Al Harrington goes up for two of his hard fought 18 points, a team high.
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While the New York Knicks lost in Charlotte to the Bobcats, they also got a valuable player back in the fold.
Eddy Curry's night wouldn't last longer than his first and only action of the season nearly three months ago, but just getting on the court was a huge step in his much-anticipated return from knee injuries. The 6-foot-11 center played just over two minutes and grabbed a rebound in the Knicks' 96-85 loss in Charlotte on Saturday night.
"Right now I realize that it's going to be difficult to win with me out there. I have missed so much time and it's almost like these guys are playing with a stranger," Curry said. "I'm just totally out of it flow-wise and physically-wise that it's tough right now. I'm just happy to be here, a part of the team. My knees are feeling great and we'll see what happens."
The defeat drops the Knicks six games behind Detroit for final spot in the Eastern Conference with nine games left, leaving Curry to begin thinking about improving for next season. The Bobcats, currently in ninth place, move two games out of their first playoff berth in franchise history.
"It's just going to be about doing what I can right now to get some momentum going into the summer," said Curry, who also had a bacterial infection during training camp and was limited to just 2 minutes 38 seconds of playing time this season in Dallas on Jan. 9. "I'm not going to take any days off and just focus all I can this summer.
"Coach (Mike D'Antoni) thinks I do fit in and I think I can fit in. I just think it's going to be about me working out hard this summer, coming back early and playing some pick-up games with the guys and see what happens after that."
Curry entered the game at the 7:58 mark of the second quarter as the Knicks held a 35-30 lead, but picked up three quick fouls and went to the bench 2 minutes 20 seconds later. The Knicks went up eight during Curry's only stint off the bench before the Bobcats gained control and ended the first half on a 20-6 run to take a six-point halftime edge.
"It looked like (Curry) hadn't played for a year and that's to be expected," Head Coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't think we can judge him today. We're just going to try to get him out there little by little and try to get him a little bit more comfortable."
Wilson Chandler and Al Harrington scored 18 points each for the Knicks, who fought with Charlotte until the end but never led in the second half. David Lee added 14 points and 10 rebounds.
While the return of Curry didn't affect the game much, the Knicks showed once again how much they could use his inside presence. Charlotte won the battle on the boards 46-34 and bullied their way to the free throw line nine more times than New York.
Gerald Wallace led a balanced Bobcats attack with 23 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Emeka Okafor pulled in a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Knicks will continue their current three-game road trip on Monday in Utah before heading to Denver on Wednesday. Curry is expected to be available for both games.
KNICKS KNACKS
Points
Al Harrington Wilson Chandler
18
Rebounds
David Lee 10
Assists
Chris Duhon 8
STAT OF THE GAME
The Knicks made 10 of their 25 3-pointers (40 percent), but went just 32-for-85 (37.6 percent) overall from the field.
TURNING POINT
The Bobcats ended the first half on a 20-6 run to build a six-point halftime lead. The Knicks were unable to get closer than four the rest of the way.
PLAY OF THE GAME
As two defenders drew towards Nate Robinson on a fast break late in the third quarter, Wilson Chandler snuck his way to the rim and threw down Robinson's alley-oop pass with two hands.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"Our defense was pretty good, except our offense was so bad and we forced shots and did some stuff that gave them some easy shots. We can’t do that. We have to be more efficient offensively and keep picking up our defense. I thought we were making some strides, but our offense wasn’t very good tonight."
