That loud whooping noise you heard Wednesday night came from a conference room full of sullen NBC executives suddenly giddy about the New York Knicks gaining control of the Eastern Conference Finals.

The network nightmare of small market teams San Antonio vs. Indiana Pacers in the Finals doesn't look like it's going to happen.

New York can close out the series against the Pacers on Friday night in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden, delivering the network boys the all-important demographic of the nation's most populated city.

It is becoming clear that the Pacers just don't have the quickness to stay with the now-speedy Knicks, with Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and Marcus Camby.

Sprewell, coming off a miserable performance in Game 4, torched the Knicks for 29 points (including 13-14 free throws) in Game 5 as the Knicks won, 101-94; Houston added 19 points; Camby was a whirlwind of energy, scoring 21 points along with 13 rebounds and 6 blocks.

After Game 5, Indiana coach Larry Bird said some of his players just didn't show up. He could've been referring to 7-foot-4 Rik Smits, who made just 4 of 14 shots in Game 5 and was clearly outplayed inside by Camby.

Not even a breakout 30-point game by Reggie Miller could save the Pacers, who might have played their last game at Market Square Arena. They open up next season in a new building.

Many times Miller has killed the Knicks at MSG, and he'll be asked to do it again on Friday to get the Pacers into a Game 7 back in Indianapolis.

While the Knicks and Pacers punch it out in the East, San Antonio continues to wait it out in the West. The NBA Finals are slated to begin on Wednesday no matter when the East finals end. And the age-old question comes into play for the Spurs: Does an extended layoff provide needed rest or does it lead to rust?

It's hard to believe anything can derail the Spurs.

San Antonio is riding a 10-game winning streak into the Finals -- one game away from tying the Los Angeles Lakers for the longest string of victories in the playoffs (11 in 1989).

The twin towers-powered Spurs figure to have a decided advantage inside against the Pacers or the Knicks. New York center Patrick Ewing is out for the playoffs with an Achilles' tendon tear and Smits is less than mobile with chronic pain in his feet.

Tim Duncan, David Robinson and the rest of the Spurs have been nearly unbeatable since struggling early in the regular season. They went 6-8 to start the season but since have gone 42-6 -- including the 10 consecutive victories in the playoffs beginning with two victories over Minnesota to close out the first round and sweeps over the Lakers and Blazers.

Friday's game

• Indiana at New York (Knicks lead series, 3-2), 9 p.m. ET

Eastern Conference Finals

No. 2 Indiana vs. No. 8 New York

• Game 1 -- New York 93, Indiana 90
• Game 2 -- Indiana 88, New York 86
• Game 3 -- New York 92, Indiana 91
• Game 4 -- Indiana 90, New York 78
• Game 5 - New York 101, Indiana 94
• Game 6 -- Indiana at New York, Friday, June 11, 9 p.m.
• Game 7 -- New York at Indiana, Sunday, June 12, TBA*

The way Marcus Camby has been playing, he deserves to start for the Knicks -- but coach Jeff Van Gundy might not need to tinker with his lineup any more than he already has, all things considered. Besides, Camby is in there at the end of games, and played 33 minutes Wednesday night. … Van Gundy's decision to start Latrell Sprewell is looking pretty good now. The Knicks coach turned to Sprewell before Game 4 and the shooting guard flopped, fouling out with a 12-point performance. But on Wednesday in Game 5, Sprewell was on. He hit 13 of 14 free throws -- many down the stretch, flapping his arms in defiance to the Pacers' crowd. … But the biggest shots of the game came from Larry Johnson, who suddenly is the Knicks' best 3-point shooter. Johnson buried the Pacers with two late-game triples that stunned the crowd and forced Indiana to foul late in the game. … Lost in the spectacle of Reggie Miller's 30 points and the outburst from Sprewell and Camby, was a solid game from Pacers forward Dale Davis, who had 12 points and 18 rebounds. … The Knicks point guards struggled in Game 5 with Charlie Ward and Chris Childs shooting a combined 2-for-13 shooting.

Western Conference

No. 1 San Antonio sweeps No. 2 Portland, 4-0

• Game 1 -- San Antonio 80, Portland 76
• Game 2 -- San Antonio 86, Portland 85
• Game 3 -- San Antonio 85, Portland 63
• Game 4 -- San Antonio 94 Portland 80

Outside of Rasheed Wallace nobody on the Blazers appeared to show up for the West finals. Wallace averaged 20 ppg in the four Portland losses. The next leading scorer was point guard Damon Stoudamire, who scored 10 ppg but shot just 39 percent from the field and along with guard Isaiah Rider (9.5 ppg) whined about playing time throughout the series. In an example of the Spurs' dominance in this series, the Blazers smashed the record for low points in a four-game series (304) held previously by Cleveland (323) set last year against Indiana in the first round. Yes, the Spurs' David Robinson and Tim Duncan had a little to do with that. … The Spurs are the first of the four old ABA teams to make it to the NBA Finals. … Three Spurs have been to the Finals before: Mario Elie (Houston), Steve Kerr (Chicago) and Jerome Kersey (Portland).