Rice, Strickland Unlikely Heroes for the Knicks

The New York Knicks trusted Glen Rice and Erick Strickland.

The Knicks squandered a 17-point lead, rallied from a 10-point deficit with 2 1/2 minutes left in the regulation and, behind the three-point shooting of Rice and Strickland, beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 100-97, in overtime Sunday night at New York.

Rice scored a season-high 32 points, shooting five of six from three-point range, and Strickland connected on a three-pointer from the left corner with 0.6 seconds remaining to force overtime.

“They knew Allan [Houston] was going to get the ball. They all focused on him,” said Strickland, who turned Houston’s pass into the game-tying shot. “I thank him for believing in me and giving me the opportunity. I trusted that it was going in.”

With the Knicks trailing, 94-84, late in regulation, Rice sandwiched two three-pointers around Houston’s jumper as the Knicks closed within two. Sam Cassell, an 85% free-throw shooter, missed the second of two free throws with seven seconds left in regulation to give the Knicks a chance to tie it on Strickland’s shot.

Cassell’s free throw was the Bucks’ only point over the last 2:47 of the fourth quarter.

The loss ended the Bucks’ four-game winning streak, which included road victories over the Lakers and Utah Jazz.

In overtime, Houston’s jumper gave the Knicks a 99-97 lead with 1:26 left, and Rice converted a free throw with 14.3 seconds left to complete the scoring. New York’s Rick Brunson had a chance to put the game out of reach with 11 seconds left, but he missed two free throw attempts. A three-point attempt at the buzzer by Milwaukee’s Lindsey Hunter was no good.

Sacramento 95, New Jersey 79--Chris Webber had 33 points and 12 rebounds and the Kings shot 68% in the first half in beating the road-weary Nets at East Rutherford, N.J.

The Kings, who led 31-15 after the first quarter, won for the ninth time in 12 games in continuing their best start (16-6).

Stephon Marbury, limited to six points in the first half by Sacramento’s doubling defense, had 17 points for the Nets, unable to shake off the effects of a long trip home after a victory at Atlanta on Saturday night.

New Jersey’s charter flight home was forced to land in Philadelphia around 1:30 a.m. Sunday because of fog in the New York City metropolitan area. The team then had to wait three hours for a bus to arrive from New Jersey and didn’t get home until 6 a.m.

Dallas 99, Detroit 90--Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points, including five three-pointers, as the Mavericks handed the Pistons their second consecutive home loss.

Nowitzki played despite a case of flu.

Jerry Stackhouse led Detroit with 24 points.

Orlando 101, Vancouver 91--Tracy McGrady scored 15 of his 27 points in the third quarter and had eight rebounds and eight assists as the Magic dealt the Grizzlies their sixth consecutive loss and fourth in a row at home.