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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Latrell Sprewell was comfortable returning to
the shooting guard position and the Chicago Bulls paid the price.
|  | | Latrell Sprewell returned to shooting guard Friday and scored a season-high 32 against the Bulls. |
Sprewell shot 11-for-17 from the field and 8-for-9 from the line
for a season-high 32 points as the New York Knicks beat the Bulls
95-68 Friday night.
Glen Rice added 20 and Kurt Thomas had 18 as the Knicks beat the
Bulls for the fifth straight time.
Sprewell had 30 points through three quarters. He scored 11
points in the first quarter as the Knicks charged to a 27-22 lead
and added 13 points in the second as New York built a 55-36
halftime advantage.
"I just felt good out there. I don't know at what point,"
Sprewell said. "Jeff (Van Gundy) kept calling my number and they
didn't double. I had to make them pay."
The Knicks, who won their third straight, scored the first 12
points of the third quarter and increased their lead to 31 points
twice in the period.
"Today we didn't let up," Sprewell explained. "I think the
biggest thing we did was we had them down at halftime, came out in
the third quarter and they didn't score for the first six minutes.
That's what you expect out of your team."
The Bulls used a 12-0 run and rallied within 19 points on Elton
Brand's basket with 26 seconds remaining in the third. But the
Knicks built their lead back to 31 points twice in the fourth
quarter.
Ron Mercer led the Bulls with 19 points. Brand, who is averaging
more than 19 points, finished with 12.
"I think Larry (Johnson) did a good job guarding him," New
York coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But, at the same time they were
coming off of a very emotional win last night. So they lacked a
little energy."
The Bulls, who beat San Antonio 105-104 on Thursday, lost for
the sixth time in seven games.
Sprewell returned to the shooting guard position for the Knicks
in the absence of Allan Houston, who missed the game because of a
stomach virus.
"I'd rather have everybody in the lineup," said Van Gundy,
whose team was also missing starters Marcus Camby and Charlie Ward.
"It's no silver lining having to go to the bench."
Houston had played in 258 consecutive games. His streak was the
seventh-longest among active players in the NBA.
Houston last missed a game on March 19, 1997, when the Knicks
played at Philadelphia. He also missed that game because of a
stomach virus.
Chris Childs, who returned to the starting lineup at the point
guard position, finished with nine assists.
Game notes
Larry Johnson's missed free throw with 9:40 left in the
first quarter was his first miss from the line since November 15.
He had made 22 straight ... The Knicks have now won a season-high
three straight games for the fourth time in 2000-01 ... The Bulls'
68 points were their second-lowest total of the season. They scored
only 64 in a 109-64 loss to Utah on November 18.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Chicago Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Cleveland 97
Atlanta 85
Miami 98
Washington 91
New York 95
Chicago 68
Portland 104
Vancouver 81
Golden State 100
Utah 89
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