NO JOY IN THE BIG APPLE.(SPORTS)

Byline: JIM O'CONNELL Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Despite the guarantees, there will not be a return to the NBA Finals for the New York Knicks.

The latest season to end without a title finished Friday night when the Indiana Pacers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 93-80 victory in Game 6.

The loss in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals means no repeat trip to the NBA Finals for the Knicks, who won their last championship in 1973.

It also added a non-title year to the Patrick Ewing era. New York's center since the 1985-86 season was one of the players who guaranteed a win that would send the series back to Indiana for a Game …