Everyone had it wrong. The Knicks didn't need a big guy to help an undersized team stop underachieving. Coach Jeff Van Gundy turned to the smallest guy on the roster, 6-2, 180-pound Howard Eisley, and he provided the spark the Knicks needed for a fourth-quarter comeback that ended in an 89-82 victory over Portland last night at Madison Square Garden.

For the first seven games of the season, Eisley ranked as quite possibly the highest-paid third-string point guard in NBA history. He hadn't played a minute. But after watching the Knicks (3-5) blow an eight-point halftime lead by missing 13 straight field-goal attempts in the third quarter, Van Gundy drew the line.