Knicks still have long way to go as string of tough games awaits

BOSTON – So now we know, as we’ve begun to see in recent weeks, that the Knicks are just another NBA team. Sure, they are stacked with talent, have a deep and effective bench, and are in position for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. But the stunning good fortune that clung to the Knicks during their stretch of eight wins in nine games—one that resulted from the emergence of point guard Jeremy Lin—has faded. The team can’t hold to the notion that they would somehow steamroll through their remaining schedule and rise to the elite of the East now that they have a credible point guard. The Knicks are still a team trying to find its identity.

Over the course of Sunday’s 115-111 overtime loss to the Celtics—a game of wild swings that the Knicks had a chance to turn into a blowout before halftime, a game that saw the Knicks trail by 15 late in the third quarter, a game the Knicks nearly had in hand before Paul Pierce tied it with a 3-pointer with five seconds to play in regulation—that was abundantly clear. New York had plenty of chances to win this game, including a tough, final-second shot from small forward Carmelo Anthony, but breakdowns, especially with the 22 turnovers the team committed, proved to be too much to overcome.

The bulk of the turnovers came from the team’s point guards, Lin (who went to the bench early in the first quarter with foul trouble) and backup Baron Davis, who had six each. Also, Lin was 6-for-16 from the field.

“Obviously we have to take this and look at the film and get better, including me, definitely me,” Lin said. “They did a good job of controlling the paint. They sent a lot of bodies and forced me to take tough shots. I didn’t really get much easy stuff today. But still, in my opinion, I should have finished a lot of those shots. Hopefully, next time we play them, I will be able to finish those.”

The Knicks simply could not rein in Boston All-Star Rajon Rondo, who recorded a monster triple-double, with 18 points, 20 assists and 17 rebounds. They also struggled with Paul Pierce, who was 13-for-23 from the field for 34 points.

Keeping the lid on opposing stars, cutting back on turnovers—these are issues that have come up frequently for the Knicks, and they’re the kinds of things they are going to have to iron out if they are to reach the level fans are expecting with the team’s resurgence. The Knicks were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round last year, and a repeat of that would be a huge disappointment. There’s little chance for the Knicks to advance past the first round of the East playoffs unless they lift themselves out of the dreaded No. 7 or 8 seed and a matchup with the Bulls or Heat.

Losing to Boston put New York at 18-19, eighth in the conference and a game-and-a-half behind the seventh-seeded Celtics in the East. They’re a full four games behind the Hawks for the coveted sixth spot, and with 29 games to play, the Knicks’ margin of error is quickly narrowing.

That’s especially important now, as the Knicks kick off one of the toughest stretches in their schedule. Boston was the first of six teams in playoff position the Knicks will face over the next nine games, and the two teams that aren’t in playoff position—Milwaukee and Portland—are not far off (they play Indiana twice during the stretch).

“We’ll see if we’re ready,” D’Antoni said. “I think we are. Mentally, we’re ready and this will be a good test for us. I am sure there will be some bumps and we’ll have to regroup and we’ll have some soul-searching during this stretch to see what’s working and what’s not working. Every coach wants it always to go smoothly, but it won’t. This is a great stretch for us. Thirty games to go and we have our goals we want to accomplish, and we just want to become a really good team in the next 30 games.”

We know the Knicks have gotten significantly better—and obviously more interesting—in the past month. But we’re about to learn whether they can have any real impact on the East playoffs.