In the first round on Tuesday, the 13^th seeded Red Storm (17-15) upset the Connecticut Huskies (17-15), 73-51. St. John’s began the contest with great intensity and took a 10-2 lead at 15:15. A free throw by Paris Horne gave the Red Storm its first double digit advantage, 22-12, at 10:48. The first half ended with St. John’s leading, 35-22.

The Red Storm never led by less than eight points in the second half. The team surged ahead during the final eight minutes. St. John’s climbed to a game-high 25 point advantage with 46 remaining after a 22-6 scoring run. After the contest, Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun profusely praised the St. John’s team, “they [St. John’s] came out with purpose, physicality and quite frankly handed us our butts. They knocked us all off our screens. They completely outplayed us. They were much hungrier than we were.” Calhoun clearly foresees a great improvement for New York City’s only representative in the Big East Conference, “They certainly have a bright future ahead of them. They’ll be one of the better teams, I think, in the Big East, certainly top five or six next year.”

The second round game against Marquette (21-10) was reminiscent of the contest between the two teams at Carnesecca Arena in Queens late in the regular season when Marquette edged St. John’s, 63-61 in overtime. Marquette scored the first six points of the contest on Wednesday, and held the lead throughout the first half. After an opening second half basket by Marquette’s David Cubillan, St. John’s went on a 22-10 scoring run to tie the game at 39 with 10:46 left to play. The game was tied four more times in the next seven minutes, but St. John’s again fell short by two points, 57-55. St. John’s was without the services of its second leading scorer Dwight Hardy. The Bronx native has made an important contribution to the team’s improvement this season. Hardy’s leg injury, suffered  late in the regular season, has kept him out of the lineup. The highly competitive contest excited the large local crowd in attendance. After the conclusion of the exciting contest, Marquette coach Buzz Williams gave credit to his counterpart at St. John’s, “Coach Roberts doesn’t get the credit he’s deserving of for how hard his team plays. ..If you were to ask our players who is the hardest playing team in the league, they would tell you St. John’s. I don’t think teams play hard just for one another. I think they play hard for one another and for their coach. I think that’s what St. John’s does. I think that’s what they did yesterday. And I thought they were the hardest playing team today.”

As the final position for the Atlantic-10 playoffs ended in a three-way tie between Fordham, LaSalle and Rhode Island, the tie-breaking procedures were needed. Rhode Island was eliminated as it was defeated by Fordham and LaSalle during the season. A coin toss decided that Fordham would be included. Fordham coach Cathy Andruzzi expressed her elation for Fordham’s inclusion,

“I’m so excited and happy for our players…I am very thankful for the opportunity to continue playing and I am so excited about being in the Atlantic-10 tournament.” This will be Andruzzi’s first A-10 tourney as Fordham’s head coach. Fordham is scheduled to meet St. Joseph’s on Friday, March 5 at 2:30 PM.” In the only meeting between the two teams this season, St. Joseph’s edged the Rams, 62-57.

Randall Hurst, the one senior on the squad, was honored prior to the contest. Hurst came to Rose Hill two years ago to play with the team and earn her degree in Visual Arts and Architecture. The Detroit, Michigan native was reared in West Bloomfield, Michigan, the same town as Fordham teammate Kristina Bell. Hurst was a star on her high school basketball team. She spent her collegiate freshman year at the University of Central Florida. She remained in Florida for her sophomore year at Daytona Beach Community College. During her two years at Fordham, Hurst led the Rams in scoring and rebounding. Her 13.2 points per game average is seventh in team history.

Hurst was escorted on court for the pre-game ceremony by her parents. The young woman gave credit for their support throughout her life, “My parents have been very supportive of me and love coming to watch me play. They have been watching me through high school and came to almost every AAU tournament I played in. I’m always excited for my parents to see me.”

Hurst is hopeful of continuing her basketball career after her graduation. She said, “I’d like to go overseas to play, preferably in Europe.” Several of Fordham’s most successful players such as Lisa Carrol and Mobolaje Akiodoi continued their playing careers overseas. Fordham’s greatest female basketball player, Anne Gregory, played professionally in France after graduating from Fordham. Hurst articulately expressed what it feels like to end one phase of life and to begin another, “It’s scary and exciting at the same time. You don’t know what to expect.”

Hurst’s time on court ended unexpectedly early as she injured her knee four minutes into the game and was not able to return. After the contest, she assured those concerned that she was fine. The visitors from Cincinnati took a 10-0 lead in the early minutes. Xavier’s highly respected front court  tandem, Amber Harris and Ta’Shia Phillips, scored all ten of those points. At that point, it appeared that Xavier was well on the way to an easy 15^th consecutive victory.

The Rams fought back tenaciously and took the first and only lead of the game, 32-31, on a three by freshman Arielle Collins.  The Rams remained competitive until falling behind by double digits, 60-50, with 7:33 left in the game. Xavier scored the final six points to win by 15, 74-59. The victory was Xavier 15^th straight. The Musketeers ended A-10 Conference play with a perfect 14-0 mark.

Xavier superior bigs, Harris (6-5) and Phillips (6-6), made the difference in the contest. The duo grabbed 23 of their teams 50 rebounds contrasted with 28 boards for the Rams, blocked five shots and scored 39 of Xavier’s 74 points. Harris achieved her 12^th double-double of the season and Phillips her 17^th.

Four players on Fordham scored in double figures. Several of the team stepped up after the elimination of Hurst, Fordham’s leading scorer early in the contest. Sophomore Becky Peters displayed her talent, energy and leadership during a team-high 37 minutes on court. She led Fordham in scoring with 17, but was no less effective on defense garnering a career high of five steals. When complimented upon her leadership skills, she responded, “I have five siblings.”

The players on both teams are now looking forward to the next phase of the 2009-10 season. Fordham could show the team’s continued improvement with a good showing in next week’s A-10 tournament and Xavier could demonstrate that its highest ever rating is well-deserved by an outstanding NCAA Tournament performance.

For now, however, it’s all about Tracy McGrady –or, more specifically, his surgically-repaired left knee- and how much he can actually contribute over the Knicks final 29 games of the season.

Whatever the 6’8” swingman can give the New York for the duration will certainly be much more than he added to the Houston Rockets.  In a grand total of six games, none of which McGrady started, he averaged 3.2 points and 1 assist in less than eight minutes.  Clearly, the Rockets’ loss instantly turned into the Knicks’ gain.  Nineteen first-half points [and 26 overall] against the Oklahoma City Thunder during Saturday night’s 121-118 overtime loss, were enough to convince observers that, while not quite 100%, T-Mac still has considerable game left.

“With Tracy coming in, we knew there was going to be a lot of energy in the building,” Kevin Durant said after scoring 36 points to extend his consecutive game streak of 25-plus points to 27.  “He was phenomenal.  He’s back.  But, I’ll take the win.”

So, while Sergio Rodriguez, formerly of Sacramento, and Eddie House, who arrived from Boston in the Nate Robinson deal, could be nice fits to the puzzle, the trade for McGrady is looked upon as New York’s most significant in quite some time.

