Knicks Have a Little More Work to Do

So much for the home-court advantage.

And, almost, so much for Cleveland, though the New York Knicks say they have yet to put the Cavaliers into their memory books and begin to think about the Chicago Bulls.

“Cleveland’s on my mind. They can still put us away in three more games, just like we can put them away in three,” Anthony Mason said Saturday after he had 23 points and 12 rebounds in the Knicks’ 84-80 victory at Cleveland.

New York leads the best-of-five series, 2-0, and can wrap up the first round with a victory Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Cavaliers were 2-0 during the regular season.

The series winner will take on the winner of the Miami-Chicago series in the second round.

“The hole is deep,” Cleveland Coach Mike Fratello said. “It doesn’t matter what we did during the regular season. To come back from 0-2 is very difficult.”

Only five teams have done it to win a best-of-five series.

“Why can’t there be six?” Fratello said, smiling. “It can be done. But obviously, it’s a big hole.”

Working in Cleveland’s favor is the recent history of the Knicks-Cavaliers series: The visiting team has won 12 of the last 14 meetings.

Cleveland trailed, 44-41, at halftime and never caught up in the second half, although it twice got within a point. Both times, Mason answered--with a put-back that gave the Knicks a 50-47 lead early in the third quarter and a layup and free throw that put them ahead, 69-65, with 7:16 to play.

The Cavaliers closed to 80-78 on Terrell Brandon’s 19-foot jump shot with 18.6 seconds to play but could get no closer. The Knicks made four of their six free throws in the closing seconds to seal it.

Patrick Ewing scored 16 points, 14 of them in the second half, and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Brandon led Cleveland with 21 points and 12 assists.

The Knicks, who set a team record with 17 three-point baskets in Game 1 on Thursday, weren’t nearly as sharp from long distance Saturday, although they made four in the first half and were six for 16 for the game. Cleveland was horrible from long range, making four of 23 shots.

Utah 105, Portland 90--Karl Malone scored 30 points, including eight in the final five minutes, for the Jazz, which took a 2-0 lead in the series by winning at Salt Lake City.

Malone hit 12 of 23 shots and pulled down 14 rebounds for the Jazz. Jeff Hornacek added 18 points, making all four of his three-point shots.

He is eight for eight from three-point range in the series.

John Stockton, who had 23 assists in Game 1, handed out 16 in Game 2 and scored 15 points.

Arvydas Sabonis led the Trail Blazers with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Rod Strickland had 20 points, but was two for eight from the free-throw line.

Indiana 102, Atlanta 94--Rik Smits scored 29 points, including five in overtime, for the Pacers, who held off Atlanta at Indianapolis and tied their series, 1-1.

The Hawks trailed by as many as 16 points in the first half and by 13 in the fourth quarter before rallying. A three-point basket by Craig Ehlo pulled Atlanta to within 87-85 with 14.8 seconds to play in regulation, and the Hawks got the ball back when Derrick McKey threw away the inbounds pass.

Steve Smith made a layup and McKey missed one at the buzzer, sending the game into overtime. It was the only tie of the game, and it didn’t last long.

Indiana opened the extra period with an 11-2 run, and the Hawks didn’t make a basket until 1:16 remained.

Mark Jackson finished with 16 points and McKey added 14 for the Pacers. Ricky Pierce, starting his second game in place of the injured Reggie Miller, had 12 points.

NBA Notes

The Washington Bullets exercised their contract option to keep shooting guard Tim Legler, who averaged 9.4 points and 1.8 assists in 23 minutes per game and led the league in three-point shooting accuracy at 52% (128 for 245). Legler is expected to miss the beginning of the 1996-1997 season while recuperating from right knee surgery.