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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) – Larry Johnson missed another game, yet the
Knicks didn't miss him. They didn't miss Latrell Sprewell, either.
Glen Rice scored 17 points in his first start since Dec. 30 and
New York easily overcame the absence of two starters to defeat
Cleveland 98-79 Tuesday night.
Sprewell sat out with an upper respiratory infection and Johnson
missed his fourth straight game with a sore back.
"You've got to give a lot of credit to the guys that stepped
their game up, guys who got some minutes and took advantage of
it," Rice said. "We've got a lot of talent on this team, and
we're always telling guys to stay ready."
Allan Houston scored 20 points, Marcus Camby had 18, Othella
Harrington came off the bench to add 12 and Mark Jackson had 10
assists for the Knicks, who had lost their previous four meetings
with the Cavs.
New York broke the game open with a 23-4 run midway through the
second quarter. Harrington, finally seeing some extended playing
time after being acquired from Vancouver in January, hit all five
of his shots in the quarter and grabbed three rebounds.
His 12 points were his most since joining the Knicks on Jan. 30.
In his 20 games with New York, he sat out seven of them because of
the coach's decision.
"I knew LJ and Kurt (Thomas) and Marcus were Jeff (Van Gundy's)
guys, so I knew I'd have to come in and work hard and prepare
myself to play," Harrington said.
Seldom-used rookie Lavor Postell also saw some rare daylight,
playing 18 minutes and scoring seven points.
Postell was on the floor during the second-quarter run when the
Knicks turned a 28-27 lead into a 51-31 advantage. The Cavaliers
went right at him, calling five consecutive isolation plays for
Jimmy Jackson as he was being guarded by Postell. Jackson scored on
only two of those plays, while the Knicks scored on 10 consecutive
possessions to open a double-digit lead they never lost.
"I was a little shocked. I knew I'd play a little, but 18
minutes?" Postell said. "I brought a lot of energy out there and
it felt good."
Houston restored a 20-point lead by making two free throws with
1:36 left in the third quarter, and the fourth quarter was barely
competitive as New York led by as many as 23 points.
Chris Gatling led Cleveland with 13 points. Chris Mihm and Andre
Miller added 12 each.
"They made us work for whatever we had to get. To come here and
play this team you have to match that intensity. We allowed
ourselves to succumb to it," Cavs coach Randy Wittman said.
Game notes
Johnson missed the game to consult with a doctor in
Charlotte about his chronic back pain and his decision to stop
taking anti-inflammatory pills. Johnson is afraid that long-term,
regular use of the drug vioxx, which is similar to ibuprofen, might
damage his stomach or liver. ... Sprewell has his streak of 28
consecutive double-figure scoring games snapped. ... Camby failed
to reach double figures in rebounds for the first time in 13 games.
He had seven rebounds and four blocks. ... The Knicks improved to
27-3 when scoring 90 or more points. ... Cleveland lost its fifth
straight road game.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Cleveland Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Milwaukee 101
Toronto 97
Atlanta 109
Vancouver 99
New York 98
Cleveland 79
Sacramento 114
Orlando 108
Dallas 122
New Jersey 98
Houston 127
Indiana 118
Seattle 99
Portland 90
LA Lakers 112
Boston 107
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