Ewing or Not, Knicks Hopeful of Putting Best Foot Forward

Today, the question among New York Knick fans is no longer the standard “Will Patrick Ewing play?” but “Is there anyone left who cares?”

Ewing is listed as day-to-day for tonight’s Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, as he has been since pulling a tendon in his foot early in Game 2. The Knicks lost that one to go down, 0-2, against the Indiana Pacers but then won both games in New York without him, bringing back their long-running controversy for an encore.

Are the Knicks better without the 37-year-old, assuredly diminished Ewing?

Last spring, they reached the Eastern Conference finals with him, split the first two games, lost Ewing because of a torn Achilles’ tendon, then won three of the final four to put the Pacers away and advance to the NBA finals, and New York talk shows rang with the Don’t-Need-Him theory.

Of course, then they lost to San Antonio, four games to one.

The Knicks started this season without a still-recuperating Ewing for 20 games in a ballyhooed test of their open-court prowess and went 11-9, a .550 percentage. After his return, they were 39-23, a .629 percentage.

Once again, they advanced to the Eastern Conference finals with him, rallying from a three-games-to-two deficit against the Miami Heat as Ewing got 15 points and 18 rebounds in Game 6 and 20 points and 10 rebounds in Game 7, including the dunk for the winning points.

He had 21 points in the opener of this series, and four points in seven minutes in Game 2.

Nevertheless, the Knicks played so well without him in Games 3 and 4, there’s an updated Don’t-Need-Him theory that says, at least against the Pacers, they’re better off without him.

Even Indiana center Rik Smits agreed after Game 4, allowing himself to be sucked into the debate.

“It sure seems that way, doesn’t it?” Smits said.

Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy, a Ewing loyalist who has been through this before, bristled after Game 4 when asked about the team’s 5-1 record without Ewing against Indiana in the last two Eastern finals.

“You know what makes me laugh about that number now, is how the media can manipulate it,” Van Gundy said. “He played seven minutes in the last game at Indiana, but we count that as ‘with him.’

“Plus, he’s never played a home game in that stretch. That makes it look a little better too.”

Upon his return this season, Ewing took fewer shots to accommodate teammates. However, even Van Gundy concedes that without his starting center, Allan Houston, Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson get more touches and play better.

Van Gundy has been isolating Houston, Sprewell and Johnson against the bigger, slower Indiana defenders. Johnson, who took five shots and scored three points with Ewing there in Game 1, has averaged 21.3 since.

At a listed 6 feet 7, 250 pounds (and an actual 6-5), Johnson is the Knick power forward and the Pacers try to guard him with their power forward, 6-11 Dale Davis. Johnson, a point guard in high school, has zipped past Davis consistently, finally forcing Pacer Coach Larry Bird to try switching Jalen Rose onto him at the end of Game 4.

There’s little doubt that as soon as Ewing says he’s ready, Van Gundy will start him.

His teammates seem to be in favor, as opposed to a year ago, when there was a lot of grumbling about Patrick slowing down the offense.

“It’s not fair to say we can win without him in there,” said Sprewell. “He was so effective in Game 1 when he was in there. We need him.”

As far as the Pacers were concerned, the Knick debate was the highlight of last week’s trip.

Said Mark Jackson to reporters after Game 4: “If you guys think they’re better without Patrick, then leave him home. We look forward to not seeing him. . . .”

Of course, if they beat the Pacers, the Knicks could face the Lakers and Shaquille O’Neal. It may not be long before the Knick faithful return to their Patrick.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Eastern Conference Finals

NEW YORK vs. INDIANA

Best-of-seven series tied, 2-2

* 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: Tonight at Indiana, 6 p.m., Ch. 4

* Game 6: Friday at New York, TBA, Ch. 4

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

* if necessary; times are Pacific