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After the Knicks' 119-114 double-overtime loss to Denver on Saturday, Carmelo Anthony sat in silence at his locker, in full uniform, for about 15 minutes, thinking about the events of the past week.

The Knicks (6-9) had lost four home games in the past six days, two to teams with 4-9 records at the time.

In those four games, Anthony shot a combined 35-of-105 (33 percent).

"Maybe I need to not take so many shots. I don't know," he said. "There's just a bunch of stuff that goes through my mind. Just [trying to figure] out ways to make other guys better. Should I pass it more?"

In the midst of questioning everything, Anthony accepted blame for the Knicks' six-game losing streak.

"The coaches do run the offense through me, so I'll take it. I'll take that blame," Anthony said.

He went 10-for-30 against Denver, missing 13 of his first 16 attempts.

But Anthony had his moments.

He hit his final four shots of regulation, including a 22-foot jumper with 1.7 seconds to play that sent the game to overtime.

But he couldn't muster enough in the two subsequent overtimes to get the Knicks over the hump.

Mike D'Antoni said after the game that his struggling team has a gorilla on its back right now.

It also has a star who isn't making shots.

"The shots that I've been taking, I'll take those shots every night," Anthony said after going 3-for-9 in both overtimes. "Those are shots that I work on in the gym. They're just not falling for me right now."

Anthony hasn't been the same since returning from right ankle and left wrist injuries Monday against the Magic. The Knicks are off on Sunday. Anthony said he will meet with the team's medical staff on Monday to determine whether he should sit out Tuesday's game -- and possibly more -- to allow the injuries to heal.

"I'm kind of hard-headed sometimes [when trainers tell] me to sit out games. I don't really know how to take that. But maybe it's time to re-evaluate that," he said.

Making matters worse for Anthony: With their win on Saturday, the Nuggets improved to 31-16 since the trade that sent Anthony to the Knicks. New York fell to 20-28 since the trade. Saturday's game was the teams' first since the blockbuster deal last February.

And one of the key pieces in the trade, former Knick Danilo Gallinari, torched his former club with a career-high 37 points.

Gallinari got to 37 by taking 11 fewer shots than Anthony, who right now is a star who can't shoot straight.

"When you're missing shots and they're right there, you say, 'Maybe the next one, maybe the next one.' That's kind of the mentality you have. Maybe I need to stop shooting a lot. I don't know," Anthony said. "There's just a bunch of stuff that goes through my mind. Obviously, that's the case when the shots are not falling."

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

NEW YORK -- There was a stretch during the first half of the 2010-11 season when people said Nuggets small forward Danilo Gallinari needed to penetrate more, to stop shooting so many threes.

They were partially right because the Knicks needed another free-throw threat besides Amare Stoudemire. STAT, like Carmelo Anthony this season, was mostly on his own at the stripe. Then things changed. Gallo started getting to the line more at the end of January. From Jan. 27 to to Feb. 9, he had four games where he took at least 10 free-throw attempts.

But then Gallo was included in a packaged deal two weeks later for Anthony, which shipped him to Denver. That's where he upped his free-throw attempts from 6.0 per game in New York to 7.2 in Denver to close his 2011 campaign.

While Gallo's FT attempts are down so far this season, to 5.1 per game, he showed off that improved attack mode tonight in the Nuggets' 119-114 double-overtime win over the Knicks. Running the point-forward throughout the game, like Melo for the Knicks, he looked to use his 6-10, 225-pound size to try to out-muscle the Knicks' star small forward, who's shorter at 6-8, attacking the basket.

And it worked. Gallo went to the line a career-high 20 times, making 18, and he finished with 11 rebounds and a career-high 37 points (his previous high was 31, which he matched three times). Gallo's biggest buckets came with four seconds remaining in the second overtime, when he iced the game with two free throws. It was those same shots that Knicks fans wanted him to take more last season.

In the Knicks' postgame locker room, there wasn't much surprise from Anthony, who said "Gallo is a great player," or Gallo's former teammate, Amare Stoudemire.

"Gallo was insane when he played with me," STAT said. "He's a phenomenal player. I said that when I first got here. He showed up tonight."

