Squabbling Knicks win in double OT
Nate Robinson scored five of his 18 points in the second overtime while Stephon Marbury and the other starters watched from the bench, and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 121-117 on Wednesday.
Jamal Crawford led New York with 21 points and Qyntel Woods added 18, going 8 for 8 from the field.
With the game matching two of the NBA’s worst teams, most of the attention was focused on Knicks coach Larry Brown and Marbury, who have been feuding in the media over the last few days after Marbury’s comments over the weekend that he needed to be more offensive minded because Brown’s way wasn’t leading to enough wins.
Brown responded Monday night by saying he had already given Marbury more freedom than any guard he had coached.
They continued their bickering at Wednesday’s shootaround, with Marbury saying, “I’m no longer going to allow him to say things about me and I’m not going to say anything back. I allowed him to drag me the first three or four months in the paper. But I’m not taking it no more.”
Marbury scored all eight of his points in the first half going 2 for 7 from the field and 4 for 10 from the foul line. He sat out the entire fourth quarter and overtime periods, joined by fellow high-priced veterans like Steve Francis and Jalen Rose.
Robinson filled in well, providing a spark for the Knicks. He scored all 18 of his points in the fourth quarter and overtime periods. He hit a 15-footer with 1:33 left in the second overtime to tie the game at 117, then added one of two free throws with 1:10 left to give New York a 118-117 lead.
Lakers 92, Timberwolves 89: At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 25 points, including two layups in heavy traffic during the final 35 seconds, and Los Angeles handed Minnesota its season-worst sixth straight loss.
The Lakers used their 13th different starting lineup, as forward Ronny Turiaf, 23, made his first NBA start and scored two points. It was the 11th appearance for the rookie from Gonzaga, who underwent open heart surgery July 26 to correct an enlarged aortic root and preserve his aortic valve.
Nuggets 101, Pacers 99: At Indianapolis, Carmelo Anthony hit an 18-foot fadeaway to break a tie with 2.2 seconds left and finished with 31 points to lead Denver over Indiana.
Mavericks 95, Rockets 81: At Houston, Dirk Nowitzki had 30 points and 11 rebounds, Jason Terry added 19 points, and Dallas beat Houston to inch a half-game ahead of idle San Antonio for the best record in the Western Conference.
Suns 126, Clippers 95: At Phoenix, Steve Nash was 9 of 11 from the floor and had 25 points and 12 assists in three quarters as Phoenix routed Los Angeles.
Magic 114, Jazz 108 (OT): At Orlando, Fla., Jameer Nelson scored 25 points and added nine assists as Orlando beat Utah.
Pistons 105, Raptors 98: At Toronto, Chauncey Billups had 26 points and 10 assists, and Tayshaun Prince added 21 points to lead Detroit over Toronto. Detroit shot a season-high 71 percent (10 for 14) on 3-pointers.
Bucks 104, Bulls 88: At Milwaukee, Bobby Simmons scored 26 points, going 9 of 13 from the field, and Michael Redd added 23 to lead Milwaukee over Chicago.
Nets 78, Trail Blazers 65: At East Rutherford, N.J., Vince Carter scored 26 points, Richard Jefferson had 22, and New Jersey won while holding Portland to a team record-low five points in the fourth quarter.
Wizards 107, Bobcats 99: At Washington, Gilbert Arenas scored 12 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, and Washington swept a home-and-home series from Charlotte.
Off the court
Financial advisers for Trail Blazers owner Paul Allen met with city officials as talks continue over the team’s future in Portland. Allen, the billionaire co-founder of Microsoft, said the Blazers are hemorrhaging money and the team needs a public partnership to survive. If not, the team could be sold and possibly move. … Toronto signed guard Andre Barrett to a 10-day contract, one day after he was released by Phoenix.