New York Knicks

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: After struggles early in the season, the Knicks have won 12 of their past 14. The surge has been led by C Patrick Ewing, who has discovered success in attacking the basket after making a career of shooting fadeaway jumpers. The Knicks also are benefiting from the play of G Chris Childs, who began the season on the injured list and wasn't activated until Nov. 19. The Bullets had won three straight until Monday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

It's bad enough that the Phoenix Suns are playing so poorly, losing four straight games and five in their past seven. But the teams they are losing to don't make the future brighter for coach Paul Westphal.Over the past week, the Suns have lost twice to the Los Angeles Clippers and once at home to Minnesota -- the Timberwolves' first win in Phoenix after 25 straight losses. The Suns were 13-17 going into last night's game against the Golden State Warriors, and going nowhere fast."It sounds crazy, but so many people are turning against us, that only makes it twice as much fun to turn it around," Westphal said.

HOUSTON -- New York Knicks swingman Willie Anderson was arrested on a contempt of court charge last night, apparently stemming from a failure to pay child support.Anderson, 29, was arrested without incident at the Summit before the Knicks-Rockets game, the Harris County Constable's Department said.There was an outstanding warrant for Anderson's arrest, and he is being held on $130,000 bail.Pub Date: 3/27/96

Bulls: Their 99-79 victory over the New York Knicks Tuesday was their 12th straight. The Knicks have now lost three straight at home.Hawks: Won their ninth straight in beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 84-72. The Cavs made just 29 of 84 (.346) shots.Magic: Stayed unbeaten at home with a 105-90 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers. Orlando reached the halfway point of its home schedule with a 21-0 record.Jazz: Outscored Portland, 30-8, in the second quarter and held the Trail Blazers to the lowest point total in their history in a 96-72 victory.

Opponent: Charlotte HornetsSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: The Hornets (2-1) had a surprising win Wednesday over Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. C Matt Geiger came off the bench to score 22 points -- including four three-pointers -- and grabbed 10 rebounds. G Muggsy Bogues (Dunbar) continues to be bothered by knee problems and did not play Wednesday. F Anthony Mason, acquired in the off-season from the New York Knicks, is averaging 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, and G Dell Curry, pressed into a starting role, is leading the team with 21.3 ppg. The Bullets (2-1)

As Michael Jordan surveys the NBA's changing landscape, he sees the results of perhaps the biggest off-season upheaval in league history, which involved Shaquille O'Neal signing a $121 million deal to turn the Los Angeles Lakers into a potential league power, Charles Barkley going to Houston to help the Rockets regain their championship touch, and Larry Johnson and Allan Houston joining the rejuvenated New York Knicks.All were moves made, in part, to help their new teams topple the Chicago Bulls.

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7:30TV/Radio: HTS, WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Knicks have lost two of their past three games and appear to be torn by dissension. F Anthony Mason and coach Pat Riley exchanged words on the bench during Tuesday's win over the Denver Nuggets. Riley told Mason to leave the bench, and yesterday suspended him. Still, the Knicks are second in the Atlantic Division and are 2-0 against the Bullets this season. Washington has won two of its past three, but is coming off Tuesday's loss to the Chicago Bulls.

Baseball American League -- Approved Dunedin (Fla.) Stadium for Toronto Blue Jays regular-season games.Florida Marlins -- Signed IF Darryl Vice. Sent OF John Massarelli, P Joel Adamson, IF Vince Castaldo and IF Tim Clark to minor-league camp after they declined to play in replacement regular-season games. Sent C James Wolff to minor-league camp.Los Angeles Dodgers -- Signed 1B Brian Traxler to a contract with Triple-A Albuquerque. Added P George Tsamis and P Daniel Camacho to the replacement exhibition roster.

There apparently wasn't enough enjoyment for Charles Oakley after his New York Knicks whipped the Washington Bullets, 107-83, on Dec. 6. Afterward, Oakley -- who jawed with both Chris Webber and Juwan Howard during the game -- continued the verbal thrashing."

PURCHASE, N.Y. -- For four years, Pat Riley has preached total commitment and devotion to the team concept and to his vision of how a National Basketball Association title can be won.On Monday, Riley said it was time for his New York Knicks to give as they've never given before, because the alternative is a quick exit from the playoffs."

The Miami Heat is the worst team in the NBA at 11-52, so I managed to resist the temptation to head over to the AmericanAirlines Arena on Wednesday night to see a scintillating matchup against the New York Knicks, another Miami loss. The hapless Knicks get way more negative publicity, but the Shaq-less Heat is beyond bad, especially with Dwyane Wade sidelined with a knee injury. The good news: It's not hard to get tickets.

