Tim Duncan scored 28 points and took 18 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs held off the New York Knicks 96-89 on Wednesday to take a three games to one lead in the NBA Finals and stand one win away from their first championship. No team has ever come back from a 3-1 Finals deficit.
"We're close but we haven't won anything yet," said Duncan's Twin Tower, David Robinson. "The last could be the hardest. Try to understand, this is our first time in the Finals. It's Madison Square Garden. We are going to build in the future on this game."
New York pulled within one point with 5:24 to go and two points with 3:40 left, but could never get over the hump, missing seven shots in a stretch from just over three minutes remaining to 34.8 seconds to go.
"Give them credit, they challenged us, we responded," said Duncan.
"We fought, believe me we fought," said Latrell Sprewell, who led New York with 26 points.
Hockey: Irish senior women's coach Riet Kuper will be talent-spotting at Belfield this weekend where the Irish under-21s will be in action against Germany, Wales and Scotland in a Four Nations' tournament, writes Mary Hannigan.
Kuper is likely to take a special interest in the Irish forward talent on view after the frustrations of the senior squad's trip to Canada last week. They scored just four goals in six matches (including two practice games), finishing last behind the USA, Canada and Japan in a tournament in Vancouver.Irish Under-21 Squad: A Copeland (Loreto, captain), S A Quilty (Railway Union), S Beaney (Collegians), O Canavan (NUI Galway), H Cathcart (Enniskillen), O Curtin (UCC), L Feeney (Trinity), F Ferguson (Pegasus), K Little (UCD), K Maybin (Randalstown), J McDonough (Collegians), C McKean (Loreto), J Osborne (UCD), C O'Brien (Railway Union), S Rand (Trinity), O Ryan (Muckross).
Four Nations Tournament (at Belfield) - Today: Germany v Wales, 4.0; Ireland v Scotland, 6.0. Tomorrow: Germany v Scotland, 12.0; Ireland v Wales, 2.0. Sunday: Scotland v Wales, 12.0; Ireland v Germany, 2.0.
Canoeing: Ireland's Eadaoin Ni Challarain came seventh in the World Cup Canoe Slalom in Tacen, Slovenia, yesterday. The 23-year-old from An Spideal in Galway now looks on course to make the difficult qualification criteria for the Olympic Games in Sydney. She is a full-time athlete and moves on to training at Seu in Spain, where the World Championships take place - a placing in the top 15 would qualify her for Sydney.
Meanwhile, an Irish team for the other Olympic canoeing discipline, flat water or sprint canoeing, left yesterday for the Duisberg regatta, which starts on Thursday.
Cricket: Pakistan's cricket World Cup squad returned home yesterday to face hundreds of angry fans who pelted them with rotten eggs at the heavily-guarded Karachi airport, witnesses said.
"Shame, shame. We do not want gamblers and traitors but want real players," fans shouted as nine of the team arrived at the airport from London after their loss in the World Cup final. Team captain Wasim Akram and five others stayed back in England due to personal and professional engagements.
Golf: Greg Norman said yesterday he would not play another tournament until the British Open at Carnoustie starting on July 15th.
The former world number one said he planned instead to practise in Ireland and Scotland with his 13-year-old son Greg Jnr.
