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Sunday, Mar. 26 9:00pm ET
Knicks pull into tie for first in Atlantic | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The New York Knicks' last grueling road trip of the season could not have started any better. Allan Houston, Patrick Ewing and Latrell Sprewell each scored 19 points as the Knicks nearly blew a 17-point third-quarter lead but held off the Portland Trail Blazers 93-89 Sunday night. "Everybody seems to think that the champion is going to be from the West," Ewing said. "We think if we get there, we have as good a chance as anybody in the West." Larry Johnson added 16 points for the Knicks, who pulled into a tie for first place in the Atlantic Division because Miami lost to Orlando earlier in the day. The Knicks haven't been in first since holding a half-game lead for two days late last month. New York also is 3½ games behind Indiana, which lost to Philadelphia, in the race for homecourt advantage in the Eastern Conference. "I'm not really concerned with where everybody else is, just playing well and trying to improve," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "This trip is going to be a great opportunity for us to improve." New York, opening a five-game West Coast trip that ends next Sunday against the Los Angeles Lakers, has won three straight. The Knicks swept the season series against Portland. Rasheed Wallace, Scottie Pippen and Damon Stoudamire all had 20 points for the Blazers, who have lost seven of their last 13 games and five of seven at home. "We're not going to panic, but I'd be lying if I said we weren't mad about losing at home," Stoudamire said. "But what's wrong, what's hurting us, are things that can be fixed." The Blazers pulled within 91-89 on a 3-pointer by Pippen with 8.8 seconds left, but Sprewell hit both his free throws 1.2 seconds later to preserve the win. "If we can finish this road trip the way we started, I think we will have made some progress," Sprewell said. "We're right there. We've been chasing and chasing, and now it's all even again. It's all about who finishes the strongest." Sprewell's short turnaround jumper put the Knicks ahead 87-80 with 2:31 to go, but Stoudamire hit three straight jumpers to cut the lead to 87-84 with 52.2 seconds left. Ewing hit two free throws and then had a left-handed block of Pippen's layup attempt with 20 seconds left. Johnson hit two free throws with 19.9 seconds left for a 91-86 lead. The Blazers were without injured center Arvydas Sabonis and saw backup Jermaine O'Neal leave after a collision with Wallace in the third quarter, but still outrebounded the Knicks 37-35. Wallace had 10 rebounds and scored in double figures for the 19th straight time, but he also committed eight turnovers. Portland's Brian Grant, playing for the first time since missing nine games with a sore right foot, scored eight of his 12 points in the fourth quarter. He shot 6-of-7 for the game. "I just wanted to play tough inside and get some touches so I could get the feeling back," Grant said. "I'm a little surprised I played so much, but with Arvydas out and Jermaine going down, the team needed me." New York took a 62-45 lead on a 19-foot jumper by Johnson 2½ minutes into the third period. The lead was still 13 when Sprewell hit a 21-foot jumper with 2:26 left, but a burst of energy by Stoudamire brought the Blazers back. Stoudamire hit a 3-pointer and stole a pass to set up Grant's 17-foot jumper to bring the Blazers within 68-60 heading into the fourth. The Blazers trailed 18-10 midway through the first, but Pippen sparked a run by hitting four free throws and blowing by Charlie Ward for a dunk to tie it at 22. A reverse layup by Grant -- his first basket since Feb. 27 -- gave Portland a 26-25 lead after one period. The Knicks shot 62 percent in the second quarter, hitting 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Chris Childs and Sprewell opened the period with 3-pointers to reclaim the lead at 31-26, and New York kept building from there. Thomas dished to Ewing for a slam, and Houston hit a 3-pointer for a 47-33 lead with 4:23 left before halftime. "Tonight, it was a case in which we played three strong quarters but in the second quarter, we got scorched," Portland coach Mike Dunleavy said. "Against a team as good as the Knicks, you have to do better than that."
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard New York Clubhouse Portland Clubhouse RECAPS Orlando 94 Miami 69
New York 93
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