LOS ANGELES: Danilo Gallinari went downtown to shoot the New York Knicks over the top.
The Italian sharpshooter drilled back-to-back three-pointers Thursday night with 1:31 remaining, and the Knicks pulled away to beat the visiting Charlotte Bobcats 97-93.
“It really came down to we hit the last two big shots,” Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We kept battling back and forth, and Gallo put the two big threes in to seal the deal.”
Wilson Chandler capped a season-high 27 points, and David Lee added 22 for the Knicks (15-20), who won their third in a row.
“We’re playing a really good Charlotte, which has been playing exceptionally well, and our defense from beginning to end was terrific,” D’Antoni said. “The best thing about this was that each guy that played had a big play, a play that was a back-breaker.”
Stephen Jackson scored 26 points, and Flip Murray added 20 off the bench for the Bobcats (15-19), whose three-game winning streak ended.
New York led 49-44 at halftime but trailed by 10 with just over two minutes left in the third period. However, 1.75-meter mighty mite Nate Robinson (10 points) sparked a 15-0 run, and the Knicks regained a short-lived 84-78 lead on Lee’s basket with 3:32 left.
The Bobcats squared it at 84 apiece on three-pointers by Jackson and Raymond Felton. However, Knicks Chris Duhon snapped the tie with a straightaway triple with 2:03 remaining.
Jackson hit what appeared to be a game-tying three from the right wing. However, officials ruled it a two after a courtside video replay showed his right toe touched the line.
With the Knicks ahead 87-86, the smooth-stroking Gallinari buried the first three from the left wing at the 1:31 mark.
After Felton missed, Gallinari took a pass from Chandler at the top of the circle and drilled his sixth and final triple with 44 seconds to play, opening up a 93-86 advantage.
“I was feeling good,” said Gallinari who finished with 17 points.
“I hit the first one, and they were not playing defense far from there. I know I can shoot from there, so I just shot the ball.”
Murray’s putback and three-pointer pulled the Bobcats to within 95-93 with 13 seconds remaining, but Chandler sank two free throws to seal the victory.
“I’ve seen a lot of shooters, but Gallo has a special jumper because he’s 6-foot-10 (2.08 meters), and you can’t block it,” Robinson said.
“If he gets his feet set, nine times out of 10, he’s going to make it,” Robinson added. “He shoots with confidence. Every shot looks like he’s going to make it.”
