Knicks Edge Sixers in Fourth Quarter Drive

The New York Knicks ended their nine-game losing streak with a last-minute drive to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers.
Knicks Edge Sixers in Fourth Quarter Drive
1/13/2010
Updated:
1/13/2010
The New York Knicks (16–22) ended their nine-game losing streak with a last-minute drive to overcome the Philadelphia 76ers (12–26) 93–92 at the Wachovia Center on Wednesday night.

The Knicks evened the season series against the Sixers at 1–1 this season after losing to Philly 141–127, at MSG back in October.

With a chance to get their first three-game winning streak of the season, the Sixers looked poised for another win on Wednesday night.

Knicks big man David Lee had the magic touch. He made several great driving hooks and dunks to start things. He quickly led the Knicks to as much as a 10-point lead at one point in the first quarter.

But Iverson was on fire too, as well as Sixers’ starting center Sammy Dalembert, a Haitian with friends and family devastated by Tuesday’s massive earthquake in that country.

Dalembert came out with focus and intensity despite being unable to reach many people back in his home country before the start of the game.

“It’s tough. I was only able to contact one person, my Dad,” Dalembert told reporters before the game in reference to the Haiti earthquake.

“I tried to contact other family members that I spent most of my life with but haven’t got any answers so far.” Dalembert called on teammates and fans to offer any relief they could earlier in the day.

Despite this tragedy, Dalembert was 5–6 from the field and pulled down six rebounds in the first quarter alone. Several points were from tip-ins after great offensive perseverance.

Half Time Strategy


During half time, Sixers assistant coach Jim Lyman reflected on the team’s performance in the first half and provided an assessment of what the team needed to do in the second half to keep the momentum up.

“After Orlando they take the most threes of anyone in the league, and we’ve done a good job trying to chase them off that line,” Lyman said regarding the Sixers’ success at shutting down the outside perimeter.

But Lyman pointed to the team’s failure to contain Lee until the end of the second quarter. “This guy is playing as well as any center in the league. We need to see the type of defense against him that we saw in the second quarter,” Lyman told reporters.

The score was tied at 68–68 in the second minute of the fourth quarter, when the Sixers took the lead by four.

Harrington tied it back up for the Knicks at 72–72, and the rest of the quarter saw a series of lead changes.

Sixers forward-center Marreese Speights hit a difficult driving jump hook from the right baseline to return the lead to the Sixers with 26 seconds to go and the Knicks called a full timeout.

On the next possession, Lee scored the game-winning layup with 13 seconds to go, ending the Knicks’ two-game losing streak on the road.

Lee led the Knicks with 24 points and nine rebounds, Wilson Chandler had 18 points and six rebounds, and sixth man Al Harrington had 17 points and seven rebounds.

Iverson led the Sixers with 16 points, one rebound, and five assists, followed by Dalembert who had 12 points and broke a season high with an amazing 21 rebounds.