RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Allan Houston couldn't remember the last time he
felt so confident. In fact, he wasn't sure if he had ever felt so
good.
|  | | Knicks guard Chris Childs looks to pass over the Timberwolves' Sam Mitchell in the first quarter Saturday. |
Houston tied his season high of 37 points, scoring 17 in the
fourth quarter Saturday night as the New York Knicks beat the
Minnesota Timberwolves 100-90.
Houston also scored 37 at Boston on Nov. 11.
"Yeah, but I didn't feel this good in Boston," said Houston,
who shot 16-for-20. "The thing about this was we kept running the
same play. Usually, the other team will do something to make you
stop."
In this case, the Timberwolves tried using different defenders.
But Houston scorched them all, repeatedly hitting from the outside
on isolation plays starting at the top of the key.
He made his final six shots, including four consecutive jumpers
during a decisive 16-3 run early in the fourth quarter.
"Give him the rock and let him do his thing. That's what Jeff
(Van Gundy) was telling us to do," New York's Erick Strickland
said. "Even when we had opportunities to run, we slowed up and
gave Allan the ball. We went to Allan and he came through."
Houston scored 11 points in the second quarter, didn't take a
shot in the third and then was unstoppable in the fourth. Houston
finished a point shy of his career high set in 1996 when he was
with Detroit. Latrell Sprewell added 17 points.
The win was the second in as many nights for the Knicks, whose
home record (5-4) is worse than their road record (6-3).
Minnesota, playing its fourth game in five nights, was led by
Kevin Garnett's 21 points. The Timberwolves played the final stop
of a six-game, six-city trip that took them across the country
in nine days.
"You have to give Allan Houston a lot of credit, he just caught
fire in the second half," Minnesota's Wally Szczerbiak said. "We
couldn't stop him."
Houston broke the game open after LaPhonso Ellis tied it at 69
on a jumper early in the fourth.
Strickland, seeing extended playing time as Van Gundy benched
Glen Rice in the fourth quarter for the second straight night, made
two free throws to start the decisive run.
Houston followed with two mid-range jumpers before Terrell
Brandon hit a 3-pointer. Houston then made two more jump shots
before Strickland hit from outside, and Kurt Thomas added a putback
before Houston hit one of his two 3-pointers for an 88-74 lead with
5:15 left.
The Knicks closed the first quarter with an 18-8 run and made 11
of their first 16 shots in building a 28-18 lead. Houston scored 11
straight for the Knicks in the second quarter, but Minnesota closed
the half with an 8-2 run to trail 49-45 at the break.
Brandon hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Garnett, and Garnett
followed with a driving shot to tie the game at 63 late in
the third quarter.
Game notes
The Knicks outrebounded Minnesota 41-27 and shot 22-for-24
at the free-throw line. ... Ellis started for the second straight game as
Minnesota coach Flip Saunders went with a small lineup by removing
Rasho Nesterovic from the starting five. ... The Knicks have beaten
the Timberwolves 10 straight times at Madison Square Garden. ...
Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney sat courtside.
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NBA Scoreboard
Minnesota Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Atlanta 101
Milwaukee 94
Charlotte 94
Utah 89
Philadelphia 112
Cleveland 78
Orlando 95
New Jersey 74
New York 100
Minnesota 90
Miami 93
Washington 90
Portland 96
Houston 85
Denver 103
Seattle 92
Dallas 97
Golden State 78
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