It's starting to get repetitive. The Knicks are in dire need of a victory and they can't find one anywhere. Not at home against good teams. Not on the road against bad teams. East, West, playoff-bound, basement-dweller, teams of all shapes, colors, and sizes are beating the Knicks recently. One of those teams, the Orlando Magic, returns again to Madison Square Garden trying to get the Knicks' slide to reach seven games without a win. These teams were supposed to play this game way back on Nov. 2, but the game was postponed due to an asbestos scare at Madison Square Garden earlier that day. Don't you think the Knicks wish someone up at the rafters could kick down some more asbestos today and put this potential beatdown off for a few days?
However, the Garden appears to be HazMat free, so there's a basketball game to be played there tonight. These teams matched up less than a week ago, and while the Knicks had a solid first half, the Magic dominated the fourth quarter and took a 111-99 decision over the 'Bockers. New York had no answer for Dwight Howard that night, and they rarely ever have any answers on the defensive end. Last Wednesday, Mike D'Antoni tried everyone on Howard, including the 6-foot-8 Shawne Williams. Howard probably had easier nights in high school.
So where do the Knicks go from here? It appears D'Antoni is quickly losing the team, but with a favorable stretch after tonight's game, the Knicks have opportunities to figure it out. A rebound win tonight would get that train going in the right direction. But another loss could have the exact opposite affect. If the Knicks want to reverse their fortunes, and if D'Antoni wants to save his job, the Knicks really have to win at least three of their next four. Following tonight, they host the New Jersey Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the Toronto Raptors; three of the NBA's worst teams. New York is 35-38, and with a loss tonight, the possibility of missing the playoffs gets increasingly more real.
If the Knicks want to change their fortunes, it will be their stars that do so. Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Chauncey Billups need to figure out how to get a win. D'Antoni doesn't appear to have the answer.