FIZ KIDS BLOW IT
KNICKS CAN’T CLOSE OUT CELTS
Knicks coach David Fizdale has been wearing his FDNY sweatshirt for weeks, but he still can’t put out the fire.
If Fizdale was on a 10-game tryout since the Steve Mills Press Conference Game on Nov. 10, the audition ended in disappointing fashion when the Knicks blew another lead in déjà vu fashion, dropping a 113-104 decision to the Celtics in Sunday’s Garden matinee.
The Knicks, who led by nine points in the third quarter, dropped to 2-8 in the past 10 games since the embattled coach was seemingly put on alert.
It’s the same 2-8 record that prompted the original firestorm. They are now 4-16 overall — losers of six straight.
“I think we’re becoming a better basketball team,’’ Fizdale said when asked if these 10 games showed progress.
The Knicks got extremely sloppy down the stretch, with three straight turnovers after coming out of a timeout with six minutes left. The Celtics, who trailed 93-87 with 7:30 left, rallied with a 17-2 run.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics comeback with 30 points and Jaylen Brown added 28 as a “Let’s Go Celtics’’ chant rang out late.
“Just can’t turn the ball over against them in those situations,’’ Fizdale said. “They’re too fast, too skilled, too talented. Up to that point we played a solid, competitive basketball game. But we haven’t figured out how to close it out. We tightened up.”
Point guard Dennis Smith Jr., playing in crunch time because Frank Ntilikina left the game with a back injury, threw the ball out of bounds trying to hit Kevin Knox with 4:20 left. Boston’s Kemba Walker followed with a 3-pointer.
RJ Barrett, who hasn’t been a clutch, late-game shotmaker, airballed a 3-pointer, and Tatum drilled another 3-pointer to put the Celtics (13-6) up 104-95 with 3:32 left. Game over.
Before the game, Fizdale made fascinating metaphorical remarks when asked about his recent wardrobe — a blue FDNY sweatshirt he has worn almost exclusively since Nov. 10.
Fizdale said he received the FDNY sweatshirt last season when visiting a firehouse where his college friend’s brother worked. But he wore it only periodically until recently, when the Garden seems to be burning down.
“I just like it,’’ Fizdale said. “They’re the epitome of service. When we’re running away from a burning building, what do they do?
They’re running in. I’m reminding myself when everyone else is going crazy or think it’s something chaotic or wrong, I got to be the guy who’s constantly running into it.’’
When the Knicks fell to 2-8, it prompted Mills and general manager Scott Perry to address the media in a bizarre postgame press conference to express displeasure with the club’s direction at the 10game mark.
Chaos ensued with a report that stated Mills may be “laying the internal groundwork’’ to ultimately fire Fizdale because the team president had told owner James Dolan this team had enough talent to compete in the East.
Sources have indicated Fizdale isn’t being judged on the Knicks’ record, but on progress. The Celtics are 13-6.
Though the record won’t show it, the Knicks were more competitive in the past 10 games, set an established rotation and avoided any wire-to-wire blowouts.
Even in one of their two worst defeats, against San Antonio, they rallied from a 28-point hole to cut it to seven points with three minutes left.
“We had one stinker — against Toronto,’’ Bobby Portis said. “We’re growing together.’’
The Knicks were led by Julius Randle’s 26 points. Barrett had a strong game driving to the basket for 16 points but petered out and finished 4 of 13 (8 of 13 from the line). Smith added 17 points and seven assists, and will likely start versus Milwaukee on Monday with Ntilikina’s upper-back injury that put him out in the first quarter.
The Knicks were already without small forward Marcus Morris (cervical neck spasms). Knox, who didn’t play at all Friday in the Sixers’ loss, started and notched 11 points in 21 minutes.
“I think coach is putting us in a good position,’’ Barrett said. “We feel we’re knocking on the door and almost every game we’re right there. We’re definitely a better basketball team [the past 10 games] and we’re going to continue getting better.’’