MINNEAPOLIS — Happy 40th, Knicks.
Team Titanic’s Monday meltdown in Motown gave the Knicks their 40th defeat of the season. With a 21-40 record, they will need to go 20-1 to finish at .500 — or go undefeated the rest of the way to post a winning record.
With the Timberwolves’ Kevin Love on tap Wednesday at Target Center, it doesn’t appear a 21-0 finish is in the cards.
Seven players have set their career high in points against the Knicks this season, and in the last two losses, Bulls center Joakim Noah set a career high in assists with 14 (the most by a center since at least 1986) and Pistons center Andre Drummond set his career high Monday with 26 rebounds.
Of the 40 losses, here’s my top five most crushing:
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1. Dec. 16, vs. Washington: Wizards 102, Knicks 101
With a massive defensive breakdown that started with Beno Udrih, the Knicks allowed Bradley Beal to traipse untouched for the go-ahead layup with 6.9 seconds left. But it became a catastrophe because coach Mike Woodson failed to call timeout after the basket to give the Knicks the ball at halfcourt. A confused Carmelo Anthony walked the ball upcourt before realizing the clock issue and had to force a ridiculous prayer. Woodson’s stock fell deeply with the loss.
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2. Nov. 20, vs. Indiana: Pacers 103, Knicks 96 (OT)
Some in the organization believe if the Knicks had pulled out this game and won Halloween Night in Chicago – Derrick Rose hit a miracle game-winner – their confidence level would have carried them to a respectable season. Neither happened. The Pacers loss was excruciating as Iman Shumpert got called for a ticky-tack foul by referee Joey Crawford on Paul George’s last-second 3-pointer with the Knicks up 3. George buried all three free throws and the Pacers cruised in overtime. Woodson knocked Shumpert after the game for the foul in which he barely grazed George’s arm, further destroying the combo guard’s morale.
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3. Feb. 3, at Milwaukee: Bucks 101, Knicks 98
Milwaukee owned the NBA’s worst record, but held a point-guard edge over the Knicks. Brandon Knight had scored a career-high 36 points against the Knicks in the prior meeting, but that didn’t make Woodson any more urgent to stop him. Knight schooled Raymond Felton all night, outscoring him 25-3. On the final possession, Knight won the game with a right-wing last-second 3-pointer over Felton, who gave him too much airspace, ruining the Knicks’ rally from 10 points down in the fourth.
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4. Feb. 21, at Orlando: Magic 129, Knicks 121 (2 OT)
Coming off a win in New Orleans, the Knicks were rolling over a club they had routed twice before. They were up 14 points in the third quarter on the road, Anthony was having a terrific night and they were set up to enter the next night’s showdown against eighth-seeded Atlanta on a high notes.
Then it all fell to pieces, along with their playoff hopes. Magic rookie Victor Oladlipo tore to the basket at will and enjoyed his career night – 30 points, 14 assists – to key a double OT win. The crushing blow came late in the first overtime when Tyson Chandler’s dunk was knocked out of the basket by the center’s head, the two points negated.
A fragile team then blew a 17-point second-half lead in Atlanta the next night to fall 5 ½ games behind.
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5. Feb. 12, vs. Sacramento: Kings 106, Knicks 101 (OT)
Anthony called it “a must-win’’ as the contest served as the last game leading into the All-Star Break with rumors swirling Woodson would get fired with a loss. Woodson didn’t get canned and the Knicks didn’t win. Jimmer Fredette made sure of it, posting his career-high 24 points, busting them repeatedly from 3-point land. When Fredette got bought out last week, the Knicks passed, instead signing Shannon Brown.