Houston unhappy with third-quarter benching

Allan Houston shot the ball 11-for-13 in the first half against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday, yet he went scoreless in the second half and overtime as the Knicks crashed once again. How can a player have such a change of form so quickly?

If you ask Houston the answer is simple. His third-quarter benching caused him to lose his first half momentum which he never regained. Knicks coach Don Cheaney, however, felt he had no choice but to bring his star off the court after Houston picked up his third foul early in the third period.

"I just got to do a better job," said Houston. "I'll take it upon myself. I don't want to shy away from it. I have to do a better job. Teams do make adjustments. I have to be able to adjust to their adjustments. When you're out of the game, it's hard to do that. I have to get back in the game and do something else."

Marc Berman of the New York Times reports that Chaney benched Houston early in the third to prevent him from getting into more severe foul trouble. New Orleans guard David Wesley was attacking Houston every possession, restricting Houston to just three minutes in the third quarter. The move backfired, but Chaney knows Houston's got to regain rhythm after bench stints.

"You can't play a whole game," Chaney said.

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New York Knicks, New Orleans Hornets

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Campbell sets sights for Saturday return

New Orleans starting center Elden Campbell has returned to practice and could see his first minutes as a New Orlean's Hornet against the Cavaliers on Saturday, ESPN.com is reporting.

Campbell missed training camp with a left knee sprain that required arthroscopic surgery to remove loose tissue and has been rehabilitating at the Hornets practice facility. He isn't likely to take over the starting role from Jamaal Magliore just yet, but his return certainly bolsters the front court for the 8-3 bugs.

"Sometimes you forget how skillful he really is because he's a big body and can make the hook shot and do things close to the basket, and can also come out and make the jumper,'' Silas said.

"It felt pretty good, and we'll see how it goes,'' Campbell said. "But realistically, it's not going to come overnight. I just want to get in there and then see the minutes gradually increase until I'm playing 30-plus a night.''

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Nailon's Act Doesn't Go Unnoticed by Hornets

Barbara Barker of Newsday reports that the Hornets took note of Lee Nailon’s celebration. Then they did something about it.

The Knicks’ Lee Nailon hit a jumper with 50 seconds left giving New York a 4-point lead over his former team. Nailon pumped his fist and let his emotions show as he went back down the court. Baron Davis and the Hornets fought back, forced the game into overtime and won 97-91.

"I thought we were going to win it," said Nailon, who finished with 18 points. "They hit some big shots down the stretch."

Davis said that Nailon was doing a lot of talking when the Knicks held a 14-point lead. "I didn't want him to be talking at the end of the game," Davis said. Davis hit three clutch three-pointers down the stretch to help bring the Hornets back.

He could see the tension on the Knicks’ faces as they mounted their comeback. "They tensed up a little bit," he said. "I saw it and I tried to exploit it."

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