No orange? No problem.
The Knicks, in ditching their jinxed weekend orange uniforms, finally owned the fourth quarter as they defeated the red-clad Hawks, 111-106, at the Garden. White on!
After stinking out Boston in a humiliating final-quarter freeze in a loss to the Celtics on Friday, the Knicks ran away with the game in the final frame Saturday. Carmelo Anthony scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth after choking down the stretch in Boston as he has much of the season. It was a nice makeover all around and perhaps the Knicks will stick with the traditional whites after going 0-6 in the alternate orange uniforms.
“That was the big conversation in the huddle — just closing out the game,’’ said Anthony, who suffered through a 1-of-8 final-quarter disaster in Boston. “There have been times in the past where we’ve let the game slip by. Tonight we did a great job.’’
Anthony drained both of his 3-point tries in the final period, was 5-of-8 from the field and 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. He had come out of the game briefly after tweaking his left hamstring, but returned and said afterward it was a non-issue.
“I think it was just fatigue,’’ Anthony said. “I didn’t pull it or snag it or anything.’’
Coach Mike Woodson benched struggling J.R. Smith for the game’s final 14:40 and the Knicks soared. Woodson, who appears to have solidified his standing with owner James Dolan until injured center Tyson Chandler returns, stuck with aggressive rookie Tim Hardaway Jr., who had a fine outing with 13 points. Andrea Bargnani poured in 23 points, making 11 of 16 baskets.
“Tim was great tonight on both ends of the floor,’’ Woodson said. “J.R and Iman [Shumpert], I have to keep working with them. I need to pat them on the back and get them back because I need them desperately. Timmy was playing good basketball so I decided to go with Timmy and Iman [over Smith].’’
The Hawks helped the Knicks’ cause, committing 27 turnovers. Atlanta has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, but fell to 12-12 with the loss. The Knicks are 2-1 against the Hawks this season.
For as much as they seem a broken team and in crisis mode, since their nine-game losing streak from Novv. 14-Dec. 1, the Knicks are 4-3 in their last seven games. And they could have Chandler back Wednesday in Milwaukee.
Their record still stands at an appalling 7-16, but they seem a more fluid club with Pablo Prigioni as starting point guard.
“We weren’t as stale as [Boston],’’ Woodson said. “I tried to change up the offense to keep the ball in the middle of the floor.’’
Prigioni gave the Knicks life from the 3-point line and finished with 11 points, six assists and four steals, starting in place of injured Raymond Felton. He may have made his strongest bid yet to keep his starting role even when Felton returns, and he worked well on the pick-and-roll with Bargnani.
“We played with patience, spaced [the floor] and played smart where we read their defense,’’ Prigioni said. “We played a good game tonight.’’
“They had the European game going on,’’ Anthony joked about the Bargnani-Prigioni connection. “The past couple of nights, it’s been very effective especially with Bargnani being in the pick and roll, Pablo knowing how to play that pick and roll.’’
Of course, the Knicks are still exploring deals — including for Toronto point guard Kyle Lowry — with their free agents and draft picks eligible to be traded as of Sunday.
That includes Smith, who has hit rock bottom. Smith came out with 2:40 left in the third, didn’t return and finished with two points on 1-for-8 shooting in 24 minutes. He looked to be disconsolate on the bench in the final minutes.
“He’ll get out of it,’’ said Anthony. “It happens. It’s going to happen. He’ll bounce back. We have his back.’’
Smith, who took just one shot in Boston (which he missed), got the start with Kenyon Martin out indefinitely with an abdominal strain.
Saturday night, Smith was active early, launching a side jumper in the game’s first 20 seconds that fell well short. He was 1-of-5 after eight minutes and never found his form.