Knicks

NEW YORK -- With the familiar hardwood under his feet and his retired jersey No. 24 hanging from the rafters, Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Bradley high-fived his aging former teammates and broke into a wildly uncharacteristic midcourt jig yesterday at Madison Square Garden.As first a basketball player for the New York Knicks and then a senator for New Jersey, Bradley was not known for outpourings of emotion. But yesterday marked a new era for the Hall of Famer, one in which he began earnestly capitalizing on his athletic history in an effort to connect with voters.

NEW YORK -- It was Allan Houston's game-winning shot in the first round that made the New York Knicks' dramatic playoff run possible. And it was Houston's offensive aggression last night that gave the Knicks new life in the NBA Finals.New York's most consistent scorer during the Finals, Houston scored 34 points last night to help the Knicks defeat the San Antonio Spurs, 89-81, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals before 19,763 at Madison Square Garden.And while the Knicks still trail the best-of-seven series 2-1, the victory gives life to a team whose offense was nonexistent during two losses in San Antonio.

SAN ANTONIO -- Going into last night's NBA Finals opener, the New York Knicks appeared to have the advantage on the perimeter. But the big question was how New York would contain the San Antonio Spurs' front line, particularly Tim Duncan.That's a question the Knicks must try to find an answer to before tomorrow night's Game 2 as Duncan dominated play in the post last night with 33 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks in an 89-77 win by the Spurs before 39,514 at the Alamodome, the second-biggest crowd in NBA Finals history.

Point guardAvery Johnson vs. Charlie Ward: Johnson has done a great job hitting open shots during the playoffs, shooting an impressive 48.3 percent from the field. He has flourished since the Spurs went to the pick-and-roll earlier in the season, and is capable of beating a defender off the dribble. Ward is a starter in name only -- the bulk of the important minutes will go to Chris Childs, a solid defender who also hit several big three-pointers in the Indiana series.Edge: SpursShooting guardMario Elie vs. Allan Houston: Elie provides a toughness that the Spurs had lacked in the past.

On the pages of the tabloids, he was referred to as "Hoop Thug," "Sports Goon" and "Choker." But upon his arrival in New York, Latrell Sprewell was immediately embraced by fans, who saw him not as the symbol of what was wrong with professional sports -- but as a talented player who could make the Knicks a championship contender."

It was an NBA season that featured games that were downright hideous at times. It was so bad that last year's best team, the Chicago Bulls, finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, and in one repulsive outing scored an NBA record-low 49 points in a game.Fortunately, it's not a sign of what's to come in the postseason, which begins this afternoon. In fact with all the riffraff cast aside (could the public really stomach another Washington Wizards-New Jersey Nets game?), the NBA playoffs offer intriguing first-round matchups in what figures to be the most competitive postseason in years.

NEW YORK -- The New York Knicks' remarkable transformation from a team teetering on collapse a month ago to a group with a chance to turn its season into something special continued last night as they emphatically claimed Game 4 to sweep the Atlanta Hawks and take their second-round playoff series.Relentless in their barrage of the thin Hawks, the Knicks eased away for a 79-66 victory and earned the right to play the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 1 on Sunday in Indianapolis.

INDIANAPOLIS -- One more.One more victory and the New York Knicks' improbable journey takes them to the NBA Finals.Bouncing up from the canvas after their seemingly devastating Game 4 loss 48 hours earlier, as well as an early 14-point deficit last night, the Knicks walked out of Market Square Arena with a stunning 101-94 Game 5 victory. That brings them home to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 tomorrow, ahead three games to two and with a chance to put away the Pacers.And who could have imagined that, after the 12-point licking they took in Game 4 and the blows they absorbed from Reggie Miller and Co. last night?

It was just three years ago that the Seattle SuperSonics were among the league's elite, extending the Chicago Bulls to six games in the NBA Finals. And it was just two years ago that the New York Knicks were a feared NBA power, winning 57 regular-season games.But today, the past success of the Sonics and the Knicks seems like ancient history, as both teams are fighting for their postseason lives in what figures to be a wild finish over the final two weeks of the lockout-shortened NBA season.

