Knicks 90-Nets 89 01.19.00

Player of the Game:WARD-19Pts,7Ass,4Rebs,2Stls Best Scorer:Charlie Ward-19 Best Rebounder:Patrick Ewing-14 Best Passer:Charlie Ward-7

NEW YORK-A year older and a year wiser, Stephon Marbury refused to say anything negative after the game about Charlie Ward or Chris Childs. Good thing, too, since it would have been bad form to bash the duo again, especially with the way Ward and Childs held their own against one of their most outspoken detractors. Ward had 19 points, seven assists and no turnovers, and Childs played superb defense against Marbury on the game's final play as the New York Knicks defeated the New Jersey Nets 90-89 Wednesday night. It was the third straight win for the Knicks, who emerged victorious from a back-and-forth final five minutes after squandering yet another double-digit lead in the final quarter. And it was especially sweet for Ward and Childs, whose talents were publicly questioned by Marbury twice last season after his teams lost to the Knicks, once while he was with the Timberwolves and once after he was traded to the Nets. "Last year is over," Childs said. "Marbury is a good player, he's competitive and wants to win. And when you lose, you say things that maybe you don't think out first. But bygones are bygones." New Jersey had a chance to win on the final play, but Marbury flung up a hapless airball with one second left while looking for a foul call. Childs, in the game after Ward fouled out, stuck with Marbury the entire play as the Nets point guard drove to his left from near midcourt and penetrated the lane. Allan Houston reached in and got a hand on the ball moments before Marbury released a shot that went straight up in the air, missing the backboard and rim by several feet. Marbury, who led the Nets with 23 points and 10 assists, stood on the baseline with his hands on his hips as the game ended. "He was low, I got low, and at the end when he took that last step, he ducked his shoulder in to draw a foul like a good basketball player should," Childs said. "Fortunately, for us, the call wasn't made. If we were over in Jersey, who knows?" Houston and Latrell Sprewell scored 17 apiece for the Knicks, Patrick Ewing added 12 points and 14 rebounds and Larry Johnson scored 10. Ward hit a 3-pointer to give the Knicks a 78-66 lead with 9:08 left, but the Nets worked their way back as Scott Burrell hit three 3-pointers in the final seven minutes. A 3-pointer by Keith Van Horn tied it at 84-all with 3:30 left, and the Nets went ahead 87-86 on Burrell's 3 with 2:11 left. Sprewell made two free throws, Kendall Gill hit a jumper and Ewing scored on a turnaround jumper from the baseline to give the Knicks a 90-89 lead going into the final minute. Van Horn and Ewing each missed jumpers, and the Nets called timeout with 6.1 seconds left to set up the final play. The Nets coaches told the team that their only option was to inbound to Marbury, who freed himself from two defenders to get the ball before failing to hit the biggest shot of the night. "I'm not happy with a comeback unless we win," Marbury said. "It's very frustrating losing these last three games in the final minute."