In an interview with SI.com, D’Antoni confirmed that he quit and was not fired.

“I absolutely resigned,” he told Sports Illustrated’s Jack McCallum. “I was in my car driving to shootaround and it just came to me. That’s it. It’s inevitable. I have to resign. We’re not going anywhere. I made the decision then and there. I called Glen [Grunwald] and told him that I was coming in to do it. Then I called Laurel [his wife] to tell her. Glen called in Mr. [James] Dolan and I met them after shootaround and told them that I was resigning.”

D’Antoni also admitted that his coaching philosophy — spread pick-and-rolls — didn’t necessarily work with how some players on the team preferred isolation and post-up plays. He didn’t call out Carmelo Anthony specifically, but he directly implied it in an answer he gave on the topic.

“Look, I’ve coached players who post up. Heck, Amare [Stoudemire] has been a post-up player. We used to post up Boris Diaw a lot in Phoenix,” he said. “There are always things that can be done by mixing it up. Now, was it the best situation for my coaching philosophy? No. But there’s never one answer for why things don’t work out.”

D’Antoni also showed his humorous side during the interview. In a response to what his wife’s reaction was when he told her he was resigning, he said, “She told me I should stop at the store on my way home because we were out of milk.”

Looking ahead, D’Antoni said he would be interested in coaching again, but not for at least another year.

“I’m not making a secret about that. I want to get back,” he said. “But nothing is going on now, and the smart money says that I will hang out here [at his New York home]. Michael [his son] will be a senior and to let him finish and graduate would be one good reason to stay here for a year.”

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Devils even series with rout of Rangers in heated Game 4

Devils Win, Even Series With Rangers

NEWARK, N.J. — Martin Brodeur made 27 saves and survived a third-period punch to the chin by old buddy Mike Rupp as the New Jersey Devils defeated the New York Rangers, 4-1, Monday night in Game 4 to even the Eastern Conference finals, 2-2.

Zach Parise had two goals and an assist and Bryce Salvador and Travis Zajac beat Henrik Lundqvist less than four minutes apart in the first period in a series where the intensity and the emotions are picking up.

Eastern Conference Playoffs

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Brodeur even notched an assist in the third, on Parise’s empty netter, capping a game in which the Devils maintained their composure and bounced back from a 3-0 shutout in Game 3, while the Rangers took several uncharacteristic penalties and seemed rattled from the start.

Game 5 is Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

This game was one where the chippiness increased with each period. New York’s Marc Staal whacked Patrik Elias in the back of the knee with his stick in the second. Ryan Callahan, the Rangers captain, and New Jersey’s Ilya Kovalchuk tussled. And finally, Rupp, a former Devil who scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal for New Jersey in 2003, jabbed Brodeur in his crease in the third after a stoppage in play.

That almost set off a free-for-all among the players on the ice, especially after Brodeur reacted like he had been hit by a roundhouse right.

The best action, though, was along the benches where Devils coach Peter DeBoer screamed at Rangers coach John Tortorella in what he must have perceived was an intentional attack on his goaltender in a game in which the Rangers were once again dominated. The two coaches also sniped at each other on Sunday, complaining about pick plays and embellishing penalties. Indeed, these are the makings of another classic series in this rivalry.

The Rupp punch came about four minutes after Parise scored on a power play to give New Jersey a 3-0 lead and for all practical purposes, ended the game.

Ruslan Fedotenko ruined Brodeur’s bid for his 25th career playoff shutout with just over five minutes to play.

The Rangers pulled Lundqvist, who had shut out the Devils in Games 1 and 3, with less than three minutes to play, and Brodeur made two outstanding saves to keep it a two-goal game.

Parise finally iced the game with his second of the game and sixth of the playoffs. It was a clearing pass that found its way into the net. Brodeur notched the assist on the play for his fourth of the playoffs.

This game — which did not include New York’s Brandon Prust, who was suspended for elbowing Anton Volchenkov in Game 3 — was decided early because the Devils finally found ways to beat Lundqvist.

The Devils dominated much of the play in Game 3, and the first period of Game 4 was even worse for the Rangers. They looked slow, were outhustled on nearly every shift, and they didn’t get a shot on goal until roughly halfway through the period.

By then, New Jersey already had a 1-0 lead, on a goal by Salvador, and was cruising.

Salvador’s see-eying shot through a half-dozen players from the left point sneaked by the Rangers’ netminder for New Jersey’s first goal since the third period of Game 2. New Jersey’s Jacob Josefson, playing for the first time since breaking his left wrist on April 3, failed to deflect the shot on the way in, and New York’s Anton Stralman seemed to screen Lundqvist, who seemingly never saw the wristshot.

