Infamy one playoff loss away for Knicks

Mike Vaccaro
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On April 29, 2001, Roger Clemens allowed four hits over 7 1⁄3 innings at Yankee Stadium, earning his 263rd career victory as the Yankees beat the A’s, 3-1. On April 29, 2001, the football Giants threw five years and $20 million at defensive end Kenny Holmes, luring him from the Titans. Benny Agbayani made a couple of errors in the outfield for the Mets in St. Louis.

On April 29, 2001, Alec Baldwin found himself in hot water for having confronted a heckler … and First Daughter Jenna Bush was dealing with an underage drinking charge at the University of Texas … and Sen. Hillary Clinton weighed in on the Amadou Diallo shooting, saying, “I am very disappointed in the NYPD” …

Janet Jackson topped the pop charts with “All For You.” On TV, the finale of “Survivor: Australian Outback” eked out a win over “ER” for the top-rated show of the week. “Driven” outdueled “Bridget Jones’ Diary” at the movie box office. And on Broadway, 10 days after its premiere, “The Producers” was starting to look like it might be a keeper.

Oh, yes — the Knicks won a basketball game that night, too.

They beat the Raptors at AirCanada Centre, 97-89, to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-five Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. They did it without two starters — Marcus Camby was back in New York dealing with a family issue; Larry Johnson never left the bench. And they won anyway. It may be hard to believe, but it was a quintessential Knicks playoff win in those days: against the odds, against the grain.

“You always hear that that is the trademark of this team,” said Othella Harrington, whom the Knicks acquired from the Grizzlies midway through that season. “This team is known for when things go bad they rally together. This is a prime example.”

Well, it was then. But to be fair: That was 4,022 days ago. A lot of stuff can happen in 96,528 hours.

“Sure, it’s an incentive, but God, again, and I’m not one for excuses — this team hasn’t been together that long,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said yesterday, on the eve of the Knicks’ playoff debut at the Garden, the team already staring at a 2-0 hole and upping the degree of difficulty of their 2001 forebears, missing three starters.

“There are a lot things that are at stake here. Yeah, expectations are high. It’s been that way all year. And it’s gonna always be that way if I’m the coach. ... We still control our own destiny here. I’m thinking about Game 3, trying to get a game under our belts and see if we can force the action.”

It’s swell that Woodson doesn’t want to hang the darkness of a desperate decade and change on his team, but that’s the way these things work. There wasn’t one man on the Red Sox these past few years who was even alive in 1946, many weren’t in 1967, few could remember 1975 or 1986. But history is an inheritance in sports. Ask the Jets: Joe Namath isn’t just a voice on the radio every week during the regular season. He occupies a roster spot: chief ghost.

So it is with these Knicks. It is amusing checking out the stories of those Knicks of 2001, the first season post-Patrick, the players he left behind still lauded, nightly, as gallant warriors. They would lose Games 3 and 4 to those Raptors, then tumble into a choking sinkhole, emerging only for four playoff losses to the Nets in 2004, four more to the Celtics last year, and the first two of this quarterfinal series with the Heat.

“Nobody ever said it was going to be easy,” Carmelo Anthony said.

No, probably not. But nobody ever said it was going to be impossible, either. Nobody would ever have believed you that Sunday afternoon 4,022 days ago if you had told them that, by week’s end, the Knicks would begin a streak of 12 straight playoff losses that, if it reaches 13 tonight, will set an NBA record for postseason futility.

Forget why the Knicks play tonight: out of pride, out of defiance, out of fear. This is a record nobody wants a part of. Doesn’t matter how long any of them have been here. If it happens it’s theirs to share. Forever.

michael.vaccaro@nypost.com

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Target to stop selling Amazon's Kindle

Target Corp. is planning to stop selling rival Amazon.com Inc.’s Kindle e-book reader as it runs out of stock.

Target “is phasing out Amazon- and Kindle-branded products in the spring of 2012,” Target spokeswoman Molly Snyder said.

