Williams' shooting helps Knicks beat Raptors
New York Knicks' Amare Stoudemire, left, drives by Toronto Raptors' Amir Johnson during first-half. (Dec. 5, 2010) Credit: AP
TORONTO - Shawne Williams has gone from the 15th man to the closer, and because of his timely shooting, the Knicks are enjoying life on the road.
Williams, who was out of the league 12 months ago after being waived by the Nets, is becoming that knockdown three-point shooter Mike D'Antoni has been searching for, and he proved it in the most important part of yesterday's 116-99 win over the Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
Williams had all 14 of his points in the fourth quarter and shot 4-for-4 from three-point range, including a corner three to cap a 9-0 run that effectively put away a game the Knicks led from the game's first minute.
"I love fourth-and-inches," Williams said after the matinee game on a football Sunday. "I'm not going to lie; I love being out there in the fourth quarter."
So does Amar'e Stoudemire, who had 15 of his 31 points in the fourth as the Knicks finally put away a pesky Raptors team that wasn't easy to put away. It was Stoudemire's fourth straight 30-point performance. He also had 16 rebounds, capping a dominant eight-day span that should earn him strong consideration for his second NBA Eastern Conference player of the week award this season.
Wilson Chandler had 21 points and Raymond Felton 18 points and eight assists for the Knicks (12-9), who won their seventh straight road game to move to 9-4 away from the Garden. Overall, they have won four straight and nine of 10, and they sit in fifth place in the East with one quarter of the season complete.
Jerryd Bayless scored 23 points and Amir Johnson had 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Raptors (8-12), who were only 11-for-22 from the free-throw line.
Before the late surge that put the game away, the Knicks had 16-point leads four times but could never build up enough of a cushion to break it open. The Raptors - let's call Jay Triano's team "the Scraptors" - just kept coming. And after the Knicks went ahead 78-62 on Stoudemire's dunk with 6:12 left in the third, Toronto fought back with a 9-0 run. When Andrea Bargnani began the fourth with a drive, the Knicks' lead was 82-77.
But Stoudemire answered with four points to spark a 9-0 run capped by five points from Williams, who drilled a corner three and hustled behind Toney Douglas to convert Douglas' missed fast-break layup. Williams also drilled a three-pointer with 5:47 left to answer a three by Bayless that had cut the Knicks' lead to 97-88.
D'Antoni raved about Williams, who had 13 points in Friday's win in New Orleans, and said the 24-year-old "plays like a 30-year vet," which was intended to be a compliment. D'Antoni actually was more thrilled with Williams' scoreless 9:08 in the first half, mainly because he didn't force shots. He simply played solid defense and moved the ball.
But as defenses focus on stopping the indomitable Stoudemire, it'll be Williams' ability to knock down those open three-pointers that will keep him on the court. In his last three games, he is shooting 11-for-15, including 7-for-8 from beyond the arc.
"Hopefully, I can make a living off of it," Williams said, "if they keep falling."