“Tracy has been one of the premier players in our league over the past decade,” Donnie Walsh, the Knicks president, said.  “We have every indication that he is healthy and committed to re-establishing himself as one of the best in our game.”

Walsh and head coach Mike D’Antoni haven’t been here that much longer.  As Walsh continues to rebuild, D’Antoni attempts to mix and match whatever assorted pieces are given to him.  By virtue of Walsh’s success to move the bloated contracts of Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph last year, and Jerome James and Jared Jefferies this season, New York is very much in play for a lively off-season.

“Mike’s losses [which now number 84 in 135 games] don’t just count against him,” Walsh clarified.  “They count against my record, too.”

McGrady, 30, who has career averages of 21.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.7 assists with three teams, is on the books for $23 million.  There’s also the question of his expiring contract, which he wouldn’t mind converting into one that is more team-friendly.

“I’ve made a lot of money in my career,” he confirmed.  “I could retire right now, and be fine financially. So, money is not an issue. [If] they want to bring in LeBron and D-Wade, along with Chris Bosh or Amar’e Stoudemire, I’d be a damn fool not to want to stay here.

“I would definitely embrace the opportunity where money is not an issue.”

Thus, it would not be a stretch for him to accept a midlevel [$5.9 million] or, perhaps, a biannual [$1.9 million] exception for the privilege to play alongside any combination of the two.

After the 29 games are over and, assuming the Knicks’ season ends at that point, July 1 will represent the next important date on the team calendar.  But, that is then; this is now.

In other words, any thoughts of James or Wade and, to a lesser extent, Bosh will have to wait.  The present team, which also comprises All-Star David Lee, among others, may need some time to become acquainted.  In fact, because of trade deadline activity, there were just eight of 15 player photos on the wall outside the New York lockerroom.

But, while the wall suggested an empty feeling, the Knicks’ cup, at the moment, is very, very fill.

Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos and New York’s John Tavares played important roles in Saturday’s matinee. But three veterans infused the Islanders youth movement in propelling the club to a 5-4 win over the Lightning.

Doug Weight netted his first goal of the season, Martin Biron posted 38 saves and Richard Park scored twice, including the game-winner off his own rebound with 2:22 remaining to lift the Islanders to its second victory in three games. The 20-year-old Stamkos scored his team-leading 34th goal while added an assists before Tampa Bay lost its second straight.

The Islanders will look enter the two-week Olympic break with momentum by taking on Ottawa on Sunday. Eight losses in the last 10 games, including a seven-game losing skid, has forced head coach Scott Gordon’s team to scramble to stay in playoff contention with 21 games left.

“Out of those seven losses, they are some games in there that we played much better than we did tonight but the puck went in for us,” Gordon said. “Sometimes there isn’t any justice when you play well and you lose.”

Park pushed in Blake Comeau’s rebound shot past goalie Antero Niittymaki for his first goal in 11 games to give the Islanders a 4-3 edge 17:12 into the second. Tampa Bay’s Steve Downie tallied the equalizer just 2:57 into the final period.

Neither Andy Sutton nor Andrew MacDonald covered Downie at the top of the crease, allowing him to easily push in Mattias Ohlund‘s pass.

Park responded in the waning minutes, wearing down Niittymaki and getting a boost from video replay. The Lighting netminder stopped the 34-year-old’s right post shot before the winger grabbed the rebound and moved behind the net.

Niittymaki slid over to make a pad save on the wraparound attempt before Park lifted his third chance high into the net’s right-hand corner. The puck appeared to hit the right post and move out before the video evidence confirmed the rubber touched the net for Park’s first multi-goal game since he torched Phoenix for a pair on Jan. 2, 2009.

“It was a fortunate call for us and we’ll take the two points,” Park said. “I thought it was in, but you never know.”

Rick DiPietro’s return last month relegated Biron to third-string status behind Dwayne Roloson. The 33-year-old Biron did not play in a NHL game for more than a month and was sent down to AHL Bridgeport before being recalled for Tuesday’s start against Nashville.

Biron beat the Predators for his first win since Nov. 11 and followed that up with his second straight victory, making a glove save on Kurtis Foster’s with exactly one minute to go.

The back-to-back wins could help boost Biron’s value to another club with the league’s March 3 trade deadline looming. The 11-year veteran is 4-11-2 on the season.

“Three goalies is not an easy situation for anyone,” Biron said. “We all try and give each other the support we need but we all know it would be this situation for the rest of the year.

“I still feel like I have plenty more I can do. I feel like I can play even better but to get a few wins here will help my confidence moving forward. Maybe that will help out more and who knows what will happen?”

Comeau started his two-point night with the opening goal 7:31 in. Rob Schremp and Comeau pressured Matt Walker in the corner, forcing a turnover. Schremp collected the puck and past to Comeau, who skated laterally across the crease before lifting a high shot off a prone Niittymaki for his seventh goal.

Tampa Bay failed to score on a 1:18 5-on-3 just minutes into the game, tied it almost four minutes later when Stamkos capitalized on Martin St. Louis’ pass for his fifth goal in five games.

Stamkos assisted on Mike Lundin’s goal 3:15 later. Both Stamkos and the 19-year-old Tavares were top overall selections one year apart and wear No. 91.

Like Tavares, Stamkos showed flashes of greatness in his first year. But Stamkos’ additional season of experience paid off when the Lightning prodigy beat Tavares off a right circle faceoff to facilitate Lundin’s goal.

Kyle Okposo helped the Islanders close the defeceit, knocking down a Tampa Bay clearing attempt before finding an open Doug Weight’s first goal fired a shot from the slot off Okposo’s centering pass.

Weight scored his first goal in 30 games, dating back to April 30, 2009 in the previous season’s finale.

Tavares’ rough start turned ugly midway through the second when he turned the puck over on Alex Tanguay’s pressure. The Lightning turned the miscue into a go-ahead scored when former Islander Nate Thompson chipped in a loose puck in the crease for his second goal this season.

Tavares then atoned for the miscue, driving past last season’s No. 2 overall pick Victor Hedman behind Tampa’s net before finding Okposo for a right post tap-in goal to tie it at 3.

“We did some things right to give us those opportunities,” Gordon said. “We went to the net and made it hard for Niittymaki to control his rebounds.”

Park then sandwiched his two goals around Downie’s marker in helping the Islanders improve to 16-11-2 at Nassau Coliseum.

“We’re obviously trying to stay real positive and upbeat,” Park said. “Everyone knows we haven’t been getting the results we’ve wanted, but we’ve kept at it.”

Weight, the 39-year-old Islanders captain, scored his 276^th career goal and also assisted on Park’s final goal.

“It’s great to see a guy like him— a great captain and one of the best guys I’ve ever played with—can still play at a high level and get us going,” Biron said. “His goal gave us a burst of energy. It was great for him.”

We certainly are right in that mix, having predicted that the Indianapolis Colts would not only win their second championship in four years, but do so easily. Boy, were we wrong. Drew Brees (32 for 39, 288 yards, two touchdowns) led the New Orleans Saints to their first title and was named the game MVP in the 31-17 victory. When his team needed a strong drive, he delivered. Neither Brees nor Saints head coach Sean Payton panicked when they trailed 10-0 in the first quarter and they stayed with an agressive game plan.

