Eddy Curry will not come back and play until the ailing right knee that's kept the oversized Knicks center on the sidelines all season feels better.
There have been reports he's dealing with arthritis. Curry has already received three cortisone shots to reduce the pain and inflammation. He spends most of each practice session on a stationary bike spinning away. It could be another two weeks before Curry begins to work back on the court.
"I think I'm close," he told the Daily News. "I don't know. It all depends on how I feel. If I keep healing the way I am, I'm not too far away. I'm not quite where I want to be, but it's getting better."
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni could use a few minutes from another reliable big man, but it's still hard to imagine Curry keeping up in this system. It's more likely, the Knicks will utilize him in the coming weeks to facilitate a trade.
In order for that scenario to play out, he's got to get on the court again before the league's trading deadline, so it's going to be close.
KNICKS 93, BOBCATS 89: Another big lead got away, but the Knicks did pull out a win down the stretch and snapped a six-game losing streak.
The intensity was up during the first half and the ball was moving without hesitation, allowing the Knicks to go up 17 before the break. They went into the locker room with a 56-48 lead. A sloppy third quarter got coach Mike D'Antoni fired up and let Charlotte stay within range.
Raymond Felton took advantage of a second chance with 4:05 left to play when he connected from behind the three-point arc to put the Bobcats in front 83-82.
The score was knotted, 87-87, with a minute remaining. Wilson Chandler made two critical free throws with 56 seconds to go. It was an impressive finish by the second-year forward, who had seven points and four rebounds in the fourth quarter.
"Wilson played a real strong game for us and he was big in the clutch," teammate Chris Duhon said. "He's a guy who's going to make a lot of big plays for us down the stretch."
Duhon threw up a pair of wild lay-ups and got the rebound after each miss. He got bumped with 25.5 seconds left and made two free throws, giving the Knicks a 91-87 lead. From there it was a matter of making free throws.
"It wasn't pretty," D'Antoni said. "We just made some bonehead plays."
