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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Their coach said the Knicks were "awful" on
defense, which proves one of two things: Jeff Van Gundy is awfully
picky, or else has awfully high standards.
Matching an NBA record that had stood for more than 46 years,
the New York Knicks held their opponent under 100 points for the
28th straight time Sunday night as they routed the Washington
Wizards 103-87.
|  | | Larry Johnson scores two over the Wizards' Calvin Booth. |
Playing with their regular starting lineup for the first time
since Nov. 17, the Knicks tied the sub-100 record set by the Fort
Wayne Pistons at the start of the 1954-55 season when the NBA had
just introduced the 24-second shot clock.
"It was awful. I'm being serious, the defense was awful," Van
Gundy said. "It's a nice achievement, but one thing you can't do
when you win is overlook your slippage, and there has been huge
slippage with us defensively."
The victory extended New York's winning streak to seven games,
the franchise's longest since late in the 1996-97 season. The
Knicks will try for their first eight-game winning streak since
1994-95 -- Pat Riley's final season as their coach -- when they play
the Houston Rockets on Thursday night.
After that, the Knicks finish a five-game homestead against
Portland and San Antonio.
"We can be a dominant defensive team at times, we just haven't
done it the last three games," Van Gundy said. "Now we're coming
up on the heavyweights, and our defense is going to have to get
back on track to beat the teams we have coming up."
Marcus Camby scored 21 points, Allan Houston had 19 and Larry
Johnson 15 for the Knicks, who took control early in the second
quarter and opened a 23-point lead by the end of the third.
The only question in the fourth quarter was whether the Wizards
could score 35 points to reach 100, and they didn't even come
close.
No opponent has reached 100 against the Knicks since Boston
scored 101 in an overtime loss Nov. 10. Over the entire season, the
Knicks have held their opponent under 100 in 32 of 34 games.
"Awful?" Latrell Sprewell asked upon hearing Van Gundy's
postgame comments. "Well, they didn't get 100 so we've still got
that streak going. If he felt it was awful it probably was, but the
bottom line is we won."
Juwan Howard had 27 points to lead Washington, which has lost
nine of its last 11 games and 18 of 21 since late November.
Charlie Ward, who underwent arthroscopic knee surgery Nov. 26,
returned to New York's starting lineup after missing 21 games. He
had seven points and four assists in 23 minutes, including five
straight points on a 3-pointer and a short pull-up jumper midway
through the third quarter that gave the Knicks a 72-55 lead.
Wizards coach Leonard Hamilton was ejected moments later, and
Washington did not threaten the rest of the way.
"Their team is really organized. I like their team,"
Washington forward Tyrone Nesby said. "Their guys talk to each
other, telling each other to do this and that. I don't see many
teams doing that."
Houston had nine points and Camby eight in a first quarter that
ended with New York leading 27-22, and Erick Strickland contributed
nine points and a flashy behind-the-back pass to Johnson on a fast
break with 5:20 left in the second quarter to complete a 20-7 run
that gave the Knicks a 47-33 lead.
The Wizards trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
"Definitely a team like Washington shouldn't score 100 points
on us. A couple teams out West really put up some numbers, teams
like Sacramento, but I don't think any team should get 100 points
on our defense," Camby said.
Game notes
The victory gave the Knicks an 11-6 home record, which
matches their road record. ... Knicks forward Glen Rice missed his
third straight game with plantar fasciitis of the left foot. ...
Wizards guard Rod Strickland, out with shoulder tendinitis, did not
travel with the team. Chris Whitney started in his place for the
seventh straight game and had 13 points and eight assists. ... The
Knicks improved to 3-0 against Washington this season. ... New York
shot 50 percent from the field. When shooting 40 percent or better,
the Knicks are 19-4. They are 15-1 when scoring 90 points or more;
7-0 when scoring 100 or more.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Washington Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 94
Seattle 92
Vancouver 120
Milwaukee 117
New York 103
Washington 87
Minnesota 108
Phoenix 88
Denver 94
Charlotte 87
LA Clippers 118
LA Lakers 95
FROM
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