Zajac’s goal gave the Devils a 2-0 lead at 11:59. It was New Jersey’s first two-goal lead in the series and Parise had a big hand in it.

New Jersey’s Dainius Zubrus sent the puck along the boards and New York’s Michael Del Zotto made two mistakes. He didn’t flag down the puck and then he allowed Parise to skate past him, setting up a 2-on-1. Parise lifted a pass over the stick of a prone Dan Girardi, and Zajac one-timed the pass into the upper portion of the net before Lundqvist could react.

Parise extended the lead to 3-0 early in the third period, just four seconds after Derek Stepan was sent off for high sticking. Kovalchuk took a shot from the point that Lundqvist could not control and Parise whacked the rebound into the net.

Game notes

Veteran Petr Sykora, who had played in every game for the Devils this season and won the 2000 Stanley Cup with New Jersey, sat, as Josefson returned to the lineup. … With Prust forced to miss the game, the Rangers dressed seven defenseman, including Stu Bickel who returned to the lineup after sitting for Game 3. … Rangers rookie forward Chris Kreider had his three-game goal scoring streak snapped. … The Devils’ win was played on the 18-year anniversary of New Jersey’s 3-1 victory over the Rangers in the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. That was also a Game 4, and that also tied that series, 2-2. New York went on to win that series in seven games.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver raised concerns on Monday about the independence of a proposed state agency that would prosecute abuse of people with mental or physical disabilities.

The agency is the centerpiece of a proposal by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo to overhaul the policing of crimes against these vulnerable citizens, after decades in which the state’s response to allegations of abuse and neglect was weak.

But Mr. Silver, speaking on Monday about the governor’s proposal, echoed the concerns of some advocates who have suggested that greater independent oversight would be more valuable than another state agency.

“We have concerns about obviously it being a totally internal process and that there is no outside review,” Mr. Silver told reporters in Albany. “I think there has to be some way in which somebody can be heard other than by an employee of the State of New York.”

Mr. Cuomo’s office disagreed. In a statement, Josh Vlasto, the governor’s spokesman, disputed the criticism, and blamed opposition from the state’s largest public employee union, the Civil Service Employees Association.

“The speaker is wrong,” Mr. Vlasto said. “Apparently he hasn’t read the bill yet, because if he had, he would know the bill includes outside and independent oversight, and we must not be dissuaded by CSEA’s opposition, which has stymied progress in the area for decades.”

The exchange made it clear that the legislation, which was passed by the Senate last week without debate, is being viewed more cautiously in the Assembly. Mr. Silver concluded his comments by saying “there are a number of concerns that have been communicated.” He did not elaborate.

The new agency was not the only issue that divided the governor and the Assembly speaker on Monday. Mr. Silver also took a shot at the governor, a fellow Democrat, after Mr. Cuomo said in a radio interview that an increase in the minimum wage had little chance of passing in the Republican-led Senate. Some liberals have pushed the governor to be more active on the issue.

“He’s just making a prediction,” Mr. Silver said. “He’s a great governor. I’m not sure he’s a great prognosticator.”

“I believe that Sept. 11 is a day that people should reflect on what happened,” Sheldon Silver, the speaker of the State Assembly, said last week, as the issue was being discussed. He added that “people should focus on that, rather than being bombarded with telephone calls” encouraging them to go to their polling place.

The state’s primary is traditionally held on the second Tuesday after Labor Day, which this year falls on Sept. 11. The State Senate approved legislation last week to move the primary, and the Assembly followed suit on Monday. Mr. Cuomo signed the bill later in the day.

The state had also delayed its primary in 2007 so that it would not fall on Sept. 11.

The change this year does not affect the state’s Congressional primaries, which will be held on June 26.

Officials at the taxi commission said there were compelling reasons to grant the industry’s wish for higher prices, like allowing fares to keep up with the rate of inflation and recent increases in gasoline prices.

“The fare hasn’t changed since 2006, so it is reasonable for taxi drivers and fleet owners to put this on the table,” David S. Yassky, the taxi and limousine commissioner, said in a statement on Monday.

The city has scheduled a public hearing on the matter for May 31, when the commission is expected to consider an increase of 16 percent to 20 percent. Such hearings are almost never arranged unless a fare increase is under serious consideration.

The fare proposal comes amid a time of flux for the taxicab industry, which has recently experienced some of the biggest upheavals in its history.

Led by Mr. Yassky, the city established a new class of metered cabs to serve northern Manhattan and the other boroughs, angering owners of yellow taxi fleets, who are concerned about the competition that the new taxis would pose. The city also plans to mandate that all cab owners replace their cars with a single vehicle, a customized Nissan minivan. Both initiatives have been challenged in court by industry groups.