They went for it on 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line in the second quarter (one in which they dominated) and came up short, but that didn’t stop them from going for a little trickery and recovering an onside kick to start the third quarter. The ensuing drive led to a touchdown and put New Orleans ahead, 13-10.

“We talked about it at halftime and it’s really a credit to every one of these players here,” said Payton. “There’s not enough room on this stage for all of them, but they carried out this play and I’m just proud. I’m proud of this team.”

The Colts answered with a 76-yard drive that culminated in a 4-yard burst into the end zone by running back Joseph Addai. No one could have surmised at the time that the 17-13 lead they now held would have been their last of the night.

Garrett Hartley hit a 47-yard field goal to cut the deficit to one and then in the fourth quarter, Brees went 7-for-7 on the drive of the game. He hit tight end Jeremy Shockey for a 2-yard scoring pass and then made it 24-17 by completing another pass on the two-point conversion.

Manning (31 for 45, 333 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception) took over with 5:42 remaining in the contest and was taking the underneath routes that the Saints defense was giving him. When he tried to go downfield, he was picked off by Tracy Porter, who brought it back 74 yards and the exclamation point.

When the scoreboard showed a final score of 31-17, Bourbon Street exploded like 10 combined Mardi Gras parades. An unlikely turnover by arguably one of the best quarterbacks in the game sealed the deal, and pinpoint accuracy by his adversary led to that.

After losing five straight to close out the first half of a conference schedule which included only two Colonial Athletic Association wins, both against last-place Towson (4-16, 1-9 CAA), the Pride (10-12, 3-7) was sorely in need of a fresh, clean start to the second half of it’s CAA season.

Frustrated by his team’s poor play, Hofstra head coach Tom Pecora tried a new motivational tactic while seeking his first win in three weeks, since a 77-61 victory over Towson, on January 6th.

Pecora admitted, “We haven’t had practice gear in about a week because I got mad, and I said, they shouldn’t wear anything that says ‘Hofstra’ on their chest… we were starting to smell a little bit because they were wearing the same shirts.”

The perfect deodorant?

A home game with a much easier opponent on the slate.

Finishing a tough stretch of alternating home games and road contests which included three separate trips to Virginia and a fourth to Philadelphia, Hofstra’s losing streak came against five of the CAA’s top six teams, by an average of 12.4 points.

“We looked at the schedule as soon as it came out and we went, ‘Wow, what a January that’s gonna be.’ We had hoped to come out of it better than we did… the opponents we were playing were all upper tier teams… now we’ll get some home games, and the students are back, and the crowds will be better, and we can go on the road… with a little more confidence… not as many long trips.”

So, it was great timing for the unpredictable, eighth-place North Carolina-Wilmington Seahawks (7-14, 3-7 CAA) to pay a visit to the Mack Sports Complex on Wednesday night, and help Hofstra dash some cologne on its poor first half within the conference.

UNCW, which entered the game with four consecutive road losses, while dropping five of six overall, had surprisingly played better teams very tough on the road, winning at one of the CAA’s upper echelon teams (William & Mary) by one point, and losing two-point games at Virginia (second-place in the ACC), and at Richmond (a solid Atlantic-10 squad this year).

However, when their perimeter shots don’t fall, the Seahawks have also shown a tendency to be run out of the gym, as was the case before a crowd of 2,525 fans at Hofstra, which saw the Pride lead wire-to-wire in a thorough 93-54 domination of UNCW.

It was such a rout, the Pride’s first half total of 54 points –- the most in Pecora’s nine seasons as Hofstra’s head coach -– matched the Seahawks’ total for the game.

Pleased with his team’s perimeter defense, Pecora said of the Seahawks, who missed their first seven shots from behind the arc, “They can put four three-point shooters on the floor at one time, and they [only] shot 3 of 17 from three.”

Hofstra meanwhile, started hot, making seven of its first 10 shots from the field, as junior forward Greg Washington (14 points, 7-12 fg) led the way early, scoring six of the Pride’s first seven points.

Washington was one of five Hofstra players to score in double figures, the first time that happened for the Pride since five starters scored all of Hofstra’s points in a 77-66 upset win over then-25th ranked George Mason, on February 23, 2006.

The early start gave the lanky 6-foot-10 forward as well as his team, some much-needed energy at both ends of the floor. “Once I get the first shot,” Washington said, “I want to keep going and going and that helps me defensively, [and], it gets the team going.”

Joining Washington in double figures were junior guard Charles Jenkins (24 points), senior guard Cornelius Vines (15 points), freshman forward Halil Kanacevic (14 points off the bench), and freshman point guard Chaz Williams (11 points).

Pecora is hopeful that his team’s selfless play will carry over for the rest of the season. “If it was a game where one or two guys got 30 or 40 [points],” he said, “I don’t know if our confidence would rise as much as it would now, by us sharing the wealth… I think that’s important for this group.”

A jumper by senior guard Johnny Wolf (the only Seahawk in double figures, with 14 points), pulled UNCW to within 11-7, 5:07 into the game, but Hofstra scored the next 13 points, nine from three-point range (on a pair of three-pointers by Vines and a trey by Jenkins).

Hofstra extended that run to 23-2, capped by the first-ever six-point play and only eight-point trip that Jenkins could remember in all of his years of playing basketball, whether at the college level or prior.

Jenkins, who had his most efficient game of the season (leading all scorers while making 7 of 9 shots from the floor and 9 of 10 free throw attempts), scored his second straight basket on a fast break layup, to put the Pride up 28-9, with 9:21 left in the half.

Junior guard Jeremy Basnight was called four an intentional foul as Jenkins hit the floor hard after making the shot.

UNCW head coach Benny Moss was then called for a technical foul, after which Jenkins sank all four free throws for the whistles on both Basnight and Moss. Jenkins followed the foul shots with a running jumper to complete the personal eight-point possession while scoring his tenth straight point, giving Hofstra a commanding 34-9 lead, with 9:16 remaining in the opening half.

From there, Hofstra coasted. Washington’s putback gave the Pride its biggest first-half lead, 54-22, before a Wolf three-pointer made it 54-25 by halftime. Only six missed free throws (Hofstra was 13-19 in the opening half) kept the Pride from posting a 60-point first half.

Four Hofstra players (Jenkins, 16; and, Washington, Vines, and Kanacevic, with 10 each) reached double figures in the opening 20 minutes.

The lead grew to as much as 42 points on three different occasions in the second half, as Hofstra won by easily its largest margin, while recording its highest point total and shooting its best percentage (57.7 percent) from the floor, this season.

Pecora’s teams have always been about defense first, but he was encouraged by the offensive improvement against the Seahawks. “I was weened on defense and rebounding,” he said. “But, the most important statistic is offensive field goal percentage… offensively, we got better spacing, and we opened the floor a little bit.”

Still, there was plenty to like about the defense and rebounding.

