They Are Knicked Up, but Will Continue Fight

SAN ANTONIO —  No, the New York Knicks don’t really get better the more key players they lose, they’ve just learned.

They may have won two games from the Indiana Pacers without Patrick Ewing, then eliminated them without Larry Johnson, but as they found out Wednesday, they’re in trouble against the San Antonio Spurs without Ewing and the real Johnson, as opposed to the one who limped through Game 1.

Unfortunately, this Johnson is the only one available.

“It doesn’t feel as good as it did [Wednesday],” Johnson said Thursday, “but I’ve done played the game so whatever pain I’ve got now, that’s the pain I’ve got now. We’re just playing, you know what I mean?

“I’m not sitting out no games. If I was going to sit out, I would have sat out [Wednesday]. And that’s good for my psyche. It’s like ‘OK, this hurts, but let’s go play basketball. . . .’

“There’s certain things I can’t do. I worry more about my offense because I know we have to have some low-post threat in this series. We can’t win this series from the perimeter. We’ve got to be able to go in there and tackle them big guys. So my thing is right now, what’s really messing my head up is, I can’t do what I want to do in the low post.

“Defensive-wise, I just have to try and do some different things. I’m already at a disadvantage, not just playing seven-footers, but playing seven-footers with great talent. I got to be a 6-5 footer with great talent.”

Two more of the few remaining Knick big men are banged up too.

Chris Dudley hyperextended his left elbow. Marcus Camby bruised his right knee. Both are expected to play tonight.

Coach Jeff Van Gundy, asked about starting Camby or Kurt Thomas in Johnson’s place so they wouldn’t have to put a 6-5 player on the 7-1 David Robinson or the 6-11 Tim Duncan, said:

“The problem is I think Larry, if he’s going to play, needs to be in the starting lineup. He gets loose. To ask him to go back over there [the bench] and tighten up is defeating the purpose.

“There’s no doubt Larry’s hobbled right now. He’s not going to be 100% the whole series. Doctor said two or three weeks would make him feel a little bit better. We don’t have that time. Neither does he.”

Van Gundy, asked if he has anyone who can stop Duncan, said:

“The way Duncan’s playing right now, there’s no one on the planet that can stop him. It’s not about us. . . . He’s the best player in the NBA.

“But again, I don’t think his 33 beat us, as much as the foul trouble that he and Robinson forced upon us, and [Jaren] Jackson’s 17. He [Duncan] is going to get big numbers. You know even if we doubled him, he’s going to get 20, 25, just because of his greatness.”

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Deciding he’s not ready for the pros after all, Lamar Odom wants to return for another season at Rhode Island, university officials said, but he will face an uphill battle to gain eligibility.

Odom, who dropped out after his sophomore year, signed with Jeff Klein, an agent based in New York City. Under NCAA rules, anyone who signs with an agent is barred from returning to college play.

Odom’s academics may also be an issue. He disappeared from campus for days at a time last semester.

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Philadelphia 76er President Pat Croce suffered a broken leg in a motorcycle accident in Deptford, N.J., shortly after beginning a planned coast-to-coast trip.

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Former NBA player Drazen Petrovic and Brazilian standout Pereira Maciel Ubiratan were nominated for the Basketball Hall of Fame by its International Committee.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Finals Schedule

NEW YORK vs. SAN ANTONIO

Spurs lead best-of-seven series, 1-0

* Game 1: San Antonio 89, New York 77

* Game 2: Tonight at Spurs, 6

* Game 3: Monday at Knicks, 6 p.m.

* Game 4: Wednesday at Knicks, 6 p.m.

* Game 5: June 25 at Knicks, 6 p.m.*

* Game 6: June 27 at Spurs, 4:30 p.m.*

* Game 7: June 29 at Spurs, 6 p.m.*

TV: Ch. 4; Times: PDT; *If necessary