The fare increase, however, seems to have broader support among drivers and cab owners.

Bhairavi Desai, the executive director of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, applauded the proposed measure. She said the group hoped that the increases would be applied to mileage and waiting time charges, rather than the base fee, so that “people on shorter trips are not subsidizing the longer trips.”

It is unclear, though, if and how the commission might adjust so-called lease caps — the amount that a fleet or taxi owner can charge drivers for the use of a cab or a medallion. If the caps rise, Ms. Desai said, “then we won’t get a real raise.”

Michael Woloz, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade, urged the city to adjust the lease cap figure to offset rising operating costs for fleets. In 2010, the group filed a petition to increase fares and lease caps by about 20 percent each, Mr. Woloz said.

The last across-the-board increase in taxi fares was in 2004, when the fare rose by 26 percent. In 2006, the city raised the price charged for each minute a cab is stopped or moving slowly; in 2009, a 50-cent surcharge was added to help support the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

The average taxi ride in January cost $11.82, for a trip of slightly less than three miles. A 20 percent increase would bring that fare to $14.18. A trip to Kennedy International Airport, which is currently $45, could reach $54, not counting the cost of tolls.

While some riders acknowledged that an increase was both inevitable and perhaps overdue, others said its potential timing, amid a still-sputtering economy, was ill-advised.

“It’s expensive enough as it is,” said Stacey Momo, 26, a nurse from Staten Island. who often hails taxis so she can catch the Staten Island Ferry after evenings in Manhattan with friends.

Yahyia Gassem, 41, a taxi driver who also works for a car service, said a fare increase could provide a boon. He can look forward to greater profits inside his taxi, he said, then tout the bargain price he asks for a ride in his black Town Car.

Near West 39th Street on Eighth Avenue, another taxi driver leaned on his hood during a break and offered his own assessment.

“It’s a good idea,” the driver said. Then he eyed the taxi line forming outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal. “Maybe not a good idea for the people.”

Also picked Monday were: John Wall (Washington), Ryan Anderson (Orlando), DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento), Paul George (Indiana), Kawhi Leonard and DeJuan Blair (San Antonio), Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors (Utah), DeMar DeRozan (Toronto), Taj Gibson (Chicago) and Klay Thompson (Golden State).

The young players will report to Las Vegas along with the Americans on July 5 and work out against them from July 6-11. Lin’s participation is unclear, as he will be a free agent after his breakout season and may not take part until he signs a new contract during that week.

Former Toronto coach Jay Triano, an assistant with the U.S. 2010 world championship team, and Syracuse assistant Mike Hopkins will serve as co-coaches of the select team.

Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press

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SportsNation: Will Lin stay?

Jeremy Lin’s agent says there’s no guarantee Lin will stay with the Knicks. Would it be a good idea for him to move?

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“I don’t expect that. We’re not anticipating that’s going to happen. We don’t have assurances of anything,” Lin’s agent, Roger Montgomery, said in an interview with the New York Post. “I know history shows most restricted free agents go back to their team, but I’m not going to assume anything. We’re waiting to see what happens.”

Knicks coach Mike Woodson said earlier this month that Lin will “absolutely” be back with the Knicks next season. But Lin, speaking the day after the Knicks’ season-ending loss to Miami in the playoffs, said “nothing is set in stone” regarding his free agency.

“There’s always going to be uncertainty until the final contract is signed, so definitely nothing is set in stone,” Lin said. “Nothing’s set in stone until it’s really written.”

Thanks to a clause in the CBA — named after Gilbert Arenas — the Knicks can match any offer made to Lin this summer.

Another factor in Lin’s free agency is the expected arbitration hearing over the Bird and Early Bird exceptions to the salary cap for waived players.

The union and league are at odds over whether the Bird rights for waived players should be transferred to their new teams. The union says the rights, which allow teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign players, should transfer for players who are waived. The league argues that the Bird rights should not transfer.

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This is significant for Lin because he was picked up off of waivers by the Knicks. If the arbitrator rules in favor of the union, then the Knicks would be allowed to exceed the cap to sign both Lin and forward Steve Novak, who also was acquired off of waivers.

This would also allow the Knicks to use their $5 million mid-level exception on another player. If the arbitrator rules in favor of the league, the Knicks will likely have to use their mid-level exception to re-sign Lin and would be limited in their pursuit of other free agents.

Lin emerged from the end of the Knicks’ bench in early February to lead the team to seven straight wins, essentially saving New York’s season. In addition, he provided a significant financial boon for the Knicks in merchandising sales and marketing opportunities. These intangibles are why many believe Lin is a lock to re-sign.

