SEATTLE, April 5 (Ticker) -- Allan Houston scored 28 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:24 to play, as the New York Knicks prevented the Seattle SuperSonics from clinching a playoff berth with an 86-83 triumph.

After Brent Barry hit a pair of free throws with 2:36 remaining to give Seattle a 76-75 lead, Houston hit a 3-pointer to reclaim the lead for good and added a jumper with 1:49 to go to make it 80-76.

Houston could have iced the game when he went to the line with 11 seconds left and his team up, 83-81. But he missed the second of two free throws, and the SuperSonics got within 84-83 after Gary Payton hit two from the stripe with seven seconds to go.

Howard Eisley was immediately fouled and hit a pair from the line to make it 86-83, and after Latrell Sprewell fouled Payton in the backcourt -- preventing a potential 3-point attempt -- Payton missed the first free throw attempt. The All-Star guard intentionally missed the second shot, but the Knicks grabbed the rebound to end the contest.

NBA TV highlights from Knicks-Sonics: 56k | 300k A bright spot for the Knicks has been Kurt Thomas, who has emerged as a real double-double threat. Jeff Reinking NBAE/Getty Images

"I was kind of anxious to play tonight," Houston said. "I really didn't have my legs or timing last night (in a loss to Portland). Fortunately, it came quickly ... that rhythm and that timing. I think we did a better job of helping each other out tonight defensively and that was a big key tonight."

"You got to crowd Allan and force him to his right, and we allowed him too many times room to raise up for his jump shot and he went left probably four or five times," Sonics coach Nate McMillan said. "He scored on just about all of those."

Kurt Thomas scored 18 points and pulled down 14 rebounds for the Knicks, who overcome a poor performance from Sprewell, who scored just three points on 1-of-11 shooting one night after being ejected against Portland.

The Knicks shot 45 percent (34-of-76) and the Sonics 43 percent (33-of-77). Seattle connected on just 2-of-10 3-point attempts.

Payton had 22 points and 13 assists, rookie Predrag Drobnjak a season-high 19 and nine rebounds and Brent Barry 14 and 10 for Seattle, which had a five-game home winning streak snapped.

"We just need to play basketball," Payton said. "All we can do is go out and just play -- that's about it. Right now we're not focused for the playoffs and that mode that we're trying to go in to right now. So everybody has to understand that we got to get a little bit more focused right now, 'cause we only got five games left in the season and we're not executing like we're supposed to."

Seattle (43-34) is in seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of Utah, which lost to league-leading Sacramento earlier Friday. The Sonics have dropped three straight contests by a combined seven points.

"This is part of growing up," McMillan said. "Learning how to play and learning how to win games in pressure situations is part of growing up, and right now we're a little tight."

New York (29-46) already has been eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoff race.

"I'm overusing this word, character, but it really shows in this game," Chaney said. "I know Allan Houston isn't 100 percent but he has enough pride where he knows that he didn't play extremely well last night, and I think he really wanted to prove to himself and to the team and to everybody else that's he's capable even when he's a little bit hurt. I though he stepped up big-time."