Gallinari Lights Up Garden in Defeat
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Philadelphia 76ers 107, New York Knicks 97  
Danilo Gallinari handed the ball to Nate Robinson along the sideline, got it back at the top of the key and calmly drained a 3-pointer early in the second quarter for his first career NBA bucket.
And with that perfectly formed jumper, which led to a loud roar from the Madison Square Garden crowd, the Italian rookie took his first step to a full recovery from a lingering back problem that has kept him out of 36 games this season. “I was feeling good,” the 6-foot-10 forward said following Saturday’s 107-97 defeat to the surging Sixers. “It was a nice atmosphere, but my first thought is that at the end of the game we lost and I’m not so happy about that.” Gallinari, who played sparingly in the first two games of the season after missing the entire preseason, scored six points on 2-of-4 shooting from the field, dished out one assist and blocked a shot in 15 very active minutes of action. He made his initial stint off the bench in the start of the second quarter and played nearly four minutes, Gallinari hit his first shot attempt at the 9:33 mark of the period. “Let’s get the first one and go,” he said. “I was waiting for that first one in my first and second game, so I was feeling good.” Gallinari got the nod once again at the end of the third quarter and made a much bigger impact, hitting another 3-pointer, then setting up Al Harrington’s second straight 3 to cut a 13-point deficit to three with 7:59 left to play. “He is a confident guy and he’s very mature,” Head Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He gives us something we really need with his shooting. Hopefully he won’t take any steps backwards and his back stays okay.” The Knicks will be back in action on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day when they host the Chicago Bulls at 1 p.m. ET in their annual matinee.
KNICKS KNACKS
STAT OF THE GAME
➢David Lee recorded his 28th double-double with 15 points (6-9 FG) and 11 rebounds. Lee recorded 25 double-doubles in last 28 games. He entered play tonight second in the NBA in double-doubles to Orlando’s Dwight Howard (30), fourth in field goal percentage (.579) and fourth in rebounding (11.4). He was the only player in the NBA in the top-4 in all three categories. He also entered play tonight tied for the league lead for double-doubles in January (7). TURNING POINT
Al Harrington heated up late in the third quarter and helped the Knicks nearly erase a 13-point second-half deficit. The Knicks' sixth man scored 15 of his 26 points from the 0:02 mark of the third quarter to the 6:39 of the fourth as New York cut the score to one with a 27-15 run. But the Sixers responded with 10 unanswered points of their own, and the Knicks never recovered.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Madison Square Garden erupted at 9:33 of the second quarter when Danilo Gallinari made his first NBA field goal on a 26-foot three-pointer assisted by Nate Robinson.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
 “We’re very happy to see Gallo out there, and we are happy with the reception he got from the fans here. It’s really good for him. He’s a good kid and we are all excited for him.”
Quentin Richardson
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