NBA Notes: Childs finally set for Knicks debut

Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

SUN WIRE REPORTS

His story line is straight out of "Touched by an Angel."

Chris Childs acknowledges his rise from alcoholism and a dead-end career in the Continental Basketball Association to sobriety and a six-year, $24 million contract in New York wasn't achieved alone.

"You have to put it into perspective," Childs says. "I know the reason why. I'm blessed. I never take any of the credit."

His miracle-like journey from the back alleys of basketball to life on Broadway takes another step tonight in Orlando when Childs is expected to make his debut off the bench as the Knicks' lead guard.

Childs, out with a broken leg for the preseason and the Knicks' 7-2 start, accompanied the team south after another encouraging practice Monday. He can't wait to start earning his paycheck alongside the Knicks' other new guard, Allan Houston.

"It's been tough sitting and watching," says Childs, whose breakthrough year (he averaged 12.8 points and an NBA 12th-best 7.0 assists) with New Jersey last season landed him one of the summer's most lucrative contracts.

Before joining the Nets two years ago, Childs, undrafted coming out of Boise State in 1989, bounced from CBA team to CBA team (six in all) and bar to bar in a downward five-year spiral. He finally sought help, sobered up and made believers out of doubters.

"I've got a lot of work to do," he says. "There are a lot of expectations coming from the team and the players and talk of a championship. I don't want to just make it in the league, I want to make my mark."

Succeed or not, Childs has it all in perspective. "To this day, I have nothing to get upset about. I've already hit rock bottom. I've just got to go out and play with a smile."

* PACERS FINED: Indiana star Reggie Miller was fined $10,000 and Pacers coach Larry Brown was fined $5,000 on Monday for remarks they made following a loss last week to Houston. The penalties were announced by Rod Thorn, the NBA's senior vice president for basketball operations. "These referees were a joke," Miller said of Thursday's 90-88 defeat at Houston. "It's absolutely comical what they're doing to this team. ... These referees come into this league and they think they're bigger than the league." The Pacers were called for 33 fouls in the game. Officials called 24 personals and two technicals against the Rockets.

* RIDER TRIAL: Portland Trail Blazers guard and former UNLV player Isaiah Rider will go on trial Feb. 7 after pleading innocent to marijuana possession charges. Clackamas County sheriff's deputies cited Rider Oct. 31 a few blocks from his apartment in suburban Lake Oswego. Rider, one of five people in two parked cars, was the only person cited. Deputies reported Rider was holding a lighter and a pop can with holes in it to his mouth. The deputies said they found less than an ounce of marijuana in the crude pipe. Ken Wittenberg, one of his attorneys, would not discuss the case, other than to say: "We'll be in court on the seventh. You can come see for yourselves." If convicted, Rider, faces a minimum $500 fine.

* ATLANTA OK'S ARENA: City Council members gave unanimous approval Monday for a $215 million arena in downtown Atlanta to replace the Omni, the current home of the Atlanta Hawks. The project still needs the approval of the Fulton County Commission and the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority, which owns the Omni. The arena will be built on the site of the Omni.