After the game, Nuggets head coach George Karl had an interesting explanation for Gallo's success getting to the stripe.

"I thought on Gallo's penetration he was getting fouled," he said. "Andre [Miller], Ty [Lawson], Gallo and also Rudy [Fernandez] have a lot of responsibility for us to make plays, and I just thought Gallo was the best guy in that situation, especially because it seemed like they were hitting him hard."

Facing Melo might have added to Gallo's extra gear tonight, but he didn't drop any hints that sadness or bitterness because of the trade were factors in his breakthrough performance. However, Karl could sense Gallo was out to prove the Knicks made a mistake.

"Gallo has a quiet confidence to him and I could actually tell he was looking forward to this game," he said. "I think he enjoyed playing there. I think he was somewhat disappointed to be traded, but I think now it's time to move on and build his career in a positive way as a Denver Nugget."

The extra motivation that Gallo did have was mostly because of the setting, returning to the Garden for the first time since the trade.

"It's a special place to play," he said. "Having these games here is great, but the most important thing is that we won the game."

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

NEW YORK – For Al Harrington, it wasn’t the homecoming that it would be for Danilo Gallinari or even Timofey Mozgov. Harrington has played at Madison Square Garden plenty of times in a number of different jerseys.

Harrington wasn't included in the Carmelo Anthony trade. He signed with Denver the previous year. At the same time, Harrington is the most connected to the city. He sports a large tattoo of the Statue of Liberty on his right shin. Harrington starred at St. Patrick’s High School in New Jersey and he was probably the most heart-broken of the temporary Knicks in New York’s revolving door roster that led to its current star-studded, yet disoriented, roster.

But Harrington carried the Nuggets in the fourth quarter Saturday night, in Denver’s 119-114 double-overtime ousting of the Knicks. He scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and played 41 minutes off the bench.

“Early I couldn’t’ get nothing going,” Harrington said. “It was very, very frustrating man. In my mind, I wanted to play great, you know what I’m saying. Obviously, any time you come home and play against your old team, you want to have a good performance.

Harrington went into the fourth quarter having missed 8 of 11 and all four of his 3-point attempts. But he matched Carmelo Anthony, who also struggled early but found his way to the basket in the final period, scoring 12 of his team-high 25 points in the fourth.

Harrington scored back-to-back baskets to send the game into the fourth tied at 72. He then tied the score again at 83 on his first 3-pointer with 5:35 left in regulation when the Knicks lost him switching on defense. Harrington shot just 4 for 12 from behind the arc but made three in the fourth.

The former Knick became the beneficiary of something the Knicks have struggled to do all season: defend the pick and roll.

“What we were just doing picking and then roll and replace,” he said. “You had to pick your poison. When you put me and Nene on one side, you know the big is going to have to help and if he doesn’t help, Nene is going to get the dunk, which he had a couple and obviously, I got a couple wide open threes.”

Harringon, Gallinari and Mozgov combined for 77 points. Gallinari scored a career-high 37 with 11 rebounds, shooting 18 of 20 from the free throw line in 51 minutes. Mozgov posted 16 points and 7 boards.

“I’m happy for those guys,” Harrington said. “Especially for Gallo, because he had three years here, playing very well, getting ready to turn the corner and then he got traded or whatever. I’m just happy for him. To have a career night here and get a win, there’s nothing better.”

As for Harrington’s own return to the Garden?

“This is not my first time,” he said. “It wasn’t nothing special for me. I’m sure for them guys, it really was, so I’m happy for them.”

You can follow Christopher Hunt on Twitter.

NEW YORK -- Former Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari, who's returning to the Garden Saturday night for the first time since being traded for Carmelo Anthony, credits Mike D'Antoni with helping him master the transition game.

Now, he's utilizing that approach down to a tee in Denver's fast-paced offense. He's the Nuggets' second-leading scorer at 16.2 points per game, and his head coach George Karl said before the game that he's been better than advertised.

"I think Gallo has been better than what I thought he would be, but that happened very early," he said. "I think we're on the same page now. I want him to be more assertive. I want him to take steps with both on-the-court responsibilities and leadership responsibilities. He's a very bright young basketball player, both on and off the court. There's no question we like him and we want him to be part of our future."

