McGrady scores 26 and House gets 24,but Knicks fall in overtime

Tracy McGrady gave the Knicks just about everything he could in his debut. Just not a win.

The Thunder's McGrady-esque star, Kevin Durant, tied the score with a three-pointer with six seconds left in regulation and then won it with an 18-foot jumper with 16.8 seconds left in overtime. The 121-118 loss was the Knicks' sixth straight and was a tough end to a stirring game with a new cast of characters.

"Their intensity and the little things they did," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "All the intangibles they bring. It was really, really good."

McGrady had 26 points in a Garden-shaking performance and Eddie House, another of the Knicks' new additions, had 24, including a big jumper in OT. But Durant (36 points) and Russell Westbrook (31) were too much.

McGrady and David Lee, who had 30 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, seemed to have done enough to get a win when the Knicks (19-35) went up 103-97 with just over a minute to go in regulation. But Jeff Green (16 points) hit a prayer of a three-pointer and Durant, who had gone cold for a decent stretch to allow the Knicks to pull back ahead in the fourth, hit his three in the final seconds to send it to overtime.

House hit a three right out of the gate and then a quick 17-footer on an inbounds pass from McGrady to put the Knicks ahead by a point with 30 seconds left, but Durant, isolated on Wilson Chandler, hit his shot from the foul line to put the Thunder (32-21), winners of eight straight, ahead for good.

"I think our team needed a boost energy-wise," Lee said before the game. "I think this is going to give it to us."

Judging by the raucous Garden after McGrady knocked down a 22-footer with 2.7 seconds left in the first half, it was mission accomplished.

McGrady said before the game he didn't know how much he could realistically give in his debut, not having played in two months. D'Antoni didn't know what he'd get from any part of his newly assembled team. "Not having played all year, to give us 26 points, its just unbelievable," he said of McGrady.

McGrady looked nothing like the player pushed aside by the Rockets, or a veteran hobbled by knee surgery. He drove hard to the basket, fought through defenders and made one terrific skip pass halfway down the court for a layup by Al Harrington that put the Knicks ahead 28-19 late in the first quarter.

Lee had a strong half as well, going for 16 points and five rebounds. The other two new Knicks contributed: Sergio Rodriguez ran the offense at a frenetic pace and dived for loose balls, and House hit a three-pointer early and seemed to fit in well.

Defense was more of a challenge, especially after the Knicks went up by 11 early in the second. Durant and Westbrook drove the lane early and often; Westbrook in particular had a strong run in the second, helping to bring the Thunder back even at 52-52 with less than a minute left in the half.

But McGrady tossed up a three-pointer from the corner as the shot clock wound down, putting the Knicks back in front heading into the locker room and putting plenty of smiles on faces in the Garden - especially his own.