When reporters entered the locker room yesterday before the Knicks' morning shoot-around at Charlotte Coliseum, all the players were in hysterics. The "new" Jeff Van Gundy lightened the mood during a meeting, doing a series of magic tricks with cups.

Their gaiety carried over into the evening as the Knicks played as entertaining a brand of basketball as they have in some time. They ran the ball to the tune of 24 fastbreak points including a breakaway tomahawk slam that had Latrell Sprewell preening for the cameras and pointing to his bench.