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Thursday, Dec. 7 8:00pm ET
Spurs lose first home game

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Larry Johnson and the New York Knicks failed to stop Tim Duncan in the 1999 NBA Finals, and they lost.

They weren't going to make that mistake again.

Tim Duncan
Tim Duncan scored a game-high 28 points in Thursday night's loss to the Knicks.
The Knicks double-teamed Duncan, giving Johnson some defensive help, as they surged back from a 14-point deficit to beat the San Antonio Spurs 86-83 Thursday night.

Duncan missed four jump shots after New York took its first lead of the game with 9:09 left in the fourth quarter on two free throws by Chris Childs. Derek Anderson missed three 3-point attempts in the final 2:37, including two in the last 12 seconds, to seal the Knicks' victory.

New York's defense -- rated No. 1 in the NBA -- held the Spurs to 40.9 percent shooting.

"They are a good defensive team," Duncan said. "They always have been and they always will be.

"But it comes down to getting it done. They did and we didn't," he said. "They (the Spurs) are giving me the ball and asking me to do it. I'm not hitting them down the stretch. That responsibility falls on me."

Duncan, who played all but two minutes of the game, finished with a game-high 28 points despite going 8-of-14 from the foul line. Anderson had 15 on 4-of-11 shooting, while David Robinson went 3-of-15 for 11 points.

"There's not much you can say after a loss like that," Robinson said. "I had some good looks and I missed some easy shots. It's frustrating."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the team didn't do enough to overcome the Knicks' defense in the final quarter.

"We haven't put our foot on someone's neck," he said. "It's disappointing to play so hard and so well and not finish it off. We have to keep playing and not get paranoid."

The Knicks pulled it off even while three of the players guarding the twin towers of Duncan and Robinson racked up five fouls apiece.

As usual, the 6-7 Johnson ran into foul trouble guarding the 7-foot Duncan. But then Marcus Camby and Luc Longley descended on Duncan.

"Luc has a height advantage over Larry and a weight advantage over Marcus," Latrell Sprewell said of the 7-2 reserve. "Luc doesn't give up anything in either department. He definitely was a big factor out there for us tonight."

The 6-11 Camby, who is slimmer and more athletic than his predecessor at starting center, Patrick Ewing, also contributed to the win by scoring 16 points, 10 of them in crucial third quarter.

In a 5:40 span, the Knicks reduced the Spurs' lead from 14 to two. Camby threw down a dunk to spark an 8-0 run by New York to make it 65-62 with 2:43 left in the period. Sprewell, who topped the Knicks with 20 points, helped out by nailing a layup.

On their way to ending the Spurs' eight-game home winning streak, the Knicks finally grabbed the lead in the fourth quarter and then widened it to five with 4:25 left on a jumper by Glen Rice, who finished with 19 points.

San Antonio got it to 84-83 with 1:08 left on a layup by Sean Elliott followed by a jumper by Anderson.

But after Duncan missed a 15-foot jumper, Allan Houston fired a 22-footer over Anderson's outstretched arm to make it 86-83.

Anderson threw up an airball from 3-point range with 11.2 seconds left. After Houston was tied up for a jump ball, Anderson missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

Houston finished with 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting.

Duncan grabbed 10 rebounds for the Spurs but shot just 8-of-14 from the foul line.

"I missed six and we lost by three," he said. "We have to make those. It all comes down to making baskets."

Game notes
The Philadelphia 76ers are now the only NBA team with a perfect record at home this season. The Spurs had been riding an eight-game home winning streak. ... The Knicks made it to the foul line only 14 times to the Spurs' 34, but shot 85.7 percent from the line to the Spurs' 73.5 percent. ... Anderson wore a bandage over his right eye because of a cut he got against Sacramento on Tuesday.


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RECAPS
Orlando 103
Denver 93

Phoenix 104
Milwaukee 96

Minnesota 105
Washington 88

New York 86
San Antonio 83

Utah 98
Vancouver 87

AUDIO/VIDEO
video
 Latrell Sprewell switches to his left hand to get the basket.
avi: 581 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

 Glen Rice steals the ball then takes it down the court for the slam.
avi: 684 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1

audio
 David Robinson doesn't think his team is coming together when they should.
wav: 138 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6


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