Knicks Fly By Hawks

Latrell Sprewell carried the offensive load by himself this time.

Allan Houston didn't come close to duplicating his 34-point performance of Game 1, but Sprewell scored 31 for the second straight game as the New York Knicks grabbed command of their second-round series by beating the Atlanta Hawks 77-70 Thursday night for a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 matchup.

After winning both games at the Georgia Dome, the Knicks are heading home with a chance to sweep the series. Game 3 is Sunday afternoon at Madison Square Garden, with Game 4 the following night.

The Knicks struggled just to make the playoffs, then upset top-seeded Miami in the opening round. Now, they are trying to become the first No. 8 seed to reach the conference finals.

"We always thought we were a good team," said Marcus Camby, who came off the bench with Sprewell and provided 11 points, 13 rebounds and one resounding dunk over Dikembe Mutombo. "Everything is clicking now, especially the transition game. We're getting a lot of easy baskets, and I haven't seen that in a New York team since I've been watching. The roles are definitely changing."

Actually, there weren't many easy baskets in a game matching two of the NBA's best defensive teams. The Knicks shot 39 percent (26-of-67) and the Hawks hit just under 30 percent (24-of-81).

But New York's numbers were skewed by a 1-for-15 beginning, and the Knicks pulled away after leading only 54-52 lead after three quarters.

Sprewell provided 10 of New York's 23 points in the final period, including a three-point play with 5:45 remaining that pushed the lead to 69-58. The Hawks never got closer than five the resof the way.

"We're really playing with a lot of confidence," Sprewell said. "It was not our best game. It was a little ugly. But I'm glad we got the job done in the fourth quarter."

Houston was held to two points after setting a playoff-high in Game 1, but Sprewell was right on the mark once again for the Knicks. He shot 8-of-16 from the field and used his quickness to get to the line time and time again, making 15 of 19 free throws.

Asked what the Hawks have to do to shut down Sprewell, Grant Long replied. "Pray. There's not a whole lot you can do. He's playing great at the right time."

At the defensive end, Spree helped shut down Steve Smith in the first half, then turned his attention to Chris Crawford.

Smith, the Hawks' leading scorer during the regular season, was held to 2-of-16 shooting and nine points. Crawford, back in the starting lineup after pacing Atlanta with 26 points in Game 1, made only one field goal and finished with 10 points.

Mookie Blaylock scored 17 to lead the Hawks.

"Nothing was going right for us, inside or out," said Smith, who was double-teamed much of the game. "I'm not going to make excuses. I've shot through a double before. It was just one of those nights when I wasn't shooting well."

The game drew a sellout crowd of 22,558, augmented by thousands of Knicks' fans who made the Georgia Dome seem like a mini-Madison Square Garden. At the end, the New York fans were deafening with their chants of "Sweep! Sweep! Sweep!"

"The fans in Atlanta are better than the Garden," Larry Johnson said with a smirk. "I've enjoyed it here. Hopefully, the fan support will be the same at the Garden."

Atlanta, the NBA's top defensive team, was humiliated in the opener as the Knicks won 100-92. Game 2 was played at a more typical pace for these teams, who equaled the fourth-lowest scoring game in playoff history with 147 points.

After making eight of their first 10 shots in Game 1, the Knicks got off to a miserable start this time, missing their first seven on the way to the 1-for-15 showing midway through the opening period.

But Sprewell and Camby entered the game and turned the tide. At the end, the New York reserves had outscored the starters, 46-31.

"We have a lot of talent one through 10," Sprewell said. "It's nice to see everyone contribute."

The Hawks jumped to a 13-2 lead while New York was misfiring but failed to put the visitors away. Atlanta got sloppy, turning the ball over on three straight possessions, and the Knicks quickly got back in the game.

Atlanta's lead had shrunk to 20-17 by the end of the first quarter and the Knicks led 38-36 at halftime, making 13 of 24 shots the rest of the half after that dismal beginning.

Notes: Turner Broadcasting System, owner of the Hawks and baseball Braves, said it consulted with the NBA and Major League Baeball after the shooting at a high school in suburban Conyers injured six students. Denver's sports teams postponed several games after the fatal shooting at Columbine High School, but the Hawks went ahead with Game 2 of the playoffs and the Braves' game at Turner Field against the Chicago Cubs. ... The Knicks had an 8-17 (.320) road record during the regular season, their worst percentage since a 9-32 mark in 1987-88. But the Knicks are 4-1 away from home during the playoffs. ... Mutombo was accidentally poked in the eye by Ewing with about two minutes left in the third quarter. The Hawks called timeout, and their center was able to remain in the game after the break. ... Ed Gray, who played only six minutes in Game 1 for the Hawks, eclipsed that in the first half, scoring seven points in nine minutes. He finished with 13. ... The Hawks may have played their final game at Georgia Dome. They will move into the new Philips Arena next season.

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