Frye Cooks in Garden

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Knicks' triple-overtime victory over the Suns on Monday might turn out to be the high point of a tortured season. Or it could turn out to be the turning point of a saved season.

Too optimistic? Probably.

But the Knicks need something to believe in. They got it Friday night with their best game of the Larry Brown era, a 113-92 victory over the Wizards at the Garden. It's the Knicks' first two-game winning streak since Nov. 13-14.

"Break up the Knicks!" Brown said to a postgame well-wisher.

Rookie Channing Frye had a career high-tying 30 points in 26 minutes off the bench for the Knicks (9-21), who outscored Washington 50-29 after the contest was tied at 63 midway through the third quarter.

Stephon Marbury and Nate Robinson each had 16 points. Marbury had 11 assists and only one turnover and drew praise from Brown, who handed out more compliments in one night than he had since taking the job in July.

"Stephon was great," said Brown, who also praised Trevor Ariza and Qyntel Woods for their play in the absence of injured Jamal Crawford and Quentin Richardson. "He got control of the game and he got the ball to the right people."

The Knicks won with only two true guards as Richardson missed his third straight game with back spasms and Crawford couldn't play because of a left foot sprain suffered Monday. Crawford, who tested it before the game, isn't sure if he will be able to play Sunday against the SuperSonics.

The 5-9 Robinson (five assists, career high-tying seven rebounds) started alongside Marbury. Ariza, whom Brown called "delusional" earlier in the week in a war of words about playing time, didn't get into Monday's game. On Friday, the 6-8 Ariza was the first forward off the bench before spending some time with Robinson in a backcourt no one could have dreamed of before the season began.

Wizards star Gilbert Arenas, who scored 47 and 44 in his most recent two games, was held to 22 after scoring 16 in the first quarter. The 6-4 point guard started the game being guarded by the diminutive Robinson before Ariza checked in. Antawn Jamison also had 22.

After trailing for most of the first half, the Knicks went into halftime with a 52-51 lead. Their turnovers by quarter: 9, 5, 3, 2. That's progress.

"We were a little more poised [in the second half]," Marbury said. "Coach talked about us getting a shot every time down the court, a good shot. That is what he wanted us to do and we did it."

Led by Marbury and fueled by Frye, the Knicks closed the third quarter with a 17-5 run to take an 80-68 lead into the fourth quarter. They expanded it to 23 against the clueless Wizards, a playoff team last season but just 12-18 in this one.</div>

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