A TLANTA – Jeff Van Gundy spent the previous two days trying to convince the basketball public and his team that the Knicks are a “heavy underdog,” against the Hawks. His reasoning is based on the fact that Atlanta is seeded fourth in these Eastern Conference playoffs, while the Knicks are team that barely made the playoffs.
“They should be looked upon as an elite team,” Van Gundy said of the Hawks before Game 1 last night at the Georgia Dome.
Van Gundy, so focused he can be blind to the obvious, might still be the only one who believes the Knicks are a “heavy underdog.” The rest of the world clearly knows that seedings mean absolutely nothing in these playoffs. The Knicks are far too loaded for the undermanned Hawks.
The Knicks, who eliminated the top-seeded Heat Sunday to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals, drilled holes in Van Gundy’s theory again last night, beating the Hawks 100-92 in a game that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Van Gundy would have to be in deep denial to seriously think that his Knicks are still outclassed by the Hawks after Allan Houston scored 34 points and Latrell Sprewell 31.
The Knicks coach will have to try another motivational tactic for Game 2 here tomorrow, because the Knicks should win this series in five, maybe six games, on attrition alone.
With Alan Henderson and LaPhonso Ellis out with injuries, the Hawks have no bench other than forward Chris Crawford, who returned from injury last night after being out with a separated shoulder. Reserve guard Anthony Johnson played just long enough to get torched by Houston.
A 6-man rotation isn’t going to cut it against the Knicks, though Crawford made an impact in the first half when he scored 20 points in 17 minutes of action. He was the spark that helped the Hawks turn an 11-point deficit into a 50-48 lead at half-time.
But Crawford fizzled in the second half, scoring just six points, while the Knicks depth and versatility took over. Eventually, Sprewell would win the battle of super subs, teaming with Houston to launch a second-half assault that gave the Knicks an insurmountable 92-75 lead with 6 minutes left.
It was a stretch that illustrated why the Knicks will eventually wear down the Hawks in this series if they don’t sweep them in four. Houston, riding the momentum from his heroics in Game 5 against the Heat, scored 15 points in the third quarter alone and at times was literally unstoppable. Sprewell scored 10 fourth-quarter points, including a breakaway dunk with 6:54 to play for a 90-75 lead. But that was just the obvious.
With foul trouble limiting Patrick Ewing to 17 minutes, Van Gundy got 31 minutes out of Chris Dudley to make Dikembe Mutombo’s life miserable. Chris Childs (4 assists, 27 minutes) and Marcus Camby (10 minutes) also came off the bench to provide some energy.
Atlanta coach Lenny Wilkins had to be envious. He came into the game knowing he would have to play his starters big minutes just to stay in the game. He wound up playing Grant Long (37 minutes), Mutombo (46), Steve Smith (31) and Blaylock (38) in excess of 30 minutes each.
Where the Knicks had nine players who played at least 10 minutes last night, the Hawks used just seven players, including Johnson who did nothing. That kind of pace should work in the Knicks’ favor the longer the series goes on.
“I think it’s definitely an advantage for us to have guys coming off the bench,” Dudley said. “I think it wears out the other team and helps our team.”
Defense was supposed to keep the Hawks in it. They had the second best defense in the league during the regular season, allowing 83.4 points per game. But they were torn apart by the Knicks, who beat them in the half-court game and in transition.
A seven-game series is usually a test of durability and stamina and the Hawks couldn’t make it through the second half of Game 1.
What happened last night was not unexpected despite Van Gundy’s fears. The Knick bench averaged about 30 points per game in the series against the Heat with Sprewell (16.2) and Camby (7.4) doing most of the damage. Sprewell, Dudley, Camby and Childs should continue to see plenty of action.
Dudley did not play in the final two games against the Heat for whatever reason, but will be needed against the Hawks for nothing other than to counteract all the elbows that Mutombo surely will be throwing the rest of the way. Camby will prove a difficult matchup for the Hawks; too quick for Mutombo and too tall for the 6-9 Long.
Judging a seven-game series after one game can be premature. But the Hawks better find some scorers quick if they plan on their season lasting much longer.