Knicks Get Back On Track

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 20, 1999 / 12:09 AM EST / CBS Sportsline

One day after their worst loss of the season, the New York Knicks had a somber team meeting and film session to rehash the debacle. They didn't want a repeat, and they didn't get one.

Allan Houston scored 25 points, including five of New York's nine 3-pointers, as the Knicks bounced back with a 78-67 victory Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

No one could have guessed that it was the Knicks' fourth game in five nights, or that it came just one day after an embarrassing 98-74 blowout loss to the Cavaliers. They led by as many as 23 points and forced the Sixers into their worst offensive output ever in 220 games against New York.

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"It was a lot different than last night," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "Our meeting was pretty somber. Watching the film from last night wasn't pleasant. We were really embarrassed, but we bounced back."

The Knicks improved to 5-1 without the injured Latrell Sprewell despite committing 23 turnovers. They could afford to be careless because Philadelphia got next-to-nothing from everyone but Allen Iverson.

Iverson had 29 points, including 16 on 7-for-9 shooting during a scintillating duel with Houston in the third. Iverson was 11-for-20, but the rest of the Sixers shot a sickly 27 percent (14-for-51).

"Eventually he wears down, and everybody's double- and triple-teaming him," Sixers coach Larry Brown said. "I think he gets reluctant to pass the ball, and I don't blame him."

Kurt Thomas, forced into the starting lineup by Sprewell's injury, had 14 points. Larry Johnson had 12 points and seven assists, and Patrick Ewing had 11 points and eight rebounds while hearing persistent boos -- a message from the crowd of 19,681 because of the lockout.

"I loved it. It reminded me of Georgetown," said Ewing, the players union representative, who smiled and motioned to the fans to bring it on. "It brought back memories."

Matt Geiger was 1-for-8 and scored six points for the Sixers, hearing even louder boos than Ewing. Philadelphia lost forward Tim Thomas, who turned his ankle badly in the fourth quarter. He was carried off and taken to a hospital but X-rays were negative.

Houston scored 12 points in the third, all on 3-pointers. The Knicks started the quarter with a basket by Kurt Thomas on a goaltending call and four straight 3-pointers -- three by Houston and one by Charlie Ward -- to take a 54-31 lead with 7:02 left in the period.

"This is what I'm here to do," said Houston, 5-for-5 on 3-pointers. "I'm not going to be tentative out there."

Johnson hit another 3-pointer, drawing a loud "Oooohh!" from the crowd, to make it 59-39 with 3:51 left.

It was the Iverson & Houston show after that. Iverson followed two consecutive 3-pointers with a tenacious, driving layup and a 20-footer to cut it to 59-43 with 3:04 left.

Houston hit his fourth 3-pointer of the quarter, and Iverson juked, dribbled and drilled a foul-line jumper to make it 62-48 New York with 1:34 to play in the third. Both missed long shots to close the period with the Knicks leading 64-51.

The Sixers, who scored only 11 points in the first quarter and 27 in the first half, cut New York's lead to 68-59 in the fourth quarter after trailing by 23 points in the third. But Houston hit a baseline leaner, and Ewing had a three-point play and an incredible spin-move capped by a left-handed shot to put the Sixers away.

"They all said I was lucky," Ewing said. "But I've been working with (former Knick) Herb Williams all summer on moves like that."

The Sixers' point totals in the first quarter and half were their worst half in three years at the First Union Center. It was so bad that not even long time statkeeper Harvey Pollack knew if it was their worst ever.

Lows in a half are not in the Sixers' record book. Pollack, known as "Super Stat" because he's been the franchise's numbers man since they were the Philadelphia Warriors, sai they didn't keep stats in a half for years.

Notes

The Sixers' previous season low in a half was 32 at Charlotte in their opener. Their previous low in the First Union Center was 31, against Orlando last season.