Knicks Capture Shootout
NBA playoffs
The New York Knicks beat the Charlotte Hornets at their own game.
The Knicks, led by John Starks and Allan Houston, made five 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and beat the Hornets - the best 3-point shooting team in NBA history 109-99 Thursday night in Game 1 of their best-of-5 series at New York.
“This is fool’s gold, tonight’s game, because this was their type of game - a shootout,” Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. “We cannot get into a jump-shooting contest with them, and we’re not going to win another game in the series if we do.”
New York shot 10 for 21 from long range, led by Houston with four and Starks with three. The biggest ones came early in the fourth quarter as the Knicks pulled away with a 23-8 run after blowing a 13-point halftime lead.
Houston finished with 25 points and Starks, who received his Sixth Man Award trophy prior to the game, added 19.
Knicks 109, Hornets 99
Charlotte (99) - Rice 9-17 2-2 22, Mason 5-12 2-2 12, Divac 11-18 5-6 27, Pierce 1-5 0-0 2, Bogues 4-6 2-2 13, Curry 1-8 2-2 4, Delk 5-9 0-0 13, Rose 1-1 0-0 2, Geiger 1-2 2-2 4, Smith 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 38-78 15-16 99.
New York (109) - Johnson 8-13 2-2 20, Oakley 4-9 1-3 9, Ewing 7-11 1-4 15, Houston 10-17 1-1 25, Childs 5-9 4-4 14, Starks 8-14 0-0 19, B.Williams 1-1 0-0 2, Ward 2-3 0-0 5, H.Williams 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 45-77 9-14 109.
Charlotte 23 23 29 24 - 99
New York 30 29 16 34 - 109
3-Point goals-Charlotte 8-19 (Bogues 3-3, Delk 3-5, Rice 2-4, Divac 0-1, Pierce 0-3, Curry 0-3), New York 10-21 (Houston 4-7, Starks 3-6, Johnson 2-4, Ward 1-2, Childs 0-2). Fouled out- None. Rebounds-Charlotte 43 (Mason 13), New York 35 (Ewing 9). Assists-Charlotte 21 (Mason 5), New York 30 (Childs 8). Total fouls-Charlotte 23, New York 23. A-19,763 (19,763).
Heat 99, Magic 64 Miami
Miami raced to a 25-point first-quarter lead and went on to a win over Orlando, which tied an NBA record for fewest points in a playoff game.
Miami earned its most lopsided victory of the season in the first playoff game between Florida’s two NBA teams.
Orlando (64) - Scott 2-5 0-0 5, Strong 6-14 3-4 15, Seikaly 2-12 3-5 7, Anderson 4-12 0-0 8, P.Hardaway 6-16 0-3 13, Schayes 0-4 0-0 0, Shaw 0-6 1-2 1, Wilkins 3-10 2-2 9, Armstrong 1-3 0-0 2, Evans 1-1 0-0 2, McCaskill 1-2 0-1 2. Totals 26-85 9-17 64.
Miami (99) - Mashburn 3-11 2-2 9, Brown 2-5 0-0 4, Mourning 6-13 0-0 12, Lenard 8-13 2-2 24, T.Hardaway 5-13 2-2 13, Askins 2-5 0-0 5, Majerle 6-12 0-0 15, Austin 3-6 2-2 8, Crotty 2-3 0-0 5, Strickland 0-2 0-2 0, W.Anderson 1-2 0-0 2, Pinckney 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 39-87 8-10 99.
Orlando 10 20 17 17 - 64
Miami 35 14 24 26 - 99
3-Point goals-Orlando 3-12 (Scott 1-2, P.Hardaway 1-3, Wilkins 1-3, Anderson 0-1, Armstrong 0-1, Shaw 0-2), Miami 13-31 (Lenard 6-9, Majerle 3-8, Crotty 1-2, Askins 1-2, Mashburn 1-4, T.Hardaway 1-6). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Orlando 58 (Anderson 12), Miami 59 (Brown 12). Assists-Orlando 10 (P.Hardaway 3), Miami 27 (T.Hardaway 11). Total fouls-Orlando 13, Miami 15. A-15,200 (15,200).
