Knicks Run Hot and Very Cold

And the moral of that story is, it’s best not to get in a shooting contest with a bunch of Hoosiers in their own driveway.

The New York Knicks had Patrick Ewing back and an 18-point lead but it all went up in a puff of smoke Wednesday night. After scoring 37 points in the first 14 minutes, they got 42 the rest of the way as a no-conscience little guard named Travis Best, who had 26 points all series, came off the bench to score 24, leading the Indiana Pacers to an 88-79 victory in the friendly confines of Conseco Fieldhouse and a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals.

How’s this for a line score:

New York 32 8 15 24--79

“Darndest thing I ever saw,” said Indiana President Donnie Walsh at halftime, after the Pacers, who trailed, 37-19, closed the second quarter with a 23-3 run.

“Well, we’re kicking ourselves about this one,” said the Knicks’ Chris Childs later. “We played so well the first quarter.

“I know I’m kicking myself. I know the second unit is kicking itselves because we were out there when they changed the outcome of the game. We’re held accountable for the way we performed in the second quarter.”

It was an opportunity for a breakthrough for the Knicks, with their big lead and Game 6 in New York, and an invitation to fold for the Pacers.

Indiana hadn’t been able to defend New York’s quicker players in New York and nothing changed at home with Ewing back. Ewing had nine points and four rebounds in the first quarter as the Knicks made their first eight shots, finally missing for the first time with 4:37 left in the period.

After scoring on 11 of their first 13 possessions in Game 4, the Knicks scored on 11 of their first 12 in this one, sauntering through the Indiana defense as if in a layup line.

“I was a little worried,” said Pacer Coach Larry Bird. “We were playing hard. We were playing as hard as we possibly could play and they were still scoring on us.

“But one good thing, the guys didn’t give up. They kept battling and the game turned.”

Said Jalen Rose: “We didn’t want to panic. At the same time, they jumped on us really good.”

Then the game began to turn, imperceptibly.

Rose, who had put together a string of dreadful first halves in this series but was off quickly for a change, made a driving layup. Then he made two free throws. Then Best made a driving layup. Then Rose made a three-pointer.

All that took place over nine possessions, lasting 5:50, but at least the Knick lead had been halved to 37-28.

Ewing sank a jumper--the only shot the Knicks made in the last 11:07 of the quarter--and then the Pacers outscored them, 14-1, the rest of the half to go ahead, 42-40.

Then the Pacers outscored the Knicks, 12-5, to start the third quarter--making it a 35-8 run--to take a nine-point lead and held on from there.

The Knicks looked drained and played like guys who were hurt, which many are. For two games in New York and one period of this one, they had been knocking down jumper after jumper but the rockets’ red glare turned into a brickworks.

Larry Johnson, who’d made all five three-pointers he tried in Game 4, scoring 25 points, celebrating with his “Big L” sign, didn’t need it much Wednesday night when he went two for eight and finished with four points.

“We have to learn from this, move on,” said New York Coach Jeff Van Gundy, now assuredly being sliced and diced by the New York media for putting Ewing back in, “and play one great home game to force a deciding game here.”

Meanwhile, the Pacers, losers in four Eastern finals, are one game away from the NBA finals.

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Eastern Finals

NEW YORK vs. INDIANA

Pacers lead series, 3-2

* Game 1: Indiana 102, New York 88

* Game 2: Indiana 88, New York 84

* Game 3: New York 98, Indiana 95

* Game 4: New York 91, Indiana 89

* Game 5: Indiana 88, New York 79

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

* Game 7: Sunday at Indiana, TBA, Ch. 4*

* if necessary; times are Pacific