing looks of gloom.

With the newfangled lineup that included offseason former Jazz additions Shandon Anderson at shooting guard and Howard Eisley at point guard, the Knicks staged a manic rally, crawling back into the game in the third quarter. The Knicks actually got within two points in the final minute of the third before collapsing in a 109-83 changing-of-the-guard-type loss at the Meadowlands.