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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
NEW YORK (AP) -- Ever since Latrell Sprewell scolded his
teammates, the Knicks have acted like a different team.
Sprewell scored a season-high 29 points Saturday night as the
Knicks won for the fifth time in six games, defeating the Denver
Nuggets 96-88.
New York now has the second-best record in the Eastern
Conference.
"We are a team, and I felt I was a part of the problem," said
Sprewell, who ripped his teammates Nov. 29 for not getting upset
after they lost a home game against Miami and fell to 9-7. "I want
to win, and I'm not going to allow us to go out there and not be
ready.
"I want this to be a great season for us. We've been close, but
we haven't gotten to the ultimate -- winning a championship. Getting
home court advantage will go a long way toward reaching that
goal."
Allan Houston added 21 points and Larry Johnson hit two
3-pointers in the final 4½ minutes.
Sprewell scored 15 of his points in the third quarter but didn't
do all that much in the fourth. That task fell to Johnson, whose
final 3-pointer gave New York a 92-88 lead with 49.5 seconds left.
The Knicks improved to 5-0 at home against Western Conference
teams. They have held their last 16 opponents under 100 points.
"They made some big shots, but we did not want this game to get
away from us," Houston said. "We felt like they were answering
our plays because they made some big shots. We tried to wear them
out with our defense and continue to make plays on the offensive
end."
Denver, led by Nick Van Exel's 24 points, lost its third
straight.
The Knicks took a seven-point lead when Sprewell hit a jumper
with 3:35 left to make it 87-80, but didn't score again for more
than two minutes.
Van Exel hit a 3-pointer with 1:10 left to cut Denver's deficit
to 89-88, but Johnson answered with a 3-pointer from the corner.
Sprewell and Johnson then scored the rest of New York's points from
the foul line.
Antonio McDyess had 10 points and five rebounds in the first
quarter to help Denver to a 31-22 lead, but the Knicks opened the
second quarter with a 13-0 run to take a 35-31 edge.
James Posey hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to put Denver
ahead 47-46, but the Knicks led for most of the third quarter as
Sprewell started hitting from all angles.
The Knicks took a nine-point lead into the fourth, only to see
Denver start the period with a 10-0 run. Houston gave New York the
lead for good on a jumper with 7:49 left.
"The difference was when they got open shots, Spree, Allan and
Larry knocked them down," Denver coach Dan Issel said. "We had
our opportunities, we just couldn't make a shot."
Game notes
Sprewell's previous season-high was 22, reached three
times. ... Van Exel shot his free throws from 3 feet behind the
foul line, going 5-for-6. ... McDyess had 21 points and 15
rebounds. ... The Knicks now have four days off before playing
again. ... Denver wraps up a four-game road trip at Boston on
Sunday. The Nuggets are only 2-8 on the road.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Denver Clubhouse
New York Clubhouse
RECAPS
Indiana 99
Charlotte 96
Cleveland 97
Atlanta 90
New York 96
Denver 88
Minnesota 85
LA Clippers 73
Milwaukee 99
Washington 91
San Antonio 105
Chicago 81
Utah 125
Golden State 114
Portland 114
Detroit 83
Houston 111
Seattle 104
Philadelphia 83
Vancouver 79
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