The company has sold the Kindle at its stores for the past two years, having been the first brick-and-mortar retailer to do so. Target will continue to offer “a full assortment of e-readers and supporting accessories,” Snyder said. She did not give a reason for Target stopping sales of Kindles.

The devices have already been removed from Target’s website and staff at New York-area stores said they were not getting fresh stock.

The decision is a bit curious given the Kindle has been a big seller for Target. The move does come as Target plans to expand its offerings from Apple Inc.

To read more, go to The Wall Street Journal

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Man, what a victory!

Manchester, England — The Manchester derby went to City. Next, it hopes, is the Premier League crown.

Manchester City finished a sweep of its local rivals yesterday when Vincent Kompany’s powerful header lifted it past Manchester United 1-0 to take the Premier League lead with two games remaining.

In what had been billed as the biggest Manchester derby ever, Kompany connected off David Silva’s corner kick for the only goal in first-half stoppage time at the Etihad Stadium. City then held on for a potentially title-deciding victory; it leads United on goal difference and once again has matters in its own hands, having erased an eight-point deficit in three weeks.

“We’ve been waiting for this moment,” Kompany said. “It’s far from over, and we know that, but just to give our fans two wins over Manchester United this season — we have to finish it off.”

Manchester United, Premier League, Vincent Kompany, Manchester, MANCHESTER, England, the Premier League lead

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CHSAA baseball roundup: SFP sneaks into second place in B/Q

St. Francis Prep jumped into second place with a big win.

Andrew Cunningham had three RBIs and Aaron Acosta and Nick LoPrinzi each had two RBIs to lead St. Francis to a 9-7 win over Bishop Ford in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens ‘AA’ baseball Monday at the Parade Grounds in Brooklyn.

Mike Bekmessian had a big pinch-hit RBI single and John Mendez added a run driven in for SFP (5-3). Ford falls to 6-4.

Xaverian 13, St. Edmund Prep 4: Tommy Anselmo gave up no runs on two hits over the first five innings for Xaverian (9-0). Gabe Hernandez had two hits. St. Edmund falls to 1-8.

Archbishop Molloy 10, Christ the King 2: Greg Boyle gave up just one run in a complete-game effort and Chris Piteo had three hits to lead Molloy (5-4). CK falls to 1-9.

Holy Cross 5, Monsignor McClancy 1: James Callahan gave up no earned runs on four hits and struck out three in seven innings for Holy Cross (5-4). Tom Lentino went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Nick LaForgia was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Sean Broderson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Mike Guglielmi went 2-for-3 to lead McClancy (5-5).

CHSAA CLASS A

LaSalle 12, St. John’s Prep 0: Jayson Negron pitched a complete-game two-hit shutout, striking out eight for LaSalle (3-2). Negron also had a three-run double and scored twice. Devon Graham went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored and Victor Rosario was 1-for-2 with two RBIs, a run scored and two walks. St. John’s Prep is 1-4.

Cathedral Prep 8, Bishop Loughlin 1: John Starace went 2-for-4 with five RBIs and Tim McQuail pitched a complete game, giving up just two hits and striking out nine for Cathedral (3-2). Loughlin is 1-1.

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John Mendez, St. Edmund Prep, St. Francis Prep, Aaron Acosta, Bishop Ford, Nick LoPrinzi, St. Francis, Tom Lentino, Jayson Negron, Gabe Hernandez, Victor Rosario, Monsignor McClancy, Holy Cross, RBIs, RBIs, Mike Guglielmi, Chris Piteo, Devon Graham

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Ovechkin key for Capitals in Game 2 win over Rangers

There was a two-time Hart Trophy winner on the ice last night at Madison Square Garden, but it took about 52 minutes to realize it was No. 8 in white.

Alex Ovechkin spent a total of 13:36 on ice while his Capitals won Game 2 of their conference semifinal playoff series with the Rangers, 3-2, tying the series 1-1 as it shifts to Washington for tomorrow night’s Game 3.

