Gallinari’s late block helps Knicks win
December 20, 2009
NEW YORK (AP)—Wilson Chandler(notes) scored 26 points, Danilo Gallinari(notes) added 21 anda huge blocked shot in the closing seconds, and the New York Knicks held on fora 98-94 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday night.
David Lee(notes) finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Knicks, who wonfor the sixth time in eight games. They would have had another victory in thatstretch, but they were outscored 15-2 over the last 2:33 of a 94-87 loss atCharlotte on Tuesday night.
Chandler and Gallinari wouldn’t let the Knicks blow this one, both hittingbig 3-pointers in the final quarter. But Gallinari’s biggest play came on theother end, when he blocked Acie Law’s(notes) layup with about 3 seconds left and NewYork up by two.
New York Knicks' Wilson Ch… AP – Dec 20, 9:07 pm EST New York Knicks' Nate Robi… AP – Dec 20, 9:07 pm EST
Charlotte Bobcats forward Derr… AP – Dec 20, 9:02 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 2; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091221/capt.a9dc51623e8047dda3ecb29233947e2e.bobcats_knicks_basketball_msg101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=62&yc=1&wc=289&hc=321&q=70&sig=ZFlvmDAgGEFwGNRQd6_h5A--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091221/capt.a8284ed3622f48a7b3a778ae86d48a20.bobcats_knicks_basketball_msg.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=289&hc=321&q=70&sig=Fy6l2xcCe1NVoY_Fe99_sA--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 3 Cha-NY Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Raymond Felton(notes) had 27 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for theBobcats, already one of the NBA’s most punchless teams, who then finished thisgame without their top two scorers. Gerald Wallace(notes) was a late scratch because ofa severe headache, and Stephen Jackson(notes) limped off midway through the thirdquarter with lower back spasms.
Tyson Chandler(notes) had 13 points and 14 rebounds for Charlotte, which has lostthree in a row and five of six.
Boris Diaw’s(notes) basket trimmed the Knicks’ lead to 83-82 with 5 1/2 minutesremaining, but Gallinari nailed a 3-pointer with 5:05 to play. D.J. Augustin’s(notes) 3again cut it to one, then Gallinari again hit from behind the arc to restore thefour-point lead with 4:04 left.
A basket by Felton made it a two-point game with 3 1/2 to play before Chandlermade a 3 from the corner. Al Harrington(notes) tipped in a miss on the next possession,extending the Knicks’ lead to a seemingly safe 94-87 with 1:31 left.
Charlotte scored five straight and again was within two on Felton’s3-pointer with 22 seconds to go. Gallinari failed to put it away by hitting onlytwo of four free throws, but made up for it with his big block. Chandler thenhit two from the line to close it out.
Jonathan Bender(notes) scored 11 points for the Knicks in his second game back inthe NBA after being forced to stop playing the game during the 2005-06 seasonbecause of chronic right knee pain.
The teams combined to go just 13 of 40 in an ugly first quarter, and one ofCharlotte’s makes came when Jackson banked in an alley-oop pass intended forChandler. Bender’s 3-pointer with 32 seconds left gave New York a 16-14 leadafter one.
Wilson Chandler scored 13 points in the second, helping the Knicks take a51-45 halftime lead. The lead grew to 12 midway through the third on ChrisDuhon’s(notes) 3-pointer, but Charlotte had it down to four in the final minute of theperiod and went to the fourth trailing only 76-70.
NOTES: Charlotte had won both meetings this season and four in a row in theseries. … Knicks president Donnie Walsh said before the game he will probablyspeak to the agent for benched guard Nate Robinson(notes) on Monday after a request fora trade. Aaron Goodwin made the request Saturday, and Robinson sat out a ninthstraight game Sunday. … The Bobcats landed as scheduled Saturday night atNewark Airport after flying from Charlotte despite a winter storm.