NEW YORK – The ultimate seconds of the sport had been ticking off the clock when Jalen Brunson drove the basket towards two Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder defenders, made the powerful layup after which crashed to the courtroom whereas the Madison Sq. Backyard crowd erupted in euphoria.

Brunson’s bucket, which got here with some uncalled contact by the Thunder, handed the Knicks a one-point lead with 4.1 seconds left. A wild sport seemed like it might end within the Knicks’ favor.

Then Thunder MVP-candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a three-pointer from the left nook on the opposite finish to place OKC again on high with 2.1 seconds left.

These Backyard cheers turned to groans.

The Knicks referred to as timeout. They then had 1.1 seconds left, and bought the ball to Brunson, who couldn’t drain the shot as time expired.

What almost was an inspiring Knicks victory as an alternative become a irritating 113-112 loss, the Knicks’ second in a row.

The Knicks at one level held a 10-point lead. They could not maintain it.

Brunson completed with 30 factors on 11-of-25 taking pictures (4-of-11 from lengthy distance) whereas Deuce McBride had 19 factors and Isaiah Hartenstein added 17.

A giant downside all evening for the Knicks?

Free throws.

They missed 11 of them, pricey in a one-point loss.

” This sport — they’re good,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau stated. “They’re sitting on high of the West. We’re a basket away from successful the ball sport, and so Alexander’s shot goes out, we’re sitting right here speaking about an entire completely different narrative. And so, it didn’t, we’ve bought to regroup, go all the way down to Miami and we’ve bought to prepare for that. And that’s the mindset I would like us to have. We’ve bought a resilient group, tough-minded. Typically you get knocked down. You’ve bought to get again up. You’ve bought to battle.”

So now the Knicks, sitting within the No. 4 seed within the Jap Convention, flip the web page as April begins.

How this group finishes the common season and the way they appear within the playoffs is the massive query.

“We simply bought to be targeted, bought to proceed to organize, and we will not simply flip it on as soon as the playoffs begin,” Brunson stated. “So clearly we’re in an honest place however we will not get comfy. That must be our mindset going ahead.”

The Knicks have eight video games remaining, beginning with Tuesday’s contest towards the Warmth in Miami. 4 of these remaining video games are towards groups with sub.-500 information – three towards the Chicago Bulls and one towards the Brooklyn Nets.

In addition they must play the Bucks and the Celtics on the street.

In addition they nonetheless aren’t absolutely wholesome.

The Knicks had been nonetheless with out OG Anunoby and Julius Randle Sunday, and it’s unclear when both of them will return.

Randle, recovering from a dislocated shoulder, has not but been cleared for contact in observe.

“I feel that’s how we have now to method it, that these guys aren’t coming again and clearly we’ll be pleasantly shocked if they arrive again,” Josh Hart stated. “I’m not in these medical conversations or something like that. … However we’ve bought to method it each sport and the tip of this season that these guys aren’t coming again and in the event that they do be pleasantly shocked.”

The Knicks had been additionally with out middle Mitchell Robinson, who tweaked his left ankle in Friday’s extra time loss to the San Antonio Spurs – simply his second sport again after recovering from surgical procedure on the identical ankle.

These Knicks have proven loads of instances this season simply how good they are often, how powerful and gritty and feisty they are often.

They’ve additionally had loads of powerful losses to lament.

The common season is winding down.

Which Knicks group will present up for the video games that stay and into the playoffs?

We’re about to seek out out.