Knicks Manage to Beat Pacers at Their Own Game

Not content to be only the second No. 8-seeded team to beat a No. 1-seeded team in the NBA playoffs, or to become the first No. 8-seeded team to reach the conference finals, the New York Knicks gave the world another way to look at them.

The Knicks are now the possessors of home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers, by virtue of a 93-90 victory Sunday in Game 1 at Market Square Arena.

How do you like them Big Apples?

After traveling a difficult course so far, from winning six of their last eight games just to secure a spot in the playoffs, to overcoming opponents’ home-court advantage through the first two rounds, the Knicks’ path to the NBA finals now looks tantalizingly simple. With the hardest part out of the way, all they have to do now is win three games in New York during the remainder of this best-of-seven series.

“There have been lot of people who have been doubting us,” Knick center Patrick Ewing said. “We just keep on fighting, keep on doing what we have to do to stay alive.”

What they did Sunday was beat a team that had won 11 consecutive games--including seven in the playoffs--and had not lost a postseason game at home since the first round in 1995.

They won in the final two minutes by out-executing a team that had built a strong reputation for playing intelligently in crunch time.

The Pacers appeared to be in control, having eradicated a seven-point Knick lead in the fourth quarter to go ahead by five when Rik Smits made two free throws with 2:20 remaining. They were running good plays, finding Reggie Miller coming off a screen for an open three-pointer, then using point guard Mark Jackson in the post to draw double-teams and pass out to Smits.

But Ewing scored inside, Jackson missed in the lane and Smits fouled out by hacking Allan Houston with 1:33 remaining.

Houston made both free throws, part of New York’s run of nine free throws in 10 attempts in the final 93 seconds.

With Smits gone, the Pacers lost a key component of their two-man game and Jackson tried to take matters into his own hands. But he missed twice inside against Knick point guard Chris Childs, missed one of two free throws, and missed a three-point attempt that could have tied the score in the final seconds.

“They didn’t go in, but I can live with the looks,” Jackson said. “I missed some chippies, I missed some easy ones. If they can live with the [defense], I can live with the looks.”

Pacer Coach Larry Bird didn’t seem particularly pleased with Jackson’s final three-point attempt, saying: “Mark forced up a so-so shot.” Bird said he had hoped Jackson could get the ball back to the inbound-passer, Chris Mullin, or find Miller.

The Knicks had nothing but glowing reports on the shots they took down the stretch. They trumpeted the performance of their beleaguered big man, Ewing, who had been one of the reasons the Knicks were known as chokers even before they acquired Latrell Sprewell. With the Pacers and Knicks meeting in the playoffs for the fifth time in seven years, Ewing’s missed layup that allowed Indiana to win Game 7 of their 1995 series is one that has resurfaced from the video vaults.

“Every miss has been well chronicled, every make has been overlooked,” Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy said of Ewing’s reputation in the clutch. “Sure, he’s missed some big shots. But you know what? He’s taken them.”

After missing eight of his 11 shots in the first three quarters Sunday, Ewing made a basket and all four of his free throws in the final 2:09. He finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds despite hobbling around again with an assortment of injuries.

“You could see him sometimes wincing in pain,” Houston said. “For him to be able to come down in the stretch and give us what he gave, it’s unspeakable. You can’t say enough about what he’s given us throughout the playoffs.”

Some observers thought the Pacers could make quick work of the Knicks in as few as five games. That’s why it seemed a little odd to hear Bird say, “We hope it’s going to be a long series.”

Be careful, Larry. The more these Knicks play, the more incredible their story gets.