ATLANTA — Agent Aaron Goodwin was speechless late last night, watching Nate Robinson’s 41-point epic performance on TV in California.
“Nothing needs to be said,” Goodwin told The Post. “Nate’s play says it all.”
Goodwin’s demand for a trade of his client, which he made public, cost Robinson a $25,000 fine the Players’ Association has appealed. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni, even before Robinson’s spectacular performance in his first game since Dec. 1, said if Robinson returned to the rotation it would be for the long haul.
Robinson, who had been a DNP for 14 straight games, finally got in as D’Antoni felt the Knicks needed a park after losing three of their last four with little bench scoring.
D’Antoni rested struggling Jonathan Bender last night with a sore leg, but mostly because he appears worn down with his comeback seven games old.
Larry Hughes was a DNP and likely out of the rotation.
“I guess it’s my turn,” Hughes told The Post. “Nate made the most of his opportunity.”
“We need a little bit of offense and he can do that, but we don’t want to lose what we have,” D’Antoni explained beforehand. “So it will be tinkering without going crazy.”
But Robinson went crazy last night and now D’Antoni has no choice to keep him there. Trade demand? Likely out the window.
“He needs to know if he’s in or out,” D’Antoni said before the game. “I don’t want to be grasping at straws. You’re either in our out of the rotation.”
Robinson is in. He told The Post in the morning none of the coaches had talked to him yet.
“The only person whose talked to me is God and he said be patient,” Robinson said.
“I’m just waiting patiently,” Robinson said before returning to the lineup. “I don’t know how I would do, but I know I’d play my hardest if it’s two minutes or 30 minutes. It’s been very difficult. We’ll see if I get in there, how good I play. I just want to help this team win. I just want to win.”
Robinson, the 5-foot-7½ sparkplug, thanked almost everyone after the game, even invoking former Knicks president and coach Isiah Thomas. It was that type of night.