Hofstra limited UNCW to just 33.3 percent (18-for-54) shooting while junior guard Chad Tomko (0-4 fg), who entered the game as UNCW’s leading scorer (14.3 ppg), was held without a point for just the second time in 86 career games, and for the first time this season.

Meanwhile, the Pride outrebounded the Seahawks, 41-30, led by Washington and Kanacevic tying each other with a game-high eight rebounds apiece. The two also combined for all of Hofstra’s 14 blocked shots, 10 of which came from Washington, to tie a school record. “That’s a very impressive statistic,” Pecora said.

Perhaps an even better number is the 170 career blocks for Washington. He now needs just nine more to break the 27-year-old school record of 178, set by David Taylor (1979-83).

Though Jenkins, Kanacevic, and Williams have developed as the core of Hofstra’s team, Pecora knows that Washington will have to expand that core by one more key piece for the remainder of the season.

“Gregory is the key to everything we do,” Pecora said. Before the game, Pecora told Washington, “Let’s play like the old days, like you were playing early in the year and late last year.”

Pecora added of his other more experienced players, “We’ve got to get those veterans playing… and taking ownership of this team. I think they had lost their confidence and I was surprised by that. It just goes to show you, [that] you can play a game on Saturday and be down 30 in the second half [at Drexel, in a 75-62 loss] and four days later, be up 30 in the second half.”

“That felt good,” he said earlier. “We haven’t had one of those, it feels like, in a hundred years. I’m happy about it. We’re back home, hopefully we can build off that. We have another home game on Saturday… we have to be consistent and we have to play at a high level the rest of the way.”

Pecora (146-123 at Hofstra), who with the win, tied Frank Reilly (1947-55), for third place on the all- school list for head coaching victories, continued to work on that even with his best player, during the waning moments of his team’s easiest win.

“During a timeout in the second half, I was getting into [Jenkins]… “I still want you to stay aggressive,” Pecora told one of the conference’s leading scorers, with Hofstra up by more than 30 points. “That’s got to be your mindset every minute you’re on the court… [because] we’re still working on becoming a better team.”

Jenkins seems to have gotten the message. On breaking the losing streak, and admiring his team’s resiliency, he said, “It feels very good. Coach always tells us that tough times don’t last and tough teams do.” But, Jenkins also understands that, “Tomorrow it’s… back to business.”

He also now realizes what it means to earn the right to wear those new, clean Hofstra practice shirts again. “We’re not just playing for each other, we’re playing for Hofstra,” Jenkins said.

Said Pecora, “They get their practice gear back… practice won’t stink tomorrow, in one sense, anyway.”

Temple, thus far, has compiled one of its best early season marks. Currently ranked #16/17 in national polls, The Owls defeated top 5 ranked Villanova on December 13. Two of its three losses came at the hands of ranked teams. Georgetown edged Temple, 46-45, and the Owls were blown out by Kansas, then #1 ranked. Its only other defeat was by the St. John’s Red Storm.

Fordham, on the other hand, has started horribly. Its head coach, Derek Whittenburg, was fired after coaching the first five games of the season. The slow start followed a 3-25 record in the 2008-9 season. The current head coach, Jared Grasso, the youngest head coach in Division I men’s basketball, has led the team to only one victory in 12 contests.

The background of the two teams seemed totally irrelevant as they battled evenly during the first half. The score was knotted three times and the lead changed hands five times during the first 10 minutes. A layup by Fordham’s Chris Gaston at 9:25 gave Fordham its final lead of the game. The half ended with the visitors leading, 22-19. The stats for the teams were very similar. Both shot below 30% from the floor. Each only netted two treys and grabbed 18 boards.

Temple’s three more free throws than Fordham were the difference between the two. Veteran coach Fran Dunphy spoke of his team’s poor start, “I have no idea why we start so slow. We had decent looks in the first half, but we didn’t make them.”

Temple adjusted well in the second half, and began the period with a 16-4 scoring run to take a 38-23 lead with 13:45 remaining. Temple continued its domination of the contest, raising its advantage to 23 points. Fordham closed the game outscoring the visitors 14-8, but it was too little, too late. Temple’s shooting from the floor was outstanding. The Owls netted 16 of 24 attempts, 7 of 9 from beyond the arc. Dunphy credited his bench players, who outscored Fordham 26-12, for creating the separation during the second half. Sophomore Scootie Reynolds, averaging less than two points per game, scored all 12 of his points in the second half on four of five from three point range. Grasso talked of his team’s inability to play effectively for 40 minutes,

“We played 22-23 minutes, and ran out of gas.” Grasso, as he often does, spoke of the youth of his freshmen dominated squad, “We showed how young we are. In the second half, they made more shots, and we didn’t respond. Sometimes, you see the difference between upperclassmen and freshmen.” Grasso did speak very positively of the effort his players make, “They’re playing hard. The effort is there. I’m not disappointed.”

Freshman Chris Gaston of the Rams, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, continued his double digit average in both categories with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Championship Sunday, on January 24th, was supposed to be a private affair, with only the top four playoff seeds invited.

Instead, three of those four seeds will be there, and then there are the misfits among the crowd — the only team in this year’s conference title round seeded lower than second, and the only squad left without one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league or an explosive passing game capable of lighting up a scoreboard at will.

Yes, the fifth-seeded New York Jets, the unwelcome visitor, the big pests who simply won’t go away, return to Indianapolis on Sunday, and although under far different circumstances than before, will try do what they did the last time they were there –- make themselves at home in Lucas Oil Stadium and leave with a victory that the Colts should have.

Although the stakes are much higher this time, don’t expect THIS lower seed to be intimidated at all.

No, these Jets are brash, brazen, unabashed, and supremely confident that they deserve to be where they are, and that they’re quite capable of defying the odds and going from the brink of playoff elimination, to a good postseason team, to super, despite doing things differently than the other three seeds competing for a Super Bowl berth this weekend.

And, the Jets owe it all to Polian for giving them the opportunity.

Rather than taking a shot at extending one kind of history and taking aim at another which has yet to be accomplished in the NFL, Polian wanted his team to rest up for the playoffs, even when his own players, and his own head coach (whether he admits it or not) sought perfection.

It’s the old debate each year in the final week or two of an NFL season for teams that clinch playoff berths early. Rest or rust?

While Polian had done the same before, the move was curious to most this year. Had a precedent been set of the Colts producing multiple Super Bowl titles coming off of late regular season rest, many would have been in Polian’s camp.

However, the Colts have usually come up short in the postseason after shutting down their starters at the end of a regular season.

This was also no ordinary year to choose rest over continued momentum.

To Polian, an NFL-record 23-game regular season winning streak and building on a 14-0 record in 2009 meant absolutely nothing, even if that view alienated most Colts fans and caused a backlash among the blue and white nation in Indianapolis which Polian never expected.

More importantly, with a 15-10 third-quarter lead, holding the Jets’ offense to a mere three points, the Colts -– the real Colts — had a chance to end the Jets season on December 27th, before the Colts’ bench allowed the Jets to win, 29-15.

Polian had his team shut it all down against its will, a decision which might come back to haunt him and his Colts on Sunday.

Football is often a game of momentum and week-to-week growth. The Jets return to Indianapolis possessing both of those things.