But with his limited ice time, it was still Ovechkin, the league’s most valuable player in 2008 and 2009, who scored the winning goal, a power play wrist shot 12:33 into the third period.

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OVI, OH NO: Alex Ovechkin looks for his shot against Henrik Lundqvist in the Rangers’ Game 2 loss last night.

“I was surprised when I turned and no one came to me,” Ovechkin said. “I had a perfect lane for the shot, and I see it and I’m going to the net.”

Playing last night on what was presumably the Capitals’ first line with Brooks Laich and Marcus Johansson, Ovechkin got off a game-high seven shots on net, while also having three blocked. A lot of that was done on the power play, as he got 3:00 on the Capitals’ three man-advantages, none bigger than the final one in the third that resulted from a Brad Richards neutral-zone interference call.

“I think it’s a different game out there,” Ovechkin said, comparing it to the first-round series win over the Bruins in seven games. “I think we have more space, especially in neutral zone and in the offensive zone because they play tight in front of [Henrik] Lundqvist and that makes more opportunity to make a play.”

This season, while under former coach Bruce Boudreau and current coach Dale Hunter, who took over when Boudreau was fired on Nov. 28, the team has instituted a more defensive style of play, one that is in stark contrast to what Ovechkin played in to begin his career.

Now with a bit more constraints on him — along with him lacking the ability or want to fully contribute in his own end — Ovechkin is in a place that he is not familiar with, getting less ice time than teammates like Matt Hnedricks and Jay Beagle.

“He’s one of those guys who’s a team guy,” Hunter said. “He’s the biggest cheerleader when guys are out there blocking shots.”

Ovechkin’s reduced ice time was most evident in Game 7 of the first round, when the team’s season was on the line and he played 16:25 in a 2-1 Capitals’ win.

“It’s [the] most important thing right now to win the series and win the game,” Ovechkin said. “If you’re going to talk about my game time and all that kind of stuff, it’s not the season, it’s the playoffs. You have to suck it up and play for the team.”

The Rangers’ fans at the Garden are also keenly aware of his struggles — just two goals and three assists in the first round — so at the eight- minute mark of each period, the chants go up against him, the same way they did against the Senators’ captain Daniel Alfredsson in the first round.

“I feel good,” Ovechkin said. “Sometimes when you’re not out there you feel like you’re not in the game. But if you have a 10-second shift or five-second shift you just have to go do something.”

Like score the game-winning goal.

bcyrgalis@nypost.com

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CHSAA/Private softball roundup: Palmeri's strong outing lifts Molloy over SFP

Maria Palmeri was a welcome sight in the circle for Archbishop Molloy.

The C.W.-Post bound star turned in her best performance since injuring her back, allowing just six hits and striking out four in a 6-0 win over rival St. Francis Prep in CHSAA Brooklyn/Queens Class AA softball Monday at Cunningham Park. It gives Molloy a sweep of the season three-game series.

She also went 3-for-4 with an RBI at the plate to help her team clinch first place with her first league win of the season. Palmeri had a shaky outing against Christ the King, but beat St. Joseph by the Sea 2-0 in a scrimmage on Saturday.

“It’s been a rough ride some days,” Rosenbaum said of the season. “If her and Tori [Goldbach] can both pitch well, it’s good.”

The coach believed the extra week allowed Palmeri to get strong. Palmeri was frustrated after a less-than-stellar performance against Christ the King and wasn’t sure if she wanted to pitch again this season. Rosenbaum said she wasn’t giving up on her and kept her practicing. She can now rejoin Goldbach in the rotation.

“It’s having our 1-2 punch back again,” Rosenbaum said

Dana Moss went 2-for-4 and sister Taylor picked up two hits and two RBIs. The Stanners (8-2) collected 12 hits on the day and played strong infield defense behind Palmeri, much to the delight of Rosenbaum. St. Francis Prep is 6-4.

“Now we are interchangeable,” she said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the mound. If we hit and the outfield stays strong we’re OK.”

