NEW YORK -- The huge lead was gone, and the New York Knicks were in danger of a loss that would have hurt far more than their two straight blowouts. [url=http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-vince-carter-magic-jersey/]Vince Carter Magic Jersey[/url] . "From a mental standpoint, if this game would

NEW YORK -- The huge lead was gone, and the New York Knicks were in danger of a loss that would have hurt far more than their two straight blowouts. Vince Carter Magic Jersey . "From a mental standpoint, if this game would have got away from us, aint no telling what would have happened," Carmelo Anthony said. It didnt, thanks to Amare Stoudemires biggest moment of the season. Anthony had 30 points and 10 rebounds, Stoudemire made the tiebreaking jumper with 2:35 left, and New York pulled out an 83-78 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night after blowing a 23-point lead. Stoudemire finished with 14 points and nine rebounds for the Knicks, who ended a two-game losing streak but made it harder on themselves than necessary with some sloppy second-half offence. Stoudemire was a catalyst in a 19-0 second-quarter spurt while playing on both nights of back-to-back games for the first time this season. He was playing restricted minutes and was forced to sit out some games earlier this season following summer knee surgery, but has progressed past that and was on the court for nearly 30 minutes. He had scored 17 and 15 points in the previous two games, but this time his improved play resulted in a victory. "Its great in order to be out there playing in a desperation game down the stretch," Stoudemire said. "It feels good to be back on the court, Id tell you that much. A lot of hard work has been put in to be in top shape." Mike Dunleavy Jr. scored 20 points for the Bulls, who have lost three straight and five of six. They are having a dreadful time scoring, topping out at 75 points in their previous two games and barely surpassing that in this one. Joakim Noah had 12 points and 11 rebounds in his return after missing a game with a bruised right thigh, but Luol Deng missed his third straight game with a sore left Achilles for a team already without Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler. "We got them. We tied them. We just couldnt get over the top," Dunleavy said. "We couldnt break through." The Knicks were without Raymond Felton, who was resting a sore left hamstring and could be out for what coach Mike Woodson said would "probably be a little while." Fellow starting guard Iman Shumpert joined him among the injured in the third quarter after bruising his left knee during a collision. The Knicks led by 12 points at halftime and were cruising in the third quarter before committing five turnovers in less than 2 minutes late in the period, allowing Chicago to pull within 68-54 heading to the fourth. The Bulls then held the Knicks to three field goals in the first 9-plus minutes of the fourth quarter, outscoring them 20-6 to tie it at 74 on Noahs follow shot with 3:39 remaining. Stoudemire broke the tie with his jumper, and Anthony made it 78-74 with two free throws with 1:29 to go before Chicago turned it over to end the comeback hopes. "We just couldnt get good shots," guard Kirk Hinrich said. "We had some turnovers, some bobbles. I feel responsible for a lot of those times." The Knicks have been far worse than expected, creating a strange situation before this game where both coaches were asked about the Knicks coaching job. Theres frequent speculation that Woodsons job is in jeopardy, and he acknowledged that the Knicks arent playing as well as last season, though added he thinks they can once they get healthy. Meanwhile, an ESPN.com story suggested that the Knicks would try to get Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, who was an assistant here under Jeff Van Gundy. "I dont pay any attention to any of that stuff," Thibodeau said. "To me, the only thing I have to do is concentrate on our team, our next opponent, our improvement, and never get away from that. You know, theres a lot of stuff that gets thrown out there ... so if you pay any attention, it does no good." Thibodeau went on to say how much he liked his team, though there wasnt much to like when Chicago missed its first 11 shots of the second quarter, turning a 17-15 lead into a 34-17 deficit before Dunleavy ended the drought with a 3-pointer with 5:43 remaining in the period. NOTES: The Bulls had won the last six meetings. They beat the Knicks 11 straight times in the regular season from 1990-92, the longest winning streak in a series that dates to 1966. Penny Hardaway Jersey .That means, of course, that John Wall beat the Spurs for the first time ever — within weeks of his first wins in head-to-head games against nemeses Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. Jason Williams Magic Jersey . The 31-year-old Spain midfielder hasnt played since Madrid lost in the Copa del Rey final to Atletico Madrid in May due to back and foot injuries. http://www.magicauthentic.com/kids-melvin-frazier-magic-jersey/ . A judge had summoned Clemens and Brian McNamee to federal court in Brooklyn for settlement talks aimed at heading off a trial in the defamation case. McNamees lawyer emerged saying an agreement wasnt likely. "I think this is a case where the lines are deeply drawn in the sand," said attorney Richard Emery.TORONTO - When Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price looks at the Toronto Maple Leafs, he sees a big, physically strong team. "Theyre in your face," Price said. "Theyre a playoff team." The Leafs may be built for playoff hockey, but getting there could be a challenge down the stretch, especially after losing 4-3 to the Canadiens on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre. Montreal