Robinson, Gallinari Lead Ferocious Rally, But Knicks Come Up Short Vs. Magic
|
Orlando Magic 114, New York Knicks109  
He didn’t jump over anyone’s head or high-five any celebs sitting courtside, but Nate Robinson still found a way to steal the show at The World’s Most Famous Arena. That is until Danilo Gallinari decided to show off his stuff as well.
Rather than just showcasing his hops like he did the last time he was on the same court as Dwight Howard, Robinson used his overall basketball abilities to finish with a game-high 32 points in the Knicks’ 114-109 loss to the Magic on Wednesday night. He also had four assists and three rebounds in 36 minutes off the bench. Gallinari, on the other hand, did his damage from beyond the 3-point line during the best game of his young career. The rookie scored eight points and pulled in five rebounds, but more importantly, he was on the floor during crunch-time for the first time in his career. “He (Gallinari) shows the ability to be un-phased by anything,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “A couple of shots that he had at the end of the game were sweet.” None of Gallinari’s trio of clutch shots - which all came late in the game - was better than his final one. With his team down 109-104 with 24 seconds left to play, the forward known as “The Rooster” pulled up from beyond the arc to help the Knicks nearly erase a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit. Robinson took over from there, making a layup following a pair of Rafer Alston free throws. But he was off on a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left that would’ve gotten the Knicks within one and the Magic held on. The missed shot caused a roar of boos from The Garden crowd that thought a foul should have been called on the play. “It obviously wasn’t, so it’s all good,” said Robinson, who tried to draw contact by jumping into the defender. “You live and you learn.” Despite not leading his team to their second straight win, it was just the latest outstanding performance on the hardwood for Robinson. The 5-foot-9 guard topped the 30-point mark for the fifth time in seven games and won the 2009 Slam Dunk title with a memorable slam over the 6-11 Howard during the best stretch of his career. Meanwhile, Howard’s first trip to New York this season started off with a bang as he ended with impressive numbers of his own. The center, who is unlike any other player the Knicks have faced this season, recorded a double-double and had four blocks by the end of the first quarter on his way to 24 points and 21 rebounds. “He has a different component. It’s even different from playing against a guy like (Philadelphia center Samuel) Dalembert or someone else who is 7-feet tall,” said Lee, who finished with 10 and 10. “Dwight roams a lot and he’s a very good defender because of that.” Lee and Howard remain tied with a league-leading 46 double-doubles apiece this season following the first of four meetings between the standout big men this season. Lee also matched Jerry Lucas for the second longest streak in franchise history with 21 double-doubles in a row. Wilson Chandler scored 27 and Al Harrington added 26 and seven boards for the Knicks, who still remain in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race with a 24-33 record. “It was a tough game, but our team didn’t give up,” Lee said. “We would have liked to win that one.”
KNICKS KNACKS
Points
32 Rebounds
10 Assists
10 STAT OF THE GAME
Nate Robinson eclipsed the 30-point mark for the second consecutive game and for the fifth time in seven games. Robinson led the Knicks in scoring 13 times this season with 18 20-point performances and six 30-point performances. He entered play tonight fourth in the NBA in scoring since the All-Star break with 29.2 points in four games. He trailed Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade and Amar’e Stoudemire.
TURNING POINT
Trailing by four, Nate Robinson missed a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left on a shot that many believed he was fouled on. But there was no call, and Hedo Turkoglu sealed the Magic's victory with a free throw four seconds later.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Midway through the third quarter, Chris Duhon chased down an offensive rebound off of his own miss. While it looked like he was going to take a deep two, he instead found a streaking Wilson Chandler, who caught the ball over his head with two hands before throwing it down with force.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
 “(Danilo Gallinari) shows the ability to be unphased by anything. A couple of shots that he had at the end of the game were sweet. He took a charge. He knows when to foul. He’s a very smart basketball player. He’ll make good plays. The more that he plays, the better he’ll get, obviously. He’s good.”
Head Coach Mike D'antoni
|
