There was a time when the Knicks were built to withstand adversity. When injuries or suspension shortened their roster, they accepted those challenges as a test of their manhood and character and put up a decent fight even if it ended in defeat.
No Willis Reed, no Patrick Ewing — even no Amar’e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony in past years when they were ailing — and the Knicks still battled. You don’t win 54 games, as the Knicks did a season ago, without winning games shorthanded. But not this team; not this season.
When Anthony and his 26.3 points a game were scratched from the lineup 45 minutes before Wednesday’s Christmas Day matchup against Oklahoma City at the Garden, the question became not whether the Knicks would lose, but by how much. The answer was Thunder 123, Knicks 94 and another indictment of a team without much depth or heart.
“I’m a competitive guy. I want our guys to be competitive,” coach Mike Woodson said after yet another afternoon debacle. “I thought we played in spurts and that wasn’t good enough. That’s why the game was so lopsided.”
Sidelined by an ankle injury suffered Monday against Orlando, Anthony wasn’t the only Knick not in uniform.
Raymond Felton didn’t play because of pulled groin and Metta World Peace was resting his bad knee. Pablo Prigioni was already out with a broken toe. Nevertheless, you would have expected the Knicks to put up a better fight, playing on their home floor before a national television audience.
Yet, there was not one stretch against the Thunder when the Knicks looked like they might be competitive. They never rattled the OKC offense led by Kevin Durant (29 points) and Serge Ibaka (24 points). The Thunder shot 53.6 percent from the field and made 13 of 24 from 3-point range. The holiday crowd had nothing to cheer about.
“It felt like no one was in here,” Thunder guard Russell Westbrook said.
Sure the Knicks were shorthanded. But there’s no excuse for allowing the Thunder’s Jeremy Lamb to go coast-to-coast for an easy layup or Knicks guard Beno Udrih hitting the side of the backboard on a 3-point shot, or allowing Oklahoma City to score an endless array of easy dunks and backdoor layups. The Thunder had far more energy than the home team, outscoring the Knicks 18-8 in fastbreak points.
“They’re an experienced team with all their pieces and we’re a team that’s struggling because we’re shorthanded,” Woodson said. “But I don’t see that being a 30-point blowout. That’s what’s disappointing.”
With Anthony out, the Knicks needed someone to step up. Stoudemire had 22 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. had 21 off the bench, but that was basically mop-up work after the Thunder rested their starters in the fourth quarter. J.R. Smith had 20, but was 8 of 22 from the floor.
“I don’t think we even established anything from a defensive standpoint,” Woodson said, adding, “When you’re not making shots and you’re not defending and rebounding, it’s a bad combination.”
Tyson Chandler offered a damning critique of his 9-19 team.
“We have to get better all over the board,” he said. “There are a lot of holes. If I started going over them I wouldn’t make it home to watch my kid open their gifts.”
A Christmas Day game featuring new orange T-shirt jerseys was supposed to add some extra energy in the building. Instead there was only frustration as fans couldn’t figure out who they wanted to blame. Chants alternated between “Fire Woodson” and “Fire Dolan.”
Woodson keeps saying the Knicks just need to survive “until our guys get back and healthy.” But that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen anytime soon. It’s why this team needs to learn how to deal with adversity instead of being overwhelmed by it.