NEW YORK –One down, twenty-five to go.

Had this been the season that should’ve been, instead of the irrevocable failure that it has turned out to be, then the final two months would be more pleasurable. As it stands, even after last night’s 113-89 whipping of the Charlotte Bobcats at the Garden, the Knicks [18-39] are merely biding their time until the 2008-09 campaign begins.

The same, too, could be said for the Bobcats, whose 19-38 mark would constitute another disappointment. On paper, Charlotte has an immense amount of talent, in spite of their paltry $53 million bankroll [on December 11, ESPN.com reported that New York is nearly $20 million above the NBA’s $67.865 luxury-tax threshold]. But, as a single game has never been won on paper, this one was destined to be played.

Nate Robinson paced the Knicks’ attack with 22 points [nine-for-18 from the floor], and six assists, although Jamal Crawford had topped all scorers with 20 points and five assists before sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Zach Randolph scored 12 of his 18 in the first half, and Quentin Richardson contributed 17, including the 6,000th of his career. Fred Jones hit five-of-six from the floor, grabbed five boards and had four dimes. David Lee cleared the glass with 14 rebounds, including nine in the second quarter.

Eddy Curry was scoreless in nearly 16 minutes of play [0-3], with four boards and two blocked shots to show for his night’s work.

“Eddy’s defense did set the tone in the first quarter,” said Isiah Thomas, who conveniently discounted the fact his team trailed by five points after one. “The way the game was going, I didn’t see any reason to put him back out there.”

“When our defense is on,” said Robinson, “we are tough to beat. We got stops, and were able to turn them into easy baskets at the other end.”

This was a very good opportunity for New York to beat the Bobcats, largely because of a devastating injury to Gerald Wallace, who suffered a Grade-3 concussion after the Kings’ Mikki Moore clipped him with an elbow on February 22.

It is the fourth concussion of Wallace’s brief career, and a crucial loss for Charlotte, who rode a 27-point performance from their star forward in its 105-95 victory over the Knicks two months earlier. It is clear, by just one look at the stat sheet, that Wallace’s numbers –nearly 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals- would be sorely missed.

In the week since he was carted off the floor, Wallace has experienced post-concussion symptoms, which include soreness in both the jaw and neck. Initially, it was reported that he could be out for at least two weeks, but after being examined by Dr. Jerry Petty, a Charlotte-based neurologist, on Tuesday, it remains unclear when he’ll be able to return.

When Thomas was asked if Wallace’s absence had an impact on the game, he replied, “Of course.” On a night that New York tied their greatest margin of victory for the season, reporters were hoping for a little bit more to chew on.

The Bobcats [4-21 on the road] are in the throes of a five-game losing streak, and have now dropped 11 of its last 12. They are 1-7 without Wallace in the lineup this season, and have not won since the All-Star break.

Matt Carroll [eight-of-11 for 19 points] was Charlotte’s high scorer. Emeka Okafor, with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and Raymond Felton [14 points and five assists] followed. Ex-Knick Nazr Mohammed contributed 11 boards and 10 points in 32 minutes. Jason Richardson -the Bobcats’ other prolific scorer who averages 20 ppg, five boards and three assists- was removed in the second quarter after he was hit in the eye. At the time, he had just seven points.

New York, previously beaten in six of the 11 games since the Bobcats entered the NBA in 2004, opened to a 54-41 advantage at the break, closing the first half on a 3:51 with a 15-0 run. They would eventually increase it to 18, establishing their most consecutive points this season.

Charlotte, which led 25-20 after the first quarter, was last ahead, 41-39, on Felton’s 14’ shot. But, they hit just seven of 21 field goal attempts in the second quarter, and were outscored 34-16.

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