NBA.com News: New York 101, Indiana 94


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      BOX SCORE | RECAP
      New York 101, Indiana 94



      INDIANAPOLIS (Ticker)  Larry Johnson is still making huge three-pointers 
      and the New York Knicks are still making believers out of everyone, most 
      of all the Indiana Pacers. 
      Johnson scored 12 of 17 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of 
      game-breaking three-pointers 49 seconds apart, as the Knicks stunned the 
      Pacers, 101-94, to move within one win of the NBA Finals. 
             Latrell Sprewell dunks for two of his game-high 29 points. (AP 
            Photo) 


      "I feel like I'm part of a story that is bigger than all of us, and is 
      going to have a very happy ending," Johnson said. 
      The hero of Game Three of the Eastern Conference finals with the decisive 
      four-point play in the final seconds, Johnson teamed with Latrell Sprewell 
      and Marcus Camby to take charge in the fourth quarter, when New York 
      scored 36 points and appeared unstoppable. 
      Once again in the starting lineup, Sprewell scored 29 points to offset 
      Reggie Miller's first big game of the series. He made 13-of-14 free throws 
      and encouraged the Market Square Arena crowd to boo him when he went to 
      the line. 
      "I practice them a lot," Sprewell said. "They don't want me to do well and 
      I want to prove them wrong." 
      "He played a great game," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He made some 
      good shots and he got to the basket." 
      Camby had another huge game with 21 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks. In 
      the last three games, he is averaging 20 points and 12.7 rebounds. 
      "When we started off the season no one thought we would be where we are 
      now," Camby said. "Just the opportunity to go to the Finals is a dream 
      come true for most of us." 
      "He dominated the game tonight," Bird admitted. "He's very active. We 
      wanted to put a body on him but just ccouldn't do it." 
      Together, their quickness was too much for the Pacers as they constantly 
      created openings for themselves and their teammates. The Knicks held an 
      18-2 edge in fast-break points and became the first team in the series to 
      eclipse 100 points. 
      In a Game Four loss, Johnson was just 1-of-7 from 3-point range. But his 
      first 3-pointer from the right wing gave the Knicks an 86-82 advantage 
      with 3:38 remaining. Foul-plagued Rik Smits answered with a jumper but 
      Johnson nailed another 3-pointer from the same spot, extending the lead to 
      89-84 with 2:49 left. 
      "He came back tonight and made two shots," Pacers coach Larry Bird said. 

            When we started off the season no one thought we would be where we 
            are now. Just the opportunity to go to the Finals is a dream come 
            true for most of us.
             Marcus Camby 

      "Those are daggers right there," Miller said. 
      Camby scored inside and Sprewell made two free throws around a 3-pointer 
      by Miller, who scored 30 points. After a dunk by Smits, Johnson battled 
      for a rebound that went out of bounds off Indiana and sank two free throws 
      for a 95-89 bulge with 50 seconds left. It was at least a two-possession 
      game thereafter.
      Allan Houston scored 19 points for the Knicks, who overcame an early 
      14-point deficit and improved to 6-2 on the road in the postseason. They 
      can become the first eighth-seeded team to reach the championship round 
      and secure their first NBA Finals berth since 1994 with a win at home on 
      Friday night. 
      "I don't want to take my chances in this building again," Knicks forward 
      Kurt Thomas said. 
      "It's not about trying to avoid to come back here," Van Gundy said. "It's 
      about trying to get where you want to go." 
      The preseason favorite in the East, Indiana must win the next two games to 
      live up to those expectations. 
      "It's going to be electric in there," Miller said. "If any team is capable 
      of doing it, it's this team, but we've got to play much better than we did 
      tonight." 
      After the first quarter, New York played a near-flawless game. Overall, it 
      shot 45 percent (34-of-75) from the field, made 30-of-40 free throws and 
      committed just seven turnovers that led to only one point for Indiana. 
      Miller finally broke loose, as did Mark Jackson, who scored 16 points. But 
      Smits missed nine of his first 10 shots and scored just eight points. 
      "I thought Smits would have a big game but it didn't happen," Bird said. 
      Miller scored 10 points in the third quarter, which ended with Indiana 
      holding a 69-65 lead. Jackson backed in for a hoop that pushed the margin 
      to 77-72 with 8:37 remaining but the Knicks responded with seven straight 
      points. 
      Sprewell hit a floater, Camby sank a lane jumper, Johnson made a short 
      jumper and Camby hit a free throw for a 79-77 lead with 6:35 left. 
      "We just went out and swung the ball and got great ball movement," Camby 
      said. "We knocked down the shots and made it easy." 
      Miller's tough running lane banker became a three-point play but Camby had 
      a follow dunk and Sprewell fed Chris Childs for an easy basket that gave 
      the Knicks an 83-80 lead with 4:18 to go. Smits hit a jump hook for his 
      first basket in 41 minutes before Johnson took charge. 

