It’s not so much the losses, which have come on a much more regular track lately than at any other point this season. These are the kind of losses. That’s how the losses happened. If the Knicks had their doors blown out and rushed out of the gym night after night, it would be almost easier to explain.
Almost all paired them for 22 wins; they already have 25.
Just about everyone believed that they would play the string now, and count down the days to the draft, to free agency, to a recalibration of the roster; Instead, they walked into TD Garden on Wednesday night to tie with the Celtics, who only played in the Eastern Conference final a year ago. It speaks as much to Boston’s fight as the Knicks’ surprises, but the point is the ultimate truth-teller.
And so do final scores.
This time, the scoreboard cost told the story of Celtics 101, Knicks 99, another big loss, contributed to a growing stack of it. Just the past 23 days, the Knicks have lost by 3 points and by 1 point against the 76ers; to the Nets at 5 and at 2, to the Timberwolves at 1. Now the Celtics are at 2. They are 2-8 in games decided by three points or less.
It’s amazing, and it’s awful.
This is a sure sign of progress; it’s a sure sign of how far they still have to go.
“We work every day to form winning habits,” said Tom Thibodeau, perhaps half an hour after the Celtics beat a game ahead of their Knicks in the East and their two games for the first time since 0.55 (25- 27) dropped. 23 February.
“We try to do the right things and understand what it means to win, analyze and learn, and you want to learn from every game.”
The coach would never have been able to do that, not even with a big swallow of truth serum, but getting to the playoffs has always been a side issue for this year. The most important thing was to formulate the positive momentum after almost two solid decades of the train in the other direction.
It happened. The Knicks play defense every night. They refuse to be intimidated on nights when they are outclassed from a talent standpoint – which despite the record and despite the absence of Boston’s Kemba Walker, was certainly the case Wednesday.
The hope was that Julius Randle’s talent under Thibodeau could be maximized; there is no debate about it. There was hope that RJ Barrett would improve in his 20-year season, and it became an even bigger reality and an even brighter surprise. Barrett actually plays himself in the conversation as the most improved player in the entire league, and the progress starts to show him every night.
“He came about with the right attitude,” Thibodeau said, “and it paid off.”
This is all true. Nor does it diminish the growing frustration when winning matches against good teams go the other way. If you prefer, you can take comfort in knowing that the Knicks are light years ahead, where even ardent optimists believed they would be in the second week of April. That doesn’t change the aggravation of allowing a seven-point lead to evaporate in the fourth quarter. Neither should it.
And that does not change the fact that the conclusion of the agreement during such games is part of the progress – and it also leaves, after it is credible and has demanded competitiveness. Those elements are there. The last part is to find a way to close. That trick still lies ahead.
“We have to realize where we are every night,” Thibodeau said. ‘Someone is playing for something, fighting for something, the intensity is increasing. We need to understand that we need to respond to it. I’m sure we will. ”
Barrett (29 points, 6-for-6 out of 3) said: ‘Everyone plays for something. We are too. We need to keep bringing that intensity. ”
Thibodeau’s methods left a mark – “This is the NBA,” said Barrett, his star student. “And we have another Friday, we have to focus and go get one” – and now there’s another hurdle for this issue of the Knicks to negotiate. At some point, closing is no longer the goal. Closing is.