Karl wants Gallinari to become a more responsible player, and he said the Italian stallion's skills will take care of itself if he brings the right mental approach to the court night in and night out. Gallo said he has no sadness about being shipped off -- "every player knows that the NBA is a business," he said -- and doesn't find it surreal that he's in a powder blue uniform tonight. He is very happy about being a Nugget.

"My first year experience to the playoffs was great, and I did it with Denver," he said. "We have a really good team here. We are doing a really good job. This is going to be very important for us tonight to win our fourth game in a row on the road. It's good to win here."

Gallo said he hasn't watched the Knicks this season, but still misses New York.

"I have a lot of friends here," he said. "It's a really big city, a nice city, a lot of Italian people, a lot of friends here, so I miss them."

About an hour before the game, Gallo had a chance to reconnect with his former coach.

"Yeah, we said a couple of Italian words. It was nice to see him again," Gallo said referring to D'Antoni.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Every weekday morning throughout the season, ESPNNewYork.com will tackle a burning question about the Knicks in our "Opening Tip."

Today's Burning Question: Was the Carmelo Anthony trade better for New York or Denver?

Here are the facts: the Knicks are two games under .500 [20-22] in the regular season since the Carmelo Anthony trade. [Six games below if you count their four-game sweep against Boston in the first round of the playoffs.]

The Nuggets are 16 games over .500 [28-12] in the regular season since the trade. [13 games over if you count the postseason].

Let's look back at the deal: The Knicks sent Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton and Timofey Mozgov to the Nuggets. They also dealt Anthony Randolph and Eddy Curry to Minnesota.

New York acquired Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Renaldo Balkman, Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams from the Denver. The also received Corey Brewer from the Timberwolves.

Neither team, of course, kept all of those pieces. The Knicks got rid of Billups through the amnesty clause to create the cap space needed to acquire Tyson Chandler. Carter, Williams and Brewer are gone. Balkman is still on the roster in a reserve role.

For Denver, Chandler is playing in China and Felton was dealt to Portland in a transaction that netted Andre Miller.

The Nuggets come to town Saturday for the first time since the Anthony trade. And they will come to town with a higher winning percentage than New York.

The Nuggets are 10-5 this season after topping the Sixers in overtime on Wednesday. They've won two straight. The Knicks, on the other hand, have lost four in a row and are 6-8. Both teams play one game before Saturday's showdown.

The Knicks' biggest issue at the moment on the offensive end.

Mike D'Antoni's club ranks 22nd in offensive efficiency, measured by points per 100 possessions. The Nuggets, on the other hand, rank fifth in that stat. And the teams are nearly identical when measured by defensive efficiency -- the Knicks allow 99.1 points per 100 possessions and the Nuggets allow 99.2 per 100.

Which leads us to our question:

All things considered, who got the best of the deal? Denver or New York? And when it's all said and done, which team will ultimately come out as a winner in this trade?

Let us know in the comments section below.

You can follow Ian Begley on Twitter.

With the first two weeks of the NBA season cancelled due to the lockout, a couple of entertaining home matchups (Miami, Oklahoma City) have been wiped off the Knicks' schedule. David Stern said with near certainty that games would not be made up.

If no other games are cancelled (and that's a big IF), the Knicks would open the season at Denver on Nov. 16 -- an intriguing matchup given last February's blockbuster trade between the Knicks and Nuggets.

The NBA could, of course, choose to reconstruct its schedule upon resumption of the season.

Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups would be playing in Denver for the first time since the trade. The Knicks would also face former first-round draft pick Danilo Gallinari and reserve center Timofey Mozgov. Gallinari is currently playing in Italy but is expected to return to the Nuggets if the lockout is settled. But Gallinari and Mozgov will likely be the only former Knicks left from the four that were originally traded.

Wilson Chandler will be playing in China and reportedly cannot return to the NBA during the Chinese Basketball Association season. Raymond Felton was dealt to Portland.

The game in Denver is the first of six straight on the road for the Knicks. Their first home game would be Nov. 28 against John Wall and the Wizards.

