All it took for the Knicks to actually win a game for once was to get a 20-point lead, squander it, and squeeze out the win in overtime. I want to make a joke about tanking here, and how they revved up their tank way too late to get a loss, but even horrible teams need a win here and there, and this was the Knicks’ best chance at one for the forseeable future. It’s easy to forget that even tanking teams (not like the Knicks are tanking; they just suck) are composed of real human beings who don’t really like to lose and put a lot of the self-image into being good at basketball. So congrats to them for the win. That has to feel good, after almost a whole month of nothing but losses.
Marcus Morris, to this point in the season, is about the only Knick who is able to hold his head high (Mitchell Robinson too, I guess). He’s not the reason that they can’t win a game. He’s the one shooting almost 50 percent from three and leading the team in scoring, he’s the one performing above expectations. If he keeps this up, there will be some playoff team willing to deal something of value for him at the trade deadline. I’d even take him on the Bucks. Maybe. Actually, probably not, because he’s way too edgy and intense. But if a different playoff team acquired him I’d be like “yeah, he’s good, he can play a serious role and bolster their championship chances”.
Sadly, Morris had a chance to tie his career-high with one final free throw, and he missed it. He had made all of them up to that point, and with a chance for glory, he choked. “Glory” being relative, because I don’t think anyone at all cared back when he scored 37 with the Pistons. Certainly, no one watched my video for it. And no one will watch this one either. Because as good as Morris is, he just doesn’t capture the nation’s attention.