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Bobcats win second straight, down Knicks

Apr 16, 2013 - 4:02 AM Charlotte, NC (Sports Network) - Kemba Walker registered a double-double with 23 points and a career-high 13 assists and led the Charlotte Bobcats to a 106-95 win over the New York Knicks on Monday.

Gerald Henderson had a team-high 27 points, while Bismack Biyombo and Josh McRoberts scored 10 points apiece, with Biyombo also grabbing 11 boards, for the Bobcats, who have won two straight.

"We're finding that the more we pass the ball, it's easier to get good shots or get the ball into the paint," said Bobcats coach Mike Dunlap. "And that word, 'drive-and-pitch' team or 'drive-and-finish' team, we're not a great three-point shooting team. So, that's who we are, but the past is becoming contagious."

Chris Copeland had a career-high 32 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost only twice over the last 17 games. Steve Novak tallied 17 points and James White recorded 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists in defeat.

"We fought," said Copeland. "We went out there and fought. Nobody gave up the whole game. Shots didn't fall, we missed some defensive assignments, but we kept fighting. I think that's a good thing."

Having already clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks decided to rest a number of players, most notably Carmelo Anthony, in preparation for the postseason.

The Knicks were also without Tyson Chandler, Amare Stoudemire, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby, all of whom are either resting or nursing injuries. With the exception of Stoudemire, each player is expected to be ready for the postseason.

Charlotte could not be stopped offensively in the first half, shooting 62.5 percent from the field.

Down 10-9 with under eight minutes to play in the first quarter, the Bobcats went on a 14-2 run to take a 23-12 lead with 3:15 remaining and the team never looked back.

Entering the second quarter, Charlotte had a 30-17 lead.

The Knicks improved in the period, outscoring the Bobcats 28-24, but were only able to bring themselves within nine, 54-45, at halftime.

In the third, Walker paced the Bobcats, scoring 10 points in the frame and the team shot 10-of-15 from the field. Near the end of the stanza, Charlotte had a 20-point lead before Jason Kidd sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it a 84-67 game entering the fourth.

Copeland scored 10 points in the final period and the Knicks cooled the Bobcats to 42.1 percent shooting, but the deficit was too great. With much of its roster depleted, New York was forced to use its starters for nearly the entire game.

The Bobcats, meanwhile, used Biyombo the whole quarter and continued to use Henderson and McRoberts for much of the period. However, Walker was not used.

The Knicks had a 14-2 surge in the final 3:32 of the game, but the deficit was too great for them to come back.

Game Notes

New York's Iman Shumpert scored 14 points ... Charlotte's Jeff Taylor scored 12 points off the bench ... The Knicks recorded just nine turnovers ... New York did not have any second chance points ... The Knicks made all 13 of their free throw attempts, while the Bobcats were 13-of-14 from the foul line ... Prior to the game, the Bobcats lost 14 straight and 21 of 22 on the road ... Charlotte snapped a five-game losing streak against New York ... The Knicks won the season series, 3-1.