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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) – A three-minute standing ovation was followed by
three minutes of vintage Patrick Ewing. There were no tears, no boos, plenty of hugs, a couple of chants – along with several reminders of how Ewing's best days are behind him.
|  | | Patrick Ewing had a tough time against Marcus Camby, getting outscored 21-12 and outrebounded 17-5. |
On an emotional night at Madison Square Garden, the New York
Knicks spoiled Ewing's homecoming Tuesday with a 101-92 victory
over the Seattle SuperSonics.
"I thought I played pretty well," Ewing said. "It didn't go as well as I would have liked. I wanted to win."
Chants of "Pat-rick Ew-ing" accompanied a loud and long
ovation during pregame introductions as the player who was the face
of the franchise for 15 years stood with a smile on his face and
soaked it in.
"Why no tears? I don't know. I thought it was great what the
fans did," Ewing said. "We've had a love-hate relationship
throughout the years, but I think they were appreciative of what I
brought to the table every night. I thought they did a great job of
showing their appreciation."
Ewing made his first three shots and grabbed four early rebounds
but didn't play well the rest of the way, exhibiting many of the
traits – bad hands, an increasingly inconsistent jump shot, a
couple of dribbles off his feet – that frustrated Knicks fans over
the years.
Latrell Sprewell and Marcus Camby scored consecutive baskets
against Ewing late in the third quarter to start a 12-0 run that
gave New York a 15-point lead.
Ewing returned with 7:15 left and the Sonics trailing by 13, and
they cut their deficit to 90-88. Sprewell then scored over Ewing
and Camby beat Ewing on a backdoor play for a dunk that gave New
York a six-point lead.
Allan Houston led New York with 24 points, Camby had 21 points
and 17 rebounds, and Sprewell added 21 points. Mark Jackson had
nine points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds, while Glen Rice scored 20.
Ewing finished with 12 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes for Seattle, which lost its third straight to drop to .500 (29-29) for the first time in more than a month. Rashard Lewis led Seattle with 20 points.
A crowd of 19,763 turned out early to make sure they were on
hand for the one moment basketball fans in the city had been
looking forward to since last summer when Ewing was traded.
Jackson, the newest Knick, was the first to extend a handshake
and a hug prior to the opening tip.
"I'm glad I was here," Jackson said. "I don't think watching
it on TV from another city would have done it any justice."
Ewing got the ball in the low post on Seattle's first possession
and scored easily over a smiling Camby, but the basket did not
bring much of a boisterous response. That had already happened
during pregame introductions as the crowd stood and cheered
throughout a one-minute compilation of video highlights from
Ewing's career.
The ovation continued as Ewing, who stood shifting from side to
side during the highlight film, was introduced first among Seattle's starters.
"I didn't think about it (crying). I think if I thought about
it, it would have happened," Ewing said. "That's why I said
'Let's get the game started before the tears really start coming.'"
Ewing made his first three shots and scored half of Seattle's
first 16 points as the Sonics opened a 31-27 lead after one
quarter. He found himself staring down at the Knicks bench during a
second-quarter timeout, exchanging nods and smiles with whoever
caught his eye, but sat out for most of the period.
Knicks guard Charlie Ward committed four turnovers in the first two minutes of the second quarter, and coach Jeff Van Gundy yanked him after Gary Payton scored seven points against him in four minutes.
Van Gundy went to a three-guard alignment of Houston, Sprewell
and Glen Rice for the final 2:33 of the quarter, and the Knicks promptly closed the half with an 11-0 run for a 59-52 lead.
Seattle closed to 68-65 midway through the third before Sprewell
hit a jumper over Ewing and Camby drove around Ewing for a layup.
Rice added a 3-pointer and Houston followed with a jumper as the
Knicks closed the quarter with a 12-0 run to take a 15-point lead
into the fourth.
Ewing hit the final shot of the game, and the fans chanted his
name once more.
"We clap for drug addicts and criminals, but here's a guy who really deserves it," Jackson said. "New York fans have got to be proud of what they did tonight."
Game notes
Ewing paid a pregame visit to the players lounge near the
Knicks locker room, saying hello to players, coaches and team officials. He did not travel with the team from Boston to New York after their game on Monday night because his father, Carl, became ill after the Sonics-Celtics game. ... Shammond Williams started at
guard for Seattle as Brent Barry (strained left groin) and Emanuel Davis (left ankle sprain) were not available.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Seattle Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
Report: McMillan agrees to four-year deal with Sonics
Garden fans give smiling Ewing a standing ovation
Lawrence: Knicks no better off without Ewing
Wojnarowski: Patrick's heart still with Knicks
Dr. Jack: Ewing should get an ovation
Fans: Loud applause in the forecast
RECAPS
Toronto 101
Cleveland 89
Miami 103
Washington 95
New York 101
Seattle 92
Portland 95
San Antonio 87
Sacramento 106
LA Clippers 93
Dallas 116
Vancouver 112
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Patrick Ewing says the Knicks' fans made him feel at home in his return to New York.
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Jeff Van Gundy was emotional in Ewing's return to Madison Square Garden.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
ESPN's David Aldridge catches up with Mark Jackson after an emotional night at the Garden.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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