It was the most improbable of scenarios: the Knicks, 3-7 and winless at home since opening night, were moments away from upending the Pacers, the team with the best record in the Eastern Conference.
Even more improbably, one of the heroes was about to be Beno Udrih, who in the last 7:02 of the fourth quarter, banged in nine points — two coming on a shot that defied description, logic, imagination and posture recommended by the American Chiropractic Society.
“Beno had a helluva game,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said.
But then, reality settled in. The Knicks were called for a foul against reigning Indiana Superman Paul George on a 3-point attempt with 5.2 seconds left in regulation. George, who missed the 3, naturally hit all three free throws to tie. The Knicks failed at the end and then George, not Udrih, a two-time NBA champ with the Spurs, dominated the overtime.
What folks will remember in the Pacers’ 103-96 victory on Wednesday were 35 points by George, nine of those in OT. Udrih, filling in and starting for the wounded Raymond Felton at point guard, became a footnote. That was despite playing 38 minutes, tying his season high, and on the heels of playing Tuesday at Detroit.
“Much more comfortable,” Udrih described himself. “I don’t know if anybody watched [the Detroit] game, but I was a little rusty. There was nothing there. But today I was trying to be more aggressive, trying to get my teammates open, trying to play basketball the way I’ve been playing all my career.”
Udrih was big in the fourth. With 7:02 left, his jumper put the Knicks up six. After a Pacers surge, he hit a 3-pointer to drag the Knicks to within 79-78. Another jumper did the same at 2:29.
Then, at 1:21, he made … something … to put the Knicks up, 87-86. Udrih drove on George Hill, went up looking to pass to Carmelo Anthony, saw no one, spun, and on the way down, he simply heaved the ball. Score.
“They were denying Melo in the post and I was trying to penetrate to the basket and I tried to spin,” Udrih said. “I thought Melo was going to be wide open and his man was going to help. But he wasn’t and if I wouldn’t shoot it, if I didn’t throw it up there, I would probably travel so just got to give it a chance and it went in.”
And so Udrih was the hero. For a while.
“That game was basically won for us,” Udrih said. “But stuff like that happens.”