OKLAHOMA CITY – Oh no!
Forty-eight hours after shutting down the NBA champs, the Knicks self-destructed in the plains against the league’s worst team.
In a disastrous defeat to kick off a four-game southwestern trip, the Knicks rallied from 23 points down, slicing the deficit to two points in the fourth quarter. But the Thunder survived, 107-99, at thunderously loud Ford Center.
That great Garden, high-energy defense the Knicks (13-20) displayed Sunday got lost on the plane ride to Oklahoma. This southwest journey has 0-4 written all over it – with powerful trio of Dallas (20-13), Houston (21-14) and New Orleans (20-10) on tap.
And after this terrible loss to the 5-30 Thunder, the one the Knicks had to win on this trip, there was more giggling going on in the Knicks’ locker room than sour faces.
“It’s taking steps back, especially losing to those guys,” Al Harrington said. “No disrespect to them, but we’re in a different place than those guys.”
What different place? The Thunder boast three young studs the Knicks wish they had. Second-year stars Kevin Durant and Jeff Green battered the Knicks with 27 points apiece, and rookie point guard Russell Westbrook, whom the Knicks targeted in the draft, finished with 22 points and nine assists.
“You can’t go down by 23 and think you can win,” Mike D’Antoni said. “Things have to go too perfect. We lost it in the first half because we didn’t come out and play with energy. We didn’t come out and get into them.”
The Knicks awoke too late, cutting a 23-point deficit to 93-91 with 8:21 left after scoring on 13 of 14 possessions. Then, as it happens after desperate rallies, they ran out of gas.
The Knicks missed their last six field goals, including a hideous 24-second violation with 3:11 left when Nate Robinson threw up a disastrous brick that missed the rim.
The limp ending confirmed D’Antoni’s concerns the Knicks still don’t have a clutch go-to scorer in the final minutes. They are 27th in the league in fourth-quarter scoring.
The Knicks also had no fight on the glass, losing the rebound battle 46-35.
“If we played with that type of intensity from Sunday, we would’ve won by 30 points tonight,” said Harrington, who finished with 21 points but just two in the final quarter.
One of the Knicks’ building blocks, Robinson sparked part of their surge but then continued his recent shooting slump. He finished 4-of-18 and 0-of-7 from 3-point land.
“Everyone knows I work too hard on my jump shot to miss like that,” said Robinson, whose shooting a dreadful 25-of-86 the past six games. “I have to get out of it. I’m way better than keep missing the shots I’m missing.”
Nobody defended last season’s Rookie of the Year Durant, who made eight of nine shots in the first half and was 11-of-16 total while grabbing 12 rebounds.
“When you’re on the bottom, I don’t how you take anyone lightly,” D’Antoni said before the game. “If that’s a problem, we have to change the structure.”
Down 102-97, Robinson was fouled on a drive with 1:01 left and made both free throws to cut it to a three-point game. But Westbrook penetrated and made a brilliant bounce pass to Desmond Mason for a reverse layup and a 104-99 lead.
Robinson then missed a runner, David Lee missed the follow and Durant got the rebound and was fouled. Durant made both free throws with 29.8 seconds left to clinch it at 106-99.
“Bad loss,” Robinson said. “It’s a disappointment for us – a game we should win, coming after a big win like Boston and having a letdown like this.”
Thunder 107 Knicks 99