Riley would now face the nagging, persistent questions of the Miami press. Would he really rebuild his club around Mourning, as he promised? Would that mean the departures of Tim Hardaway, Jamal Mashburn or others? And would he admit to the now-epidemic New York jinx?

"Life in basketball has a lot of suffering in it, and we will suffer this one," Riley said.

Just like the master. Philosophical.

The shot fell.

Unlike countless predecessors in Knicks playoff history, Houston's runner slipped through the twine and gave New York a 78-77 win.

With one lucky bounce, Houston exorcised a decade's worth of playoff bricks. Smith's four missed lay-ups against Chicago, Starks's would-be championship-winner against the Rockets and Ewing's failed runner against Indiana faded into oblivion with one make.

Atlanta waits in the second round, also known as the place where the Knicks' playoff hopes go to die. New York has bowed out ungracefully in the conference semifinals in each of the last four seasons since usurping a trip to the finals from the Jordan-less Bulls in 1994.

The question is, will the shot fall again?