INQUIRER Sports

ATLANTA ? Nate Robinson, playing for the first time since December 1, scored 11 of his 41 points in overtime Friday to help New York to a 112-108 NBA victory over Atlanta.

"I got nervous," Robinson said of his reaction when Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni called him off the bench late in the first quarter. "Butterflies. I don't know. I felt kind of sick. I was just real, real nervous. I was just going to do everything he asked me to do."

But Robinson had shaken off any nerves by the fourth quarter, scoring the Knicks final eight points of regulation and posting his third career game of 40 points or more.

He made 18 of 24 shots from the field, came within four points of his career high and handed out eight assists.

"I guess he had 14 games built up in him," said Atlanta's Jamal Crawford, who grew up near Robinson in Seattle and was Robinson's teammate in New York for four seasons.

"I've seen it since high school," Crawford said. "When he's scoring, he's as good as the best of them. ... He did whatever he wants."

"Against a great team, Nate single-handedly carried us," said New York's David Lee, who had 11 points. "It was unreal to watch him play tonight."

Three of Robinson's baskets in overtime gave New York a lead, including a three-point play with 2:09 to play that gave New York a 108-105 lead.

"We were kind of like 'Everybody get out of his way," D'Antoni said.

Robinson was averaging 11 points in only 12 games. He had 24 points against Orlando on November 29 and then played about 10 minutes against Phoenix on December 1. D'Antoni didn't play him again for a month and Robinson's agent recently told reporters he had asked the team to trade Robinson.

The NBA fined Robinson 25,000 dollars over those remarks, because players aren't permitted to make public trade requests, even through their representatives.

"I want the world to see I can play the game of basketball," Robinson said, adding that a trade was now far from his mind.

"This is where I want to be. And I hope that I can stay. ... It's a new year, a new start, and I'm not looking back."

"We've just been trying to get him focused on winning, and he obviously was focused on that tonight," D'Antoni said.