Young Douglas leads Knicks to easy win

For the better part of nine days, Toney Douglas has watched Chauncey Billups' every move, soaking in the nuances of the veteran's game.

And when the opportunity came to fill Billups' shoes Wednesday night, the second-year guard drew upon those observations - and advice he received from just about every one of his teammates - to get the job done.

With Billups sidelined by a bruised left thigh, Douglas played the role of commander, leading the Knicks with 24 points. He shot 10-for-13, including 4-for-6 from three-point range, and had five assists in a 107-88 win over the Hornets.

Amar'e Stoudemire scored 24 and grabbed seven rebounds for the Knicks (31-28), and Carmelo Anthony (22 points) was held to fewer than 25 for the first time in his five games as a Knick.

New Orleans guard Chris Paul, who received a huge ovation from the Garden crowd during the introductions, had 10 assists but shot 2-for-7 and scored four points. Jarrett Jack scored 21 for the Hornets, losers of three in a row and 12 of 16.

Unlike in Tuesday night's loss at Orlando, the Knicks' offense was fluid. There was no stagnant offense - or worse - stagnant defense, and the offensive indecision that has bedeviled coach Mike D'Antoni was a non-issue.

The Knicks expanded their 52-42 halftime lead to 21 on a driving layup by Shawne Williams (16 points) with 2:46 to go in the third. Eight players scored for the Knicks, but none was more impressive than Douglas, who the coach said had been "off his game" since last Wednesday's 114-108 victory over the Bucks, which was the Knicks debut of Anthony and Billups.

Douglas' confidence had gotten lost after the blockbuster trade and he had fallen into the trap of deferring to other scorers, the coach said.

But Douglas' swagger re-emerged at the right moment.

"I just wanted to stay aggressive and bring energy," said the 24-year-old Douglas, who scored 16 in the first half. "I give a lot of respect to Chris Paul, but make him work for whatever he gets. It wasn't just me . . . it was team defense."

Stoudemire, citing the Knicks' 17 fast-break points, compared with five by the Hornets, said defense was the team's main focus after the disappointing loss to the Magic. The Knicks also were impressive from the floor, shooting 54.5 percent (42-for-77), including 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from behind the arc.

"It was a big game for us just for our confidence as a unit," Anthony said.

Billups is day-to-day and may be able to play Friday against Cleveland or Sunday in Atlanta. But even though his injury is a setback, given how little time he's had to jell with his new teammates, Billups had little doubt Douglas would succeed in his absence.

"I told him try not to defer so much to the guys," Billups said before the game, which he couldn't watch from the bench because he didn't have a suit on hand. "When you call a play, just run it no matter what people say or what you might feel. Be in command out there.

"And I know it's probably tough for him as a young player playing with those studs like that. Guys that are alpha males. So I know it's a difficult position for him to be in, but I told him be confident in what you do."

Despite his standout performance, Douglas is anxious to see his mentor back on the court.

"I hate to see Chauncey down because even when I'm on the bench, I really take notice of what he's doing out there," he said. "Hopefully, he'll be back soon and I'll be learning more."