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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- His body was healed, his shot was still hurting.
Patrick Ewing returned Friday night without his touch, although
he still remembered how to rebound and shoot free throws well
enough to help the New York Knicks to an 85-78 victory over the
Philadelphia 76ers.
|  | | Patrick Ewing missed all eight of his field goal tries, but scored seven points and pulled down 10 rebounds. |
Ewing, playing his first game since June 1 after recovering from
a partially torn Achilles tendon, shot 0-for-8 from the field and
7-for-8 from the line. He also had 10 rebounds and five fouls in 30
minutes, and his foul shooting down the stretch helped the Knicks
hold off the Sixers.
"It felt good, better than I expected," Ewing said. "I've got
to get a basket, of course."
Latrell Sprewell scored 31 points to lead the Knicks, who were able to stay in a guard-oriented offense even when their lumbering
7-footer was on the floor.
Ewing, who missed the first 20 games of the season, often found
himself a spectator on the court as his teammates stuck with what
they've grown comfortable with, and there were only one or two
plays where they reverted to the old style of dumping the ball in to
Ewing.
Instead, when they needed someone to score on an isolation play
in the low post, it was Larry Johnson. When they needed someone to
slice through the paint, block a shot or elevate above the rim for
a tip-in, it was Marcus Camby.
Most of all, though, it was Sprewell who provided the offense
and the excitement for a team that has grown accustomed over most
of the past three seasons to playing without its 11-time All-Star.
"The guy's been out for six months, so you can't just
automatically change the offense the day he comes back -- especially
with the success we've had playing the way we've played," Allan
Houston said.
Sprewell shot 13-for-21 to help offset a 3-for-15 night by
Houston, and Camby and Johnson contributed 12 points apiece.
Ewing scored fewer than 10 points for only the 34th time in 978
career games. It was his worst performance from the field since
going 0-for-10 against Indiana during a playoff game in 1994.
"I was a little rusty with my moves, but I thought I was trying
to do other things," Ewing said. "You can walk on a treadmill and
ride a bike, but nothing takes the place of banging, bumping,
shooting, just playing ball."
Tyrone Hill had 16 points to lead the 76ers, who were again without Allen Iverson even though he wanted to play. One day after having a cast taken off his broken right thumb, Iverson
unsuccessfully begged coach Larry Brown to let him play.
After the game, Iverson said he has been cleared to play
Saturday night against Charlotte.
"The thumb is fine," he said. "I could have played tonight."
The Sixers missed Iverson's offense down the stretch, making
only one field goal over the final 3½ minutes.
The score was 75-72 with 3:15 left when Ewing went to the line
after a loose ball foul. He sank both for a 77-72 lead, and Camby
followed with a driving layup for a seven-point advantage.
Eric Snow cut the deficit to four on a 3-pointer, and Ewing was
then fouled while grabbing an offensive rebound. He made both free
throws with 1:33 left, then converted two more for an 85-78 lead
with 46 seconds left after being fouled by George Lynch with just
six seconds left on the shot clock.
"He made big foul shots down the stretch, but I did see him
struggle a little bit," Brown said. "When you don't play a lot,
you're not going to have your legs. It's just going to take him a
little time."
Game notes
Sixers forward Larry Hughes said he hasn't fully patched up his differences with Brown over a lack of playing time. "We're
still working things out, still talking." Philly GM Billy King emphatically said Hughes will not be traded to Toronto for Tracy
McGrady and a No. 1 pick, as had been rumored. ... To make room for
Ewing, the Knicks placed guard Rick Brunson on the injured list with bone spurs in his right foot. ... Sixers forward Theo Ratliff sat out with a sore ankle.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Philadelphia Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 100
Houston 96
Indiana 136
Cleveland 88
Milwaukee 107
Toronto 91
Golden State 107
Atlanta 99
Charlotte 106
Denver 99
Detroit 107
LA Clippers 83
New York 85
Philadelphia 78
Chicago 71
New Jersey 69
Utah 101
Seattle 83
Miami 107
Sacramento 97
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