Billups hurt as Melo, Knicks top 76ers

PHILADELPHIA -- Just as the Knicks were climbing back to respectability, one of their most important players, Chauncey Billups, stumbled to the court with yet another injury.

The veteran point guard, who already missed six games with a deep bruise in his left thigh, suffered a contusion in his right thigh in the third quarter of Wednesday's 97-92 win over the 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Carmelo Anthony had 31 points, including a game-clinching three-pointer with 11.8 seconds left, to lead the Knicks (40-38), who reached the 40-win mark for the first time since 2000-01.

The win also moved the Knicks a half-game ahead of the 76ers (40-39) for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. The playoffs begin in a little more than a week and the Knicks have won five straight. But the concern now is the severity of the injury to Billups and if it will cause him to miss any time.

The Knicks had another scare late in the fourth when Amar'e Stoudemire went down while chasing a fast break. He was sidelined for a brief period but returned to finish the game.

Stoudemire had 18 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three blocked shots. Anthony added 10 rebounds and two blocks and Toney Douglas had 17 points off the bench.

Thaddeus Young had 25 points and Elton Brand scored 24 for the 76ers.

Though there is a case to be made about resting players and protecting them from injury, the Knicks are aiming to lock up the sixth seed and, perhaps more importantly, clinch their first winning season in a decade.

Billups was injured when he ran into a screen and was kneed in the thigh by Brand with 5:56 left in the third quarter. Billups crumpled to the floor in pain and was tended to during a timeout. Billups stayed in the game and played another 1:16 before he checked out and immediately went to the locker room. He did not return.

When Billups was injured March 1 with a thigh bruise, he missed six games and it took almost two weeks before he declared himself back to 100 percent.

The Knicks were rolling along at the time of Billups' injury. They were leading 69-50 when Billups ran into Brand. The lead was down to 13 going into the fourth quarter and behind Brand and Young, the 76ers rallied to take an 88-87 lead with 2:47 left in the game.

The Knicks' offense went into a funk for 3:54 seconds, which included two 24-second violations. Douglas ended the scoring drought with a three-pointer with 1:47 left to regain the lead at 90-88.

Douglas then made it a four-point game with two free throws with 42.4 seconds left. With a large part of the raucous crowd chanting "Let's go Knicks," Douglas hit two more free throws to complete the scoring with 4.8 seconds left. The second-year guard struggled to run the offense for most of the fourth but was cool down the stretch. It provided an example of why coach Mike D'Antoni believes Douglas won't be easily rattled.

"Knowing Toney," D'Antoni said before the game, "no way."

After visiting the Nets Friday, the Knicks will play at Indiana on Sunday. The season closes out next week with a home game against Chicago and a visit to Boston.