PELICAN GRIEF
Knicks find way to blow 19-point lead in OT loss
Remember this moment, this game, this loss, if the upcoming seven-game road trip goes as most expect. If the rest of this season continues on this downward trend. If the Knicks are playing for pingpong balls rather than a playoff spot.
With a chance to head out on the road feeling good about themselves, after playing their best basketball in weeks, the Knicks gagged away a 19-point, thirdquarter lead in spectacular fashion. They wasted a nine-point edge in the final four minutes. The defense went from stifling, allowing a season-low 13 firstquarter points, to a sieve. The offense either overpassed or didn’t pass enough. And, now, after their 10th loss in 12 games, the Knicks venture out on the road for 15 days, where they are a dismal 4-15.
Anthony Davis took Kristaps Porzingis and the other Knicks forwards to the woodshed, scoring 48 points — the most by a Knicks opponent since James Harden scored 53 on them New Year’s Eve of 2016 — and adding 17 rebounds in making Madison Square Garden his temporary playground, as the Pelicans rallied for a 123-118 overtime victory Sunday.
“You should never give up a 30point quarter on your court and expect to win games,” coach Jeff Hornacek said, after his team allowed two such quarters. “You’ve got to go take wins — you can’t think you’re just going to fall into them.”
Davis did just that, basically snatching the victory from Porzingis and the Knicks. He forced the extra session with a basket over Porzingis, and grabbed a clutch offensive rebound in the final seconds of overtime. Porzingis, meanwhile, missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds left, and finished with 25 points on 10-of-24 shooting, continuing his struggles from the field. The Latvian big man managed just three points over the final quarter and overtime, while Davis had 13.
“So, so many similar games like this,” Porzingis said. “It’s painful.”
The Knicks (19-24) led by as much as 17 in the first half and 19 late in the third quarter following a Tim Hardaway Jr. steal and slam. The difference was still nine
with 4:03 left, before the Knicks fell apart, managing just four points the rest of regulation. They were outscored 46-22 over the final 18:22. It continued a concerning trend of poor finishes, which was the case in the previous two setbacks against the Timberwolves and Bulls, games they were outscored by a combined 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Jarrett Jack said they got comfortable. Hardaway said he believed the Knicks “relaxed.”
The key is to not let it happen again.
“We shouldn’t put it behind us. We should use it as motivation and learn from it,” Courtney Lee said. “Going into these games, we can’t keep putting ourselves in these positions. We keep talking about the same things after games. We’re up, whether it be on the road or at home, that we should win.”
Even after they caught a break, when Davis complained of a foul by Enes Kanter with a chance to tie and just over a half minute left, the Knicks couldn’t take advantage. Porzingis failed to draw iron on a pull-up jumper, and Davis pulled the Pelicans even at 109 with 3.5 seconds left in regulation. Jack then threw the ball away on the inbounds play, and E’Twaun Moore nearly won it, his 3-pointer at the horn rimming out.
It only delayed the inevitable, as the Pelicans (22-20) made 5-of-9 shots in overtime, and went ahead for good with 1:52 to go on Jrue Holiday’s (31 points) basket. Davis followed with a layup and a key offensive rebound, as the Knicks’ downward spiral continued.
Now they begin a long trip coming off arguably their worst loss of the season, needing to find a way to close out games away from the Garden. They are tied for the fewest home wins in the league with the Hawks and Jazz.
“Those are trips that in the past, that teams I have been on, teams our coaches have been on, teams some of our players have been on, that can turn things around,” Hornacek said. “You go out there and somehow win five of seven road games, all of a sudden your mentality becomes that much different.
“We’re looking at it as an opportunity. We’ll see if we can rise to it.”