Sprewell To Start Game 5

June 9, 1999 / 5:20 PM EDT / CBS/AP

New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy has no plans to reconsider his decision to start Latrell Sprewell, even though the move backfired once.

"It's our best chance to win," Van Gundy said Tuesday.

Sprewell, making his first playoff start, picked up two quick fouls and was ineffective defensively against Chris Mullin as the Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers 90-78 Monday night.

Sprewell fouled out for the first time this season, scoring 12 points in 33 minutes on 6-of-14 shooting.

With Patrick Ewing out for the season with a partially torn Achilles' tendon, Sprewell might be the Knicks' best hope to win the best-of-7 Eastern Conference championship series.

He's expected to start again in tonight's Game 5 at Market Square Arena. The series is tied 2-2.

Indiana coach Larry Bird said he'll stay with his usual starting five, no matter what Van Gundy does.

"We're not going to match what he's doing. We're just going to try and play our game," Bird said.

"We're not going into trying to cross-match and mismatch, and do things to shake up the lineup. We've had the same lineup since I've been here."

The winner of the series will meet a well-rested San Antonio team when the NBA Finals begin next Wednesday. The Spurs swept Portland in the Western Conference finals.

Pacers reserve Jalen Rose understands why Sprewell is starting.

"Any time you win the game, and he doesn't play the way he's capable of playing, you can look back with hindsight and say it was, or was not, a good move," Rose said. "They were going for the jugular. Being up 2-1, playing in front of their home fans they wanted to get a chance to have everybody involved in the game early so they could put us to sleep."

Latrell Sprewell struggled in Game 4, scoring just 12 points and fouling out for the first time this season. (AP)

"Fortunately, it backfired."

The Knicks will be hoping the change doesn't backfire again.

Meanwhile, Indiana is still waiting for Reggie Mille -- whose past playoff heroics are well-chronicled -- to end his scoring slump. Miller, who began this year's playoffs with a career 23.5 average for 65 games, is averaging 14.8 points in the first four games. He's shooting 40 percent from the field.

"He'll break loose," Bird predicted. "I know what Reggie is going through. He's sees other guys getting the job done."

Miller picked up two fouls one second apart Monday and went scoreless in the first half as the Pacers built a 45-32 lead.

"When you get in foul trouble like that, it takes something away. ... You're not as aggressive as you want. He'll be fine," Bird said. "You can only hold a great scorer down so long."

Allan Houston's defense is one reason Miller has struggled, hitting just 17 of 43 shots from the field. But the constant battling to defend Miller appeared to take its toll on Houston in Monday's game.

Van Gundy said Houston needs to deliver at both ends of the court.

"You can't say, 'Take tonight off and go score.' We're probably not going to win another game in this series if Allan is effective defensively, but not effective offensively," Van Gundy said.