            It's going to be electric in [New York]. If any team is capable of 
            doing it, it's this team, but we've got to play much better than we 
            did tonight.
             Reggie Miller 

      Thomas scored 10 points off the bench for the Knicks, whose reserves held 
      a 34-15 scoring edge. 
      Chris Mullin scored 13 points and Dale Davis added 12 and 18 rebounds for 
      Indiana, which shot 42 percent (33-of-79) and held a 43-37 edge on the 
      glass. But reserves Jalen Rose and Antonio Davis collected 10 total points 
      after combining for 35 in Game Four. 
      Knicks center Chris Dudley picked up two quick fouls as the Pacers raced 
      to a 9-0 lead in the first two-plus minutes. A dunk and jumper by Sprewell 
      highlighted a 10-0 burst in response but New York managed just one basket 
      the rest of the period. 
      Miller and Jackson, who had been held in check this series, scored eight 
      points each in the first quarter and led a 17-4 closing surge that gave 
      Indiana a 28-14 lead after one period. The Pacers shot 56 percent 
      (10-of-18) while holding the Knicks to 24 percent (6-of-25). 
      Camby came off the bench and teamed with Sprewell to get New York back 
      into the game. In the middle of a 16-4 run, Houston picked up his third 
      foul with 6:09 to go but stayed in the game and hit a jumper. 
      During the burst, Sprewell drew a pair of fouls from defensive specialist 
      Derrick McKey and sank four free throws. Camby had a tip-in and a short 
      jumper that he turned into a three-point play for a 38-37 lead with 2:35 
      remaining. 
      The game was tied 42-42 at halftime, with the second quarter a reversal of 
      the first. New York shot 56 percent (9-of-16) and held Indiana to 20 
      percent (4-of-20). 
      "We got nothing out of our bench, especially in the second quarter," Bird 
      said. 
      In the first half, the active Camby had 11 points, eight rebounds and 
      three blocks and got some help from Thomas, who added eight points off the 
      bench. Dale Davis had nine points and 12 rebounds for Indiana. 
      "He really hurt us on the boards," Davis said of Camby. "We haven't done a 
      good job on him." 
      Houston scored nine points in the third quarter, when neither team led by 
      more than six points. 
       

            Pacers-Knicks series index
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            VIDEO
            Pacers vs. Knicks (L, 94-101) 
            See complete Game 5 highlights:
            28.8+ | ISDN+ 
            Knicks at Pacers (W, 101-94) 
            Latrell Sprewell drives past Chris Mullin and rises for the emphatic 
            right handed throw down.
            986k avi | QuickTime 
            Knicks at Pacers (W, 101-94) 
            Marcus Camby flies in to slam home the missed Latrell Sprewell layup 
            attempt.
            838k avi | QuickTime 
            Pacers vs. Knicks (L, 94-101) 
            Reggie Miller connects from deep for three of his game-high 30 
            points in a losing effort in Game 5.
            756k avi | QuickTime 
            Knicks at Pacers (W, 101-94) 
            Larry Johnson cuts into the lane and somehow banks in the 
            off-balance shot in the third quarter of Game 5.
            698k avi | QuickTime 
            Knicks at Pacers (W, 101-94) 
            Allan Houston goes coast-to-coast for the finger-roll over Mark 
            Jackson in the first quarter of Game 5.
            800K avi | QuickTime 
            Pacers vs. Knicks (L, 94-101) 
            Rik Smits drives into the lane against Kurt Thomas, then spins back 
            to the baseline for the fadeaway early in Game 5.
            880k avi | QuickTime 



            AUDIO
            Head coach Jeff Van Gundy says that the Knicks are focused on 
            getting to the Finals.
            110k wav | RealAudio

            Pacers head coach Larry Bird says he's not happy to have to go back 
            to New York, but he is confident that his team can play well in Game 
            6.
            185k wav | RealAudio

            Latrell Sprewell thinks that if the Knicks come out in Game 6 in the 
            same way they played the fourth quarter of Game 5, they'll have a 
            chance to finish off the series.
            165k wav | RealAudio

            Reggie Miller is looking forward to playing Game 6 in Madison Square 
            Garden.
            155k wav | RealAudio

            Marcus Camby says that the chance to win the series is like a dream 
            come true for many of his teammates.
            291k wav | RealAudio

            Brent Musburger goes crazy as Reggie Miller drops the 29-foot three 
            to close the gap to 91-87 late in the fourth quarter.
            170k wav | RealAudio

            Larry Johnson adds to the Knicks' lead by nailing the huge 
            three-pointer, making the score 86-82 in the fourth.
            184k wav | RealAudio

            Latrell Sprewell drops in the off-balance runner on the Pacers in 
            the third quarter.
            113k wav | RealAudio

            Chris Mullin caps a 7-0 run in the third quarter by draining the 
            three.
            161k wav | RealAudio

            Latrell Sprewell hits the up-and-under layup over Mark Jackson and 
            gives the Knicks a one-point lead in the first half.
            109k wav | RealAudio