moved five points up on Toronto in the Atlantic Division standings and in the process made it far less likely that this thrilling, back-and-forth affair could be a first-round playoff preview. "I think thats what everybody would want to see, and Im sure its going to happen sooner or later," said Habs forward Rene Bourque, who had a goal and an assist and was not yet born the last time these teams met in the playoffs back in 1979. As the Habs won for the fourth time in five games, the Leafs (36-28-8) dropped their fourth in a row as part of a troubling late-season swoon in the absence of injured goalie Jonathan Bernier. Toronto still occupies the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference but leads Detroit by just one point and Columbus by two and has played two more games that the Red Wings and Blue Jackets. The Leafs could fall out of playoff position by the end of Sunday. James Reimer, who allowed four goals on 37 shots, including a short-side game-winner by Tomas Plekanec, said he and his teammates have a "healthy sense of urgency" with 10 games remaining. "I think we know we played well tonight and I think we made some mistakes but I think they made some mistakes too," Reimer said. "Really, it was kind of one bad bounce that decided the game. I think we can hold our heads high on this one and go into tomorrow (at the New Jersey Devils) feeling good about ourselves." The Habs are feeling good about themselves after winning a track meet of a hockey game that featured three goals in the first period — by Montreals Max Pacioretty, Bourque and captain Brian Gionta and Torontos Joffrey Lupul and Tyler Bozak. Montreal coach Michel Therrien liked the way his team dictated the play early. But it was bouncing back in the third period after Nazem Kadri tied the score for the Leafs that impressed Price, who finished with 33 saves. "That was definitely a test of character," Price said. "When a team scores in the third period to tie it up when theyre at home, youre on the road, they grab a lot of momentum. ... Being able to grab the lead and then hold it with a good team effort like that is, I think, rewarding." The Habs reward if these winning ways keep up is either second or third place in the Atlantic Division, crucial spots that would mean avoiding Mondays opponent, the Boston Bruins, or the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round. Now five points back of Montreal and six behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, who won in Toronto on Wednesday night, the Leafs will need an uphill climb to avoid a wild-card spot and a tough matchup. But now theres some legitimate concern, given recent woes, that a playoff spot altogether might be in danger. This loss, which winger Mason Raymond said "stings" and captain Dion Phanuef called "disappointing," didnt help that cause. Jerian Grant Jersey. "You have to turn the page," Phaneuf said. "Theres no looking back on today, tomorrow. Tomorrows a new day, weve got to pull ourselves out of it. Its this group thats going to get us out of this bind. Weve been close, but close isnt good enough right now. We know that were going to get out of it, weve just got to find a way." The Leafs and Habs (29-26-7) were close because this was such a back-and-forth game with plenty of chances at either end. The turning point came 9:14 into the third when Toronto winger James van Riemsdyk was called for goaltender interference when he steam-rolled Price. Habs defenceman Andrei Markov appeared to make contact with van Riemsdyk before he hit Price, but the goalie went to the ice and believed he was interfered with. "Its contact to my head, so I thought it was a penalty, personally," Price said. Leafs coach Randy Carlyle, who conceded he didnt see a replay of the incident, was more worried about the impact of the penalty. Plekanec scored just as van Riemsdyk was being released from the box at 11:14, sneaking a shot in the tiny space between Reimer and the right post. "We clawed back into the hockey game and then we take a penalty early in the third and they score," Carlyle said. "It was the difference in the hockey game, and the margin of error now in these games is so close that one bounce or one mis-play or one unfortunate mistake cost us points." Mistakes — be it turnovers by Phil Kessel, David Clarkson and Kadri or soft goals allowed by Reimer — hurt the Leafs dearly. Another slow start wasnt ideal, either. "Obviously we were behind the 8-ball a little bit early on giving up two goals," Raymond said of allowing two goals in the games first seven minutes. "I like the way we battled back, but turnovers killed us a bit and thats tough." The Habs benefited because they pounced on so many mistakes the Leafs committed. In front of an early-spring crowd of 19,789 thats hungry for playoff hockey, Montreal executed like a team ready for that next step. "Both teams need those points. We were ready to play," Therrien said. "At this time of the year, you need to be in a playoff mindset. And our mindsets like that." NOTES — Montreals streak of consecutive penalties killed was snapped at 25 on Kadris power-play goal at 2:49 of the third. The last time the Habs surrendered a goal on the power play was March 6 at the Phoenix Coyotes. ... Leafs centre Dave Bolland played just 9 minutes 1 second in his return to the lineup. Bolland missed the previous 56 games after suffering a severed tendon in the back of his ankle Nov. 2. ... Habs forward Lars Eller suffered a lower-body injury, Therrien said, and did not play in the third period. Michael Bournival was called up, and he will meet the team in Boston. .... Bernier, who has now missed four straight games with a groin injury, will miss his fifth in a row Sunday when the Leafs visit the Devils. Carlyle said the 25-year-old will not make the trip. ' ' '