ATLANTA, (Reuters) – Nate Robinson made an emphatic  return to the New York Knicks lineup after a month in the  wilderness on Friday, the guard scoring 41 points to lead his  team to a 112-108 overtime win over the Atlanta Hawks.

Playing for the first time since Dec. 1 after falling out  of favour with head coach Mike D’Antoni, Robinson capped a fine  performance by scoring 11 of New York’s 13 points in the extra  session to seal the dramatic victory.

“Thank goodness the new year brought a resolution,”  D’Antoni told reporters. “Just watching the last couple of  games, we needed that little extra and I knew Nate could give  us that. Now it’s just a matter of staying on task and win  games.”

Joe Johnson scored a team-high 28 points and Josh Smith  added 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks (21-11), who  squandered a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and suffered a  third straight loss for the first time this season.

Trailing 89-75 with nine minutes remaining in regulation,  New York (13-20) mounted a 16-4 surge to get back into the game  before Robinson made a driving lay-up with 11 seconds left on  the clock to force overtime.

The NBA’s reigning Slam Dunk champion despite standing just  5-foot-9 inches, Robinson had been relegated to the bench and  soon after made a public trade request that earned the guard a  $25,000 fine from the league.

“It’s been a humbling experience,” said Robinson, who made  18-of-24 shots and added eight assists. “I’m here to stay. I  want to play, I want to help this team win and everything is in  the past. It’s 2010 and it’s a fresh start.”

Wilson Chandler chipped in 24 points and 17 rebounds in New  York’s second win over Atlanta this year.

Al Horford contributed 22 points and 19 rebounds for the  Hawks, who have fallen three games behind the Orlando Magic in  the Southeast standings.