Here is a list of the Knicks games that have been cancelled due to the lockout:

Nov. 2: vs. Miami
Nov. 5: @Milwaukee
Nov. 6: @Detroit
Nov. 8: vs. Oklahoma City
Nov. 9: @ Atlanta
Nov. 12: vs. Indiana
Nov. 14: @ Utah

In addition to Mike D’Antoni’s agent and Knicks super fan Spike Lee visiting Knicks practice, there was another familiar face in Greenburgh on Monday: Vittorio Gallinari, Danilo’s dad.

Vittorio Gallinari stopped by practice to say hello to D'Antoni, whom he played and roomed with in Italy for eight seasons, and team president Donnie Walsh. He is traveling to Denver to visit Danilo.

Gallinari told ESPNNewYork.com after practice that D'Anontoni and Walsh assured him in February that the team didn’t want to give up Danilo in its trade for Carmelo Anthony. But Denver forced the Knicks to include Gallinari in a package for Anthony.

“They had to to get Carmelo,” Vittorio Gallinari said.

He added that he and Danilo have no hard feelings toward the Knicks for dealing the 22-year-old sharpshooter in the Carmelo Anthony trade.

Vittorio also said that Gallinari, who scored 22 points on Sunday night in Denver’s win over the Lakers, is happy with the Nuggets. But Danilo’s dad also did not rule out a return to New York in the future.

“If he plays another ten years in the NBA, who knows?” Vittorio said.

Gallinari will be a restricted free-agent at the end of next season.

The Post-Melo Nuggets entered the weekend at 5-1, a record that makes Carmelo Anthony smile.

Anthony said Saturday that his former team's success "takes the pressure off" of him for his role in the three-team, 13-player deal that sent him to New York. He likely would have faced greater scrutiny if the Nuggets struggled in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade.

"I watch the games. I see they're doing well," Anthony said. "That's good. That takes the pressure off of me man. Just this whole situation it worked out for both organizations."

Many in Denver were critical of Anthony for the way he handled his contract situation this season.

He declined the Nuggets' three-year, $65 million contract extension offer in the offseason, leading to months of speculation about his future.

The Nuggets completed a three-team trade with the Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 22 that sent Anthony and Chauncey Billups to the Knicks, which to seemingly put an end all of the MeloDrama.

But Anthony and Nuggets coach George Karl had a mini war of words two days after the deal was completed.

On Thursday, Anthony wrote a letter to Nuggets fans on his personal website expressing "gratitude" and "appreciation" for the fan base that supported him for 7½ seasons.

"They allowed me, a 19-year-old, to come in and lead that team, that organization and that city to where it's at right now," Anthony said Saturday. "So I just wanted to show them that I really appreciate that."

Anthony called his decision to accept a trade to the Knicks and sign a three-year, $65 million extension a "business" move that had nothing to do with his feelings for Denver or Nuggets fans.

The Nuggets received four regulars from Mike D’Antoni’s rotation in the deal: Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov.

Gallinari is sidelined with a broken toe and is expected to return in 7-10 days, according to reports.

Chandler, starting in place of Gallinari, has averaged 14.4 points and four rebounds in his last five games. He the Nuggets with 16 points in their win over Charlotte on March 2.

Felton is serving as a backup to starting point guard Ty Lawson. He had 16 points and seven assists in 30 minutes off the bench in a win over Atlanta on Feb. 28.

Mozgov, meanwhile, has yet to crack Karl’s rotation.

D'Antoni said on Friday that he hasn’t had a chance to watch his ex-players. The reason? Denver's games were on television late at night. Way too late for a self-described "old man" like D’Antoni to watch.

Mike D’Antoni says it all the time: if Wilson Chandler shoots well, the Knicks play well.

That point was made crystal clear during the Knicks’ loss to the Clippers on Wednesday night.

Chandler had just two points in the first 24 minutes as the Knicks fell behind by 11 at halftime. Nine of Chandler’s 11 points came in the game’s final 15 minutes, when the Knicks cut a 20-point deficit to three.

Chandler finished the night 5-of-13 and the Knicks lost their 20^thgame when Chandler shoots at or below 50%. The Knicks are 13-3 when Chandler shoots above 50%; They are 12-20 when he shoots below it.

