Knicks 89 - Blazers 92

By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer
January 6, 2003

NEW YORK (AP) -- If not for a loss in Chicago on New Year's Eve, the Portland Trail Blazers would have been heading home with an 11-game winning streak.

Portland finished 4-1 on its latest five-game road trip by defeating the New York Knicks 92-89 Sunday night.
 
Bonzi Wells had 22 points and six rebounds, Rasheed Wallace added 18 points and 12 rebounds and Antonio Daniels added 15 points while replacing Derek Anderson (sprained ankle) in the starting lineup for the second straight game.

The Blazers headed home with a record of 20-12, leaving them 3 1/2 games behind first-place Sacramento in the Pacific Division.

``For four out of five games we played pretty good defense. That one game in Chicago (a 15-point loss) hurt us, but it opened our eyes,'' Wells said.

The latest victory came courtesy of a mental meltdown by Knicks guard Allan Houston.

With the Knicks needing a 3-pointer to tie, Houston drove in from the 3-point line and missed a 14-footer with 3 seconds remaining.

``What I didn't do is assess the situation before I even caught the ball,'' Houston said. ``I really wasn't mentally prepared at that time.''

Houston also was kicking himself for not passing the ball to Sprewell at the 3-point line after he made his blunder and drove into the lane.

``I had different options, I just rushed it,'' he said.

Houston scored 29 and Latrell Sprewell had 16 for the Knicks, who had their three-game winning streak snapped.

Portland took control of the game with a 12-0 run midway through the third quarter, ending with a steal and dunk by Wells for a 67-55 lead.

The Blazers stifled the Knicks defensively, forcing Howard Eisley into a pair of 8-second violations and holding New York without a field goal for a 5 1/2 -minute stretch of the fourth quarter.

A 7-0 run during that defensive stand gave Portland an 85-76 lead with 5:20 remaining, and the Blazers were still ahead 90-83 after Ruben Patterson made two free throws with 1:41 left.

Houston and Sprewell hit 3-pointers to cut it to 90-89 with 18.7 seconds left, and Wells hit a pair from the line for a 92-89 lead with 17.5 seconds remaining.

The Knicks could not get an open shot before the ball went out of bounds with 6 seconds left.

Houston then popped out to the 3-point line and was wide open when he received the ensuing inbounds pass, but he inexplicably drove to his left and pulled up for a 14-footer that was short.

``I didn't even really think before I caught the ball, which I should have done and said 'I need to get a 3 up,''' Houston said. ``It's one of thosethings that it's going to be hard not to think about it all night.''

Notes

Daniels, starting at point guard, did not have an assist. Prior to the game, he said he did not think the Blazers were showcasing him by moving him into the starting lineup. ``If they are, they are. But no, that's not the way I took it.'' ... The Blazers have won seven of their last eight road games. ... Portland's Arvydas Sabonis left the game late in the fourth quarter due to back pain. He did not return. ... Houston missed a free throw in the third quarter, ending his streak at 38. ... A fan yelled to disgruntled Blazers G Damon Stoudamire: ``You've got to get traded. You can stay at my house.'' Stoudamirereplied: ``I'd live in your dog house to get out of this.''

What do you think? Discuss it in our forums

All articles are copyrighted by the New York Post
All recaps are copyrighted by Yahoo! Sports