MANHATTAN — Tracy McGrady and the Knicks will go for their first win together Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden.
McGrady, acquired in a three-team trade last week, made his Garden debut on Saturday in a nail-biter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite scoring 26 points and bringing excitement back to an arena long-bereft of reasons to cheer, the Knicks fell in overtime 121-118.
But fans were elated at McGrady's presence. He drew the loudest cheers when the starting lineups were announced, and the crowd went wild whenever he touched the ball in the early minutes of Saturday night's game.
Although McGrady's No. 3 jersey was already on sale at Garden stores, several fans made their own makeshift jerseys by writing "McGrady" on the backs of white T-shirts.
Other fans wrote McGrady's name in duct tape over shirts originally adorned with the last Knick to wear the No. 3 — Stephon Marbury, now reviled by fans.
"We want T-Mac! We want T-Mac!" fans chanted midway through the third quarter after the shooting guard had been sitting on the bench for several minutes.
“It really felt good,” McGrady told the New York Times about the warm welcome he received from fans. “I think it helped my confidence moving forward as far as mentally knowing that I can go out there and play a significant amount of minutes.”
The Knicks dropped a game to the Bucks earlier this month.
