D'Antoni stirs Knicks' offense, mixing Robinson, Duhon

CLEVELAND - Even LeBron James has noticed a trend with the Knicks that has forced Mike D'Antoni to play master mixologist.

"It was two different teams," James said of the Knicks' second-half comeback from a 24-point deficit in a 113-106 loss to the Cavaliers on Saturday night.

Perhaps D'Antoni eventually will get to the point that he tells his players to just play street ball - call your own fouls, even - because it seems they're better at just playing without thinking. It's the most curious thing about this team: The Knicks seem to get more confident as they are getting blown out.

"Once they see one or two of them go in, they start to believe that they're all going to go in without really thinking," James said. "Some of the same shots they missed in the first half they made in the second half."

D'Antoni has said this about Nate Robinson, who scored 23 of his 26 points in that second half, when the Knicks shot 57.1 percent from the field. Before the game, he said that in Friday's loss to the Bucks, Robinson "was thinking too much. He just needs to be aggressive and attack and go."

The 5-9 guard, whom D'Antoni moved into the starting role ahead of Chris Duhon in the last two games, appeared far more comfortable about doing that with Duhon out there as the point guard. And D'Antoni, who never really has committed to going with Robinson as his lead guard, made note of it after the game.

"I think that's our best way to go," he said of the Duhon-Robinson backcourt tandem.

The two played the entire fourth quarter together. Robinson scored nine points and Duhon had four assists, shooting 1-for-3 from the field. He missed a critical three-pointer that could have tied the score at 107 with 3:11 left in the game.

Although his shooting issues are part of the package, Duhon's impact as the only guard on the team who can handle the offense is likely to get him back into the starting lineup soon. Perhaps as soon as Tuesday's game against the Kings, which is the Knicks' last game before the All-Star break.

D'Antoni said he "wouldn't be opposed" to going with Duhon and Robinson together. For most of the season, he has used 6-8 Wilson Chandler, who is not much of a ballhandler or passer, in the shooting guard role. Chandler scored six points against the Cavs and tried to guard James for most of his 35-point explosion in the first half. D'Antoni benched Chandler, David Lee and Danilo Gallinari for the entire fourth quarter.

Notes & quotes: The Knicks will hold practice a little later Monday to allow the staff to attend the morning funeral service for Dick McGuire at St. Elizabeth Church in Melville.