With 75 games behind them, including three straight losses to endanger their playoff positioning in the ever-tightening Eastern Conference, urgency officially has arrived for the Knicks.
The final seven games of the regular season begin with Thursday’s visit to the Garden by the dangerous Kings, who arrive with the same record (44-31) the Knicks have posted this season.
“Going down the stretch, we have to be ready to go on Thursday. Because it doesn’t get easier,” Donte DiVincenzo said after Tuesday’s loss to the Heat in Miami. “Everything’s close in the standings from [playoff spots] 3 to 7, or whatever it is. So we have to have more urgency and be ready to go on Thursday.”
The Knicks could have moved four games ahead of the No. 7 Heat with a win Tuesday night, all but ensuring the avoidance of the 7-10 play-in scenario.
Instead, they are now two games ahead of Miami and Indiana, although the Knicks control the season-series tiebreaker with the Heat.
No. 4 Orlando moved a half-game ahead of the Knicks with Wednesday’s win over New Orleans, while Indiana fell to the No. 7 spot with its loss to the Nets.
According to Tankathon, the Knicks have the hardest remaining schedule among that group — and the sixth-hardest overall in the NBA — with a .543 opponents’ winning percentage.
“It’s huge. I referenced what [Miami center] Bam [Adebayo] said the other day, and it’s true. Everybody has something to lose,” DiVincenzo added. “You look around the league, Milwaukee lost [Tuesday] to Washington. Everything becomes closer. So you can’t let up [in] games, where you know if you’re locked in and ready to go, this is a winnable game.”
As DiVincenzo noted, the Knicks’ previous two losses to the Spurs and the Thunder also “were winnable games at the end.”
But the Knicks fell behind by double digits in the first half of two of those losses, including Tuesday’s loss, something they will look to avoid against the Kings.
“I think we just have to have a level of focus, execution and urgency to start the game off,” DiVincenzo said. “If you look at our losses, it’s usually we’re starting late and then getting back into it. So I think if we start off better on Thursday, we will right the ship.”
The Knicks will play their 30th consecutive game without Julius Randle, and their 27th of 30 over that stretch without OG Anunoby since both players first left the lineup following their Jan. 27 game against the Heat.
They both have been ruled out once again for Thursday’s game, with Josh Hart (wrist) and Mitchell Robinson (ankle) also listed in the injury report as questionable.
“You just gotta find ways to win games. Every team has different challenges,” Tom Thibodeau said.
“Just get to the finish line strong. That’s the biggest thing,” Hart added. “Obviously, it’s a battle anywhere from the 3 seed to the eighth seed. Everyone in that realm is [within] three or four games.”
According to Jalen Brunson, the Knicks “are always in the fight, but we need to fight from the beginning” of games.
The All-Star point guard endured a rare off-night from the floor against the Heat, missing 13 of 18 field-goal attempts.
But he still finished with 20 points and 10 assists.
“Yes, when he’s shooting well, it’s easier. But when he’s not shooting well, he still makes the right play,” DiVincenzo said of Brunson. “We have enough on the team where Jalen can have an off-night shooting the ball, but he’s still gonna make the right play.
“We have other guys that can put up numbers and score and hold that for a game or two. It’s just when you dig yourself a hole, it’s that much harder to get back out.”
