NBA : At His Worst, Ewing Still Good Enough

NEW YORK — Patrick Ewing probably should have stayed home in bed. The Denver Nuggets wish he had.

Ewing, hampered by flu and foul trouble in the first half, helped the New York Knicks rally for a 106-89 victory Monday night, handing the Nuggets their fifth consecutive defeat.

Playing against fellow Georgetown alumnus Dikembe Mutombo, who scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds, Ewing matched his season low with 11 points.

“That’s why I played,” Ewing said of the friendly rivalry. “I should have just gone home to sleep . . . but we got the win, and that’s what counts.”

Ewing, who had two points in the first half, scored his last nine as the Knicks took charge in the third quarter. His three-point play gave New York a 61-51 lead with 4:43 left in the quarter, capping an 11-6 run that included seven consecutive points by Ewing.

Mutombo, who had four points in the first half, scored 10 in the third quarter, but couldn’t prevent the Nuggets from falling behind, 76-63, after three quarters.

Charles Smith scored 23 points for the Knicks and Chris Jackson had 26 for Denver.