"If he shoots it well, we play well," D'Antoni said last month.

Chandler recently missed three games due to left ankle and calf ailments. (The Knicks went 1-2 in his absence.) D’Antoni expressed confidence on Thursday that Chandler would return to form soon. The fourth-year forward told ESPNNewYork.com that he was “90%” prior to the Clippers game on Wednesday.

“He’s just got to get back into rhythm,” D’Antoni said. “I think he’s feeling better.... We’ll just have to keep working. He’ll be back. That’s a big (player) coming back because when he was playing well … we were really good.”

GUARDING KOBE: D’Antoni said Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields will be on Kobe Bryant on Friday night. Bryant holds the Garden scoring record of 61 points, which he scored on Feb. 2, 2009. He had 22 of his 27 points in the second half of his last visit to the Garden, a 115-105 Lakers win on Jan. 22, 2010.

He had 27 on just 10-of-28 shooting on Jan. 9 in Los Angeles as the Lakers dropped the Knicks, 109-87. D’Antoni was complimentary of Fields’ defense on Bryant after that game, the Knicks seventh straight loss to the Lakers.

AMARE ANKLE OK: Amare Stoudemire got tangled up with Blake Griffin on Wednesday night. He appeared to hurt his left ankle after the collision. He was on the floor for a few minutes, being tended to by head trainer Roger Hinds.

D’Antoni said on Thursday that Stoudemire’s ankle was “fine.” Stoudemire practiced in full on Thursday. In recent weeks, he has avoided contact drills in practices before or between games.

SHAWNE SHUT OUT OF 3-POINT CONTEST: Through Wednesday’s games, Knicks reserve Shawne Williams was shooting 48.9% from behind the 3-point arc. That’s a higher percentage than the six players invited to participate in the NBA’s 3-point contest during All-Star Weekend.

But Williams wasn’t upset over the snub when asked about it on Wednesday night.

“I would have given them a run,” Williams said. “But they have some great shooters in the field.”

Ray Allen, who broke the league record for career three-pointers made on Thursday night, headlines a field that includes Kevin Durant and defending champion Paul Pierce.

Miami’s James Jones, Golden State’s Dorell Wright and Cleveland’s Daniel Gibson round out the field.

Danilo Gallinari, in his third season with the Knicks, experienced a New York first on Tuesday: He visited the Empire State Building.

His first-time tour was in partnership with MSG's Garden of Dreams non-profit charity, giving 15 children from Loisaida, Inc., a community-based organization, the opportunity to tag along with him for their first visit as well.

Gallinari -- accompanied by his mother, Marilisa, who was visiting from Italy -- served as a personal tour guide, leading the children through the building's "Wall of Fame", featuring the many celebrities who have visited the historic landmark. The group then took the NY Skyride, a virtual tour of New York City, and rode the elevator 1,250 feet to the top to the observation deck to view the city's skyline.

Once Gallo was done posing for photos, he spent a few minutes with ESPNNewYork.com to talk about his adventures in the Big Apple and playing for the Knicks this season.

Compared to being 6-10 on the court, you must feel pretty small up here.
Yeah, it’s my first time here in three years. It’s pretty special.

Are you good with heights?
Well, I love heights. It’s nice to stay here and be here with the kids.

What does it mean for you to take the kids on the tour?
It means a lot for us, the Garden of Dreams, the team and the kids for sure. It’s a special experience for them.

Are there any buildings back in Italy that remind you of this one?
There are a couple of buildings that are pretty high, but not high like this one. It’s not the same. Everything here is in a different size.

Where are some of your favorite spots in the city?
I like to see different restaurants every time, and after three years, I’m still discovering new restaurants, especially new Italian ones. It’s been a pretty nice experience walking around and seeing new restaurants. I have a couple of spots that are pretty good -- Via Della Pace [in the East Village] and Uva Wine Bar [in the Upper East Side]. I love, in general, any areas in New York.

What else do you enjoy doing when you're not hooping?
I think to hang out with my friends and I have my family right now in town, so I’m staying with them. I just like to enjoy my free time. We don’t have a lot of free time. We practice, we play, we travel, so it’s nice to hang out in the city when I have some free time, especially with my friends -- just walking around and talking about everything.

