Spurs

Moves Basketball SPURS -- Signed G-F Bruce Bowen to contract extension. Football PANTHERS -- Signed RB Alex Haynes from practice squad. Waived TE Marcus Freeman. Hockey ISLANDERS -- Signed D Richard Park to two-year contract extension.

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.

NEW YORK -- Only twice in NBA history has a team rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win a championship. And both did it with dominant big men: Bill Russell with the Boston Celtics in 1969, and Bill Walton with the Portland Trail Blazers in 1977.That the New York Knicks are without a dominant big man makes the task difficult, but they at least gave themselves an opportunity with last night's 89-81 win over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.The Knicks never trailed, never let the Spurs' numerous comebacks rattle them and played their best all-around game of the series.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- No contest.Then again, it's been all one-sided for the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs. They're clearly the best team in the NBA right now. And they're making a strong case that they're one of the best in recent years, too. With relative ease, they recorded their second straight sweep, blowing out the Portland Trail Blazers, 94-80, last night at the Rose Garden to make their first trip to the NBA Finals."

In the wake of the firing of Ernie Grunfeld as the president/general manager of the New York Knicks, coach Jeff Van Gundy has been quiet. And he has good reason: He realizes he'll be the next to go if the Knicks don't finish strong and make the playoffs.With the highest payroll in the NBA ($69 million), the Knicks figured to contend for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they're struggling to stay at .500 (22-21) and enter today's game at Miami tied for the eighth and final playoff spot with Toronto and Charlotte.

SAN ANTONIO -- Building a team around two skyscrapers only seems like a cutting-edge blueprint. Truth is, the hometown Spurs aren't even the first team off I-10 to erect Twin Towers.Stacking two 7-footers in a five-man lineup actually has become Texas tradition. But you know what?The Spurs won't care one jot about originality if they follow the Houston Rockets' up-the-freeway example straight into the NBA Finals.In 1986, centered around Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson, the Rockets grounded the Los Angeles Lakers' annual trip to the championship round and extended the favored Boston Celtics to six games in the Finals.

A spokesman for the Washington Wizards yesterday deferred questions to the league office about Baltimore's quest to rejoin the NBA."We haven't had a team move in some time in this league," said spokesman Matt Williams.As for having a competitor up Interstate 95 from the Wizards, Williams said, "We would decline to comment."League spokeswoman Teri Washington said simply that a relocation would need approval by three-quarters of franchise owners.City officials have hired a consultant and contacted teams to see if one would be willing to move to a new arena in the city, if one is built.

NEW YORK -- Steve Kerr shouldn't be here, in this town playing in this event, and even he knows it.Logic says Kerr, at age 33, should be selling real estate or by now, regaling his three children with stories of a great college career followed by a stop or two in the NBA. Or maybe playing overseas, where there's still a market for a slow, skinny guy who can do nothing but shoot.Anywhere but here.Anywhere but Madison Square Garden for last night's Game 3 of the NBA Finals, playing for the rampaging San Antonio Spurs and standing just two victories shy of his fourth consecutive championship ring.

Roger Mason had 25 points and five assists against his old team as the San Antonio Spurs concluded their 19-day road trip with a 98-67 win over the Washington Wizards (13-43) at Verizon Center last night. Mason returned to his hometown and went 9-for-15 from the field, including 5-for-9 from three-point range, and had 10 points and two steals in a 19-4 run that capped the third quarter and gave the Spurs (37-17) a 78-57 lead. He was done for the night after that, as San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich rested his starters.

The Boston Celtics' Big 3 outplayed the Houston Rockets' trio of stars last night. Ray Allen scored 29 points, Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and the Celtics shut down Ron Artest and Yao Ming in a 103-99 victory over the host Rockets. Tracy McGrady scored 26 points for Houston. Mavericks 98, Spurs 81: : Dirk Nowitzki scored 30 points, Jason Terry added 29 in his first start of the season and Dallas' victory gave host San Antonio its first 0-3 record in 35 years. The Mavericks also received 14 points from Josh Howard.

So we're supposed to be glad that the NBA went ahead and acknowledged that Derek Fisher really did foul Brent Barry at the end of Game 4 in the Western Conference finals? Mr. Flip is not a San Antonio Spurs fan, but for the purposes of this rant, let's suppose he is. All the league's admission does is make him even angrier. Confession might be good for the soul, but it's bad for the leagues. Let's go back to the old days, when no league ever said its officials erred. You want to yell at the guy behind closed doors at the league offices?

Granted, sports are supposed to represent the ultimate meritocracy - may the best team win and all - but if the NBA Western Conference finals wind up being the Utah Jazz against the New Orleans Hornets, the TV ratings will be so puny you'll be able to count viewers by a show of hands. Both teams have had nice seasons and have outstanding players, but let's face it, these are teams with identity problems. Neither franchise even had the simple creativity to change its nickname when it relocated.

Ray Allen returned from a three-game injury absence and a long time on the bench in the fourth quarter to nail a go-ahead three-pointer with 31.7 seconds left, lifting the Boston Celtics past the Dallas Mavericks, 94-90, last night. The Celtics completed an impressive sweep in the Lone Star State, becoming the first team to go 3-0 in San Antonio, Houston and Dallas since the Sacramento Kings in November 2001. Boston gave the Spurs their first home loss in six weeks, ended Houston's 22-game winning streak, then gave the Mavericks just their sixth home loss.

Shaquille O'Neal had 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Steve Nash had 19 points and 14 assists, helping the Phoenix Suns to a 94-87 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs yesterday. Grant Hill scored 18 points, including a crucial baseline 20-footer with 1:15 to go, as the Suns showed why they thought they needed O'Neal to compete with the rugged Spurs in the West. Phoenix outscored the Spurs 14-2 in the final 3:40 to improve to 4-6 since O'Neal joined the team. Manu Ginobili scored 22 points but missed down the stretch for the Spurs.

Moves Basketball SPURS -- Signed G DerMarr Johnson. Waived F Marcus Williams. Football EAGLES -- Signed LS Jon Dorenbos to five-year contract extension.

Grant Hill had 22 points and the Phoenix Suns handed the San Antonio Spurs their first home loss of the season, 100-95, last night. Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns, who got a revenge win after losing a controversial and testy Western Conference semifinal series last season. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with a season-high 36 points and 17 rebounds. Hawks 116, Jazz 111 -- Host Atlanta overcame foul trouble, Carlos Boozer and five years of losing to Utah. Boozer scored a season-high 39 points and had 12 rebounds for Utah, but Joe Johnson scored 26 points to help Atlanta end a nine-game losing streak against the Jazz.

All-NBA G Dwyane Wade: Might be the best player in the league when healthy. G Kobe Bryant: No amount of off-court drama will keep him from averaging 30 points. C Yao Ming: He has quietly become unstoppable on offense. F Dirk Nowitzki: Despite the playoffs, he was MVP for a reason. F LeBron James: His ceiling is still the highest in the league. Teams to Beat in the East 1. Bulls Depth, defense and versatility make them an underappreciated threat. 2. Pistons On the downside, but the starting five remains superb.

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.