Danillo Gallinari rejects Charlotte's Acie Law to preserve a Knicks victory Sunday night at the Garden.

NEW YORK – Point guard Nate Robinson may be in his last days in New York, but if the Knicks can get guard play like they did in the 98-94 win over the Bobcats at Madison Square Garden Sunday night, he probably won’t be missed all that much anyway.

“Wilson’s been playing super,” said Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni. “His defense. His ability to take the ball to the rim. His understanding of when to hit a three. He hits big shots all the time.”

It just took a little bit. Neither team could make a field goal in the first quarter with both teams shooting in the low 30 percent (33.3 Cats, 31.6 Knicks) as David Lee racked up six defensive rebounds. The Knicks held the team to under 100 points for the seventh straight game (5-2). 

Newcomer Jonathon Bender hit his first shot of the game with 30 seconds left in the first and that momentum seemed to carry into the second quarter as Chandler started to heat up. The third-year guard hit the first points of the second – a 3-pointer – and last – a reverse dunk with 2.8 seconds. 

 He set the tone, scoring thirteen points in the first 24 minutes.

“Coach says just keep shooting even when you are off,” he said. “The shots will come. You’ll make some and you’ll miss some.”

The ‘Cats refused to give up and forward Stephen Jackson scored their first two buckets of the second-half. Jackson (18.5 ppg), their best offensive threat was held to 10 points, while point guard Raymond Felton racked up 27 with seven assists and nine rebounds.

For the home team, Lee also recorded seven assists, taking kind of a different role.  

“I was kind of the point guard tonight just trying to make plays for other people,” said the center, who also scored 15 points and added 15 boards. “Didn’t get many shots up on some possessions but like I said anything to help us win and tonight it was passing the ball and making guys play better.”

Danillo Gallinari was one of the teammates benefitting from the giving spirit. His three- point play – an acrobatic crowd-pleasing layup – put the Knicks up, 40-37. The home team shot 63.2 percent in the second, scoring 35 points to make it 51-45 at the half. Their defense showed up early and helped them seal the victory.

After beating them twice already this season the ‘Cats felt they were the “better team,” according to Jackson. But the Knicks have a chance to tie up the series when they meet again Jan. 7.

“They beat us twice in two dogfights,” said Chandler, who admitted this was his best game of the season. “We came out and just played them tough.”

They refused to give the game away in the fourth quarter. Gallinari, who leads the NBA in 3-pointers, hit two 3s in a row in to make the score, 89-85.

But the 6’10”, 225-pounder missed two big free throws in the waning seconds to keep it a one possession game. But like D’Antoni said, “we made big stops at big moments.”

With the score 96-94 and 9.3 seconds left, Bobcats point guard Acie Law drove the ball all the way to the hoop and put up the finger roll when the anticipatory No. 8 stuffed the ball into Chandler’s hands.    

“I knew he was going to take the layup,” said Gallo, who along with two blocks scored 21 points to go with two steals. “I was just waiting for the right time to jump and I did it so it was a good play. It feels good. You work every day with not only your offense, but also on defense.”

The Knicks will host the Bulls on December 22.

“This is one opportunity that we have to right the ship, to get back right in the hunt,” D’Antoni said. “We’re doing it so far. We have four straight games at home.

“I think it will be a great opportunity to keep doing what we’re doing.”

GAME NOTES: Despite the “We want Nate” chants heard early in the third quarter, No. 2 did not see the court for the ninth straight game…Bender scored 11 points, going 3-for-3 at the line…”That was the one thing that was really working for me tonight,” he said…It was Bender’s most points since Nov. 3, 2004…The Knicks won their fifth straight game at MSG for the first time since Jan. 17-Feb. 2, 2009…They’re 7-3 in December and 9-8 in their last 17…Gallinari leads the league in 3-pointers made (74).

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