THE SCHEDULE

Spurs lead best-of-seven series, 1-0

* Game 1: San Antonio 89, New York 77

* Game 2: Friday at San Antonio, 6 p.m.

* Game 3: Monday at New York, 6 p.m.

* Game 4: Wednesday at New York, 6 p.m.

* Game 5: June 25 at New York, 6 p.m.*

* Game 6: June 27 at San Antonio, 4:30 p.m.*

* Game 7: June 29 at San Antonio, 6 p.m.*

TV: Ch. 4, all times Pacific; *If necessary

NOTES / Spurs’ Duncan Not Exactly Overwhelmed by Nostalgia

After 23 years in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs finally played in a finals game Wednesday night, making old-timers misty.

One asked Tim Duncan if they won this one for the seven former Spurs attending.

“I didn’t even know they were here,” he said. “I won this one for us.”

Then, after thinking it over for a moment, he added: “But, yeah, I was playing for them.”

*

Allan Houston started his first NBA finals, making five of his first six shots. Counting his 32 points in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers last Friday, that made him 18 for his last 22 from the floor.

Unfortunately for the New York Knicks, Houston then made two for his last 11 shots Wednesday.

“We didn’t do anything different,” Spur Coach Gregg Popovich said. “Mario Elie did a heck of a job. We didn’t do anything strategic as far as saying, do this and you’ll stop Allan Houston. Mario Elie did a very good job on him.”

*

Larry Johnson managed to make it back into the starting lineup Wednesday night, playing without the bulky brace he’d been wearing since suffering the injury last Friday against the Pacers, but that was where the Knicks’ good news ended.

Johnson scored five points, making one of three shots, with one rebound in 21 minutes.

“It’s tough for them just ‘cause they’re hurting,” said Duncan. “But they’re a very physical team. Those guys can do a job on a given night.”

*

The Knicks say they’re happy to be the underdogs in this series.

The Spurs suspect it’s some sort of media plot.

“We don’t call them Cinderellas,” David Robinson said. “The media does that.” Said Avery Johnson: “You know, with the shot the Allan hit in the first round, it kind of looked that way. I think people get caught up to them being the eighth seed. On our board early in the season, we had them winning that Atlantic Division. You’ve got to watch that destiny stuff because they’ll really try to make you feel that they’re underdogs, more than what they really are. . . .

“Indiana, I think everybody really got caught up in talking about them winning the championship after Michael [Jordan] retired. Everybody thrust them into the position because Larry Bird is their coach. But until you get out on the court and do it, it really doesn’t mean anything and the same thing goes in this series.”