But when it comes to the New York Knicks' 37-year-old center, there is one thing that always seems to win out over the aching knees, the sore wrist and whatever else might be ailing him. His heart.

Fortunately for the Knicks, Ewing's heart and will are still as strong as ever. Otherwise, the defending Eastern Conference champions would be headed home for the summer instead of back to Miami for Game 7 Sunday afternoon.

Did you really expect it to end any differently? The past four years these arch-enemies have met in the playoffs, and for the fourth consecutive season they will go to Miami for a winner-take-all game on a Sunday afternoon.

This, after a gutty 72-70 victory over the Heat, who had led by as many as 18 points in the first half.

The Heat, who took a 3-2 lead into Game 6, wanted no part of going back home.

Make no mistake about it, Pat Riley's crew had their sights firmly set on a trip to Indianapolis for the start of the Eastern Conference finals.

They so badly wanted to get rid of these Knicks, the team that had ended their season in heartbreaking fashion the last two seasons.

Miami's focus was apparent as it embarrassed the Knicks in their own building in the first half, busting out to a 45-30 halftime lead.

It showed again when they withstood a furious -- if almost inevitable -- second-half charge by the Knicks and clung to a 6-point lead with four minutes left.

But then Ewing -- who finished with 15 points and 18 rebounds -- did something his Georgetown understudy Alonzo Mourning is more suited to do at this stage of the game. He took over crunch time.

"Patrick was terrific tonight," Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He really fought hard for rebounds, going against a great, great player in Mourning. I was just very happy for him."

Ewing had started out like a man possessed and was the only Knick who played soundly in what Van Gundy called the team's worst half of the season. But it seemed to catch up to him in the second half.

As Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell methodically whittled down Miami's lead, Ewing's shots started finding iron instead of net.

Somehow, though, his legs came back when he and his team needed them most.

He drilled a 17-foot jumper with 3:21 left that cut the Heat's lead to 66-64 and get the Knicks the closest they had been since way back at 23-20 early in the second quarter.

But the play that defined the night would come a couple of minutes later. Chris Childs missed an 18-footer and before you could say, "rebound by Mourning" Ewing came flying through the air and stuffed the ball home with his left hand. Miami's lead was back down to two and the Garden erupted into a deafening roar.

There was a time such a play might have been routine for Ewing. But not within the last five or six years.

"He got that offensive rebound and that was huge," said Mourning, who had 22 points and 10 rebounds. "It's always come down to just the little things, just small things. All I had to do was just turn and block him out and it would probably be a different scenario right now."

So Mourning picked a bad time to have a mental breakdown and Ewing, his mentor all these years, pounced on it.

That's not surprising. But Patrick, where did those hops come from?

Patrick Ewing gets the better of the younger Alonzo Mourning for the Knicks. (AP)

"I don't know what it was," Ewing said of his dunk and elevation.

Whatever it was, Miami had reason to think it wasn't going to be enough to stop them from going to Indy.

Gritty role players like Bruce Bowen and Anthony Carter had made big shots for Miami down the stretch, and it was the Heat who had the ball with the score tied and just over 30 seconds left.

Mourning, unquestionably the best center in the league behind Shaq, was salivating at the chance to silence Ewing and the Knicks.

Mourning fought for position and got ready for the ball. However, it never came. Ewing, all of a sudden Mr. Spry, got in front of Mourning and stole Bowen's errant pass. Knicks ball with 31 seconds left.

"I saw Bowen signal for 'Zo to come across the lane and I was able to get a hand on it," Ewing said.

That theft paved the way for the next possession, which saw Houston get fouled and hit two free throws with 17.6 seconds left. Finally the Knicks had the lead.

It was a lead they maintained as Carter -- the hero for the Heat here last Friday night -- misfired on an open three-pointer that would have ended the series.

So after the madness had subsided, Ewing came out decked in a tee-shirt, shorts and sandals and did interviews on the same floor he had shed so much sweat on these last 15 years. The crowd, which has often been tough on him, serenaded him with cheers.

A few minutes later, Ewing lumbered back toward the locker room with a prideful look on his face, knowing that there was still another game left to play.

"This is what the NBA playoffs are all about," Ewing said. "Game 7. If we're not up for that, and not going to build on what we did tonight, we might as well just go home."

That's exactly where they would have been going if not for the ageless man in the middle.