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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) – Marcus Camby set the tone early for the Knicks
as he grabbed a rebound just over a minute into the game and headed
upcourt with the mindset of a point guard.
|  | | Marcus Camby has been productive lately, and Monday he continued the trend with 17 points and 18 rebounds. |
Camby went coast to coast before dishing the ball to Kurt Thomas
for a layup, giving a sample of the energy he brought all night as
the New York Knicks defeated the Charlotte Hornets 113-98 Monday.
"It definitely got me going," Camby said. "I always want to
bring the ball up, and Kurt made a nice finish. That gave us some
momentum and we seemed to take off."
Camby had 17 points and 18 rebounds for his 25th double-double
of the season. He is averaging 19.8 points and 16.2 rebounds in his
last five games, and he added four assists, three blocks and two
steals in this one.
Thomas shot 10-for-13 and scored 22 points in place of Larry
Johnson, who was out with back spasms, and Latrell Sprewell added
21 points. Glen Rice had 16, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks, who won for the fourth time in five games, were
without two starters as Johnson and Allan Houston (bruised thigh)
sat out. But they shot 62 percent, led throughout the second half
and got their advantage as high as 16 points in the final minute
while sending the slumping Hornets to their fourth consecutive
loss.
Earlier, Hornets coach Paul Silas had gone on a rant about his team's slide in which he predicted that if his club didn't play much better in New York on Monday, the Knicks would kill them.
New York moved within a half-game of Miami for third place in
the Eastern Conference, while the Hornets fell into a virtual tie
with Orlando for sixth place in the conference.
"There's not too many teams that can slide in the regular
season and go win a championship. Nobody's done it, and we probably
won't be the first," Charlotte's Jamal Mashburn said.
The Knicks, who captured the season series 2-1, took the lead
for good early in the second quarter, steadily increasing it in the
third, eventually going ahead 81-68 on a fast-break jumper by
Sprewell.
Baron Davis scored seven points in the final 83 seconds of the
third to pull the Hornets within eight entering the fourth, and
David Wesley hit a 3-pointer with 6:35 left to make it a six-point
game, 94-88. But Thomas hit a corner jumper and Rice scored New
York's next six points, the final two on a pair of foul shots that
made it 102-90 with 4:41 left.
"This is the deepest team I've ever been involved with," Rice
said. "We have guys coming off the bench who could easily start on
any team in the league. Tonight was definitely one of the better
nights as far as having it all going on the offensive end."
The Knicks shot better than 60 percent for the second time this
season. Aside from Thomas's gaudy field goal percentage, Sprewell
was 10-for-16, Othella Harrington was 6-for-7 and Charlie Ward was
5-for-7.
Elden Campbell scored 24, Mashburn added 23 and Wesley 22 for
the Hornets, who lost for the eighth time in 10 games.
Game notes
Mashburn and P.J. Brown fouled out late in the fourth
quarter, and Brown -- still hated in New York from his time with
Miami -- was heckled as he left the court arguing. ... Houston
missed just his second game of the season. He originally injured
his thigh against the Lakers eight days earlier. ... Johnson missed
his 12th game. ... Charlotte's reserves were outscored 28-7.
Charlie Ward and Harrington scored 14 apiece for New York, while
Derrick Coleman was 0-for-2 with four fouls and two turnovers in 14
scoreless minutes. ... The Hornets have lost eight straight at
Madison Square Garden.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Charlotte Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 108
Boston 95
Detroit 81
Atlanta 69
New York 113
Charlotte 98
Indiana 100
Washington 78
Utah 96
Houston 81
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Marcus Camby kicks the ball over to Othella Harrington for a Knicks' jam.
avi: 548 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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