Forget the records.
The Knicks stand alone now as the NBA’s worst team.
In a despicable outing that’s sure to place coach Mike D’Antoni under a more intense microscope, the Knicks were humiliated by the Nets for the second time this season, routed by 20 points, 113-93, in their season’s worst loss.
The Knicks (21-41) set an NBA record for futility by going 0-for-18 from 3-point range as the Garden booed loudly and frequently across the final three quarters, with owner James Dolan seated on the baseline with his sons.
If you didn’t know any better, you’d think it was the Knicks — not the Nets — trying to avoid the worst season ever.
The Nets (7-55) now are just three wins away — with 20 games remaining — from avoiding the indignity of being the worst club of all time. If only the Nets can play against D’Antoni’s defense one more time. The New York area’s woeful rivals split the season series 2-2.
Following their deadline trades on Feb. 18, the Knicks made the case they have the league’s worst roster after the departures of their best defender, Jared Jeffries, and arguably their best scorer, Nate Robinson.
The impotent Nets, the NBA’s lowest-scoring team, shredded them in what became the Nets’ largest margin of victory. The Knicks, meanwhile, clinched their ninth straight non-winning season.
“It was bad, as bad as it can get,” said D’Antoni, who got outcoached by a non-coach in Kiki Vandeweghe.
The Knicks are 2-7 since the trades and look to be falling apart at the seams — and they have a devastating road schedule ahead this month and April.
While the Knicks could not make a single trey, the Nets were on fire from beyond the arc, getting airspace to bag a season-high 14, led by Courtney Lee’s five. Lee finished with 25 points after missing the last three games because of a sprained ankle.
The other Lee, David, scored 23 points but was conspicuously absent in the locker room afterward to explain the disaster. Lee took heat in Toronto on Friday for not being more of a interior defensive presence, though D’Antoni fiercely defended him last night, blaming the perimeter D.
In truth, they stink at all spots. Last night marked just the 10th time the Nets broke 100 points.
“We’re not playing the same level of defense,” said Danilo Gallinari. “We have to play and fight. If you lose, as long as you fight, everyone appreciates that. We just have to fight.”
The weirdest part is the Knicks opened a 16-point lead late in the first quarter after the Nets made one of their first 13 shots.
“To put it on us like that, the way [the Nets] played [Friday in scoring 87 points] is a tough one on us,” Al Harrington said. “We’ve got to do a better job defending the paint. We have to work on chemistry. At some points of the game, we’re not on the same page.”
Tracy McGrady had a dismal evening with two points, shooting 1 of 6, sometimes moving in slow motion.
“We started out well, moving the ball well,” McGrady said. “They kept fighting back and we gave them confidence and once that happened all hell fell apart.”
Nets point guard Devin Harris scored a season-high 31 points and Brook Lopez burned Lee for 18 inside points. Harris and Lopezwould arguably be the Knicks’ best two players.
The Nets broke out in the third quarter after Harris scored on a 3-pointer to put the Nets up 10. Harrington’s pass to Eddie House was then stolen by Harris, who flew in for a rare fast-break dunk, giving the Nets a 70-58 lead with 6:20 left in the third. The boos reached their loudest pitch.
The last time the Knicks didn’t make a trey was 2006. The last time they were relevant was 2001.