Right here is the issue with skilled sports activities: The Knicks’ latest play merely hasn’t been adequate.
If an outmanned school group had turned in three straight dwelling efforts the way in which the Knicks have throughout their final three video games at Madison Sq. Backyard, there could be a discernible comfort prize connected to them. Effort issues. Enjoying up issues. Pushing good groups to the brink issues.
Within the NBA, 0-3 is 0-3.
Within the NBA, dropping, at dwelling, to Portland (second place within the Northwest Division), Memphis (first place within the Southwest Division) and Milwaukee (first place within the Central Division), all within the last minute or in extra time, means one factor: You couldn’t win a winnable recreation. You weren’t adequate.
You aren’t adequate.
“There aren't any medals for making an attempt,” Invoice Parcells as soon as famously stated, six phrases that summarize all skilled sports activities, NFL or NBA, MLB or NHL.
Or, as Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau stated after his group’s newest gizzard-grinding loss, 109-103 to the Bucks on Wednesday: “It was a hard-fought recreation. It’s a make or miss league. We missed.”
Are the Knicks wanting higher than they did just a few weeks in the past, once they took off for the West Coast getting ready to watching their season tumble off a cliff? Positive they're. They went 3-2 on that journey, and within the 9 video games since permitting 145 factors to the Thunder, they've proven considerably extra effort on that facet of the ground.
Are there encouraging parts to remove from these three backbreaking losses on the Backyard (sandwiched round a stomping of the Pistons on Tuesday evening in Detroit)? Positive there are. The Knicks need to consider they will run with these groups, and have proven that they will dangle with them. There have been moments late in all three video games the place they appeared ready to grab the day.
However they left the day unseized all 3 times.
Within the NBA 0-3 is 0-3.
“That is the league,” Thibodeau stated.
“It’s annoying,” RJ Barrett stated. “Nobody likes it.”
Wednesday was one other instance of the Knicks doing simply sufficient to lose in agonizing trend. They performed a few of their fiercest protection of the season. They acquired a monster recreation from Mitchell Robinson (15 factors, 20 rebounds), got here again on the Bucks after falling behind by seven within the fourth, fouled out Giannis Antetokounmpo (although not earlier than he scored 37 factors and grabbed 13 rebounds).
“We did plenty of issues effectively tonight,” stated Barrett, who completed with a team-high 26 factors. “We’re getting higher.”
Stated Thibodeau: “I like the way in which we competed. I believed we did plenty of good issues.”
However in addition they missed 4 murderous free throws down the stretch. Once they lastly tied the rating at 103-all with 47.6 seconds left — and with Antetokounmpo watching from the bench — they allowed a 3-pointer by Grayson Allen that finally doomed them. Barrett truly performed Allen effectively, Allen simply made the shot.
However that has been the story these previous few video games:
Each time a shot must be made, it’s Allen. Or it’s Ja Morant. It’s nearly unfair to level this out as a result of he has been so good this 12 months, however Jalen Brunson had each the Blazers recreation and the Grizzlies recreation in his arms, and each occasions took good photographs he usually makes. He simply didn’t make these photographs.
And people photographs are ones the Knicks are going to have to begin making, particularly at dwelling. It’s nearly weird to assume that the Knicks are a greater highway group (6-6) than they're on the Backyard (4-6). All three of those video games have featured raucous, pleading crowds that did every part conceivable to tug them to the end line, and nearly did.
Virtually.
However within the NBA, 0-3 is 0-3
It merely isn’t adequate.
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