While they won’t see the watered-down Colts Lite version they saw when Polian handed Gang Green a Week 16 gift that jump-started the Jets’ improbable run to Sunday’s rematch with the Colts, the Jets are a lot different themselves, since then.

They arrive with key ingredients –- the NFL’s top ranked defense playing with the confidence that it can stop any offense (even one directed by Peyton Manning), and the league’s top rushing game, now bolstered by running back Shonn Greene -– which give any outmanned team a chance to pull a postseason upset against even the best.

The Jets may also have some karma and magic on their side:

- Though they certainly played well enough to earn their way to Sunday’s AFC title game, they might not have arrived at this point without a little luck.

- Two missed chip shot field goals by Bengals’ kicker Shayne Graham helped the Jets win 24-14, in Cincinnati, in the wild-card round. And, in stopping the Chargers’ 11-game win streak with a narrow 17-14 win in San Diego last week, the Jets, to keep San Diego from scoring 20 points for the first time all season, needed the help of three more missed field goals, including two from 40 yards and less, by All-Pro kicker Nate Kaeding, who had made his previous 69 kicks from that same distance.

- Chargers’ leading wide receiver, Vincent Jackson, dealt with the distraction of being briefly arrested and having his car impounded for driving with a suspended license and an expired registration after he was pulled over for loud music hours before kickoff last Sunday.

- The Jets got a key, fluke interception from shutdown cornerback Darrelle Revis on a ball that bounced off of Jackson’s leg before literally falling out of the sky and into the Revis’ lap.

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- The last time the Jets had the top-ranked defense and the top rushing game, they went to the Super Bowl, their only Super Bowl.

- For numerologists, fullback Matt Snell, born in ’41, who wore number 41 both at Ohio State and as a Jet, scored the only touchdown in Jets’ Super Bowl history to date, 41 years ago.

- In the Jets’ 50th anniversary season, New York has the ironic opportunity of going through the Colts, to return to Miami in two weeks, to the same city where the Jets beat the Colts in Super Bowl III.

Like that Jets team, it’s the Jets’ talented defense, powerful rushing game, a young quarterback who’s avoiding mistakes, and especially, the belief in themselves despite the doubters, which seem to have spawned their current run.

The only thing right now that’s soaring higher than the Jets’ quick ascent from late regular season mediocrity is their confidence, behind the bravado of inspirational head coach Rex Ryan, who has pushed all of the right buttons since the Jets’ Week 15 home loss to Atlanta which at the time, caused Ryan to say his team’s season was over.

And maybe, that was all part of the master plan of the Jets’ master motivator.

Some thought Ryan might be crazy when he broke down and cried in front of Jets’ players in their locker room earlier this season, only to go back to maintaining how great his team was during a poor 4-7 mid-season stretch following a 3-0 start, before making the comment after the Atlanta loss.

Crazy?

Crazy like a fox.

All of that the “season was over” talk might very well have been carefully calculated by Ryan.

For one, that move has allowed Ryan’s team to play loose ever since.

Additionally, Ryan might have deliberately planted a seed in Polian’s head at the time that the Jets were done and were no longer a threat.

It was a message as if to say, “Sure, Bill, go ahead and rest everyone. Our season is over, you won’t have to worry about seeing us in January.”

In fact, once other AFC contenders started to lose their own grips on the AFC wild-card race, Ryan publicly advocated for the Colts resting their starters leading up to the Jets’ Week 16 visit to Indianapolis –- the game which thrust New York right back into the playoff picture.

Fast forward a few weeks, and the savvy, shrewd, and manipulating Ryan now says he’d “be shocked” if the Jets don’t win on Sunday, and prior to the playoffs, he called the Jets “Super Bowl favorites.”

That’s a far cry from “our season is over” less than five weeks ago.

This week, Ryan also said that we “won’t ever see a looser team for an AFC championship game.”

And, he’s probably right.

After all, the Jets weren’t supposed to be here. They’re simply shocking the world week by week, much like Giants’ Stadium’s other former tenant, also a five seed, two years ago. And, we all remember how the magical run ended for the New York Giants that year. So, why not the Jets, this year?

All of the pressure is squarely on the Colts, who are not only favored, but who thanks to Polian, now have the added weight of having to prove something in a “real” game after losing with their backups to a Jets team which has since grown leaps and bounds ever since that Week 16 win over the Colts.

It’s true that the Colts might have had even more pressure on them had they been trying for an undefeated season right now. And, maybe that figured into Polian’s thinking. Perhaps Polian figured that the pressure they’re facing now would be nothing compared to that of having to navigate through a postseason while remaining undefeated. It could also easily be argued that the rest was more beneficial to the Colts, whose well-rested defense was flying around the field in stopping the Baltimore Ravens, 20-3, in last week’s divisional round playoff game.

But, because Polian didn’t allow the Colts to knock the Jets out when they had the chance, they now have to play a very dangerous and confident team that no one wants to play.

Thanks to Polian, the Colts are not only playing for a Super Bowl trip, but they have the added pressure of proving that Week 16 was indeed a fluke, while the Jets get to play for the same high stakes with house money.

Still, by Sunday evening, Polian may very well be vindicated, especially by Colts’ future Hall of Fame quarterback, Peyton Manning.

Manning certainly has the receiving weapons needed to do what the fourth-seeded Cincinnati Bengals and the second-seeded San Diego Chargers couldn’t do against the NFL’s best defense. And, he’s had a lot of past success (including regular and post seasons) against Ryan-led defenses when Ryan was with the Ravens.

But, the Jets definitely have their own weapons to counter.

It’s been joked that water covers 75 percent of the earth, and Revis covers the other 25 percent.

The Jets will have to start there and run the ball well enough to control the clock, shorten the game, and keep Manning off the field.

Even that, and more, could likely not be enough against a Colts team that will be favored by over a touchdown on Sunday, and which has yet to lose this season while playing its starters for a full game.

Yet, sometimes in football, an edge in talent doesn’t beat an edge in momentum, or a date with destiny.

It’s a date — and a risk — that Polian could have avoided had he done the right thing nearly a month ago.

Polian gave the Jets a gift in Week 16, and now, it might be time for him to pay the bill on that charitable donation.

The Colts’ president may be banking on the fact that things will be different with the Jets now trying to beat Manning and company instead of players like Colts’ backup quarterback Curtis Painter.

However, by not seizing the chance to make history before, the Colts’ season could quickly become history, while the Jets could go from beating Painter to painting Polian’s town Gang Green.

After all it was the Colts back in week 16 who infamously resuscitated the fading Jets by benching star QB Peyton Manning in the third quarter of a 15-10 game in which the Jets trailed. Throwing their undefeated season away in exchange for the assurance of the health of their key players for the post season, the Colts handed the reigns over to QB Curtis Painter who hand’t taken an NFL regular season snap in his career. The Jets then did what THEY had to do by stripping backup QB Curtis Painter and turning it into a TD and a 17-15 lead. What ensued from there was a 29-15 win that, coupled with the following weeks 37-0 shutout of the equally unmotivated AFC North champion Bengals, paved the way for a bizarre and controversial playoff berth.

