Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
Sports Betting Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 
NBA Scores Matchups Teams Standings Schedules Injuries News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
 · Transactions
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds
 
Recap: Knicks 99, Suns 97
Line Movements
Date: December 26, 2012 9:00 PM EDT
  

PHOENIX (AP) - Without Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton, the New York Knicks still had enough to eke out a 99-97 victory in Phoenix, thanks to a pair of very late, very tough jumpers by J.R. Smith.

The first was a 15-foot, fadeaway shot from just inside the key to tie it with 10.6 seconds left, the second a 21-footer from the baseline at the buzzer.

Advertisement

``I don't know whatever words you want to use but he loves that moment,' Knicks guard Jason Kidd said. ``I'm trying to figure out if that last shot was tougher than the one before that he took.'

The game-winner came on an inbound pass from Kidd after the Suns turned it over with a second to play.

``It was premeditated,' Smith said. ``I was walking around the court going, `You are going to make it, you are going to make it.' I was trying to get my form ready before I even thought about taking it. I was trying to go through my mechanics in my head, get my shoulders square to the basket and just let it fly.'

Jared Dudley had a career-high 36 for Phoenix, including two free throws that put the Suns ahead 97-95 with 34.5 seconds to go.

New York was without the NBA's No. 2 scorer in Anthony (hyperextended knee) and Felton (finger), both hurt in the Christmas day loss to the Lakers in Los Angeles.

The Knicks said X-rays on Felton's right fifth finger revealed a fracture and the next course of action will be determined after his return to New York.

``We just have to go back and assess it and see where we are and go from there, but again, like I said, injuries occur,' New York coach Mike Woodson said. ``Key guys get banged up here and there and we have enough guys on our team that guys just got to step up and play until guys get back. That's how it's got to be.'

The Suns lost Goran Dragic in the final seconds of the first half when he was undercut by Smith on a layup attempt and fell hard to the floor. Dragic had bruises to his hip, back and wrist. Smith was called for a flagrant foul on the play.

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry knew there was no intent to injure on Smith's part.

``J.R., he's not that kind of player,' Gentry said. ``He plays hard and he competes like crazy. It was an accident. It was one of those things that happens.'

Chris Copeland and Tyson Chandler added 14 points apiece for the Knicks.

Dudley, whose previous high was 33, was 11 of 17 shooting, 5 of 8 on 3s, and 9 of 9 at the foul line. Marcin Gortat added 13 points for the Suns, who lost their third in a row.

New York led 54-44 at the half and stretched it to 68-54 when Smith made a fadeaway, falling-down 19-footer with 7:13 left in the third. Dudley responded with a 3-pointer and the Suns were off on a 20-4 outburst.

Another 3 by Dudley tied it at 72 with 2:10 to go, and Shannon Brown, who made just one of his first seven shots, scored on a fast-break layup to put Phoenix ahead 74-72 with 1:23 left in the quarter.

It was knotted at 76 entering the fourth.

Dudley was fouled by Copeland on a 3-point try and made all three free throws to put Phoenix up 90-86 with 5:19 left, but Smith scored the next four, Kidd sank a 3 and Copeland made a 21-footer in a 9-0 spurt that had the Knicks up 95-90 with 3:34 left.

After a scoreless 1:28, Sebastian Telfair made a 3, then Brown sank a 20-footer to tie it at 95 with 1:15 remaining.

Smith missed a jumper from the top of the key 52 seconds from the finish and the Suns got the ball. Dudley was fouled on a drive to the hoop and made both free throws to make it 97-95.

But Smith, with P.J. Tucker all over him, sank a fadeaway from just outside the free throw line to tie.

Gentry called a 20-second timeout but the play broke down and, when Telfair tried to hit Gortat for a back-door layup, the ball was knocked back into the backcourt by Kidd. Telfair chased it down but wound up stepping out of bounds with a second on the clock.

After a timeout, Kidd tossed the pass to Smith, who got the shot off, again over Tucker, from just inside the 3-point line. It went in and he was mobbed by his teammates.

``It happened so fast and obviously you want to keep it for the last shot and live with that,' Dudley said, ``but you give them one second and J.R. with the big shot.'

NOTES: The Knicks complete their three-game trip west at Sacramento on Friday. ... New York has lost two in a row only once this season. ... Michael Beasley, a big part of the second-half surge, missed Sunday's home loss to the Clippers due to illness. ... The 36 points were the most by a Suns player in two seasons. ... Kidd also had eight assists and six rebounds. ... New York also was without Rasheed Wallace with a sore left foot. .... It was the first time the team had been without Anthony and Felton in the same game. .... The Knicks are 3-2 without Anthony.

---

Follow Bob Baum at www.twitter.com/Thebaumerphx

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2013
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

 CLOSING LAS VEGAS LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 NYK  +110   +2   195 
 PHO  -130   -2   
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS

 CLOSING SPORTSBOOK LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 NYK     +1.5   195 
 PHO     -1.5   
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS

 BETTING TRENDS
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 NYK  n/a   80%   67% 
 PHO  n/a   20%   33% 
BT MOVEMENTS

 NBA RECAPS
 Wednesday, Dec 26
 
  •  Hornets at Magic
7:05 PM EDT
  •  Cavaliers at Wizards
7:05 PM EDT
  •  Heat at Bobcats
7:05 PM EDT
  •  Pistons at Hawks
7:35 PM EDT
  •  Nets at Bucks
8:05 PM EDT
  •  Rockets at Timberwolves
8:05 PM EDT
  •  76ers at Grizzlies
8:05 PM EDT
  •  Raptors at Spurs
8:35 PM EDT
  •  Lakers at Nuggets
9:05 PM EDT
  •  Warriors at Jazz
9:05 PM EDT
  •  Knicks at Suns
9:05 PM EDT
  •  Kings at Trail Blazers
10:05 PM EDT
 
 
 
  
GOLD Membership
Over 150 Member Plays free each month. Signup Today!
 
 

NFL
NFL Sports Picks
NFL Vegas Odds
NFL Online Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
WNBA

MLB
MLB Sports Picks
MLB Vegas Odds
MLB Online Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores

Features
Free Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Add us on Google+
Join us on Facebook

NBA
NBA Sports Picks
NBA Vegas Odds
NBA Online Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Mobile Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sports Betting
About Sports Betting
Sportsbook Reviews

NHL
NHL Sports Picks
NHL Vegas Odds
NHL Online Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Refund Policy
Contact Us
User Feedback

College Football
NCAA FB Sports Picks
NCAA FB Vegas Odds
NCAA FB Online Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

Sportsbooks
CarbonSports · Review
SportBet · Review
Sportsbook · Review
TopBet.eu · Review

College Basketball
NCAA BK Sports Picks
NCAA BK Vegas Odds
NCAA BK Online Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

Rotation Schedules
Baseball: Mar 31 - June 02

Copyright © 1997-2013, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.