Knicks Move Over .500 for First Time in Three Years

ATLANTA – When he took a pass from Stephon Marbury with about five seconds left in overtime, Jamal Crawford didn’t hesitate.No matter that he was at least five feet behind the 3-point arc. No matter that he was shooting only 6-of-27 to that point. Crawford confidently sank the jumper with 3.4 seconds left to lift the Knicks past the Atlanta Hawks last night, 110-109.The pass from Marbury was a surprise to some, because Marbury led the Knicks with 32 points and had driven down the lane before kicking the pass back out to Crawford.Though Marbury is known for his shooter’s mentality, Knicks coach Lenny Wilkens insisted the pass back out to Crawford was routine.“That’s the way Stephon has been playing, very unselfish,” Wilkens said. “We had just talked about how we could attack the zone from the top, just put it on the floor and go. Jamal got into the seam and made the shot.”Crawford’s game-winner was a heartbreaker for the Hawks, who suffered their seventh straight loss despite one of their best efforts of the season.The Hawks made 10-of-16 3-pointers, including five of six attempts by Antoine Walker, who scored a game-high and season-high 36 points.Even after Crawford’s shot, the Hawks had another chance when Nazr Mohammed fouled Walker with two seconds left. Walker missed the first free throw. Following a timeout, Walker made the second free throw despite trying to intentionally miss the shot. The Knicks then inbounded and ran out the clock.New York has won four out of five to move above .500 for the first time since Dec. 10, 2001.“It was a great win,” Wilkens said. “Give the Hawks credit, too, because they played hard. They’re at home and they want to win. And it’s never easy to win on the road. But our guys hung in there and got themselves back in the game after they let it slip away.”The Knicks led by 12 points at 33-21 early in the second quarter but lost the lead before halftime.Rookie Josh Smith sparked the Hawks with a blocked shot followed by a jam at the other end to highlight a 14-2 run for a 91-85 lead, the Hawks’ largest of the game.Atlanta then went more than seven minutes without a field goal as the Knicks pulled even at 94.The Hawks’ field-goal drought ended when Tony Delk’s 3-pointer hit the rim, bounced straight up, and fell through for a 97-94 lead with 1:05 left.A basket by Mohammed, who scored 22 points, cut the lead to one point. After Jon Barry made only one of two free throws with 12.3 seconds left, Marbury was fouled by Delk on a drive to the basket with 2.6 seconds left. He made both free throws to force overtime.

Knicks Move Over .500 for First Time in Three Years

Knicks Move Over .500 for First Time in Three Years

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