So it somehow was more than a little fitting that the New York Knicks -- in their first real point of crisis this season -- called upon an ex-quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Sunday to bail them out in a game they needed desperately against their enemies from Miami.

Friday it was the Heat who responded to a desperate situation with a prayer of a shot by a little-known rookie named Anthony Carter just before time expired in a wild overtime victory that helped the Heat claim back the series lead and home-court advantage.

But if you are going to be talking about prayers, the first player that comes to mind is Charlie Ward.

Known almost as much for his devout Christianity as he is for winning that 1993 Heisman at Florida State, it is a safe bet Ward probably praised the Lord before showing up to work Sunday.

But when the day was over, it was the Knicks faithful making Madison Square Garden sound like Tallahassee, Fla., with their overwhelming praise of Ward.

Screeches of "Charlie, Charlie, Charlie" were the only audible you could hear as the Knicks -- and Ward -- put the finishing touches on Game 4, a 91-83 victory that tied the best-of-7 series at 2-2 heading back to Miami for Wednesday's Game 5.

Things haven't always been like this for the Knicks' starting point guard, who was drafted in 1994 when it was still Pat Riley's regime.

As Riley, now Miami's coach, would dutifully acknowledge in Sunday's postgame address, Ward was, without question, the difference in the game that might have saved the Knicks' season. He had 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in 32 high-octane minutes.

But it has seldom been like this for Ward.

At least not in this sport. And definitely not in this city, where his greatest claim to fame before Sunday was putting his hands on that prestigious college football trophy all those years ago at the Downtown Athletic Club, which isn't more than a couple of miles from Madison Square Garden.

"There have been plenty of times where I've been talked about and I can't do this and can't do that," Ward said. "All those things just (came) to rest for one day. I am just grateful for this day."

Not as grateful as the Knicks, who probably would have gone back to Miami down 3-1 without the 29-year-old Ward's coming-of-age outburst.

"I thought it was a great team effort, especially Charlie Ward," said 37-year-old Patrick Ewing, who played his best game of the series with 12 points and 11 rebounds. "He gave us a lift when we needed it. "

The problem with Ward in the past was being too unselfish to capitalize on such opportunities.

"We're yelling shoot every time he touches it when he's open," said Chris Childs, who usually splits the point guard minutes with Ward. "But he's just not that type of person to go out and take over a game when he's going well. He lets the offense flow. But when his opportunity presented itself tonight, he cashed in and it was fun to watch."

It's also an occurrence the Knicks hope to start watching more often.

"It's something he's capable of doing," Ewing said. "He's capable of doing it night in and night out. But he chooses not to."

Perhaps Ward had no other choice but to make Sunday his day. Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and the venerable Ewing all had their moments earlier in the game. But Miami's tenacious defense responded as it often does.

But with so much attention on the big three, somebody had to be able to shake free for some good looks. And so it was that Ward had first made his imprint on this game in a spirited sequence late in the third quarter

Miami's Alonzo Mourning, the All-Star center who had 27 points and 14 rebounds and has more lived up to his lofty status in this series, had put in a tough bucket inside to slice the Knicks lead to 56-53.

Jeff Van Gundy called a timeout to settle his troops, and then Ward started making things a little too unsettling for the Heat.

He attacked to the hole, putting in a tough layup to push the lead back to five. Instead of thumping his chest, he got into his defensive stance and stole the ball, leading to a couple of Larry Johnson free throws.

Minutes later, he relentlessly tracked down a loose ball and culminated the possession by banging in a 3-pointer from the corner to make it 63-55.

"We took a 20 (second timeout) in the third quarter and we were in a little bit of a funk," Van Gundy said. "He drove -- not just offensively or defensively -- just mentally. We were a bit fragile at that point and he drove it to the hoop. That hoop I thought was good to get us back on the attack."

Charlie Ward exults in delivering the knockout blow for the Knicks.(AP)

Inevitably though, the Heat would come roaring back. Don't they always?

With Ward and Ewing on the bench, they got the lead down to four and it seemingly was anybody's game.

Then Ward came back in with 4:15 left, and before you knew it, he was streaking in for a tough layup to put the Knicks up nine.

The pendulum would swing again; the Heat were within 84-79 with 2:30 left and would have been closer had Mourning not blown three free throws. But it was still too close for Ward's taste.

He made a gutsy pursuit of a loose ball and made a save that would have made Dominik Hasek proud. Then he swooped in for two and got the foul, touching off the first official mass "Charlie" screech of the day.

"He's a consummate professional," said Riley of Ward. "I thought what was indicative of Charlie Ward is when he ran down the loose ball, jumped out of bounds, pirouetted in the air and threw a down-and-out pass."

Then Ward did something that he has done even less than take over games. He showed emotion, wildly pumping his fist.

"It was a better feeling than if I had hit (those shots)," said Houston, Ward's mate in the starting backcourt. "I was getting pumped just to see him pumping his first. Just to hear the crowd behind him, it was a great feeling to see someone who gives so much of himself for the team, not only on the court, but off the court. We know what Charlie means to all of us behind the doors and in the locker room."

On this day, though, Ward was doing his best work on the floor of the World's Most Famous Arena.

By this time the score was just about settled, the Knicks up five with a little over a minute left. But Ward couldn't resist putting an exclamation point on his rare day in the spotlight.

He drilled a 15-foot jumper one possession and sank another 3-pointer on the next.

Ward walked back to the bench, big smile on his face, and heard a deafening roar he hadn't heard in years.

"For the first time, I felt like Allan and Latrell, you now, like (I was) the go-to guy," Ward said. "I've been in that position before as far as football when you were the man, and everyone was looking for you to make plays and you make those plays. Tonight, it felt that way, like I was back making plays and making things happen."

For Ward, the uniform and the sport were different. But the feeling was the same.