Knicks snap three straight, eyeing NBA playoffs
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From a NBA most defense-less franchise to a defense prone team, New York Knicks are undergoing a transition of style.
With the transformation under head coach Mike D'Antoni, Knicks are rallying towards a playoff opportunity after a disastrous 1-9 start to the season.
After Thursday's 97-93 win over visiting Charlotte Bobcats in a defence bout, Knicks snatched three triumphs in a row and are poised suddenly toward a potential Eastern Conference playoff spot.
Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 27 points, including two foul shots to ice the game, and Danilo Gallinari hit three 3-pointers in the fourth period to nail the jigsaw game.
"We knew it was so important for us. It was a great win for us," said Gallinari, who scored nine of his 17 in the fourth, including back-to-back treys that put New York up 93-86.
"I was feeling good. When you score those baskets with this incredible crowd, it's great."
David Lee added 22 on 11-for-17 shooting as the Knicks evened up the season series with Charlotte (15-19) at 2-2.
The Knicks (15-20) have won four of five and seven of 10 to pull within a half game of Milwaukee for the eighth playoff spot in the East.
The Knicks trailed 71-61 late in the third but rattled off a 15-0 run bridging the third and fourth quarters to take a 76-71 lead.
Nate Robinson, recently out of D'Antoni's doghouse, scored eight during the spurt, hitting two 3-pointers and driving the lane for a dunk, who was tagged by the coach as spark-giver, but no much.
Robinson ran fast in an energetic way but turned ball over fast either, handling seven turnovers in his 19 minutes on court, including a bad pass that ended up in Gerald Wallace's hands and helped cut the Charlotte deficit to two in the final seconds.
In Knicks' starters, Jared Jeffries is credited to play critical role on defence, who grabbed 10 rebounds, two blocks as well as six points.
Jeffries stepped off Gerald Wallace under the basket and alertly moved toward Flip
Murray, who was about to launch a short jumper from the elbow.
Jeffries leaped and blocked the shot, and the rebound landed in Chris Duhon's hands. The Knicks were in transition and Lee scored on the other end for an 84-78 lead.
Charlotte scored back-to-back 3-pointers to pull even at 84, but Duhon responded with another 3 from the top of the arc before Gallinari drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to extend the lead to 93-86, earning a cascade of applause from the fans.
The Bobcats had won three straight, with victories at Miami and Cleveland and at home against Chicago.
But the giant killer couldn't hold onto a 10-point lead at Madison Square Garden.
The teams combined to make 24-for-50 3-pointers, with New York making six in the fourth.
Gallinari leads the NBA in 3-pointers made so far, who proved to be the match hammer for the decade long stagnant Knicks.
The win came as Knicks forward Al Harrington was sidelined with a strained left calf, who was on the court for a pregame workout but was later scratched after meeting with the medical staff.
"I told him there's too many games left," D'Antoni said, "so if you're not feeling 100 percent, don't go."
The Knicks begin a three-game road trip Saturday at Houston. Knicks rookie Marcus Landry, who recently earned a guaranteed contract for the season, will face his older brother, Carl Landry, at Toyota Center.
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