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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
DENVER (AP) -- Latrell Sprewell spent time before the game in the film room, and then spent the entire first half trying to finding his shot.
Once he did, he made the Denver Nuggets miserable as
he scored 26 points while Allan Houston added 23 Tuesday night as the New York Knicks ended a three-game losing streak with a 102-95
victory.
"It is hard to look at film, especially when you are looking at
stuff that you are doing wrong, but I found I was extending my arm
too much," Sprewell said. "I wasn't locking my elbow and
short-arming it."
Sprewell shot only 1-for-4 in the first half. But he scored 24
points in the second half, going 9-for-13, and Houston went 6-for-8
after shooting 4-of-7 in the first half.
"Latrell was much more aggressive," New York coach Jeff Van
Gundy said. "He wasn't waiting for double teams. When they did
double on him, he passed the ball."
"He had a good balance between driving to the hoop, jump shots
and layups in transition," he said.
Ron Mercer had 30 points for Denver, which lost its third straight game. Antonio McDyess scored a season-high 26 as the Nuggets lost their fifth consecutive game to New York.
McDyess' dunk with 1:08 left pulled the Nuggets within 95-91.
Marcus Camby's layup and free throw with 50 seconds remaining
sealed the win for the Knicks.
"We got the lead down to a manageable situation," Denver coach
Dan Issel said. "Down the stretch they executed and we didn't."
The Nuggets, who had 100 turnovers in their first six games,
turned the ball over 20 times including three times in the last two
minutes.
New York took a 74-70 lead into the fourth quarter. Denver
turned a pair of Knicks turnovers into five points by Mercer to cut
the deficit to 89-85, but Sprewell hit successive jump shots.
"Latrell didn't just get hot, he exploded," Mercer said. "We
couldn't stop him and Houston in the second half and that was the
key."
Trailing 48-46 at halftime, New York took a 54-53 lead on
baskets by Sprewell and Ward. But Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz
hit 3-pointers that put the Nuggets ahead 59-54.
McDyess extended that lead to 63-56 with a pair of jump shots
before Sprewell keyed an 18-7 with 12 points in the final five
minutes of the quarter.
"When Sprewell and I get our shots, everyone is in a good
rhythm," Houston said.
Game notes
The Knicks made their first Denver appearance since beating
the Nuggets 91-77 on Feb. 17, 1998. ... Denver second-round draft
choice Chris Herren scored his first points in the NBA. ... Camby had left Sunday's game in Miami with a cut in his forehead. ...
McDyess has scored in double figures in 58 consecutive games. ...
New York shot 56 percent from the field, a season high for a Denver
opponent.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
New York Clubhouse
Denver Clubhouse
RECAPS
Toronto 89
Detroit 85
Philadelphia 95
Washington 73
Atlanta 103
Charlotte 98
Portland 101
Miami 96
Milwaukee 101
LA Clippers 93
San Antonio 90
Indiana 87
Dallas 114
Houston 95
New York 102
Denver 95
Golden State 99
Chicago 79
Sacramento 81
Vancouver 77
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