Their star was out and the Knicks needed somebody else to stop the bleeding.
So coach Mike D'Antoni summoned Raymond Felton, informed him that Amar'e Stoudemire was unable to suit up with a sprained toe, and that the team was on his shoulders Saturday night against the Nets.
"I knew right then I had to get mentally prepared to really step it up as the leader," Felton said.
A day after he expressed disgust over the nonstop trade rumors about Carmelo Anthony, Felton dished out 11 assists and was the vocal leader in a 105-95 victory at the Rock, snapping a six-game road losing streak for the Knicks.
It was the first sellout in Newark, with many in the pro-Knicks crowd wearing blue No. 1 jerseys to support the road team.
The fans found themselves disappointed when Stoudemire was placed on the inactive list minutes before tipoff. But they left with a fourth-quarter comeback victory and, at least for one night, a reason to forget about Anthony.
Wilson Chandler, who was Stoudemire's replacement in the starting lineup, scored a team-high 21points and Landry Fields nailed two clutch 3-pointers in the final three minutes, including the dagger: an open look from the corner to give the Knicks a 99-91 lead with 44 seconds left.
The Knicks (27-26) hit 16 from long range, overcoming a late surge by the Nets (17-38), who led 89-87 with 4:30 remaining.
"Everybody stepped up," Felton said. "That's the way we have to play, even when (Stoudemire's) with us."
There were no chants of "We want 'Melo" at the Rock - from neither Knicks fans nor Nets fans - but D'Antoni reiterated before the game that players were feeling the weight of the rumors.
Saturday night, they dealt with a different obstacle: the absence of Stoudemire, who said he injured his toe while running down the court in Friday's loss to the Lakers. The 28-year-old said he "should be ready to go" for Wednesday's game against the Hawks, but also discussed a scenario where he'd play fewer minutes in next Sunday's All-Star Game.
D'Antoni, who made the last-minute decision to deactivate the power forward, said Stoudemire is day-to-day. Stoudemire said he'll undergo treatment again Sunday and assess the pain.
"Hopefully I'm 100% by Wednesday," Stoudemire said. "If I am, then the All-Star Game will be a go. But if not, I won't play as much."
Despite concerns about his surgically repaired knee when the Knicks signed him to a $100 million contract, Stoudemire has remained healthy this season while averaging 34 minutes per game.
He didn't seem too bothered on the Knicks' sideline, jumping off the bench to greet his teammates during stoppages in play.
Eddy Curry remained in street clothes again Saturday night. Ronny Turiaf, who had missed the three previous games with a sprained ankle, was activated and played 10 minutes, helping limit Nets center Brook Lopez to 19 points on 6-of-14 shooting.
Devin Harris led the Nets (17-38) with 22 points.
Even with Stoudemire, the Knicks had been struggling, with just four wins in their previous 15games. Both D'Antoni and GM Donnie Walsh said the trade rumors could be a reason for the underperformances, as chants for Anthony spread through the Garden during losses to the Clippers and Lakers.
But the Knicks rebounded in a gut-check game without their star.
Toney Douglas added 19 points and Fields had 14 for the Knicks, who limited the Nets to a 42% shooting. Timofey Mozgov also converted a pivotal and-one layup and free throw with 2:27 left, giving the Knicks a 96-90 lead.
The Nets, who were trying to win three straight for the first time since 2009, trailed by 11 in the second quarter and were burned by 3-pointers down the stretch.
"This is a big win for us because we were without Amar'e and, with the way we were going and everything involved," said D'Antoni, who before the game spoke about his team's poor defense and offensive decisions lately. "It was a good win."
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