Resurgent Knicks roll depleted pacers

By Adam Zagoria, for NBA.com
Posted Sunday January 3, 2010 10:43PM

NEW YORK (NBA.com exclusive) -- Danilo Gallinari set the tone early for the Knicks in Sunday's game against Indiana at Madison Square Garden.

Gallinari elevated over 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert, threw down a monstrous one-handed dunk and then posed for the crowd with both palms facing downward as if he were surfing.

That basket put the Knicks up 20-5 midway through the first period and they cruised the rest of the way to a 132-89 blowout over a depleted and fatigued Pacers team.

The offensive explosion marked the highest scoring total for New York this season and the point differential (43) was New York's largest since an April 1994 win over Philadelphia.

The Knicks raced out to a 38-16 lead after one quarter and were up 74-42 at the break.

Four of the five Knicks starters scored at least 18 points. David Lee put up 22 points and 16 rebounds. Wilson Chandler scored a game-high 23 points. Gallinari tallied 20 points. And Chris Duhon was remarkably efficient, posting 18 points on 6-for-7 from beyond the arc, 7 assists and 0 turnovers.

"It's hard to pick out one guy. They all played well. When that happens, you sometimes get that big point differential," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said.

The resurgent Knicks (14-20) have now won two straight, three of four and six of nine.

After a horrendous 1-9 start, they are 13-11 over their last 24 games.

New York entered the day one game behind Milwaukee and Charlotte for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and two games back of Chicago for the seventh seed.

"I like the fact that we got off 1-9 and then had this comeback, but I don't make too much out of standings at this point," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said before tip-off.

"I like the fact that we're playing better and that we seem like we want to win the games and that we're competitive in most of the games were playing. But we got a long season to go and we got to keep getting better because everyone else does."

While the Knicks are surging Indiana (10-23) is plummeting.

The Pacers lost for the ninth time in 10 games.

They were coming off a victory over Minnesota Saturday night, but are without several key players. Troy Murphy (ankle), Tyler Hansbrough (ear infection), Danny Granger (heel), Travis Diener (toe) and Jeff Foster (sore lower back) are all nursing injuries. Point guard T.J. Ford also did not play for the second straight game because of a coach's decision.

"We didn't have the weapons or the legs to compete with the Knicks tonight," Pacers coach Jim O'Brien said. "It's not fun to get behind 15 or 20 points early in the game, and we found ourselves digging holes early. Generally we fight back and make it a ball game, but we did not have the energy or the legs to get back in the basketball game."

D'Antoni announced before the game that Nate Robinson was officially back in the rotation after his superb 41-point outing in Friday's 112-108 overtime victory at Atlanta. Robinson became the first player since Pete Maravich in 1973 to come off the bench for 40 points and 8 assists.

"These guys get paid a lot of money to stay ready," said D'Antoni, who had benched Robinson for 14 games before Friday because he said he wanted to utilize a more defensive-oriented team. "It's not like, 'Oh boy, he stayed ready.' I would think a lot of people in the workplace would be kind of ready if you're getting paid this money."

Robinson entered the game late in the first period to a standing ovation and finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds.

With Robinson back in the rotation, veteran Larry Hughes is now out.

Far out.

During garbage time, D'Antoni emptied his bench of everyone but Hughes. This is the second time this season Hughes has been frozen out. He began the season buried deep on the bench, but then started 14 games, averaging 10.4 points.

"It's really nothing you can do about it," Hughes said. "You're employed. Go to work, come to work, ready to work and that's all you can do."

Seldom-used forward Marcus Landry even got in on the action, scoring 8 points in the final period.

As reporters crowded around his teammates in the locker room after the game, Landry finished up putting on his clothes, stood up and proclaimed with a smile to the media, "OK everyone, I'm ready."

Such is the jubilant mood of the resurgent Knicks.

• Pacers: Foster, Granger, Hansbrough
• Knicks: Curry, Milicic, Mobley

• Pacers: --
• Knicks: --

• Lead Changes: 0
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #61 Courtney Kirkland, #73 Ed Malloy
• Attendance: 19763
• Duration: 2:1