Whether you believe the Knicks are a bunch of feisty overachievers or real contenders, it’s hard to argue that when they took the floor at Madison Square Garden Wednesday night it was as close to a playoff game as the struggling franchise has seen in seven years.
With a seven-game winning streak, facing an Atlanta Hawks team holding the fourth-seed in the Eastern Conference a half-game ahead of the Knicks, the Knicks had the chance to make a statement. A win would put them in position for a home port in the opening round of the playoffs and prove that they are something more than just a nice underdog story.