Lively Night in San Antonio Offers Inspiration for Knicks

The citywide Friday night fiesta in San Antonio to celebrate the Spurs’ Game 2 victory provided the New York Knicks with a traffic headache, and inspiration, heading into tonight’s Game 3 in New York.

“We saw how the city was partying--like it was really over,” Knick big man Marcus Camby said before New York’s practice Sunday at Madison Square Garden. “After the game, there was all this traffic.

“But it’s definitely far from over. And I hope they think that it’s over. We’re going to play all out, with a lot of emotion, especially being at home.

“The whole city was celebrating, out in the streets. It took us about an hour to drive back to our hotel, there was so much traffic. So it definitely motivates us to show them this isn’t over.”

The Spurs have won 12 consecutive playoff games. But Camby, limited to only 16 points in the first two games, said he and his teammates can’t go into Games 3, 4 and 5--all in New York--only worrying about avoiding a sweep.

“We have to feel confident and go out there and solidify our home court,” Camby said.

“We have to go out and focus on the game tomorrow. We can’t say we’re going to win all three games at home. We just have to get that first one under our belt and once we get that one we go from there.”

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Jeff Van Gundy on Latrell Sprewell’s suggestion that Sprewell and Allan Houston start at guard with Larry Johnson at small forward, where Johnson wouldn’t have to guard a 7-footer:

“Yeah, it’s certainly a viable option. And I think there’s obviously some strengths to it and there’s negatives. . . . In our transition it’s going to cut down on the number of transition opportunities, obviously [since there won’t be an experienced point guard on the floor.]”

Doesn’t sound like he likes the idea.

On the other hand, the Knick players seem to like it, even Chris Childs, who’s one of their point guards and would play less.

“If that occurs, then that puts more pressure on their defensive guys because Allan and Spree are both good post-up players and Avery [Johnson, who’s 5-9, to their 6-5] would have to play one of them,” Childs said.

“It worked somewhat in the Indiana series. And when you’re down, 2-0, I guess you can try anything.”

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Not that Spur Coach Gregg Popovich, once on the hot seat himself this season, thinks the embattled Van Gundy is getting a raw deal from Knick management but . . .

“Well, I think Jeff’s been magnificent in this regard,” said Popovich. “Through all of the turmoil, he has been singularly focused on what his job is and that’s why his team plays for him the way they do, because they appreciate the fact that he knows that his job is to do everything he can to help that group be as good as it can be. And he’s done that on a daily basis, without worrying about anything that’s going on around the team. And that’s very impressive.”

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In Jaren Jackson’s first six years in the NBA, including the 1992-93 season he spent as a Clipper, he took a total of 34 three-pointers and made six.

“Very honestly, I didn’t sign him [in the summer of 1997] because I thought he was going to drill three-pointers,” said Popovich.

“I signed him because we wanted to have someone come off the bench and have a defensive presence, have some toughness and be able to guard more athletic people at the two position.

“But once we got him into camp and he started shooting threes, we decided to make that a priority of his.”

Spurs lead best-of-seven series, 2-0

* Game 1: San Antonio 89, New York 77

* Game 2: San Antonio 80, New York 67

* Game 3: Tonight at New York, 6

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

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

* Game 6: Sunday 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