HIGH-FLYING KNICKS BOUND PAST PACERS : NEW YORK 101, INDIANA 94.

Byline: Associated Press 

Marcus Camby kept playing above the rim, dunking, blocking shots and rebounding with boundless energy. Latrell Sprewell kept going to the basket, juking and jittering like the All-Star he used to be.

The two Knicks newcomers, rookies to the rivalry with the Indiana Pacers, put on a performance that left Patrick Ewing screaming in the back hallways of Market Square Arena and moving New York within one victory of the NBA Finals with a 101-94 victory Wednesday night.

It gave the Knicks a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals and a chance to win the series at home Friday night in Game 6.

``Everybody was writing us off and saying we wouldn't make the playoffs, but we beat Miami in the first round, swept Atlanta and now we have an opportunity to do something special,'' Camby said. ``We hung close the whole game and when we got the lead, we didn't let up.''

The Knicks played with endless intensity and, undaunted by an early 14-point deficit, put together one of their best all-around games of this postseason.

Camby came off the bench to provide 21 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks in his third straight strong performance, while Sprewell took the ball to the hoop with a vengeance and scored 29.

``I hadn't played the way I was capable,'' Sprewell said, ``so it was a breakout game for me and it came at a perfect time.''

Along with 19 points from Allan Houston, 17 points from Larry Johnson, 10 from Kurt Thomas and a season-low seven turnovers, the Knicks got just enough from everybody to come away with a crucial victory in the pivotal game of the series.

New York also overcame Reggie Miller's best game of the series, a 30-point outing offset by a below-average effort by Indiana's bench, which scored just 15 points.

``For some reason, some of our guys just didn't come and play,'' Pacers coach Larry Bird said. ``It's too bad for us that some guys are confident while some guys talk it but can't walk it.''

Bird had to be talking about Rik Smits, who managed only eight points; Antonio Davis, who had four; and Jalen Rose, who totaled six.

``Our bench really wasn't there,'' Bird said. ``We got absolutely nothing out of it.''

This was a night when the Knicks could have come apart after Indiana outscored them 28-14 in the first quarter. Instead, New York came back to outscore Indiana 28-14 in the second.

Sprewell kept the Knicks in the game in the third quarter when coach Jeff Van Gundy kept Camby on the bench to keep him from picking up his fourth foul. Camby played superbly in the fourth as New York took the lead for good with 5:55 left and went 10 for 12 from the foul line in the final 1:44 to stay comfortably ahead.

Minutes after the final buzzer, Ewing - out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon - was hobbling through the bowels of the building and screaming.

It was the third victory in this series for the road team, and the Knicks improved to 6-2 away from Madison Square Garden this postseason.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL (Best of 7)

Indiana vs. New York

Knicks lead series 3-2

Game 1: New York 93, Indiana 90

Game 2: Indiana 88, New York 86

Game 3: New York 92, Indiana 91

Game 4: Indiana 90, New York 78

Game 5: New York 101, Indiana 94

Game 6: Friday at New York, 6 p.m.

Game 7: Sunday at Indiana, TBA 

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Photo

PHOTO New York's Latrell Sprewell dunks over Indiana's Dale Davis for two of his team-high 29 points.

Michael Conroy/Associated Press