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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
ATLANTA (AP) -- When Allan Houston missed a key free throw, the biggest sigh of relief came from Atlanta's Alan Henderson.
|  | | Isaiah Rider led the Hawks with 22 points, but connected on only six of his 25 shots. |
Isaiah Rider made a pair of free throws with eight seconds left in overtime and the Hawks held off the New York Knicks 98-96 Friday
night.
The Knicks trailed 98-95 when Houston, who led New York with 22
points but missed a final shot in regulation, was fouled on a
3-point try by Henderson with three seconds remaining.
Houston made the first free throw, but missed the second.
"When he missed it, I said 'whew,"' said an obviously relieved
Henderson.
"I tried to make it (the foul) before he shot," said
Henderson. "I reached out and he hit my arm."
Houston missed his third shot intentionally, but the Hawks
got the rebound to seal their third straight win.
"It's very disappointing," said Houston, who was shooting 83
percent from the line coming into the game and had made 4-of-4
before the miss.
"I'm a great free throw shooter. I've got to make those," he
said. "Most of the times I'm going to make them."
Rider's two foul shots put the Hawks ahead 97-95. After
Henderson blocked a shot by New York's Latrell Sprewell, Dikembe
Mutombo made one of two free throws with four seconds left.
Rider led Atlanta with 22 points. He made all eight of his free
throws, but made was only 6-of-25 shooting from the field.
Mutombo had 24 rebounds -- 13 off the offensive boards -- with 18
points and four blocked shots. Henderson had 16 points and Bimbo
Coles added 14.
Sprewell had 21 for the Knicks. Charlie Ward added 16 points and Patrick Ewing had 10 points and 15 rebounds.
The Knicks had tied it in regulation at 91 when Sprewell scored
with 13 seconds left after Ewing stole an inbounds pass from
Henderson.
Both teams had a chance to win it in regulation. Atlanta's Jason
Terry missed a 15-foot jumper with seven seconds left and Houston's
15-footer rimmed out with two seconds left.
The Knicks had taken a 74-64 lead with 1:01 left in the third
period on a basket by Sprewell. Atlanta came back to go ahead 80-79
on a basket by Lorenzo Wright.
The two teams were never separated by more than two points the
rest of regulation before a near-capacity crowd of 18,596.
Game notes
Among the celebrities in the crowd two days before the
Super Bowl were Magic Johnson and Spike Lee. ... The Hawks
activated forward Roshown McLeod, who had missed 23 games with a
strained groin, and placed rookie Dion Glover on the injured list to continue rehab on his left knee, which was operated on 15 months
ago. ... The two clubs met for the first time since the Knicks
eliminated the Hawks in a four-game playoff sweep last season. ...
The Knicks activated guard Rick Brunson and placed center Andrew
Lang on the injured list.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New York Clubhouse
Atlanta Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 91
Phoenix 88
Toronto 108
Miami 93
Atlanta 98
New York 96
Sacramento 102
Chicago 90
Denver 104
Houston 98
LA Lakers 117
Milwaukee 89
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