D'Antoni's return to New York starts well, ends badly

• D'Antoni visits with wife and son in New York before Lakers played the Knicks.
• His wife, Laurel, made a home-cooked meal, which is just what D'Antoni needed.
• The former Knicks coach defended his time in New York and talked about fixing the Lakers.

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni visited an old New York haunt Wednesday night and met with those near and dear to him.

The former New York Knicks coach spent the night at his home in Westchester County in New York, with his wife, Laurel, and son, Mike D'Antoni Jr., where they still live.

"We stayed in all night. That was the first time I've seen them in about a month. I had a lot of catching up," said D'Antoni who became the Lakers' coach on Nov. 9, after the team fired Mike Brown five games into the season.

D'Antoni also had anyone under the weather (knee replacement surgery in early November) and struggling at their job (4-8 since with Lakers taking over for Mike Brown) needs – a home-cooked comfort food: pasta with tomatoes and mozzarella.

"That's all we know how to do," said D'Antoni, an Italian who spent several years playing professional basketball in Italy.

On Thursday at the Lakers' late morning shootaround prior to his first game against his former team, D'Antoni said he didn't know what kind of reception he would get hear from Knicks fans.

"I don't know," he said before the game.

He received boos when introduced as Lakers coach just before tip-off. "Boos, I didn't expect anything different," he said.

Then, the Knicks handed D'Antoni and the Lakers another loss -- 116-107. It was the Lakers' fourth consecutive loss and sixth defeat in their past seven games.

D'Antoni tried to downplay the emotions of playing against the Knicks.

"I'm too old for that," he said. I'll enjoy going to the Garden because that's

always special because there'll be an energy there. But I'm with the Lakers."

That doesn't mean D'Antoni is devoid of emotion.

"You get emotionally attached to any team you're at," he said. "There's a lot of players still there. Raymond (Felton), (Tyson) Chandler and 'Melo (Anthony) and all these guys you've coached. So it'll be fun to see them, but at the same time I'm worried about what we do."

D'Antoni spent much of the interview with reporters defending his time with the Knicks. He had a 121-167 record in three-plus season in New York, but his tenure ended when he resigned. It became apparent to D'Antoni and the Knicks front office that he wasn't a good fit for the team the Knicks were becoming.

In a twist, Knicks coach Mike Woodson, the guy D'Antoni hired as an assistant, is doing what D'Antoni couldn't and doing it in a similar, but not the same, offensive style – spreading the floor and making three-pointers.

"I didn't abandon his offense," Woodson said. "I've taken his offense, and I've added a lot. We're still playing open basketball, trying to give guys the freedom to play. We've got guy, when you look around our team … all these guys can make plays with the basketball. I've used a lot of Mike's offense, and I've also tried to expand with things I like to run. … I like everything about Mike's offense."

D'Antoni saw Woodson in the summer at the U.S. men's national team's training camp in Las Vegas and has no bitterness for Woodson. He gave Woodson credit for New York's success.

"Mike's doing it, but they're playing the way I would like for us to play," D'Antoni said. "They're spreading the floor, and one of the best things they do is not turn it over and they shoot threes. Those are two big stats for winning, and they do it the best in the league."

"Mike Woodson's doing a hell of a job. … He's always been a good coach, and we were looking for good coaches. He was one of the list, 'Yeah, it'd be super if could come.' So we got lucky to get him, and he got lucky that he took it."

Nor did D'Antoni express resentment that Anthony is playing the kind of basketball that he implored him to play – sharing the basketball, playing within the offense and leading.

"Melo's an unbelievable offensive talent," D'Antoni said. He's one of the best in the league, and they're playing now spreading the floor where he really shines and they've done a great job putting people around him where his talents are really coming out. There are a lot of them.

"They've got two point guards who know how to get the ball distributed. They're doing a good job."

Woodson refused to get into his coaching vs. D'Antoni's coaching, simply saying he went in another direction in some others, specifically the defensive end.

"Mike, he coached the way he thought he could coach his team, and then I got the opportunity to coach, and I'm just trying to make the most of it. That's all I'm trying to do."

Woodson and D'Antoni haven't spoken since the Lakers hired D'Antoni , but left a message with D'Antoni. Woodson said he spoke with D'Antoni's brother Dan.

"I spoke to Dan in long detail in terms of getting in there and wishing them nothing but the best."

D'Antoni felt pressure to win in New York, and he feels it in Los Angeles. It's the life of an NBA coach.

"It's the same (pressure) in Milwaukee," D'Antoni said. "You've got to win. You've got to play well. You've got to beat expectations, and our expectations are the highest. You can't beat expectations until June, and in the meantime, it's tough sledding. But you've got to get through it, and we'll get through it."