Playoffs 2000:Injuries can't stop Knicks from big win

Injuries can't stop Knicks from big win
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Latrell Sprewell didn't play particularly well, Marcus Camby didn't play much and Patrick Ewing didn't play at all.

None of that mattered.

Ravaged by injuries, New York broke out to a big lead and held on down the stretch for a 91-89 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Monday in Game 4 to even an Eastern Conference finals the Knicks once trailed 2-0.

"By no means, even if they are shorthanded, is anything going to come easy. They wouldn't have come this far," Indiana's Reggie Miller said of the Knicks. "This is the team that went on to the NBA Finals, that knocked us out last year. And they were shorthanded then, too."

Ewing sat out Game 3 on Saturday with tendinitis in his right foot, an injury he sustained early in Game 2; Camby sprained his right knee in the second quarter Saturday, didn't return, and was wheeled out of Madison Square Garden; and Sprewell broke a bone near the little toe on his left foot in the fourth quarter of Game 3.

Sprewell started Monday's game and played 44 minutes, but managed just 12 points, 20 fewer than he had in Game 3.

"It was something that was in the back of my mind," Sprewell said of his injury. "It's not so bad that I can't be effective. I just told myself to relax."

Camby came in late in the first quarter and provided the occasional athletic play, but was not much of a consistent contributor. He wound up with five points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 18 minutes.

Ewing was cleared to play by team doctor Norman Scott, and went on the court Monday for pregame layup drills. But after attempting a few shots, Ewing -- the team's top rebounder and third-leading scorer in the postseason -- headed back to the locker room.

His foot "feels a lot better today than it did yesterday. If it feels good on Wednesday I'll play," Ewing said referring to Game 5 in Indianapolis. "I've improved a lot but not enough for me to be able to play."

The Knicks are 5-1 against the Pacers over the last two postseasons without Ewing and 1-3 with him. Ewing's 1999 season ended in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, also against Indiana, when his left Achilles' tendon gave out. New York won three of the next four games to win the series 4-2.

"Look at the percentage with or without him. I hope he comes back," said Indiana center Rik Smits, who had 13 points and one rebound.

New York coach Jeff Van Gundy discounted the theory that his team is better off without its veteran center, saying the won-loss records with and without Ewing "gets manipulated."

Chris Dudley made his second straight start in Ewing's place Monday, but was in for just eight minutes because of foul trouble. That gave the bulk of the minutes in the middle to Kurt Thomas, who scored a career playoff-high 16 points, and added five rebounds and three assists.

Larry Johnson (25 points and seven rebounds despite a stiff back), Allan Houston (17 points, six rebounds) and Charlie Ward (16 points, seven assists, six rebounds) joined Thomas in making up for the injury-related problems.

"No matter who played, who played was not nearly as important as how we played and what we had to do was be consistent regardless of who was able to play and I thought our guys did that," Van Gundy said.

If Sprewell's injury, which he said came when he dived for a ball in the final minute of Saturday's game, is exacerbated, he could need surgery, according to Scott.

"That was presented to him," Scott said. "It's extremely unlikely, but he's aware of it."