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Knicks overcome Wizards in overtime

Feb 20, 2008 - 5:11 AM By Tim Hipps PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

WASHINGTON (Ticker) - David Lee had two dunks in overtime and the New York Knicks set a franchise record with 23 points in the extra period en route to a 113-100 victory over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Lee's first dunk, a three-point play over Andray Blatche, extended a 14-1 run bridging the fourth quarter and overtime and gave the Knicks a 96-90 lead with 3:33 remaining in the extra period.

His second slam pushed the run to 16-1 and made it 98-90 lead with 3:03 left.

"It was a couple of great passes by Jamal (Crawford) and I just tried to finish them and continue to build that lead because Washington is a team that can put up a lot of points in a small period of time," Lee said. "You don't want them hanging around.

"We've lost a couple of close ones here recently, before the All-Star break, and we've had that kind of stuff done to us. We've been in positions to win games and we haven't done it, so it was a great feeling to come out after the All-Star break and get this first victory by coming back and playing solid during crunch time."

Quentin Richardson's 3-pointer capped the 19-1 blitz and gave the Knicks a 101-90 lead. New York scored the first 11 points in the extra session.

"It just all came together for us," said Richardson, who finished with 19 points and six assists. "I can't really explain it. We executed and made shots."

"Our performance was very disappointing," Washington coach Eddie Jordan said. "No enthusiasm, no intensity. We gave ourselves a chance, but that's just water under the bridge right now."

The Knicks made all six of their shots from the field in overtime, including three from behind the arc, and shot 8-of-9 at the free-throw line.

"That's a big deal considering we play for the New York Knicks," Richardson said. "Anytime you do something like that and get a win, you've got to be happy about it. It was kind of crazy while it was happening. I was just glad that we were playing well and making shots, and then when you looked up it was like, 'Wow!' The game was pretty much put away."

The 23 overtime points eclipsed New York's previous mark of 19 against Detroit on February 22, 1964.

"Yeah, somebody asked if I knew that we broke the record and I said that I didn't keep up on those kinds of records," Lee said. "I'm more happy for our team. It just shows when we're clicking on offense what we're capable of doing."

Zach Randolph led New York with 24 points. Crawford, who scored 21 points, had a 3-pointer and four free throws in overtime. Nate Robinson added a 3-pointer and three free throws in overtime.

Robinson's 3-pointer pulled the Knicks to 89-85 with 2:50 remaining in regulation. He made another 3-pointer from the top of the key that pulled New York to 90-89 with 1:24 left.

"We didn't play defense. Guys had wide open threes and uncontested shots," Wizards guard DeShawn Stevenson said. "It's easy to shoot 100 percent when the defense isn't playing the way they are supposed to."

After Antawn Jamison missed a turnaround baseline jumper with 1:08 left in regulation, the 5-9 Robinson emerged from a scrum with the rebound.

"I just kept tipping it and tipping it and it hit off my leg and I got it to Q so I wouldn't double-dribble," Robinson said. "I was just being feisty, man. Coach always tells me to try to get every loose ball and that's what I was trying to do.

"I guess you've just got to open your eyes and say, 'Let's play harder.' T hat's what it felt like. We're a team and that's what we're trying to do is win and stay together. We did a good job of that tonight."

That was after Randolph and Robinson got into a heated argument on the Knicks' bench during the waning seconds of regulation.

"It just was a misunderstanding," Randolph said. "I ain't got no comment about it. Me and Nate talked about it and it was part of a family misunderstanding. We're all right, we talked about it."

Robinson opened overtime with his third 3-pointer of the game that gave the Knicks a 93-90 lead they never relinquished.

"We just played through the course of the game and the overtime and tried to grind it out," Robinson said. "They were getting shots but we just didn't give them second shots. Everybody was coming down and rebounding. David did a good job of tipping (balls) to himself and to Zach.

"It was crazy. Everything was crazy. It was one of them days."

Jamison had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Wizards.

Jamison, who contributed two points, one rebound and one blocked shot in 12 minutes of the East's 134-128 victory over the West in Sunday's NBA All-Star Game, notched his 31st double-double of the season.

"Tonight we had a chance to win it," Jamison said. "We just didn't show that sense of urgency or the type of energy we needed to play with as a team that is trying to stay in the race and turn things around."

The Knicks prevailed, 2-1, in the three-game season series between the teams.

Robinson's 3-pointer from the top of the key pulled the Knicks within 90-89 with 1:24 remaining in regulation. After Jamison missed a turnaround baseline jumper, Randolph missed a jumper at the other end that would have given New York the lead.

On Washington's ensuing possession, Antonio Daniels threw the ball away and Crawford made one of two free throws with 19.5 seconds left to tie the score at 90-90. Daniels missed a jumper as the final horn sounded to end regulation.

Rookie Nick Young sandwiched back-to-back buckets around Crawford's 3-pointer that gave Washington a 68-61 lead late in the third quarter.

Richardson scored eight of his 19 points to keep New York close in the third quarter. After three, the Wizards led, 70-67.

Knicks guard Fred Jones missed an uncontested dunk with 3:05 remaining in the third quarter and caught the wrath of Wizards fans, who quickly diverted their enthusiasm from saluting soldiers wounded in the war in Iraq as well as former Washington Redskins wide receiver Art Monk, who recently was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The Knicks, however, had the last laugh.

"We were just trying to grind it out and be there at the end to have a chance to win," Richardson said.

"I've seen some pretty crazy stuff, but I think that's about as good a ball offensively as we've played all year," Lee said.