Rockets 112, Timberwolves 95 Houston
Matt Maloney and Mario Elie took up the scoring slack for Houston’s big three in the first half as the Rockets beat Minnesota in the Timberwolves’ playoff debut.
Houston leads the best-of-5 series 1-0. The Rockets are 15-0 in playoff series when they win the opening game.
Minnesota (95) - Garnett 10-21 0-0 21, Gugliotta 5-12 1-2 11, Garrett 3-7 2-3 8, West 1-4 2-2 4, Marbury 10-19 4-6 28, Parks 2-3 0-0 4, Mitchell 2-5 3-5 7, Robinson 1-5 0-0 3, Porter 1-3 0-0 3, Carr 0-2 0-0 0, Vrankovic 0-2 0-0 0, Heal 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 37-85 12-18 95.
Houston (112) - Elie 7-13 3-3 21, Barkley 4-7 6-10 15, Olajuwon 7-13 4-5 18, Drexler 4-13 0-0 8, Maloney 5-11 0-0 14, Willis 5-9 5-8 15, Threatt 0-1 0-0 0, Johnson 5-15 3-3 13, Livingston 1-2 0-0 3, Bullard 1-1 0-0 3, Harrington 0-0 2-2 2, Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-85 23-31 112.
Minnesota 25 23 17 30 - 95
Houston 31 30 27 24 - 112
3-Point goals-Minnesota 9-20 (Marbury 4-9, Heal 2-2, Garnett 1-1, Porter 1-2, Robinson 1-4, Carr 0-2), Houston 11-27 (Elie 4-7, Maloney 4-7, Barkley 1-1, Livingston 1-1, Bullard 1-1, Threatt 0-1, Drexler 0-4, Johnson 0-5). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Minnesota 40 (Garnett 9), Houston 68 (Willis 13). Assists-Minnesota 20 (Garnett, Gugliotta, Marbury 4), Houston 28 (Drexler 8). Total fouls-Minnesota 28, Houston 21. Technicals-Barkley. A-16,285 (16,285).
Jazz 106, Clippers 86 Salt Lake City
Predictably, the best team in the West didn’t have too tough of a time with its first game of the first round.
Karl Malone, hearing chants of “M-V-P, M-V-P,” scored 27 points and John Stockton handed out 17 assists as Utah rolled to victory over Los Angeles in the opener of their best-of-5 series.
L.a. Clippers (86) - Rogers 2-8 1-1 5, Vaught 9-15 2-2 20, Wright 3-13 0-0 6, Sealy 4-12 4-6 12, Martin 4-6 0-0 11, Murray 1-5 0-0 2, Barry 2-6 1-1 5, Outlaw 5-8 3-6 13, Piatkowski 3-5 1-1 8, Richardson 1-3 0-1 2, Dehere 0-1 0-0 0, Manning 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 34-82 14-20 86.
Utah (106) - Russell 6-8 3-4 16, Malone 13-27 1-6 27, Ostertag 1-2 0-0 2, Hornacek 2-8 8-8 12, Stockton 5-9 1-2 13, Eisley 2-3 5-5 10, Foster 2-5 0-0 4, Anderson 4-6 2-2 10, Keefe 0-1 0-0 0, Carr 4-4 4-4 12, Morris 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-73 24-31 106.
L.A. Clippers 24 24 20 18 - 86
Utah 31 23 26 26 - 106
3-Point goals-Los Angeles 4-18 (Martin 3-5, Piatkowski 1-2, Dehere 0-1, Richardson 0-1, Outlaw 0-1, Sealy 0-1, Rogers 0-2, Murray 0-2, Barry 0-3), Utah 4-8 (Stockton 2-3, Eisley 1-1, Russell 1-2, Hornacek 0-2). Fouled out-None. Rebounds-Los Angeles 42 (Vaught 11), Utah 53 (Malone 10). Assists-Los Angeles 15 (Sealy, Barry, Richardson 3), Utah 30 (Stockton 17). Total fouls-Los Angeles 27, Utah 19. Technicals-Malone, Utah illegal defense. A-19,911 (19,911).