Although Allan Houston could have undertaken his first workout with the Knicks at the pregame morning shoot-around, he won't practice until Friday and also skipped Thursday night's game.

"Allan didn't come tonight because he didn't want to steal the show," Thomas joked.

Starting Friday, though, Houston will have just 18 days before opening-night rosters are set Oct. 29 to show enough to make the team.

Thus, Thomas (who hasn't seemed overly enthused about Houston's arrival) said, "He's behind, definitely behind."