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Richardson helps Knicks hold off Pistons in OT

Mar 12, 2009 - 3:54 AM AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Ticker) -- Quentin Richardson was an unlikely hero Wednesday, coming off the bench cold to nail two huge shots as the New York Knicks posted a 116-111 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons.

"I was just giving my team that much more of a chance to win the game," Richardson said. "I came off the screen, was open and I took the shots."

Nate Robinson scored 30 points and Larry Hughes added 22, including three game-tying free throws at the end of regulation, for the Knicks, who erased a 12-point, fourth-quarter deficit to force the extra period.

They did so thanks to some clutch play from Hughes, who was fouled behind the arc by Richard Hamilton with 10 seconds left in regulation. His free throws tied the game at 101-101, as the Knicks outscored the Pistons, 30-20, in the fourth.

"I felt comfortable," Hughes said. "I've been working on my free throws every night, so I'm pretty comfortable at the line. That's what we get paid to do."

Richardson, though, provided the game's biggest shots. He nailed two contested jumpers within the final minute of OT, including the nail in the coffin to give the Knicks their largest lead of the game, 112-105, with 22 seconds left.

A veteran swingman, Richardson has played sporadically, failing to score in four of his last five games entering this one. In fact, he did not see the floor in Tuesday's comeback win over Milwaukee.

"Tonight he played unbelievable," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "(The lack of playing time) was nothing he did. We were just looking for a rotation I was comfortable with, and he kinda got lost. Tonight, he stepped up and played well."

He scored seven points on 3-of-7 shooting against Detroit, which led for most of the game. The Pistons saw the Knicks cut their deficit to one on four separate occasions in the fourth before they could get over the hump.

Detroit, however, almost took the lead back in the final seconds of regulation, when Rodney Stuckey drove past Robinson and fired a pass that went off the hand of Antonio McDyess with 1.7 ticks left.

Robinson fired a desperation heave that was errant as time expired in the fourth.

David Lee had 16 points and 18 rebounds for New York, which improved to 2-2 in OT games this season thanks in part to a franchise-low three turnovers. The Knicks tied the mark they set on January 3, 1972 against the Bucks.

"We were just trying to make sure we didn't try to do too much," Robinson said. "We just tried to make the right play and get the ball to guys where they like to shoot. We had fun. That's what basketball is all about - having fun."

New York (27-37), which had 22 turnovers in Milwaukee, is 1 1/2 games behind the Bucks (30-37) for the final playoff spot in the East.

McDyess had 21 points and a career-high 22 rebounds - 10 on the offensive end - for Detroit, which outrebounded New York, 64-39.

"It's more disappointing to me (than gratifying)," McDyess said of his team losing despite his stellar game. "We played hard and just came up short. We shouldn't have put ourselves in that situation in overtime.

"I think we kinda ran out of gas. We couldn't get shots and we were missing shots."