From Chris Paul’s version, it sounded as if Nate Robinson essentially began instigating things on an earlier possession.
Robinson and Paul got into an altercation in last night’s 103-93 Knicks win over the Hornets at the Garden last night, a physical exchange in which fisticuffs were avoided but double technicals weren’t. The incident occurred with just under nine minutes to go, as Paul and Robinson were pushing each other on the perimeter. Robinson eventually got into Paul’s face, and the two had to be separated.
“What happened was, I went in for that layup over Larry Hughes, and he pushed me in the back, and I was just like, ‘All right now, Nate,’ ” Paul said. “And I’m thinking he’s going to be like, ‘My fault’ or something. He said something crazy. So then we went back down the other end, I tried to be aggressive and it happened. . . . Whatever. It’s our last time playing the Knicks.
“I don’t pay no attention, tell you the truth. I just play. Dunk contest champion.”
The “dunk contest champion” comment seemed to be a jab at Robinson, though Paul claimed he knows Robinson personally and insisted that the feisty Knick “didn’t get in my head.”
“They won the game. I guess that makes him the better player.” Paul said with a bit of sarcasm.
Hornets coach Byron Scott said he didn’t see anything dirty on the exchange.
“I just saw two guys being physical,” he said. “Neither one’s going to back down. I didn’t really see a whole lot of it.”
Paul wasn’t the only Hornet whistled in the fourth quarter, as forward James Posey was ejected after throwing the ball at a referee.
Paul had kind words for the Knicks.
“I really like their team, to tell you the truth,” he said. “I know Al Harrington real well. Q-Rich [Quentin Richardson]. Chris Duhon. I’m a huge Chris Duhon fan. We played against each other in college.”