Many questioned if the Jets even deserved to be in the playoffs. Most fans will tell you that the Colts would’ve easily held on to beat the Jets and then the Bills in week 17 to go 16-0, yet the truth is, we’ll never know how THAT would’ve turned out. Instead, the Jets and Colts will do it again next Sunday both with a chance at setting their own record straight. The Jets can prove all those who feel the Colts handed the Jets the game that day wrong, by beating the Colts at full strength. By beating the Jets, the Colts can quiet the detractors who disagree that resting starters after locking up the one seed is the best way to prepare for a Super Bowl run. For the Chargers, a great regular season has again led only to a difficult playoff loss and an offseason left wondering, “how” and “why.” The Bolts self examination begins today as players began cleaning out their lockers most likely in disbelief, after one of the more surprising Jet wins in franchise history.

The Chargers, the leagues top team twenty plus yard receptions, came into yesterday’s Divisional playoff game hoping to make good on the challenge of facing the NFL’s stingiest defense against the pass. (The Jets led the NFL in pass defense, giving up just 153 yards per game in 2009.)The first quarter saw the Bolts moving the ball reasonably well through the air as Chargers QB Phillip Rivers found Bolts top wideout Vincent Jackson (7-111 yards) for some nice twenty yard gains. TE Antonio Gates (8-93 yards), the future hall of famer who at 6′5, always presents a mismatch, was gaining position in the middle of the field, and slowly becoming Rivers’ security blanket. The Jets on the other hand, failed to manage a first down on their first four drives. The Chargers finally took the lead on a Rivers 13 yard TD pass to Kris Wilson. Rather than try to add tot he lead in the air, the Chargers strength, Chargers head coach Norv Turner instead tried to force the Charger run game, ranked 31st in the NFL, rushing at just 3.8 yards per carry, down the Jets throat. The plan failed as Jet defenders consistently kept Charger legend Ladanian Tomlinson (12-24 yards), who has been slowed by toe injuries the past two seasons, in check. By playing a game of field position the Chargers hoped to wait on a mistake by Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez (who threw 20 ints in 2009, but none in the past three games), as a way to go up two scores.

San Diego’s plan may have worked had it not been for the first of three missed FGs by AFC Pro Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding (69 straight FGs form 40 yards in going into the game) from 36 yards out. Kaeding has a history of playoff misses vs the Jets. A rookie back in 2005, he had a key missed 40 yard FG against the Jets in the AFC Wildcard OT win. A 57 yard attempt by the AFC pro bowler fell short . With it, the Bolts ability to create distance and force the Jets out of the Ground and Pound in the second half. The score was 7-0 Chargers, a position Ryan admitted later made him feel good about the clubs chances in pulling off the major upset.

After a quality drive that followed Brad Smith’s return to the Jet 40 to start the third. Ryan called a timeout on a key fourth and one, midway through the 3rd, at the SD 29. Ryan then elected to change his mind and try for a long field goal, rather than the original plan to go for it. The extra time to decide payed off as K Jay Feely drilled the Jets onto the scoreboard 7-3. This left the Jets in the position to need one big play in order to take control. Enter S Jim Leonhard.

The hard nosed Wisconin Badger walk on, who forced, then seemingly recovered a first half fumble of WR Malcom Floyd in the Charger territory while falling helmetless, became the man of the moment for the Jets just after a Steve Weatherford punt left the Chargers inside their own five yard line. Leonard picked off Rivers who miss timed a Charger crossing route inside the Charger 25. After the play, a personal foul for unsportsmanlike conduct on the uncharacterisically volatile Chargers left the Jets inside the Charger 10 to start the fourth. Penalties plagued the Bolts all day. Some were a result of stupidity, others frustration, others like three false starts by the Chargers offensive line, were a result of a disguising aggressive Jet pressure that kept Rivers off balance all day.

The Leonard pick became a 3rd and 2 in side the five on the second play of the fourth, Sanchez then looked to make up for a mistake made minutes earlier when he threw his first interception in 48 possesions. Trying to find the heavily guarded Braylon Edwards, the rookie’s ill timed throw left the Chargers inside the Jet 50 with a chance to widen a 7-3 lead. CB Darelle Revis, snubbed this week in favor Charles Woodson for NFL defensive player of the year, then helped the Jets weather that storm. “REvis Island” left Jackson stranded, with an incredible pick on a pass intended that hit the Chargers main deep threat’s foot as both players fell to the ground. This helped in keeping the ball alive long enough for Revis to snatch it while lying down.

Sanchez then made the key throw of the day as he play actioned then rolled out right. FB Tony Richardson, according to Sanchez, was the primary target but was covered. Second year TE Dustin Keller who was sandwiched in the back of the end zone by two Charger defenders, t instinctively burrowed away from the defenders right corner pile on. Just at that moment Sanchez read Keller’s mind and delivered a hard low strike that Keller grabbed for the go ahead TD. The Jets, now up 10-7, were in the drivers seat as the Charger crowd sat stunned, contemplating yet another once promising year headed for disaster. The 2006 Charger team led by then QB Drew Brees were an NFL best 14-2 yet got bounced by the Pats 24-21 at home. That AFC divisional round loss to what on paper appeared to be an undermanned New England club, essentially ended head coach Marty Schottenheimer’s tenure. Now suddenly down 10-7, Charger fans faced history rearing its ugly head again.

Where was that high powered air attack that helped lead the Chargers to scoring no less than 20 points a game in 2009? It was working to a degree in the first half. Not in the second half though, after Jet defenders pleaded with Ryan at halftime to give up on zone coverage. The Jets then went man to man and the switch worked. Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine said during the week that the Jet secondary welcomed the chance to use press coverage on the Chargers tall wideouts at the line. By getting physical at the line, the Jets began to disrupt the timing of many Charger pass routes. All the while snuffing out screen play attempts by the leagues top screen pass offense. Attemtps to hit big gains on these plays by utilizing big play speedster RB Darren Sproles were rebuffed as the Jet front seven reacted well all day to the Bolts offensive line’s covert and latent movements into the flat . The Jets were playing with the lead and a bruising ground game in their hip pocket, knowing they were less than 15 minutes away from a rematch with the Colts.

After the Jets got a stop on the ensuing drive, the Ground and Pound took over. Rookie Shonne Greene ( 128 yards) began to impose himself on a Chargers defense that started well but began to wear down. Then the Jets broke it open. Greene , who broke a 49 yard run for a TD in Cincinnati last week in the Wildcard round, found a seem yet again on the left side. Greene then busted through and turned it on through the Charger secondary for a 53 yard TD run and a 17-7 Jet lead with just 7:17 left. The third round rookie out of Iowa has become a big factor in the Jet offense in these playoffs with two back to back 100 yard games.