Speaking of the travel, what are the five things you can’t leave home without?
I've got to bring my iPod for sure, my computer, my flip-flops, my BlackBerry and my wallet. Sometimes you've got to use it.

What’s your No. 1 app right now on your BlackBerry?
I like BBM, man. It’s killing me. I’ve been BBM'ing every hour of the day.

Something you're also doing a lot of is attacking the basket better. You're now averaging 5.6 free throw attempts per game, an increase from the past two seasons. What do you credit that rise to?
I'm just trying to be more aggressive and try to use all the strength that I have. I don't want to be just a 3-point shooter like I was in my first years. I just want to be a complete and versatile player.

How have Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire helped your game to get more open looks?
They've helped my game a lot. They are great players; Ray is a great point guard and STAT is a great power forward. It’s nice to play with them because they know how to play basketball, so every time you play with guys who know how to play basketball, it makes things much easier.

Are there any new moves you're working on in practice we may see this year?
Yeah, a little bit. We are doing something in particular, not just me. You will see towards the end of the year.

Last but not least, the Heat come to town again Thursday. How is your mindset different heading into that game?
Well, it’s going to be an important test for us. We played them already two times and we lost both games, so we're pretty motivated on winning this one.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Towards the end of December, Amare Stoudemire was trailing Kevin Garnett by about 120,000 votes among East forwards in the All-Star voting. Then last week, he closed within 24,000 votes. Now, for the first time, STAT has built a nice cushion ahead of KG by 93,847 votes and he's second to LeBron James. Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari are in the top 10 in their respective positions. Here's how the voting stands as of today:

Eastern Conference

• Guards: Dwyane Wade (Mia) 1,499,768; Derrick Rose (Chi) 1,225,575; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 1,171,311; Ray Allen (Bos) 630,588; John Wall (Was) 260,893; Brandon Jennings (Mil) 254,614; Raymond Felton (NYK) 246,208; Gilbert Arenas (Orl) 240,586; Jamal Crawford (Atl) 163,971; Darren Collison (Ind) 156,230
• Forwards: LeBron James (Mia) 1,518,807; Amare Stoudemire (NYK) 1,143,391; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 1,049,544; Paul Pierce (Bos) 578,473; Chris Bosh (Mia) 427,551; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 320,661; Josh Smith (Atl) 280,158; Danilo Gallinari (NYK) 259,619; Danny Granger (Ind) 201,653; Luol Deng (Chi) 191,312
• Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 1,537,619; Shaquille O'Neal (Bos) 639,661; Joakim Noah (Chi) 291,107; Andrew Bogut (Mil) 245,253; Al Horford (Atl) 193,449; Roy Hibbert (Ind) 183,092; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 162,364; Brook Lopez (NJ) 125,022; JaVale McGee (Was) 106,710; Ben Wallace (Det) 79,017

Western Conference

• Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 1,757,216; Chris Paul (NOH) 949,049; Manu Ginobili (SA) 593,718; Steve Nash (Pho) 522,215; Deron Williams (Utah) 487,887; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 463,250; Tony Parker (SA) 355,993; Jason Kidd (Dal) 303,164; Vince Carter (Pho) 277,430; Kevin Martin (Hou) 266,037
• Forwards: Kevin Durant (OKC) 1,270,729; Carmelo Anthony (Den) 945,720; Pau Gasol (LAL) 851,456; Blake Griffin (LAC) 702,784; Tim Duncan (SA) 663,487; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 615,243; Lamar Odom (LAL) 364,950; Luis Scola (Hou) 347,986; Kevin Love (Min) 301,529; Caron Butler (Dal) 205,146
• Centers: Yao Ming (Hou) 928,928; Andrew Bynum (LAL) 660,576; Nene (Den) 389,263; Marc Gasol 352,136; Emeka Okafor (NOH) 317,677; Brendan Haywood (Dal) 276,777; Marcus Camby (Por) 201,133; Chris Kaman (LAC) 165,684; Andris Biedrins (GS) 126,567; DeMarcus Cousins (Sac) 110,230

