After 29 lead changes and 15 ties in the first three quarters, who'd have expected this one to be won by defense.
But the New York Knicks held the Boston Celtics scoreless for the first 6:46 of the fourth quarter Saturday and won 105-91.Although they led Boston 80-70 when they started their 16-0 run, the Knicks failed to hold their opponents to less than 90 points for a ninth straight game. Instead, they just won their ninth in a row, getting 35 points and 14 rebounds from Patrick Ewing.
"It was a great defensive effort at the end," Ewing said. "We were really strong in the fourth quarter, which has become a habit. The bottom line is the ninth straight win. We're on a good roll now."
New York will have to share the NBA post-shot clock record streak of holding the opposition under 90 points with the 1954-55 Syracuse Nationals.
"Everybody was aware of it," Knicks coach Pat Riley said. "It would have been nice. The win was more important."
Derek Harper added 17 points for New York while Charles Oakley had 16 and Rolando Blackman 13.
Sherman Douglas led Boston with 20 points and 10 assists. Robert Parish, Rick Fox and Dino Radja each added 12. The Celtics have lost five straight.
Heat 106, Cavaliers 95
In Miami, Glen Rice scored 33 points and Brian Shaw had a season-high 15 assists to help Miami win its fourth straight.
The Heat, 14-3 since the All-Star break, got 20 points from Grant Long on 9-of-12 shooting. Long was poked in the eye early in the fourth quarter.
Rony Seikaly scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Miami, which is now 10 games over .500 for the first time this season.
The Cavaliers, who have dropped five straight after tying a franchise record with an 11-game winning streak, played without starters Mark Price (bruised left foot), Brad Daugherty (back), and Larry Nance (knee).
Suns 105, Nets 93
In Phoenix, Dan Majerle scored 14 of his 22 points in the third quarter, helping the Phoenix Suns hold onto a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
Cedric Ceballos and A.C. Green had 18 points apiece for the Suns, who snapped a two-game skid and won at home for the first time in their last three games.
Green also had 13 rebounds, and Charles Barkley had 15 points and 15 rebounds. The Suns held a 51-39 rebounding edge, but the Nets were undone by their miserable free-throw shooting (20-of-44).
Johnny Newman led New Jersey with 18 points, and Derrick Coleman and Kevin Edwards scored 15 each.
Spurs 107, Kings 100
In San Antonio, David Robinson scored 48 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead San Antonio.
The Spurs' Dale Ellis hit the 1,000th 3-pointer of his career. The shot, his second of the game, came at the 7:41 mark of the third quarter. Ellis is the first player in basketball history with 1,000 3-pointers.
Robinson was joined in double figures by Ellis, who had 18 points, and Willie Anderson, with 15.
Sacramento was led by Mitch Richmond with 27 points. Wayman Tisdale and Spud Webb added 18 apiece.
Rockets 106, Pistons 88
In Houston, Mario Elie came off the bench to hit all nine of his shots and pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to beat Detroit.
Elie scored 21 points, his second highest total of the season, as the Rockets won their fourth straight game to maintain their half-game lead over San Antonio in the Midwest Division.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for Detroit, which beat Seattle, Sacramento and Phoenix on this road trip.
Hakeem Olajuwon scored 32 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to lead five Rockets in double figures. Kenny Smith added 18 points, Vernon Maxwell had 13 and Otis Thorpe finished with 10 for Houston.
Lindsey Hunter and Terry Mills added 15 points each for the Pistons.
Warriors 116, Mavericks 107
In Dallas, Latrell Sprewell scored 24 points and three teammates added 20 or more points for Golden State, which snapped a seven-game road losing streak.
Chris Gatling contributed 21 points and Billy Owens and Chris Mullin had 20 each as the Warriors beat the Mavericks for the 13th straight time.
Gatling pulled down 15 rebounds for the Warriors, who held a 53-32 edge on the backboards.
Jim Jackson scored 31 points to lead the Mavericks, who haven't won at home since Feb. 10.