WASHINGTON -- Juwan Howard was on the injured list with a sprained left ankle. Terry Davis was a late scratch with a bruised right shin. So when Mitch Richmond collapsed in a heap with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter and his team trailing by two, the Washington Wizards appeared in serious trouble."

Another game against the Washington Wizards last night was all it took to get the New York Knicks' offense rolling again. And the best news for the Knicks? They get to play the Wizards again in two nights. David Lee had 30 points and 10 rebounds, reserve Al Harrington scored 27 points, and the host Knicks handed the Wizards their sixth straight loss with a 128-122 victory. "Their ability to move the ball off the dribble and their quick passing gives us trouble," Wizards coach Ed Tapscott said.

Stephon Marbury was ordered to stay away from the New York Knicks yesterday while the team looks for a solution to the latest controversy surrounding its point guard. "After meeting with Stephon and his representative this afternoon, we have directed Stephon not to participate in practice or attend games until further notice," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said in a statement. Walsh suspended Marbury for one game without pay and docked him an additional game's salary last week after the Knicks said the point guard refused coach Mike D'Antoni's request to play in a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Donnie Walsh was hired yesterday as president of the New York Knicks, and said he would wait a few days before deciding on Isiah Thomas' future with the organization. The Knicks hired the longtime Indiana Pacers executive and gave him complete power to oversee basketball operations of a team finishing its seventh straight losing season. "His mandate is clear -- do whatever is necessary to turn this team around," Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan said. New York hasn't won a playoff game under Thomas, its president since December 2003.

Jamal Crawford scored 29 points and the host New York Knicks beat the Washington Wizards, 105-93, last night to give them consecutive victories for only the third time this season. Zach Randolph and Nate Robinson added 14 points apiece for the Knicks, who will go for their first three-game winning streak of the season tonight at New Jersey. Two nights after an 89-65 victory over the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks built a 22-point lead in the first half, then turned back every push by Washington, which had won three straight.

Et Cetera Knicks' Marbury files grievance Stephon Marbury has filed a grievance over the fine the New York Knicks gave him for missing a game in Phoenix last month. Marbury believes he was given permission to miss the game and has asked the National Basketball Players Association to begin the grievance process, a person with knowledge of the decision told the Associated Press yesterday. The point guard left Phoenix before the game Nov. 13, after clashing with Isiah Thomas when the coach was considering removing him from the starting lineup.

New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury returned to practice yesterday after missing a week while mourning the death of his father. Marbury plans to play tonight against the visiting Indiana Pacers. He had missed four straight games after briefly trying to return after the Dec. 2 death of his father, Donald. Looking noticeably thinner, Marbury said he started working out again a few days ago. He has appeared in just two of the past seven games. "Eventually, I was going to have to get back into it," Marbury said.

Moves Basketball KNICKS -- Exercised 2008-09 options on F David Lee, G Nate Robinson, F Renaldo Balkman and G Mardy Collins. SPURS -- Waived F Marcus Williams. Football JETS -- Placed LB Jonathan Vilma on IR. Activated LB Matt Chatham from physically-unable-to-perform list. Hockey CAPITALS -- Signed RW Alexander Semin to two-year contract extension.

Good morning --David Stern-- At least Carmelo Anthony didn't throw one of those synthetic balls at the Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony was having a terrific week. On Thursday, he opened his new youth center in his hometown of Baltimore. The next night, he took over the NBA scoring lead with a 42-point game against the Boston Celtics. And now, he was finishing an easy win over the New York Knicks, one in which he'd been the key man with a burst of 23 points in 23 minutes. But in a matter of seconds, Saturday night transformed from a pleasant climax to an ugly plot twist, as Anthony threw a punch in the worst brawl the NBA has seen in two years.

"Last year's chateaubriand, this year's mystery meat." Charles Bricker South Florida Sun-Sentinel columnist, on the Falcons "There's no testosterone in the game right now." Dan Hinote Avalanche right wing, on the effect of NHL rules changes "It was New York, and it was something that needed to be fixed. He's attracted to that kind of situation. If he could coach three teams that have problems, he'd try to coach all three at the same time." Gregg Popovich Spurs coach, on Larry Brown taking the Knicks' coaching job