Here are some updated numbers on Stoudemire and Felton, compiled by Knicks PR:

• Stoudemire: He ranks second in the league in scoring, leading all East players, with 26.1 points per game, leads in fourth-quarter scoring (7.2 ppg), ranks fourth in blocks (2.3), fourth in 20 point-10 rebound games (16), eighth in FTA (8.2), tied for 12th in double-doubles (17), 14th in rebounds (8.9) and 26th in FG% (50.9). He set a franchise record with nine consecutive 30-point games from November 28 to December 15, 2010, and he's currently riding a 23-game streak of 20-point games, which is fourth-best in franchise history (the record is 29 games held by Richie Guerin from January 30 to March 14, 1962). Most importantly, he has led the Knicks to a 22-16 record, which is their best start since 2000-01. Last season, they didn’t win their 22nd game until March 8.
• Felton: His league ranks: fifth in assists (8.9), sixth in steals (1.9), seventh in minutes (38.9), ninth in three-pointers made (69), tied for ninth in double-doubles (18), 15th in free throw percentage (87.4) and fourth among point guards in points per game (a career-high 18.3). His 11 20 point-10 assist games are second most in the league, behind Deron Williams' 14. On the Knicks' just-completed West Coast road trip, he recorded his first career triple-double in Phoenix and tied a franchise record with 14 assists and no turnovers in Portland.
• Together, Stoudemire and Felton are the fourth-highest scoring duo in the league at 44.4 points per game, trailing Miami's James and Wade (50.5), Oklahoma City's Durant and Westbrook (50.2) and the Los Angeles Clippers' Eric Gordon and Griffin (45.4). Add in Wilson Chandler and the Knicks have the third-highest scoring "Big Three" in the league (62.1 ppg), behind Miami (with Bosh, 69.1) and Oklahoma City (with Jeff Green, 65.7)

While paper balloting will end on January. 17, voting on NBA.com and wireless balloting will go through January 23. Fans can vote by visiting m.nba.com on their wireless carrier or by texting the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 ("MYNBA"). They can also visit NYKnicks.com and KnicksNow.com to cast their vote, including a write-in nomination for Chandler, who deserves to be recognized. Since Thanksgiving, Will The Thrill's been averaging 19 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while shooting 52.6% from the field.

The Knicks have launched a second All-Star mash-up video, produced by DJ Steve Porter, called "#1 Reason to Vote Knicks." It features Knicks fans and courtside celebrities, including Donald Trump, Fabolous, Jerry Ferrara, Tracy Morgan and Whoopi Goldberg, encouraging everyone to vote for their hometown favorites.

The All-Star starters will be announced on January 27.

You can follow Jared Zwerling on Twitter.

Recap | Box score | Photos

After lighting up the Heat for 21 points in the first half, Danilo Gallinari had just four in the final 24 minutes.

The third-year forward had a simple explanation for his second-half struggles: LeBron James.

The most-hated man in Madison Square Garden was all over Gallinari after halftime, helping limit him to 2-of-8 shooting in the final two quarters of the Knicks' 113-91 loss to the Heat.

"LeBron was playing a different defense [in the second half] for sure," Gallinari said. "He was denying the ball and he was putting his body to me more."

Gallinari also said guarding James for large stretches of the game affected his energy on offense. James finished with 32 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

"For sure it is not easy. Because you have to run around and guard one of the best offensive players in the league. So it's not easy," Gallinari said. "You have to play on both sides."

After shooting 6-for-8 from the field in the first half, Gallinari got off just five shots in the third. Raymond Felton said Miami wasn't letting Gallinari get free off of the pick-and-roll early in the second half.

"That's what happens where you're hot like that," Felton said.

The Heat and Knicks were knotted up at 57-57 in the first half, but Miami quickly seized control with a 21-9 run in the first seven minutes of the third.

The Knicks shot just 30 percent in the second half and scored just 34 points.

"We started the second half and we missed some foul shots and we missed some shots we thought we could make," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It deflated us a little bit."

Danilo Gallinari joins 1050's 2nd Verse to discuss what the team can learn from this week's loss to the Celtics.