NEW YORK, Dec 21: Rookie Shane Battier had 21 points and nine rebounds and nailed a jumper with 10 seconds remaining to lift the Memphis Grizzlies to their first victory at Madison Square Garden, a 90-88 win over the New York Knicks Thursday.

Latrell Sprewell scored 16 of his 27 points in the final period as New York rallied from a 13-point deficit to surge ahead 85-80 with 3:09 to go.

But the Grizzlies scored eight straight points to take the lead before Allan Houston tied it 88-88 with a three-pointer with 59 seconds left.

Stromile Swift had 15 points and seven rebounds and Pau Gasol added 14 and eight for the Grizzlies.

In Toronto, Vince Carter responded to Charles Oakley’s flagrant clothes-line foul by scoring 12 of his 32 points in the final nine minutes, rallying the Raptors to a 96-91 victory over the punchless Chicago Bulls.