For the second time this month, Elden Campbell played the game of his life. Only this time, the Los Angeles Lakers lost. And he felt somewhat responsible.
Patrick Ewing scored 10 of his season-high 34 points and grabbed four of his season-high 25 rebounds in the second overtime Sunday, leading the New York Knicks to a 127-121 victory over the Lakers.Ewing, who also blocked five shots, was coming off one of his most unproductive games of the year, a seven-point, nine-rebound effort in an 84-64 loss at Seattle on Friday night.
Campbell, who scored a career-high 34 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 106-90 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 5, was even better against the Knicks, getting 40 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots.
But it wasn't enough.
"Things are going our way," Knicks guard Chris Childs said. "We're starting to get the bounces. Probably a month or two ago, we would have lost a game like this.
"It was an exciting game to be in, it was better than an 84-64 loss," Childs added, alluding to the game in Seattle.
No doubt it was better to watch.
It appeared the Knicks would win in regulation, but the Lakers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the final 2 1/2 minutes to force overtime.
The Lakers scored the final five points of the fourth quarter to tie the game 103. First, Byron Scott made a 3-point shot with 11.3 seconds left. Then, after New York's John Starks missed two foul shots, Campbell made a short left-handed hook with 2.5 seconds to go.
Campbell made a dunk and the first 3-point shot of his seven-year career in the first overtime to give the Lakers a 108-103 lead with 3:10 remaining, but the Knicks battled back to tie the game at 110.
Then came the play that will probably haunt Campbell for a while. He moved around Ewing into position for an uncontested layup as time was running out. However, his shot rolled off the rim.
Campbell scored seven points in the second overtime including a short jumper with 1:29 remaining that put the Lakers on top 121-119. But the Knicks scored the game's final eight points.
Campbell fouled out as Ewing was making a layup with 1:14 left, and Ewing completed the three-point play to put the Knicks ahead for good.
"It took me seven years to make a 3-point shot and only one second to miss a key layup," Campbell said afterward, shaking his head. "It's hard to be proud with this career-high game when you lose.
"That layup was a terrible shot on my part."
Campbell, normally a starting forward for the Lakers, is filling in at center for the injured Shaquille O'Neal, who like starting forward Robert Horry has an injured left knee and is sidelined until at least early April.
Allan Houston had 29 points; Charles Oakley had 20 points and 16 rebounds; Childs had 16 points, 13 assists and four steals, and Starks scored 16 points for the Knicks, who outrebounded the Lakers 63-48.
Eddie Jones scored 22 points; rookie Travis Knight, former Deseret News 4A MVP while at Alta High School, had a career-high 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers.