P
Knicks118Hornets99CHARLOTTE –Look out, Lakers.
The Knicks have posted some big victories this season — Miami, Indiana, San Antonio, Portland. But none like last night’s. None as dominating and devastating as their complete destruction of the Hornets at Charlotte Coliseum.
Never have the Knicks flexed their muscles on the road like they did in constructing a 26-point lead in the third quarter. Never has every single player in the rotation looked so sharp and crisp in one game. Never have the Knicks looked so much like defending Eastern Conference champions as they did in the 118-99 masterpiece over a stout Charlotte squad that 4½ weeks ago blitzed them in this arena.
“A heckuva win over a heckuva team,” coach Jeff Van Gundy said after the Knicks extended their winning streak to four games, their highest since mid-December.
“Today was one of the few games we were able to really dominate,” said Latrell Sprewell, who scored 23 points, going 10-for-10 from the foul line, sprinting on the break all game. “We had a good game plan and we were focused on what we were doing, and it paid off.”
The Knicks swept in like tornado, shot 55.3 percent from the field and seem so full of confidence right now, Phil Jackson’s bunch had better be in store for a war tomorrow at high noon at the Garden. The Knicks will look to tie their season-high for consecutive wins (five) tomorrow after reaching the 40-victory mark (40-24).
“In a way [it’s good primer for the Lakers] but you don’t want to get a false sense of confidence,” said Allan Houston, who had his first bust-out game since the All-Star break with 27 points. “We definitely have to respect the Lakers, but a lot of people are saying, are you getting ready for the Lakers? We’re getting ready for the Knicks, for the Knicks to keep improving every day.”
Houston’s breakthrough 10-of-15 shooting was just the tip of the iceberg for the plaudits. Charlie Ward, left open repeatedly at the perimeter, had his stroke going, finishing with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting: 4-of-4 from 3-point land. His backup, Chris Childs, came off the bench in the first quarter and ignited the offense with five first-half assists, running the break to perfection.
Marcus Camby, after a rusty return Tuesday from a five-week absence, was Marcus Camby again (15 points, eight rebounds, two blocks in 21 dynamic minutes). Larry Johnson, back in his old stomping grounds, collected 10 rebounds and shut down Derrick Coleman (4 of 15) whom Van Gundy said before the game had been playing as good as anyone in the NBA.
The Knicks didn’t even need flu-ridden Patrick Ewing’s shooting. Ewing (10 points) grabbed six boards and blocked two shots in 27 minutes. He also suffered a minor neck injury after being hit by Camby from behind on a rebound attempt. A sniffling Ewing, who jokingly termed the injury “whiplash,” walked out of the arena into the chilly Carolina air with a white towel draped around his head.
“Everybody played well, not just one particular person,” Ewing said. “That’s what we’re going to have to do Sunday against the Lakers.”
The Knicks played as crisp a first half as they had all season. They whipped the ball around like a hot potato, they ran like thoroughbreds on transition and held Coleman and guard Eddie Jones in check. Coleman and Jones combined for 11 points in the first half on 5 of 16 from the field and the Knicks led by 11 at intermission after being up as many as 16.
It got ugly in the third when the lead zoomed from 59-47 with 10:43 left to 77-51 with 6:11 left in the third as the Knicks embarked on an 18-4 run.
During the mindblowing surge, Ward hit a key 3-pointer making it 68-51, Sprewell converted a three-point play on baseline drive through Jones and Houston made a pretty attack to the bucket, soaring in the lane for a half-hook that dropped to build a 73-51 lead. Ewing then rejected Anthony Mason’s runner, leading to another fastbreak that Sprewell turned into two more throws. They should’ve stopped it there.
“That was a butt-kicking,” Hornets coach Paul Silas said.
