It's the blaze of the flash-and-dash gunners from the Big Apple, Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell, vs. the stoic but powerful twin towers of San Antonio.

Both pairs have been sizzlin' in the NBA Finals. Tim Duncan and David Robinson are averaging a combined 43.5 ppg; the Knicks' shooters are doing better, pouring in 46.8 ppg. The downtown duo and the twin towers are supplying more than half of their team's points per game.

It hasn't been the prettiest of ball through the first four games of the Finals (Spurs lead, 3-1, going into Game 5 in New York), but it's been entertaining with the compelling storyline of small-ball (Knicks) vs. big-ball (Spurs). Can scrawny hang with brawny?

Oddly, the Knicks with the graceful athleticism of Houston and Sprewell now somehow are worthy of embracing. This was a team which honed the science of bullyball in recent years, but now has gone quick and sleek with the shooters who at any time have the ability to explode and take over games.

Conversely, the Spurs' Robinson and Duncan are like the tick of a clock in their consistency. They're going to beat teams up inside. There's no way around it. There was a feeling before the Finals started that the games were just a formality; the Spurs had wrapped up the title somewhere between the time Duncan emerged as the top banana in San Antonio and when Knicks center Patrick Ewing went down for the season with an Achilles' injury. The theory is coming to fruition as the Spurs stand one game away from their first NBA championship.

Though both duos are marvelously gifted, it's simply come down to a matter of size as to which has had the bigger impact for their teams. The Spurs have it, the Knicks don't.

Size gives the Spurs two advantages. No. 1 they get closer-to-the-basket, higher-percentage shots than the Knicks who have had to rely on the lower percentage perimeter heaves. The Spurs have shot 46 percent from the field in the Finals; the Knicks 38 percent. Duncan has converted 53 percent of his shots, Robinson 44 percent. Meanwhile, Sprewell has connected at 39 percent and Houston at 42 percent.

No. 2, the Spurs' 7-footers have completely dominated on the defensive end, averaging six blocks between them per game and have altered tons of other attempts. The Knicks interior pair of Larry Johnson and Marcus Camby are averaging 18.1 ppg between them (less than half of Duncan and Robinson). Johnson, matched up against Duncan, is shooting a woeful 28 percent.

Tim Duncan and the Spurs have been too much for the Knicks.(AP)

Also the twin towers have destroyed the Knicks on the boards, averaging 27.1 rpg between them. In the crucial Game 4 Spurs' victory, Duncan and Robinson alone outrebounded the Knicks, 35-34.

All of this goes to show that razzle-dazzle will net a 'W' here and there, but size ultimately churns out more success.

Sizzlin' ... the countdown

5. Red-white-and-blue fever

The American Basketball Association might be making a comeback -- and as soon as next January. The league, known as ABA 2000, unveiled plans for 12 franchises to play in a 40-game season. African-Americans reportedly will have more than 50 percent of the league's ownership.

4 Nice guy

Hersey Hawkins, winner of the NBA's sportsmanship award, admitted he even at times tried to get technicals in games last year. But the Seattle guard's reputation with the refs as a good guy overrode any bad behavior on the court.

3 Headed to Hall

Two guys that know a little about success were elected to Basketball Hall of Fame. The Celtics' Kevin McHale (three NBA titles) and Georgetown coach John Thompson (national title in 1984).

2. An appearance

After a disappointing first three games in the Finals, the Spurs' Mario Elie came up big in his hometown with 18 points at Madison Square Garden in Game 4. Also, Avery Johnson, who had been off-and-on throughout the series had a nice Game 4 (14 points, 10 assists)

1. Dynamic duos

Taking turns at lighting each other up.

Fizzlin' ... the countdown

5. Lost that feeling

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, formerly Chris Jackson, has decided to retire from basketball (he spent the last year playing in Turkey after playing eight years in the NBA) because he lost his passion for the game. He apparently hasn't, however, lost his passion for martial arts, which he said he would focus on in his newfound spare time

4. Ratings plummet

The television ratings for NBC's Finals coverage continue to fizzle. Game 2 was the lowest prime-time rating Finals game since 1978 (not counting the '94 contest interrupted by O.J.'s freeway fiasco).

3. No relief

The Knicks' bench has been ineffective, contributing just 9.5 ppg and connecting on 15 of 55 shots. Granted, Chris Childs and Chris Dudley are banged up, but the lack of depth has cost the Knicks dearly in the Finals.

2. Bad timing

The draft is scheduled for June 30. Hey, wait a minute, the Finals are still going. Crowding its two showcase events into the same week wasn't a smooth publicity ploy by the usual marketing savvy NBA.

1. What changes?

The NBA assembled a committee meeting aimed at making changes that would enliven the game. Allowing zone defenses, widening the key, shortening the shot clock. All were discussed, yet none appear to have a chance at being passed. If changes are made, it appears they'll be just minor tweaks. Not enough to break up the monotony of isolation plays that prevail in many team's offensive schemes.