Mary Louis 10, Christ the King 8: Sam Rossi was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Stephanie Barbaro went 1-for-2 with a triple and two RBIs for Mary Louis (7-5). Louisa Conway collected two hits, including a double and drove in a run. Destiny Marino went 2-for-2 with a triple, two runs scored and three RBIs and Erica Eddy was 2-for-4 with a triple for Christ the King (0-10).

CHSAA STATEN ISLAND

Notre Dame Academy 13, St. Joseph Hill 7: Jillian Cancel, Christina Giampiola and Alanna Bergstrom each had two hits as the Gators (3-8) scored four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good. St. Joseph Hill is 1-7.

IVY LEAGUE

Horace Mann 9, Hackley 5: Sara Land went 3-for-5 with three runs scored and four stolen bases and Jamie Gropper went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles to lead Horace Mann (6-2). Cara Annunziata went 2-for-4 and Mia Farinelli gave up just two hits and struck out 10.

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The girls’ room

Names: Katia Beauchamp and Hayley Barna

Job: Co-founders of Birchbox, a subscription service for beauty products.

The pair met at Harvard Business School, became best friends, then teamed up to re-imagine the crowded category of beauty retail. Subscribers fill out a beauty profile, then for $10 a month they get the latest samples from big brands like Kiehl’s, Stila, Nars, and Laura Mercier delivered to their door in a pink package.

Katia, 29, and Hayley, 28, have reaped tremendous attention since launching in 2010. Their venture, first headquartered out of Hayley’s dorm room, has rocketed up to 60 employees and $12 million in funding. Already in its fifth office, Birchbox now sits on Park Avenue South above Union Square, a neighborhood brimming with hot start-ups, including Gilt Groupe, Tumblr and Foursquare. “We’re all positioned near Shake Shack,” Katia smiles.

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AU PAIR: Hayley Barna (near right) and Katia Beauchamp run their beauty biz from a Silicon Alley loft.

Office space: Their sun-filled loft is a vast sea of white and pink punctuated by columns wrapped in paper designed to look like birch bark with strips of pink peeking out. The space is distinctly girlie. A company that creates spherical stuffed animals sublets one corner, their fluffy product piled high.

The partners are distinctly different. With her honey-colored tresses, flowing dress and sparkly shoes, Katia, an El Paso, Texas native, looks more like a fairy-tale princess than a hard-charging Web entrepreneur. She’s responsible for all things external, such as building relationships with marquee brands and forging partnerships.

Hayley, in a black dress, rhinestone-studded black shoes and a green jade necklace, has the polished veneer of the management consultant she once was. Her role is more internal — operations, technology, customer service.

Décor: As at many tech start-ups, the floor plan is wide open. Workspaces are all alike — white, pink and clean. There are a couple conference rooms and a photo studio, but otherwise it’s a door-free zone.

Desks: Katia and Hayley mix with their teams, their desks indistinguishable from the others.

Katia’s space includes a yoga mat, a picture of her husband tacked to a cork board, glasses by Warby Parker (a brand founded by fellow entrepreneurs) and a giant hairbrush. A pair of custom-designed pink and white Birchbox sneakers is perched nearby — a gift from an investor.

Hayley’s desk serves as a landing pad for gifts from vendors and friends — barbeque sauce, an “Uglydoll,” and, of course, product, including a limited edition Birchbox-color Jouer lip gloss (hot pink, of course).

Routine: Both women are up early checking e-mail. “It starts and ends with the inbox,” Katia says.

They typically end the day by meeting together around 8 or 9 p.m., before going their separate ways for dinner dates.

Commute: Both live within walking distance, though Katia sometimes takes a cab. “It’s embarrassing to admit, but it makes the difference between being on time and being 10 minutes late.”

Coffee: Katia voices the unofficial company position on coffee: “We value it.” She notes their commitment to Stumptown coffee, in particular, yet she only has one a day herself.

Work style: High energy, always connected. Both women like the security of having their Mac laptops on hand at all times.

Katia Beauchamp, Hayley BarnaJob, Hayley Barna, Harvard Business School, Birchbox, Hayley, Katia

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