Nate Robinson scores 27 off bench as New York Knicks beat Detroit Pistons: as I saw this I could not help but to feel outraged

New York

BY Frank Isola

DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Monday, January 18th 2010, 4:01 PM

KNICKS 99, PISTONS 91

Nate Robinson may be a favorite among the fans but to Mike D'Antoni, Robinson is someone the head coach tolerates. Barely.

There's a reason why D'Antoni sat Robinson for 14 games. And there are reasons like Monday when Robinson can be a valuable asset.

With Chris Duhon continuing to play his way out of the lineup, Robinson rescued the Knicks from what would have been the worst loss of the season. Playing against a depleted Detroit Pistons roster, Robinson became deto-Nate as he scored 27 points off the bench in the Knicks 99-91 victory.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak and improved the Knicks record to 17-24. Coming into their annual Martin Luther King matinee at the Garden, the Knicks had lost four of their last five including Saturday in Detroit.

Robinson scored eight of his 27 points in the fourth quarter and made 11 of 18 shots overall. Duhon went 0-for-3 in 19 minutes and shooting 3-for-24 in his last four.

Robinson's 27 points are his highest output since he scored 41 on Jan. 1 in Atlanta. That game was Robinson's first after being bench for 14 straight and had it not been for Duhon struggling who knows when Robinson would have played again.

But he is back in the rotation permanently and back to being himself again, which isn't necessarily a good thing. 'Lil Him began his day with the announcement that he will defend his crown at the Slam Dunk contest in Dallas. Robinson celebrated the news with a second quarter dunk.

Wilson Chandler added 17 points, Al Harrington 17, Danilo Gallinari 16 and David Lee finished with 11 points and 15 rebounds. His counterpart, Ben Wallace, had a strong game with 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 22 points and Charlie Villanueva scored 16. Detroit was 0-for-12 on three's while the Knicks made 10 of 22.

Poor John Kuester, the rookie head coach and Larry Brown disciple, who is charge of a team that can't stay healthy. Monday, the Pistons were playing without Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Price and Richard Hamilton. Gordon was in uniform but was sidelined due to a groin injury. Prince is out with a sore left knee and Hamilton was a late scratch because of an upset stomach.

That's how much the NBA has change over the past 10 years. Charles Oakley wouldn't miss a practice, much less a game, after broke bones in his face. Nowadays, players beg out of the lineup because of a tummy ache.

The Pistons starting lineup included Jonas Jerebko, Austin Daye and Chris Wilcox which doesn't exactly conjured up memories of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars and Bill Laimbeer.

The players Kuester used played hard for him. Detroit played the Knicks even for one quarter before Robinson erupted for 13 points in the second quarter, including a dunk set up by Duhon's lob pass. Harrington scored seven in the quarter and rookie Jordan Hill added four as the Knicks built a 57-43 lead.

D'Antoni probably should have opened the second half with that trio but instead gave his regular starters another chance and that group faltered badly. With Wallace having his way with Lee, Detroit outscored the Knicks 27-11 in the third quarter.

In the opening three minutes of the fourth, Robinson and Harrington each scored five points to help the Knicks regain the lead.

CURRY UNDER THE KNIFE: The Knicks announced Monday that Eddy Curry was scheduled to have arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Monday afternoon. Curry, who has played in just seven games, is expected to out six weeks and there is a chance he may not play again this year. ... Larry Hughes didn't play for the eighth time in the last nine games.