Sprewell endured another terrible shooting night but made 12-of-12 free throws en route to 30 points as the Knicks snapped a four-game slide with a 100-95 victory over the Charlotte Hornets.
Sprewell had made less just 28 percent (15-of-52) of his shots during New York's first four-game skid since April 1999 and made just 8-of-18 shots on Tuesday, but came up huge in the clutch.
 Latrell Sprewell scored 21 of his game-high 30 points in the second half. Garrett W. Ellwood NBAE/Getty Images |
"We played the way we are capable of playing," Sprewell said. "We played like a team for the entire game. We all knew how important this game was. We were just on the same page tonight, mentally and physically."
New York had its largest lead, 78-68, with 10:04 to go before Charlotte went on an 11-4 run. Elden Campbell scored six of his 18 points during the burst, which brought the Hornets within 83-79 with 6:09 left.
Sprewell's 3-pointer gave the Knicks a 93-83 cushion with 4:18 to go, but the Hornets again responded by scoring 11 of the next 13 points. Baron Davis nailed a 3-pointer with 55 seconds left to bring Charlotte within 96-94.
After Allan Houston's baseline jumper rattled out, Davis missed a wide-open 3-pointer that could have given the Hornets the lead with 16 seconds left.
"I thought Baron had that last three," Sprewell said. "I looked back and it was dead-on, just a little bit short."
Sprewell sank a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining and, after two free throws by Campbell, Mark Jackson buried a pair to seal the victory.
Houston finished 21 points and Marcus Camby added 17 and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who won under Don Chaney for the first time since he was named full-time coach.
"This was one of our biggest `need' games of the season," said Houston. "We have to make sure we form good habits the rest of the season and not fall back on the bad habits we had been getting used to."
Neither team led by more than four points in a first half that featured 13 ties, but New York seized control in the third quarter.
The Hornets had a 48-47 halftime edge, but the Knicks took the lead for good on Sprewell's basket just 11 seconds into the second half.
"At halftime we knew what Charlotte was doing to us," Chaney said. "We stepped up in the third quarter and played both ends well. I have nothing but praise for these guys because they played exceptionally well."
New York had a 60-56 advantage midway through the period and scored eight of the next 10 points. Othella Harrington capped the stretch with a pair of layup and finished with eight points and six rebounds.
Harrington's second layup made it 68-58 with 3:59 to go and the Knicks carried the double-digit lead into the final period.
"They needed to win awfully bad," Charlotte coach Paul Silas said. "We just didn't come out with the desired energy we should have. You expect to win at home, but I don't know if that's our mindset right now."
New York shot just 46 percent (37-of-80) but made 21-of-23 free throws and scored 19 second-chance points.
David Wesley had 19 points and 10 assists and Davis finished with 18 points for the Hornets, who were 26-of-33 from the line but made just 3-of-13 3-pointers.
"It's a broken record right now," Silas said. "We've been playing as hard as we can play, but we just can't get the wins."