Grizzlies 102 - Knicks 108

January 31, 2003

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Howard Eisley had a pretty succinct explanation for his career-high scoring performance Friday night.

``I had a lot of good looks at the basket. I just had to step up and knock the shots down,'' the New York Knicks guard said.

Eisley knocked down plenty of them, scoring 30 points and turning back a late Memphis run as New York defeated the Grizzlies 108-102.

Eisley, who had shot 51.7 percent in his previous three games, hit eight of his first nine shots, was 12-of-15 for the game and scored New York's final seven points in the last 2 minutes.

Eisley became the first New York point guard to score at least 30 points in a game since Mark Jackson in 1992.

``It was fun to watch for me out there,'' said Knicks forward Latrell Sprewell. ``He had been playing well all game, and shooting the ball. When a guy's going like that, you just want to give him the ball.''

New York has won six of its last eight, while Memphis dropped its fourth straight and seventh in the past eight. The Grizzlies have lost five straight at home.

Kurt Thomas added 17 for New York, while Allan Houston had 16 and Sprewell finished with 13.

Pau Gasol, who was 13-of-19 from the floor, matched his career-high with 32 points for Memphis, including nine in the fourth to key the Grizzlies' comeback. Jason Williams added 21 points and 13 assists, while Shane Battier scored 14 off the bench, including 4-of-5 form 3-point range. Battier's back-to-back 3-pointers were part of a 10-0 run that cut the New York lead to 97-95 with 4:31 to play, but Memphis could never overtake the Knicks.

``We played poor defense and didn't deserve to win the game,'' Battier said.

The Knicks dominated the first half, going ahead by as many as 14 and taking a 58-47 lead into the locker room as the Grizzlies played poor defense. Layups and open outside shots contributed to a 51 percent shooting performance for New York.

The Knicks, one of the leading 3-point shooting teams in the league, went 8-of-15 from long range in the half, and 13-of-25 for the game.

``We were brutal in the first half on physical effort. No coverage,'' Memphis coach Hubie Brown said. ``Unfortunately, our big guys were getting whipped all night long. We got whipped on the boards ... and our coverage on the perimeter was very, very poor.''

Despite the Grizzlies being off since Monday, they were so uninspired that Brown called four first-half timeouts to try and kick-start his team.

``We had three days with no playing, and we should have come out with a lot of energy and running over people,'' Gasol said. ``We didn't do that. We let them get the lead, and that shouldn't happen.''.

The Knicks continued to lead by double digits in the third quarter behind Eisley's 13 points in the period. Eisley shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range in the game.

``Howard did a great job on both ends of the floor,'' Knicks coach Don Chaney said. ``He is much better when he is off the dribble. He knows he can get the shots off the dribble. ... He was passing and shooting it well. Ireally think he was into the game.''

Notes

: New York's Shandon Anderson played in his 462nd straight game, the longest streak among active players. ... Memphis G Wesley Person, who leads the league in 3-point shooting with 50.5 percent, returned to the lineup. Person had missed 13 of Memphis's last 15 games with an injured right index finger. He connected on only one of five 3-pointers. ...Thomas and Houston are the only Knicks to have started all 45 games. ......Grizzlies reserve F Mike Batiste left the game in the second quarter with a lacerated lip that took two stitches. He returned in the second half. ...Memphis G Brevin Knight left in the second half with a sprained right wrist. ...Eisley's previous high was 27 on Dec. 13, 2000 against Indianapolis. ...Eisley's three rebounds left him twoshort of 1,000 for his career.

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