The Chargers came right back after returning a poorly executed Jet squib kick to the Jet 45. The Bolts drive died however at the Jet 23, then Kaeding then missed his third FG of the day a 40 yarder with 4:38 to play. The Jets played it safe and went three and out as the Bolts got it back with under 4:00 left. The Chargers then cut the Jet lead to 17-14 with 2:14 left. A one yard sneak by Rivers helped overcome another dumb 15 yard penalty by the Chargers ( Vincent Jackson was hit unsportsmanlike on the drive for kicking Ryan’s red challenge flag thrown by the Jet head coach in order to review whether a tight catch by Jackson at the Jet 20 was done with both feet in bounds).

With only one timeout and the two minute warning Charger Coach Norv Turner then chose to make the risky decision of an onsides kick. Turner decided on the onsides instead of kicking the ball away, which may have forced the Jets , who were surely going to run on every down, to punt it back on 4th down if they were short. This scenario would have left the Chargers enough time for a last minute drive for a long game tying FG. Instead the high bouncing onsides kick fell into the hands of the recently resurgent Jets safety Kerry Rhodes. Rhodes, who prior to the season, was thought by some to become Ryan’s next version of Ed Reed, overcame a benching in week 12 for poor play leading up to it, and has been a man on the scene for Gang Green since.

The recovery left the Jets in safe four down territory, one first down away from a trip to Indy. Then it happened, THAT fourth and one with just over a minute to play. Again, had the Jets been in their own end, they would’ve certainly punted. Instead, a nation of lip readers watched Ryan say “let’s go for it.” Timeout was called. The Jets offense, on the Charger 29, briefly rested up for the big play as they saw no need to punt where an accidental touchback would gain them only nine yards of field position.

Ryan was going to put his faith into the hands of the NFL’s number one rushing offense. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer then inserted sure handed power runner Thomas Jones for Greene. The 31 year old vet, one of the leagues top rushers in 2009, followed FB Tony Richardson into the heart of a Jet offensive line sporting two pro bowlers in C Nick Mangold and G Alan Faneca. This against a tired Charger run defense, ranked just 20th against the run. Jones busted it through, delivering the game clinching four yard plunge that gave the Jets a first down. The Chargers with no timeouts, could only watch helplessly. The play sent the Jets packing for Indy while sending the

13-3 Chargers packing.

None of the CBS pre game experts which included among others, former Super Bowl winning coach Bill Cowher, gave the Jets a chance in San Diego. Some of the Chargers themselves apparently didn’t believe it could be done either . LB Bart Scott said afterwards that Charger players were chirping during pre game warm ups how the Jets didn’t deserve to be here. This Scott said, added to fuel to the fire of a Jet team that has played with heart all season. A team that has overcome it’s own inconsistency to survive long enough to allow the chance to mesh together all three phases of the game. A team with a like minded sense of purpose of going all the way that has grown and grown bigger for over a month now.

Many felt the Jets had no right obtaining a gift from the Colts then the Bengals in order to sneak into the playoffs, yet regardless the Jets are now gaining steam. Serious steam. Sanchez has figured out how to manage this run heavy offense without getting in the way by throwing the game away. The defense continues to play with a chip on it’s shoulder, taking pride in shutting every offense they face, down. The Jets players completely believe in their loud brash made for New York rookie head coach who drawn a line in the sand by saying essentially “don’t believe those 50-1 odds, the Super Bowl favorite is right here in Green and White.” In the bigger picture the franchise known for the term “Same Old Jets” is quickly beginning to reshape this image of failure into a vision of a “New Jets,” thanks to the their fearless leader, the cocky anti-Jet, Rex Ryan. The “New Jets” are club that plays with fight in its heart, and a no quit mentality. It’s a team that is showing it can come through in the clutch moments of a big game, on the road as well..

The 17-14 stunner in San Diego, the Jets biggest win in over 41 years, sets the stage for a much anticipated rematch with the 14-2 Colts. Indy were 20-3 winners over the also run heavy defensive minded Ravens on Saturday at home, in their divisional playoff battle. Only Peyton Manning and the 14-2 Colts stand in the way of the Jets first Super Bowl appearance since 1969. It’s important for any team, in this case the Jets, to relish these opportunities. Being in position to stand just 60 minutes away from the Super Bowl doesn’t come around so easily adn often, despite how the Jets top AFC East rival the Patriots have made things look over the past decade. Even when additional chances DO arise, big regular seasons that can help lead to a club earning itself a playoff bye week never guarantees anything. Just ask the Chargers.

A look back at the three keys to the Chargers:

Make SD’s offense one dimensional:

We said “we’ll steal a page out of Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s press conference on Thursday. To make the Chargers one dimensional would do wonders for a defense that is already locked in on the Air attack.” Bingo. SD had just 57 yards between LT and Sproles.

Braylon, Come on!

We said ” If Edwards can relax like his rookie QB has learned to do this month, we may have the X factor of the game right here in #17.”Well, Edwards was 2 for 41 yards in a game where Sanchez had just 100 yards passing. Perhaps Edwards stretched the field enough for Greene who sealed it with the long TD. A real deal breakout game is what we asked for. If it happens in Indy for Edwards it could make the Jets Super.

Withstand the early onslaught.

We asked Gang Green to keep it close after SD throws the big first punch. “What the Jets cant afford is a few big plays and mistakes hitting them hard early. ” The Jets did exactly that, managing to trail just 7-0 despite not being able to obtain a first down for the first 4 drives. That was HUGE. The Chargers inability to put the Jets away in the first half before the Jets were able to adjust, may be the reason why they’re going home and Jets are moving on.

follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter@ thejetreport

He hopes that Nate Robinson can keep playing the way his coach needs his diminutive but quick and energy-filled guard to play in order for the Knicks to win games.

So, in the spirit of that vision, it was somewhat fitting that Robinson continued to give the Knicks exactly what D’Antoni has been seeking from him lately, during this year’s edition of the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Day matinee at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Though Dr. King’s legacy is of course far more important than basketball, Knick fans nonetheless, thoroughly enjoyed watching Robinson score a game-high 27 points to lead the Knicks (17-24) to a 99-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons (14-26) in the second game of a home-and-home set.

After weathering an extended visit to D’Antoni’s doghouse that benched him for all but 10 minutes in the month of December, including the final 14 games of the month, Robinson has returned in January to average 15.9 points per game.

“I thought he played well,” D’Antoni said of Robinson, who shot 11 of 18 from the floor, including 5 of 9 from three-point range in 33 minutes off the bench. “There are times that he’s not a natural point guard, and we’re trying to throw him over into that role, so it’s not easy for him, but as long as he keeps his energy up and focus, we can kind of work around it.”

Though it was Robinson’s offense which carried the Knicks, it’s the less noticeable things that show up in the boxscore, and even the intangibles that don’t, which are keeping Robinson in the lineup of late, and the Knicks’ biggest spark off the bench is well aware of that fact.

“I’m just trying to show everybody that I can do more than just score,” Robinson said. “I’m hustling and doing everything I can to help this team win.”

Robinson knows his increased playing time is for now, conditional upon things such as the solid defense he played while dishing out four assists and committing just one turnover against the Pistons, and he seems to have received the message.

“If I wait another 14 games,” Robinson said, “I’m going to have to wait until my number’s called again… you gotta be patient and wait your turn.”

D’Antoni however, also recognizes Robinson’s value when he’s playing the brand of basketball that the coach has preached to his point guard.

