NEW YORK – Bill Laimbeer had stated, during a very informal pre-game conference, that it would be premature to think that his Detroit Shock and the New York Liberty could be rivals.

“They just haven’t been here [in the playoffs] as often,” he offered. “Certainly, not like the [Connecticut] Sun.”

Still, after the Liberty’s emphatic 73-51 win in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series, played before 9,976 at the Garden on Friday evening, the coach of the defending champions might think otherwise. While the one-sided contest –produced by the greatest margin of victory in the franchise’s postseason history- may not be enough to stir a sibling rivalry, it was certainly more than enough to make the visitors take their opponents seriously.

The theory, in a short series, is that the hotter team will prevail, as the winner of Game One wins the round almost 70% of the time. Thus, the Shock need to win the final two games in this Best-of-Three, inside the Palace of Auburn Hills, to keep their title defense alive.

Detroit, which finished with a league-best 24-10 record, had nearly clinched first place by the All-Star break. In spite of starting the season 5-0, New York required wins in their final three regular-season contests just to finish 16-18.

Now, after securing their first playoff win since September 28, 2004 [a 66-64 victory against the Shock at MSG], the Liberty –inspired by their ‘Don’t Mess With Cinderella’ mantra- have to win just once over the next two games to face the winner of Connecticut-Indiana.

That is not as improbable as it would appear. Each of their four regular-season meetings against Detroit was decided by ten points or less. And, both of their games at the Palace, a one-point win and a one-point loss, were decided in overtime. Two single-digit defensive efforts wrapped around a furious 28-point third quarter have pushed midnight back a little further.

Shameka Christon led with 16 points and equalled the team record of 15 rebounds [last set by Tari Phillips in 2001], and a game-breaking 18-0 run –consisting of four consecutive three-point plays by four different players- nearly made observers forget that both teams had played to a 25-all snooze-fest in the first half.

“It might have been,” said Pat Coyle, the victorious coach, “the best I’ve seen [Christon] play since she has been here. She was unbelievable tonight.”

“I made it a point,” Christon noted, “to play hard and rebound. That is what my coaches and teammates ask of me. We just focused on the things that we’ve done really well, and have made us successful.”

Janel McCarville, the first No. 1 draft pick in WNBA history to become its Most Improved Player, set the pace in the opening quarter with four points, four rebounds and one timely steal along the defensive baseline. The 6’3” center, a teammate of the Sun’s Lindsay Whalen at Minnesota, averaged 10.4 points and 4.8 rebounds after New York selected her in the dispersal draft following the disbandment of the Charlotte Sting.

“We didn’t play basketball,” Laimbeer said, after watching McCarville scorch his team for 13 points and eight boards. “New York wanted it more than us, and that was discouraging. We lacked the desire to compete. As a ball club, we were not cohesive. That is something we need to find in the next day and half.

“If we do, we’ll be fine. If we don’t, then it’s an early exit.”

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