After two-plus seasons as Atlanta Hawks coach and one as an assistant with the New York Knicks, Lon Kruger could be forgiven if he'd lost his postseason touch. But Kruger's son, Kevin, found his yesterday with three straight three-pointers to spark seventh seed Nevada-Las Vegas to a 74-68 upset of No. 2 seed Wisconsin. Kevin, you got an agent yet? After Texas' 87-68 loss to Southern California, the season is over for freshman sensation Kevin Durant, so maybe Dick Vitale could pass along leftover superlatives to Charles Barkley for use in next season's NBA telecasts.

SAN ANTONIO - Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt is still very much a New Yorker, from his accent to his body language to his favorite pro team. Though he gets kidded about the plight of the Knicks these days, the NBA team's rich history is still a part of the approach Hewitt takes in teaching his Yellow Jackets. "Most people don't appreciate the way the game is supposed to be played." Hewitt said yesterday, as he got Georgia Tech ready for the first NCAA championship game in school history.

WASHINGTON - It had to happen. Sooner or later, if the Washington Wizards continued to stack bad performances atop each other, they would set a mark for team futility. The moment came with last night's 89-82 loss to the New York Knicks at MCI Center, a defeat - the fifth straight and the 14th in the past 15 games - that established this team as the worst in the 39-year history of the franchise at this stage of the season (5-24), knocking the 1966-67 Baltimore Bullets, who lost 23 of their first 29 games, out of the record book.

INDIANAPOLIS - There came a point when it appeared that the New York Knicks' strategy was to keep daring Austin Croshere to shoot. The more they dared, the more the 6-foot-10 reserve made the Knicks look foolish. Croshere scored a team-high 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting and Dale Davis added 14points and 16rebounds as the Indiana Pacers opened the Eastern Conference finals with a wire-to-wire, 102-88 victory last night. The Knicks, accustomed to focusing on just one or two offensive threats in the first two rounds against the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat, couldn't cope with the many Pacers who all had their touch.

Opponent: New York KnicksSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: After struggles early in the season, the Knicks have won 12 of their past 14. The surge has been led by C Patrick Ewing, who has discovered success in attacking the basket after making a career of shooting fadeaway jumpers. The Knicks also are benefiting from the play of G Chris Childs, who began the season on the injured list and wasn't activated until Nov. 19. The Bullets had won three straight until Monday's loss to the Charlotte Hornets.

Opponent: Charlotte HornetsSite: USAir Arena, LandoverTime: 7: 30TV/Radio: HTS/WWRC (980 AM)Outlook: The Hornets (2-1) had a surprising win Wednesday over Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers. C Matt Geiger came off the bench to score 22 points -- including four three-pointers -- and grabbed 10 rebounds. G Muggsy Bogues (Dunbar) continues to be bothered by knee problems and did not play Wednesday. F Anthony Mason, acquired in the off-season from the New York Knicks, is averaging 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, and G Dell Curry, pressed into a starting role, is leading the team with 21.3 ppg. The Bullets (2-1)

As Michael Jordan surveys the NBA's changing landscape, he sees the results of perhaps the biggest off-season upheaval in league history, which involved Shaquille O'Neal signing a $121 million deal to turn the Los Angeles Lakers into a potential league power, Charles Barkley going to Houston to help the Rockets regain their championship touch, and Larry Johnson and Allan Houston joining the rejuvenated New York Knicks.All were moves made, in part, to help their new teams topple the Chicago Bulls.

HOUSTON -- New York Knicks swingman Willie Anderson was arrested on a contempt of court charge last night, apparently stemming from a failure to pay child support.Anderson, 29, was arrested without incident at the Summit before the Knicks-Rockets game, the Harris County Constable's Department said.There was an outstanding warrant for Anderson's arrest, and he is being held on $130,000 bail.Pub Date: 3/27/96

Bulls: Their 99-79 victory over the New York Knicks Tuesday was their 12th straight. The Knicks have now lost three straight at home.Hawks: Won their ninth straight in beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 84-72. The Cavs made just 29 of 84 (.346) shots.Magic: Stayed unbeaten at home with a 105-90 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers. Orlando reached the halfway point of its home schedule with a 21-0 record.Jazz: Outscored Portland, 30-8, in the second quarter and held the Trail Blazers to the lowest point total in their history in a 96-72 victory.