“He gives us something we need and that’s athleticism,” D’Antoni said. “We have to have everything else. We have to have the defense [from him] and the sound play, but he does give us something that we need.”

And, Robinson provided just that, beginning in the second quarter, after the Knicks fell behind at the start, caught up, and then had trouble pulling away against the short-handed Pistons, who were without leading scorer Richard Hamilton as well as three of their next five leading scorers (Ben Gordon, Wil Bynum, and Tayshaun Prince).

Detroit opened with a 9-1 lead as it took the Knicks 3:35 to score (on a free throw by forward Jared Jeffries) and 4:07 before New York made its first field goal, on a jumper by Wilson Chandler.

That shot ignited a 12-0 run during which Chandler scored nine points, to give the Knicks a 13-9 lead. He finished the period with 11 points on 5 of 6 shooting from the floor, but he went just 2-for-6 from the field the rest of the game, failing to score in the second half, while finishing with 17 points (although he contributed defensively, as the only player with multiple blocked shots, with four).

Detroit’s three leading scorers (Rodney Stuckey, Ben Wallace, and Austin Day) were the only players to score for the Pistons in the opening quarter, which ended in a 23-all tie.

Stuckey and Wallace each had 10 first-quarter points, with Wallace scoring his 10 points consecutively, after the Knicks’ 12-0 run, to keep the game tied at 19.

Forward Charlie Villanueva scored 10 of his 16 points off the bench in second quarter, but that was half of his team’s total in a period in which New York outscored Detroit 34-20, to take a 53-47 halftime lead, thanks mostly, to 13 second-quarter points from Robinson, who didn’t hesitate when shots were available.

“My teammates and my coach told me I have to be aggressive,” Robinson said. “That’s just who I am. They [felt] the last couple games, I hadn’t been that aggressive. They told me, just be yourself.”

Robinson, who on Sunday, agreed to return to defend last year’s slam dunk title at this year’s NBA all-star weekend in Dallas on February 13th, electrified the crowd, when he moved along the left baseline unguarded, and took a long lob pass from guard Chris Duhon for a nice alley oop dunk with 54.8 seconds left in the half.

The high-flying guard considers it an honor to be mentioned as a slam dunk title winner after admitting he marveled at past winners such as Spud Webb and Dominique Wilkins.

Still, he tempers his excitement to compete for an unprecedented third slam dunk title while realizing that such flashiness isn’t what will help him become a more complete player.

“The dunk contest, it’s all fun and games,” he said. “Hopefully, I can be the first one to win three… [but] if I don’t win it, it’ll be good, I [won’t] have to go back no more. I’m an all-around player… but it’s pretty cool to be labeled as one of the best dunkers ever.”

After the game, Robinson yelled across the Knicks’ locker room to forward Danilo Gallinari, who despite being one of the league’s best three-point shooter, will not participate in the all-star weekend’s three-point shootout.

Robinson asked Gallinari to help him with his dunks in Dallas, but Gallinari plans to go nowhere near the all-star festivities. Gallinari responded to the request with a nervous, wide smile while quickly shaking his head ‘no,’ prompting laughs from reporters.

That won’t stop Robinson from trying though. “He don’t wanna go,” Robinson said. “He wants to on vacation and relax with his family. I don’t blame him… I’m gonna make him go.”

All of the good that the Knicks did in the first half was undone in an awful third quarter, as New York scored a season low while being outscored 27-11.

A nice stutter-step dribble drive by Robinson, who double clutched in the lane with two seconds left in the quarter prevented the Knicks from being held to single digits in the period just after Detroit matched its largest lead of the game, 70-66.

Forward David Lee (who was held eight points below his average of 19 points per game) grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, 11 in the first half, as the Knicks outrebounded the Pistons 27-19 in the opening two quarters.

The rebounding battle was a completely different story in the second half, and especially the third quarter however, as the Pistons simply began to outwork the Knicks to seemingly every loose ball while beating New York to a lot of rebounds on the Knicks’ backboard.

Detroit outrebounded New York 12-3 in the third quarter and 46-39 for the game, including 19-7 on the offensive glass.

Wallace had five (three offensive) of his team-high 14 rebounds to go along with four points in the period. Meanwhile, Stuckey and Daye added six points and forward Jason Maxiell led all scorers in the quarter, scoring 7 of his 13 in the quarter.

With so many key players out of the lineup, a lot of Piston players scored more than they had in a while.

Stuckey led Detroit with 22 points, the most he’s scored this month, since scoring the same amount in a new year’s eve loss to Chicago.

Wallace scored a season-high 16 points, the most he scored since he had 19 in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on March 20, 2007.

Detroit’s pair of 2005 first-round draft picks also had much bigger days than normal. Daye, who entered the game averaging just 13 minutes and 4.8 points per game, played 32 minutes and made the most of his opportunity with a career-high 16 points, while Maxiell scored the most since scoring the same amount in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on November 17th.

The Knicks rallied back in the final quarter though, led by Robinson, who scored eight points in the fourth period.

Robinson started the quarter by making a steal and finishing with a layup at the other end to tie the game, 70-70.

On the next possession, Robinson made a beautiful pass under the basket to forward Al Harrington (17 points, one of five players on each team who scored in double figures), who made two free throws after a flagrant foul, to put the Knicks up for good, 72-70, with 11:06 left in the game.

After a Harrington three-pointer put the Knicks ahead 78-74, Gallinari scored New York’s next seven points, making a left corner three-pointer, a step back right corner jumper off the dribble, and a driving dunk from the left corner after faking a three, to give the Knicks an 85-76 lead, forcing a Detroit timeout with 6:47 left.

With 5:46 remaining, Robinson buried a 26-foot three-pointer, to put the Knicks up 88-78, and the Pistons would get no closer than 92-87 on a Maxiell jumper with 1:10 left.

“I think we were a little sluggish,” Robinson said. “We went back to being tense instead of just being relaxed. I think the fourth quarter, we just relaxed and we just found a way to have fun and play together.”

The Knicks have hosted afternoon games on Martin Luther King Day ever since 1986, when they lost to Philadelphia. They won the next nine (1987-1995) and 13 of 14, before losing three of five. However, the win on Monday was their third MLK Day win in four years, improving the Knicks to 18-6 all-time on the holiday, and it also avenged a 94-90 loss in Detroit on Saturday.

More importantly, the Knicks have gone 14-10 since a 3-14 start, to pull within two games of Chicago (18-21) for the Eastern conference’s final playoff spot, at the season’s halfway point.

D’Antoni is happy with the Knicks’ recent progress, but knows his team still has much work to do to improve further.

“Since we settled down a little bit, we’re kind of in the mode that we should be,” he said. “We’re playing well, [but] a little uneven in the last five games, not great mental energy… whether it’s humanly possible or not to be up all the time, I don’t know, but we need to be able to do that, especially.”

In terms of providing that energy and more, as long as Robinson does the other things which D’Antoni and the rest of the Knicks’ coaching staff asks of him, he should remain a very welcome piece of the Knicks’ lineup during the second half of the season.