Knicks Sting Hornets to Take Season Series

Duhon exploded out of a recent scoring slump with nine of his 15 points in the momentum-shifting third quarter to help the Knicks recover from an early double-digit deficit and snap a six-game skid with a 103-93 win over the New Orleans Hornets Friday night at The Garden.

New York hopes to play with the same type of energy it had in the second half for the remainder of the season and see what happens as they remain mathematically alive in the Eastern Conference Playoff Race.

“We just want to finish off the season on a positive note,” Duhon said. “It’s been a decent year, but these past six games weren’t anything close to the team that we are capable of being. We just wanted to play these last games hard and finish off the season well.”

After finishing the first half with three rebounds and an assist as his team fell behind by double digits, Duhon dished out six of his seven dimes in the third quarter alone. His assist on Quentin Richardson’s 3-pointer at the buzzer gave the Knicks a 12-point edge entering the fourth quarter.

In an intense final period that featured three technical fouls and the ejection of New Orleans’ James Posey, the Knicks remained focused on the game and extended their lead to as many as 16 with less than five minutes remaining.

“The biggest thing was energy. I thought they came out in the second half focused,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “I just thought in the first half we didn’t have it. And they carried through the rest of the game. I thought it was a pretty good effort in the second half.”

Al Harrington led all five Knicks starters in double figures with 23 points to go along with eight rebounds, while David Lee added 18 and 11. Wilson Chandler contributed 15 and eight for New York, which shot 48.7 percent from the field.

The Knicks’ defense was also a major difference maker in the must-win game. New York held New Orleans, the seventh-best team in the West, to 43 percent shooting. The Hornets’ superstar point guard, Chris Paul, had 22 points and 10 assists but appeared frustrated at time by the Knicks’ hardnosed defense.

“When we get stops like that and we get out and get some easy buckets it makes us better all around,” Lee said. “Our team just overall played better. We were scrappy tonight, especially in the second half. I think that was the key to the game.”