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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- In a series known more for brutality than
beauty, it was only fitting that an ex-football player sealed the
victory.
Charlie Ward scored a career playoff-high 20 points, including
New York's final nine, to lead the Knicks past the Heat 91-83 on
Sunday, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series at two
games apiece.
|  | | Knicks guard Latrell Sprewell looks to break down the defense of Jamal Mashburn (24). |
The 1993 Heisman Trophy winner was the only Knicks player to
score in the final 4½ minutes, converting two layups, a jumper and
a 3-pointer.
"I felt like I should have my own team. ... like a go-to guy,"
Ward said. "I've been in that position before when you are the man
and everybody is looking for you to make plays, and you make those
plays."
Ward's final shot with 36.1 seconds left clinched the victory,
prompting him to pump his fist and spurring the crowd to break into
a chant of "Char-lie," "Char-lie." Ward had never heard such a
tribute from the Madison Square Garden crowd during his six-year
career.
"That was just nice for Charlie to get the accolades he got,"
Knicks forward Marcus Camby said.
Ward, playing his 53rd career playoff game, surpassed his
previous postseason best of 15 points against Indiana in 1998.
He also had seven rebounds, four assists and three steals, and
it was just the third time all season he led the team in scoring.
Many of Ward's teammates were thrilled by his breakout game,
especially since they know what he is capable of -- even though he
doesn't show it every game.
Ward's inconsistency -- he is more likely to score zero points
than 20 -- has provided fodder for the kind of endless criticism
that has dogged him since he left Florida State and joined the
Knicks in 1994.
"The challenge that came forth with football and people saying
he's a football player and not a basketball player -- it would drive
anybody when someone says you can't do this or you're not that,"
teammate Chris Childs said.
That label stuck with Ward during his early years in town when
he was often called the best quarterback in New York in the years
when the NFL Jets and Giants were struggling.
"You never know what energizes a person," Ward said. "The
spirit that you have within, you keep moving forward. There have
been a lot of times I've been talked about -- can't do this, can't
do that -- all those things are coming to rest for one day."
Allan Houston added 17 points, Latrell Sprewell had 16, Larry
Johnson 13 and Patrick Ewing 12 for the Knicks, who led for most of
the game and the entire fourth quarter.
Alonzo Mourning led Miami with 27 but missed four foul shots in
the final 5½ minutes. The Heat were also hurt by 19 turnovers.
Game 5 is Wednesday night in Miami, and Game 6 will be Friday
night at New York. Game 7, if necessary, is next Sunday at Miami.
"We've got home court back, but that's the only good thing we
come out of here with," Mourning said. "Somewhere along the line
we have to establish a level of consistency or else we're going to
let this thing slip away. We can't hand them any gifts, and today
was a gift."
Sunday's game was the highest-scoring of a series that has been
dominated by defense and marked by long stretches of offensive
ineptitude.
Miami grabbed 27 rebounds in the first half to New York's 13,
but the Knicks' rebounding woes disappeared over the final 24
minutes as they grabbed 10 offensive boards.
Miami was still hanging around early in the fourth quarter,
trailing by five, when Kurt Thomas outworked Otis Thorpe for an
offensive rebound that turned into a 3-pointer from the corner by
Houston for a 76-68 lead.
Mourning returned from the bench with 7:34 left but immediately
got beaten on the boards as Camby tipped in a missed shot to
restore an eight-point lead.
Miami grabbed an offensive rebound on its next possession, and
Mourning suddenly found himself matched against Childs in the low
post. But despite the mismatch, the Heat didn't deliver the ball to
Mourning and settled for a long jumper that missed.
It was a nine-point game with 4:04 left after Ward hit a layup,
but he failed to convert the three-point play to begin a stretch of
three straight missed free throws by the Knicks that allowed the
Heat one more chance to come back.
They may have done so, too, if Mourning hadn't missed one of two
from the line with 3:39 left and two more foul shots with 2:28
left.
Ward made it a seven-point game on a driving layup around Anthony Carter with 1:51 left, then hit a jumper with 1:09 left and a 3-pointer with 36 seconds remaining to make it 91-81 -- the biggest
lead by either team since Game 2.
"I thought it was garbage points at the end," Carter said of
Ward. "It wasn't the key to the victory. If it was his
career-high, congratulations."
Game notes
Mashburn kicked the press table on his way to the locker
room at halftime, sending the table into the arm of New York Times
reporter Selena Roberts, whose shoulder popped out of its socket.
She returned for the second half.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Miami Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
New York 91
Miami 83
Utah 88
Portland 85
Phoenix 117
LA Lakers 98
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Charlie Ward likes being the go-to guy. (Courtesy: NBC)
wav: 294 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Alonzo Mourning wants the Heat to be more consistant. (Courtesy: NBC)
wav: 167 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Pat Riley says the Knicks played effient basketball. (Courtesy: NBC)
wav: 121 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Patrick Ewing says the Knicks wanted to play with energy.
wav: 165 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Kurt Thomas knows this series will come down to execution.
wav: 78 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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