New York, NY (Sports Network) - Zach Randolph had a game-high 25 points and added 13 rebounds as the Knicks edged the Bobcats, 101-98, spoiling Charlotte coach Larry Brown's first game in New York since leaving the team following the 2005-06 season.
Brown left the team amid controversy surrounding disgruntled guard Stephon Marbury and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan. Brown was hired by the Knicks after helping Detroit to back-to-back NBA Finals appearances and one championship. New York went 23-59 in Brown's only season. Charlotte is the ninth NBA team Brown has been head coach for.
Nate Robinson chipped in 24 points for the Knicks, who snapped a two-game skid. Wilson Chandler gave 18 points and Jamal Crawford had 16 in the win.
Raymond Felton had 18 points and six assists for the Bobcats, who have dropped two in a row and three of four to begin the season. Jason Richardson had 17 points and nine boards, but he missed a three-point try at the end of regulation.
Emeka Okafor ended with 16 points and 15 rebounds and Gerald Wallace contributed 16 points and 11 boards in defeat.
A quick three from Crawford, followed by a three-point play from Randolph, gave the Knicks an 87-76 lead with 10:12 left in the game.
A 12-4 run by Charlotte followed, which pulled the Bobcats within 91-88, however, Randolph scored the next six points to give the Knicks breathing room, 97-88, with 6:23 left.
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Back-to-back threes from Wallace cut Charlotte's deficit to 99-96 with 1 1/2 minutes left in regulation.
Quentin Richardson then turned the ball over, but Felton missed a shot at the other end. As New York brought the ball back up, Quentin Richardson missed a three, but Chris Duhon grabbed the rebound and was fouled.
Following a missed shot by Randolph, Jason Richardson took the ball downcourt and dropped in a layup to make it 99-98 with 10.6 ticks left.
The Knicks inbounded the ball and Crawford was fouled with 6.6 showing on the clock. He hit 2-of-2 to make it 101-98.
After a timeout, Jason Richardson inbounded the ball and got it right back for a game-tying three-point attempt. His bid, though, clanked off the back of the iron as time expired.
The Bobcats jumped out to a slight 20-19 lead after the first quarter, despite the Knicks' 37.5 percent shooting and seven turnovers in the opening frame.
Despite a 15-3 New York run to open the second quarter, Charlotte battled back and tied the game, 51-51, heading into the intermission. The Bobcats trailed by as many as 14 points in the stanza, and were helped tremendously with a 12-2 run to close the half.
Robinson and Chandler combined to deliver 37 points off the bench in the first two quarters.
Trailing by seven with 6:15 left in the third quarter, the Knicks used a 16-4 run to take back the lead. David Lee's layup sparked the surge, while Crawford had a pair of threes; Chandler's three-point play closed the scoring frenzy that gave New York a 74-69 lead with 2:42 left in the quarter. The Knicks led 81-76 heading into the final 12 minutes.
