Knicks Win, Ties Series at 2

NEW YORK -- For days, New York Knicks forward Charles Oakley has been ready to erupt. He made some veiled criticisms toward teammates, saying he was unhappy with their shot selection and hustle.So with the Knicks desperate for a win to avoid falling behind 3-1 against the Houston Rockets, Oakley simply led by example. He didn't score the most points, but Oakley made the biggest impact in New York's 91-82 win Wednesday night that evened the best-of-7 series at 2-2.Oakley was a terror on the boards, grabbing 20 rebounds -- nine offensive. He also scored 16 points, seven coming in the final quarter in which the Knicks put the game away.Derek Harper scored 21 points to lead the Knicks, John Starks 20 and Patrick Ewing 16 points and 15 rebounds before fouling out with 1:13 left.Hakeem Olajuwon scored 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Rockets.With the Rockets leading 61-60 going into the final 12 minutes, Olajuwon began to silence those who have criticized his lack of fourth-quarter production over the final 12 minutes.Limited to just three field goals over the fourth quarter of the first three games, Olajuwon had three in the first four minutes, the last on a dunk that gave Houston a 69-67 lead with 8:02 left.Then Oakley, still hobbling, began to bring the Knicks back. Fouled on a drive to the basket, Oakley his two free throws to tie the game at 69. Then, after Matt Bullard hit a free throw for a one-point Houston lead, Oakley grabbed an offensive rebound and scored on a layup, then hit a free throw after being fouled on New York's next possession for a 72-70 Knicks lead.A short jumper by Olajuwon tied the game at 72, but the Knicks scored the next five -- the last on two free throws by Oakley -- for a 77-72 lead with 4:37 left.Later, after Ewing missed two free throws, Oakley dove into the crowd for the loose ball and tossed a pass to Starks at the top of the key. One dribble later, Starks got free for a three-pointer that gave New York an 80-64 lead.The lead was 85-78 after Starks hit another 3-pointer with 2:31 left, and the Knicks were in control. Knicks Coach Pat Riley wanted his team to come out with more force, to overcome the slow start that put New York behind by 16 points in the first half of Sunday's loss. And the Knicks did just that on their first possession, getting three offensive rebounds on that one trip that ended with a dunk by Ewing.The effort was contagious early, sparked by the hustle of Oakley, and the Knicks had a 17-2 lead after a jumper by Harper with 4:37 left.Although Houston was horrible in the first quarter, going one for nine from the field and committing seven turnovers over the first eight minutes, the Knicks could not put them away. The team's offense began to falter after Oakley and Harper both went to the bench with their second fouls midway through the quarter.