TOUGH TO ‘COPE’: Chris Copeland goes up for a shot against Paul Millsap during the Knicks’ 90-83 win last night. (Reuters)
SALT LAKE CITY — They got one.
The depleted Knicks saved face last night, finding an outfit in more disarray than themselves as they salvaged the final game of the five-game West Coast trip in beating the Jazz 90-83 at Energy Solutions Arena in an ugly but beautiful victory.
Without Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler for the third straight game, 40-year-old Kurt Thomas played with a newly discovered bone spur in his right foot and a feisty attitude as the Knicks played a gritty fourth quarter. They come home 1-4 on the trip after winning for the first time in Utah since 2005 and the locker room was nothing short of giddy.
“It was a great win for our ballclub, to come to Utah, it’s hard to win here,’’ said coach Mike Woodson. “Playing a good team at home, to be as shorthanded as we were and it’s a tough place to play with the altitude, we just stepped up and made plays. It will be a nice ride home.’’
Thomas was awarded the game ball when it looked like he wouldn’t suit up because of fear he had a broken foot. X-rays an hour before the game showed just a bone spur. He will still undergo an MRI today.
In a throwback performance out of his first Knicks stint, Thomas played a season-high 26 minutes and spent the second half yapping at the fans, defending the post with zeal and even making a couple of mid-range baskets. He had three blocks, six points and three rebounds.
“We gave him the game ball,’’ Woodson said. “He deserved it. He hadn’t played 26 minutes all year. A true pro. We’ve always said that. And tonight we don’t win without him.”
The Knicks return home to face Orlando tomorrow and Anthony and Chandler are expected to be back. But Thomas, who injured the foot in Portland, has been a nice stopgap, playing in pain in Los Angeles and again last night.
“Once the ball goes up, you have to block it out as much as possible,’’ Thomas said. “Every now and then it felt it was catching.’’
Raymond Felton finished with a clutch 19 points, making 8 of 12 shots, including a floater and two key jumpers down the stretch, looking like the Felton of November and December. After a rough 1 of 9 shooting start, J.R. Smith added 20, including an 18 in the second half and an 18-foot dagger with 2:40 left that put them up 86-81.
But it was grinding defense that got the undermanned Knicks a win, especially late, when Utah went without a point from the 3:38 mark until the final seconds, and ended up shooting 39 percent. Utah scored 31 points in the second half.
“We stayed home on the shooters and they didn’t get any wide-open looks in the fourth quarter,’’ Thomas said. “It’s been a rough trip but we kept our heads up and this makes it feel a lot better.’’
“Our defense really shined tonight, especially in that second half,’’ Woodson said. “Our defense carried us.’’
Smith, who started 1 of 9 after warning Sunday the Knicks may face an early playoff exit if they don’t step up, made two straight driving buckets late in the third and stayed aggressive all night attacking the rim. Felton scored on a floater to put the Knicks up, 66-61, and they led 66-63 after three quarters.
“It’s big time for us, a huge win against a good team,’’ Smith said.
The Knicks haven’t gone 0-5 on a road trip since 2008. They entered the night having been outscored by 80 points in the first four games of the trek.
Early in the fourth Thomas set the tone. He hit a mid-range jumper and taunted the fans as the Knicks went up 68-63. Then on the next possession he blocked Derrick Favors on a drive, yapped some more and the Knicks were on their way to a Western victory.
Thomas came off the bench last night as Woodson used a smallball starting lineup of Felton, Pablo Prigioni and Iman Shumpert in the backcourt and Chris Copeland and Kenyon Martin up front. It wasn’t pretty but neither is Thomas.