Knicks somehow bungle their own tank job with stunning upset of Hawks
Everything was going according to plan.
The New York Knicks woke up Saturday morning with the inside track to land this year's first overall draft pick. All they had to do was lose their last three games, and they'd be assured the best odds (25 percent) of winning the draft lottery.
That shouldn't have been an issue. They'd lost 81 percent of their games on the season, and were playing zero of their opening day starters. They were running with a starting frontcourt of Cole Aldrich, Lance Thomas and Jason Smith. Phil Jackson was already licking his lips and dreaming about who he'd take with the No. 1 pick.
On Saturday night, in a game notable mainly for its unprecedented futility, Knicks shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. was briefly invaded by the spirit of J.R. Smith, and hit a game-winning triple to knock off the Orlando Magic.
That put the Knicks in a tie with the Minnesota Timberwolves for the NBA's worst record, which - if the records held - would leave top lottery odds to a coin flip.
Then Monday night happened. The Knicks traveled to Atlanta to take on the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks, who, despite having locked up the No. 1 seed, were playing four of their starters. Piece of cake.
Only, the Knicks missed the memo. Instead of rolling over, they played their tails off, catching the disinterested Hawks unawares and storming to an improbable 112-108 win.
Jason Smith had the game of his life, notching 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks. Langston Galloway poured in a game-high 26 points thanks to an unthinkable shooting performance that saw him hit 10-of-12 from the field and 6-of-6 from beyond the arc.
For fans of obscure NBA records, that tied the all-time mark for most 3-pointers made in a game by an undrafted rookie.
The Hawks' pride seemed to kick in late in the fourth quarter. They made a game push to save the Knicks from themselves, but came up short.
"I'm sure people are upset with us tonight," Knicks coach Derek Fisher said after the game, "but I don't think you can ever go out there and basically try and not play your best."
With the Timberwolves losing to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday, the Knicks are now a full game out of the NBA basement. The Wolves already have the last two No. 1 picks on their team. The Knicks may ultimately help them land a third.
Great win, though.