Some good news at the Garden

0 Comments | USA TODAY, February, 2008 | by Michael McCarthy

NEW YORK -- When a sports team spirals through its seventh losing season in a row, fans usually stay home and the franchise's financial value dips. But for the New York Knicks, average home attendance is up this season. The club was named the NBA's "most valuable" by Forbes in December. Details:

Attendance up: Ticket sales are down from the Patrick Ewing era, but the club is averaging 18,978 through 25 home games, spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz says. That's a 3.7% increase from the first 25 home games last season. The Knicks are 11th in average home attendance out of 30 clubs.

Payroll: The Knicks pay out $95.4 million for their roster, highest in the NBA, according to ESPN.com. The Dallas Mavericks are second at $94.3 million. New York's budget will see some...