But there is yet another wrinkle to consider: Teams under the salary cap can offer Lin more than $5 million per season in the third and fourth years of a contract offer, as long as the average annual value of the deal does not exceed the salary cap.

If the Knicks were to match such a back-loaded offer, it may put them above the luxury tax in the third and fourth years of Lin’s contract and prohibit them from using their mid-level exception.

Lin underwent surgery April 2 to repair a small tear in the meniscus of his left knee. He tried to return during the first round of the Knicks’ playoff series against the Heat but was unable to do so.

Montgomery told the New York Post that Lin is “doing well” but is not 100 percent healthy.

Ian Begley is a regular contributor to ESPNNewYork.com.

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In all five boroughs, there were only four.

“If you’re looking for a place that officially allows smoking, your numbers are going to go way, way down,” said Mike Salvo, an agent at Citi Habitats. “But I smoke myself, and I’m not going to go get in the elevator every time I want a cigarette.”

So smokers like him, Mr. Salvo said, just have to look harder.

Finding an apartment has long been a contact sport in the city, where sacrifices are made and premiums paid, often for the pleasure of living in a broom closet. But for smokers who refuse to put on slippers and head down to the sidewalk every time they have a craving, hunting for a place to live here has become even more of a challenge.

Just last month, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg introduced legislation that would require most residential buildings to adopt a smoking policy and disclose it to potential residents. Mr. Bloomberg said this was not a roundabout way to pressure buildings to ban smoking, but there is already a growing pool of landlords, and even some co-op and condo boards, that are opting to skip the smoke in the vents and tension in the hallways altogether.

“Owners can demand it, and it doesn’t affect their ability to fill their vacancies,” said Anthony Lolli, the chief executive of Rapid Realty, a brokerage that specializes in rentals. “It’s a competitive market out there.”

Mr. Lolli has more than just a passing interest in the topic. He is a landlord who had a devastating fire in a building he owned about 13 years ago, and a man who lost his father to emphysema. His company attaches no-smoking — and no-candle — riders to nearly every one of its leases.

“We do 1,500 transactions a month, and maybe once or twice someone will say, ‘Hey, wait a minute,’ ” Mr. Lolli said. Some of the renters do smoke, he suspects, but just keep their habit to themselves, a practice that is becoming more common these days.

And why might that be?

“It welcomes you like a cloud of disgustingness,” Leonard Steinberg, a managing director at Prudential Douglas Elliman, said of taking a stroll past a smoker. “Hate, hate, hate.”

With that kind of animus in the air, it is not surprising that some smokers demanded anonymity in exchange for their apartment-hunting stories.

“You get judged for being a smoker, so I like to keep it hidden,” said a 28-year-old woman, who declined to reveal herself as a smoker in the newspaper, or to her landlord. “I would like to get my security deposit back.”

While real estate professionals say a balcony or terrace is generally the best way to avoid conflict with nonsmoking neighbors, there are other options. The top floor can help minimize complaints, some suggested, as can a prewar building.

“In newer construction with ventilation between apartments, it becomes more of a problem,” Sarah Rose Katz, an agent at Citi Habitats, said. “As opposed to in a prewar building where you open your window, and that’s your ventilation.”

Finding an apartment for a committed indoor smoker can take a little patience — the closeted 28-year-old smoker estimated that she looked at more than 30 apartments before finding one, on a top floor, that she could afford — but they need not move to the suburbs. Most of the city’s landlords still don’t ask about the habit, brokers say, and there are even a smattering of real estate agents and owners who use smoke-friendliness as a selling point.

“When I post that smoking is allowed, I get more calls, I can tell you that,” said Lori Alvarez, a smoker, a landlord and an agent at Joanne Costa Realty.

Some developers of new projects have been reluctant to join the movement toward smoke-free buildings, worried that it might take a bite out of their bottom line. Angela Pinksy, a senior vice president at the Real Estate Board of New York, said some of its members had expressed concern that a nonsmoking building could be a turnoff to foreign buyers who were from parts of the world where smoking was more prevalent.

But in general, the crowd appears to be marching in the other direction, away from the dingy walls and sticky smell that can often outlast a smoking resident.

Charles Mathison, for example, posted an advertisement on Craigslist recently, looking for a roommate in his Williamsburg apartment. He said he was willing to live with a smoker. When contacted about this lenience, he seemed confused.

“No, now it has to be a nonsmoker,” Mr. Mathison said. He explained it was an old advertisement, one he wrote a previous time he was looking for a roommate and then improperly reviewed before reposting it.

“I used to smoke, but I quit five months ago,” Mr. Mathison added. “Now, I don’t want to be around it.”

He said he planned to take the smoking language out.