The Knicks needed someone to step up in the fourth quarter in Amar’e Stoudemire’s absence and Wilson Chandler responded.
Chandler was excellent in last night’s 105-95 win over the Nets at Prudential Center, delivering a team-high 21 points, pulling down a team-high-tying eight rebounds, blocking a game-high five shots, and adding three assists and a steal.
After the Nets took the lead with seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter, Chandler put the Knicks in front again with consecutive driving layups.
Later, Chandler played superb defense to force a bad Travis Outlaw miss, then hit a huge go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing. After that, he found Landry Fields on a drive-and-kick, setting up a corner 3 from the rookie that gave the Knicks a four-point lead.
“He made a lot of plays for us down the stretch,” Raymond Felton said of Chandler. “He did a lot of scoring and he did a lot of dishing out. That was big for us.”
Since missing three games with a left calf injury, Chandler had played in four games, shooting 16-for-41 (39 percent) and failing to score more than 13 points in a game. Last night, though he shot 8-for-21, he provided a lift with Stoudemire in street clothes because of a sprained toe.
“He played great. And I was hoping before the game when Amar’e wasn’t there, people like Wilson and stuff would come out and have to do it,” Mike D’Antoni said. “And the pressure would be off because Amar’e’s not out there, so maybe it helps him to get his rhythm back.”
Chandler, who has hired agent Happy Walters (also Stoudemire’s agent), has been in the middle of the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors. After Friday night’s loss to the Lakers, Felton said the rumors were “starting to really get on my nerves.”
But Chandler said he remains unaffected.
“I guess it’s personal for [Felton] — it’s how he feels,” Chandler said. “I feel no kind of way.”
Chandler said his struggles weren’t due to a lack of confidence. He was just clanging some shots. Last night, those shots were falling.
“We need him back to where he was, and [last night] was a pretty good indication, especially second half,” D’Antoni said.
Additional reporting by Marc Berman