Knicks 94 Pistons 91
NEW YORK (AP) -- In the standings, it goes down as a victory for the Knicks rather than a monumental near-collapse.
New York came awfully close to blowing a 32-point second-half lead, escaping with a 94-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Monday night to avoid the worst start after 10 games in franchise history.
``You can't beat yourself up over mistakes that you made because you won the game,'' Allan Houston said. ``We're going to enjoy this one and build on it.''
Latrell Sprewell returned to the starting lineup and scored 23 points, and Houston also scored 23 as New York won for just the second time this season.
Detroit trailed by 22 when the fourth quarter began, but pulled within one with 9.6 seconds left. Sprewell hit a pair of free throws with 4.7 seconds to go, and Ben Wallace threw away the ensuing inbounds pass to deprive Detroit of a chance to tie.
The Pistons made their charge in the fourth with a 16-2 run that ended with Richard Hamilton catching an inbounds pass and going in from the foul line for an uncontested dunk with 24 seconds left, making it 91-89.
Detroit nearly forced an 8-second violation before Sprewell made one of two from the line with 12.5 left, and Hamilton again got free for a dunk off the inbounds pass to make it a one-point game with 9.6 remaining.
It took the Pistons 5 seconds to foul Sprewell, and he made both foul shots. Wallace then attempted a baseball pass into traffic, and the ball was deflected away at midcourt.
``We were trying to get it to Chucky (Atkins). In 4 1/2 seconds, he can scoot downcourt and either get a shot or get somebody a shot,'' coach Rick Carlisle said. ``That was my error and certainly not Ben's. He played like a man all night long.''
Wallace grabbed 19 of his 21 rebounds in the second half. Hamilton scored 31, Cliff Robinson 19 and Chucky Atkins 14 for the Pistons, who lost starting point guard Chauncey Billups to an ankle injury.
New York made 14 of its first 18 shots, a spree that ended with Howard Eisley's 3-pointer for a 34-18 lead. New York shot 76 percent in the quarter despite getting very little from Sprewell -- three points and two assists in 8 minutes.
Chaney said he decided early in the morning to move Sprewell into the starting lineup in place of Shandon Anderson.
``I just felt we need a win real bad. With him starting, we should get out to a jump start -- which we need. I'd rather do it now than later,'' Chaney said.
Billups went down late in the first quarter when he collided with Eisley. Atkins played the remainder of the game for Detroit, logging a season-high 41 minutes. Billups sustained a serious ankle sprain and is not expected to play Wednesday night against Miami, coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Knicks exploited their matchups with the 5-foot-11 Atkins in the second quarter, posting him up with taller players to create easy baskets. Eisley assisted on three straight baskets in a 10-0 run that made it 48-22, and the lead reached 32 on a 3-pointer by Sprewell with 1:35 left before halftime.
The third quarter was uneventful, and the fourth was all Detroit.
The Knicks shot just 2-for-18 in the fourth quarter when they were outscored 31-12. One of New York's two field goals came when Wallace inadvertently tippedin a missed shot.
Notes
Ex-Knick Marcus Camby took a thinly veiled shot at Houston when asked whether Sprewell had been made a scapegoat for the team's problems. ``He's not the one with the huge, huge contract. He lays it on the line every night. He's not to blame.'' ... One more from Camby, on Antonio McDyess' preseason putdown of Camby
before McDyess went down for the season with a knee injury: ``He had some slick comment. Two days later, he goes down. It's that karma stuff.'' ... Knicks G Charlie Ward could return Friday at New Orleans. He has missed fourgames with a bruised leg.
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