Spurs Come Up Big Against the Knicks

This was not David versus Goliath, it was David with Goliath, and too bad for anybody else who got in their way.

This was a giant victory, just about any way you want to measure it, pushing San Antonio to the brink of the franchise’s first NBA title.

David Robinson and Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs’ towering tandem, swatted shots, stamped on their littler opponents and generally lorded over Game 4 of the NBA finals here Wednesday in a 96-89 Spur victory before a sellout crowd of 19,763 at Madison Square Garden.

The New York Knicks were faster and probably played harder, but, in a game they needed to re-route this series, they were just another normal-sized bunch of ballplayers faced with 14 feet of flying defense and post-up offense.

Just like every other team San Antonio has faced this postseason, the Knicks could not handle the matchup.

“Their size beat our speed and quickness,” Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy said. “Not only did they affect us [from us scoring] on the post, but every penetration was a difficult, difficult shot.

“Those guys are just great, great players.”

After a bobble Monday to lose its first playoff game in 13 tries, San Antonio now has a commanding 3-1 lead in the series, and can win the NBA championship with a victory here Friday.

No team has ever come back from a 3-1 NBA finals deficit, and the Spurs said they wanted to finish it off as soon as possible in Game 5, not looking ahead to potentially winning it in San Antonio in either Game 6 or 7.

“We’re going to this next game not worrying about winning it in San Antonio,” Duncan said. “It’s a one-game thing now, and we just want to knock them out.”

The numbers were clear enough: Robinson had 14 points, 17 rebounds and four blocked shots; Duncan had 28 points, 18 rebounds and three blocks; and those two combined to outrebound the Knicks by themselves, 35-34.

Overall, San Antonio had 49 rebounds--14 on the offensive side.

“I knew I didn’t play well last game,” Duncan said. “I just wanted to go out there and play hard, even if I made mistakes.”

But, while Duncan was rock solid in 47 minutes of action, perhaps even more telling was the residual effect of Robinson’s defense down low and his crashing on the offensive boards--he had nine offensive rebounds--at crucial moments.

“Our rebounding was not nearly good enough to win a finals game,” Van Gundy said.

Robinson scored a tough, in-the-paint basket midway through the final period after the Knicks closed to within 81-80, blocked two shots in the last 10 minutes, and had the Knicks worrying about almost every shot they put up.

“David was just a monster,” San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said. “I’m so happy for him. He showed a lot of people what he could do.”

Robinson and Duncan did not win this game all by themselves, though at times, when they were harrying Knick forward Larry Johnson into a woeful five-point effort, it seemed as if they could.

All five Spur starters scored at least 14 points, and point guard Avery Johnson, coming off an uneven Game 3, added 10 assists.

At the most important moments, the San Antonio team defense shut down New York, and in the biggest stretch of the game the Knicks missed five consecutive shots.

“I had some good looks,” said Allan Houston, who missed his last three shots and finished with 20 points after scoring 34 in Game 3. “I was frustrated, tired.

“But I just missed shots. I’ll make those shots most of the time I take them.”

With 3:40 left in the game, Marcus Camby (20 points, 13 rebounds) helped the Knicks scramble to within two points, 86-84, and the Garden crowd roared in anticipation of a surge that would tie this series.

However, following the pattern of most of their triumphant postseason, over the next three minutes, the Spurs outscored New York, 8-0, and the game was theirs.

Said Duncan: “We make plays down the stretch. That’s something we didn’t do in Game 3. But tonight we made them.”

For the Knicks, who were led by Latrell Sprewell with 26 points (but only six in the fourth quarter) and point guard Charlie Ward with a surprising 10-point first-quarter effort, Game 5 at the Garden becomes the last stand in a shockingly successful season.

“Your backs can’t be any further against the wall at this point,” Houston said. “But this is something you always welcome as a competitor, an athlete. We’re not hanging our heads down. We’re looking forward to the challenge.

“All you can do is stay positive and say hey, if we win this thing, people won’t believe it.”

NBA FINALS

Spurs lead best-of-seven series, 3-1

Game 1: San Antonio 89, New York 77

Game 2: San Antonio 80, New York 67

Game 3: New York 89, San Antonio 81

Game 4: San Antonio 96, New York 89

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

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

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

TV: Ch. 4; * If necessary

****

PENETRATING INSIGHT: Players from both teams gave San Antonio point guard Avery Johnson credit for getting into the lane quickly and igniting the Spurs. Page 10

ALOHA FOR NOW: Laker training camp will not be held in Hawaii this fall, and instead will be conducted at a location in Southern California, the team said. Page 10