"Under pressure" - NY Post

[Kim Malo <kimmalo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

http://www.nypost.com/sports/knicks/31631.htm
KNICKS SURVIVE vs.
WOEFUL CAVS
By MARK HALE

----------
Knicks 89 - Cavaliers 80

March 5, 2003 -- Well, that was unimpressive.

Against a team that's a league-worst 11-49 overall and 3-28 on the road, a 
team that's already been accused of tanking games to secure LeBron James, 
the final scoreboard last night at the Garden read: Knicks 89, Cavaliers 80.

And that wasn't even the worst of it. The worst was how the Knicks nearly 
blew a 17-point lead. The worst was that the Knicks committed eight 
turnovers in the third quarter alone. The worst was that with under 10 
minutes to go in the game, the Knicks led by just one point.

For a group that's said to need playoff-like intensity every game, that's 
not exactly playoff-like basketball.

"You're never disappointed when you walk away with a victory," said Latrell 
Sprewell (15 points, eight boards). "There'll be some positives and some 
negatives, but the bottom line is we won and that's what we set out to do."

"It can be disappointing," Kurt Thomas (17 points) said, "but as long as we 
win, it doesn't matter."

OK, so the 26-34 Knicks will take the sorely needed win, one that, coupled 
with Milwaukee's victory, keeps them four games out of the eighth playoff 
spot. But that doesn't mean they should revel in the victory.

"Somehow we have to understand that with teams like that, we have to put 
them away early," Don Chaney said. "When you have a lead, you can't give up 
that lead."

They nearly did.

Up 81-78 with 1:51 remaining, Cleveland's Jumaine Jones tossed up an 
airball. Sprewell then buried a wide-open 3-pointer with 1:32 left to push 
the lead to six. Shandon Anderson then stole a Darius Miles pass and 
converted two free throws to seal it.

The last time the two teams faced off, the Knicks won by 32 points and 
early on, it looked as if they were headed for a similar-type rout.

In the first quarter alone, Allan Houston shook off his sore ankle to score 
12 of his game-high 25 points and Howard Eisley sank three 3-pointers. The 
Knicks ripped off a 15-2 run and at one point, led 29-12.

Meanwhile, the Cavs hit just four of their first 14 shots, collided with 
each other when attempting to grab rebounds and had DeSagana Diop playing 
meaningful minutes. Forget about tanking accusations with this team. The 
Cavs don't have to lose on purpose.

But, gradually, the lead began to evaporate as the Knicks began to unravel. 
By halftime, the score was 49-41. Then the Knicks began the third quarter 
with four straight turnovers and scored one basket in the first 5:17.

Earth to Knicks?

"You have a tendency sometimes to stop playing at the level that got you 
the lead," Chaney said. "Our intensity slipped."

"We turned the ball over at times, we were sloppy with the ball and there 
were periods where we didn't shoot well and they were making baskets," 
Sprewell said. "The good thing is we were able to refocus and finish the 
game off the right way."

Maybe so. But it sure wasn't pretty.

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