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Starting five New York's lineup is once again complete
Posted: Wednesday May 31, 2000 10:07 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Patrick Ewing returned to the New York Knicks' starting lineup Wednesday night after missing the last two playoff games with tendinitis in his right foot. The Knicks faced the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals with the best-of-seven series tied 2-2. Larry Johnson also started for the Knicks despite a case of plantar fasciitis in his right foot. He didn't participate in practice on Tuesday or in the team's shootaround in Indianapolis on Wednesday afternoon. Ewing clearly wasn't at full strength while going through the Knicks' shootaround prior to the game, and coach Jeff Van Gundy said he would keep Ewing in the game only as long as the veteran center was able to play without significant limitations. Ewing averaged 14.4 points and 9.5 rebounds in his first 12 playoff games this year. "He's got to feel he's going to be effective to go out there," Van Gundy said before the game. "We're just hopeful that he's playing so well, we can't take him out." Ewing hurt the foot during the first quarter of Thursday's Game 2 at Conseco Fieldhouse and missed the third and fourth games of the series, both of which were won by New York. Van Gundy said Ewing's conditioning after a week of rest was just as problematic as his injury. The Knicks said Johnson's injury developed in the closing minutes of Game 4 on Monday, which New York won 91-89. Asked to rate the injury's severity on a scale of 1 to 10, Knicks team doctor Norman Scott called it a 4 or 5. "It's OK. It's not too bad," Scott said. Johnson, who has also battled a sore back during the playoffs, is averaging 12.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He played a big role in New York's Game 4 victory, hitting a critical 3-pointer with 2:45 to play and finishing with a game-high 25 points. New York's walking wounded also included Latrell Sprewell (broken bone in his left foot) and Marcus Camby (sprained knee), both of whom were expected to play big minutes despite their aches. "Durability has been a problem with us, whether it's age or whatever," Van Gundy said. "But we don't want the group to be feeling sorry for themselves."
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