Error 0:
DENVER — Even president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry underestimated what point guard Elfrid Payton brought to the table upon his return.
Otherwise, just maybe, Knicks braintrust would have held off before firing coach David Fizdale nine days ago following their 37-point loss to Denver.
That marked Payton’s rusty return from a 17-game absence. The Knicks fell to 4-18. In his first minute, Payton hit Mitchell Robinson for a nice alley-oop but then committed four turnovers in limited duty.
The Knicks (6-20) face the mighty Nuggets (15-8) in a rematch Sunday to conclude their four-game West Coast trip.