"Quentin Richardson and Chris Duhon have been buried on the Orlando Magic bench since mid-December.

But on Tuesday night, they brought the Magic new life.

The duo helped the Magic overcome an 11-point deficit late in the third quarter and beat the new-look New York Knicks 116-110 in an emotional, foul-filled game at Amway Center.

Richardson delivered timely scoring, clutch rebounding and defended Carmelo Anthony solidly down the stretch. Duhon dished out a team-high five assists.

"I have always had great respect for guys who do what Q and Chris did tonight," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "They've been out of the rotation now for a long time, for a couple of months, and to come in in a big game like that and big situations and play well? I think that says a lot about who they are as professionals."

An announced sellout crowd saw Magic center Dwight Howard score 30 points and collect 16 rebounds and point guard Jameer Nelson score 23 of his season-high 26 points in the second half. To be sure, they were the stars of the game.

Still, the Magic (39-22) might not have beaten the Knicks (30-28) if not for Richardson and Duhon.

Richardson entered the game with 4:49 remaining in the third quarter and never left the floor. The reserve small forward finished with 10 points and five rebounds and, just as important, helped contain Anthony."