Notebook | Police chief details Isiah Thomas incident

NEW YORK — The police report about the 911 call made from former Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas' house on Friday is still being processed, but Harrison, N.Y., police chief David Hall gave Newsday what he called "the Reader's Digest version" in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Hall's comments include new details on the 911 call made from Thomas' house, the police department's determination that alcohol was not a factor, and his rationale for calling the incident an accidental overdose and not a suicide attempt.

Hall continued to refuse to identify Thomas as the unconscious 47-year-old man who was taken to White Plains Hospital early Friday morning from Thomas' house in Purchase, N.Y. Thomas is 47. But Hall left little doubt whom he was speaking about when he referenced the individual's Knicks contract.

"The only thing I can say is maybe he has some stipulation in his contract," Hall said of Thomas' rationale for telling a New York Post reporter on Friday afternoon that the incident involved his 17-year-old daughter and not him. "If he takes drugs or whatever they may not owe him the $18 million. I have no idea."

Thomas, who was fired as Knicks president and coach earlier this year, is working for the team in an undisclosed capacity. He is not listed in the team's media guide, but is continuing to collect a reported $18 million for the next three years.

Hall revealed that the 911 call came from a cellphone with a New Jersey area code. Because the call came from a cell, it was initially handled by the New York State Police in Albany, he said.

Harrison police never had been called to Thomas' $4.4 million home before, Hall said.

"We'd never been there for anything," he said. "Not even a barking dog."

Hall was still upset on Tuesday that Thomas' version of events made his officers look incompetent or worse.

" 'Oh, it was my daughter.' The cops aren't stupid," he said. " ... We're still talking about this thing four days later. Tell the truth from the very beginning, and this thing is over in 24 hours ... I've never said who the individual was at the house. We know that there was a 47-year-old male, not a 17-year-old female."

Notes

• Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge has been given a new title and a contract extension as the team kicks off the defense of its 17th NBA championship.

The team announced Tuesday Ainge has been promoted to president of basketball operations. The terms of his contract extension were not disclosed.

• Former All-Stars Chris Webber and Gary Payton will serve as studio analysts for NBA TV this season.

Steve Smith and Eric Snow also will be analysts on the network's programming, which includes 96 live games and live programming from the new NBA TV studio six days a week.

• Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams will miss the season opener tonight because of a second-degree sprain in his left ankle. Forward Matt Harpring will also miss the opener as he recovers from an infection he got after having ankle surgery this summer. He missed all of the preseason.