Knicks 102, Pacers 96: Danilo Gallinari Goes Down in Close Win

The Knicks tipped off 2011 with a win, albeit one that was marred with injuries and a bit too close for comfort.

New York and Indiana played a sloppy, fast-paced affair. Indiana shot an abysmal 37 percent from the field, but made up for it by pulling down heaps of offensive rebounds. Danny Granger led them on that front with 17 boards to go with his 25 points. The Knicks somehow overcame a 57-45 rebound deficit (as well as the Pacers attempting 26(!) more field goals) by getting to the line (29-40) and shooting decently from outside (7-17).

Amar'e Stoudemire was frustrated by solid, physical defense from the Indiana big men, and also an utter inability to sink his usual mid-range jumpers in the early going. As he's been known to do, though, Stoudemire stepped up his play in the end, scoring six of his nine fourth quarter points in the game's final three minutes. He finished with 26 points.

Stoudemire received plenty of help from Danilo Gallinari, who had his most aggressive game in quite a while. He drove with abandon, repeatedly drawing fouls (9-11) and registering an efficient line of 19 points on just eight shots. Unfortunately, his splendid afternoon was cut short when Brandon Rush fell into his left knee in the second half. Gallinari returned to the locker room, where x-rays showed no bone injuries. An MRI will be conducted on Monday to check for any muscle and tissue damage.

Ronny Turiaf, meanwhile, had a massive game on the defensive end. In 28 minutes off the bench (a high number for Turiaf, considering recent trends), the grizzliest Knick had six violent rejections and led the team with 10 rebounds. Though Stoudemire led the team in the end, Turiaf undoubtedly gets the game ball for the afternoon. He, too, appeared to suffer a bit of an injury to his arm on his sixth and final block, while Toney Douglas aggravated a shoulder injury that had been bothering him for quite some time.

The banged-up Knicks now face San Antonio on Tuesday before departing for a four-game west coast road trip.

New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers: Knicks Look to Get Back on Track

The Knicks will look to get back into the win column this afternoon following two consecutive losses on a difficult Florida road trip. After a pair of comebacks fell short in Miami and Orlando, New York (18-14) has an opportunity to recover against the 14-17 Pacers. Indiana is 5-9 on the road this season and has loss seven of its last ten games.

New York's undersized frontcourt has hampered them of late. Though the Pacers are not an elite rebounding team like the Heat and Magic were, they do have a stable of big men-- Roy Hibbert, Josh McRoberts, and Tyler Hansbrough-- who could cause Amar'e Stoudemire and friends some headaches. The Knicks will need to shore up their interior effort to start the new year on a winning note.

Look for two Knicks in particular-- Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari-- to try and rekindle their offense after a few consecutive off games. They'll need to break out of their slumps to add some extra firepower and spread the floor for Stoudemire.