NBA | D'Antoni didn't bench Nate Robinson for poor shot

NEW YORK — Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni says Nate Robinson was not benched for taking a shot at the wrong basket Saturday.

The Knicks inbounded to Robinson in the backcourt with 0.5 seconds left in the first quarter of their 98-91 victory at New Jersey. Rather than just hold the ball, or heave one at the basket the Knicks were attacking, Robinson turned and shot at his own basket. The shot went in, but it was released after the buzzer and didn't count.

D'Antoni yelled at Robinson, the former UW and Rainier Beach High star, on the court between quarters.

"When you're 2-9, which we were at the time, I think any distractions are bad," D'Antoni said Sunday before the Knicks played Boston. "If our whole focus is not on trying to win and turn this thing around, then it's not right and it's not something we want to do, and it's just one incident and we'll go on and we'll see what happens today."

Robinson played only six minutes all game, leading to speculation he was benched. But D'Antoni said he just felt other players, such as starting guard Larry Hughes, were playing better.

Kevin Garnett made a jumper to beat the overtime buzzer, giving Boston a 107-105 victory over the Knicks on Sunday.

Robinson rebounded with a strong game, scoring 19 points off the bench.

"I knew they were going to sort of follow Paul [Pierce] and he's going to draw a lot of attention," Garnett said, "and I just had to make the shot."

Pierce scored a season-high 33 points, and had all of Boston's points in overtime until the final play. Two Knicks followed him, leaving Garnett alone at the top of the key for his 19-footer.

Notes

• Dwyane Wade had 31 points, and Udonis Haslem made a jumper with 15.4 seconds left to lift Miami past New Orleans 102-101.

• Becoming one of Ohio's uniformed officers won't be a cakewalk for Shaquille O'Neal.

Hoping to further his off-the-court career in law enforcement, the Cleveland Cavaliers star has applied to become a special deputy in the Buckeye state. But the (Cleveland) Plain Dealer reported Sunday that O'Neal must pass an examination and undergo training first.

• Nazr Mohammed scored 18 points, Boris Diaw had 17 and Charlotte snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 104-88 victory over Indiana.