Knicks fight valiantly but lose to Clippers

The Knicks played arguably their most entertaining game of the season, falling short to a better team but leaving with plenty to feel good about.

In a season full of referendums on the Knicks - first that put the front office on blast for their choices this summer, then that got David Fizdale axed, and most recently on Mike Miller and how real the Knicks' turnaround under his watch has been - Sunday's game against the Clippers felt like another one.

Not far removed from their best stretch of play this season but coming off a disappointing but not dispiriting loss to Phoenix, there was an eye on how New York would come out against the presumptive title favorites, especially after what was perhaps LA's worst performance of the season. Even with Kawhi Leonard resting, this would be a worthy test.

Well there the Knicks were, down only 3 with under 30 seconds to go after taking just about every punch the Clippers could deliver. It was an effort largely commensurate with what we've been seeing for a month now. With Paul George fouled out, it even looked like they could pull it out for a few brief, fleeting moments late.

But then Lou Williams - who seemingly didn't miss today - made a floater, putting the Clippers up by five and essentially sealing the game. Regardless, in what turned out to be a three-point loss, the Knicks had nothing to hang their head about today. 

Of course this game and this season have been nothing resembling what they hoped it would be in June, or even September. But that ship has sailed. Questions remain about the young players, the coach, and most importantly, the men guiding the front office and how they'll approach the next 30 days leading up to the trade deadline.

As they all should. Moral victories don't provide any answers, in pen or pencil. But you take what you can get.

Today, fans could take away a few things. Primarily, the Knicks prize rookie responded to perhaps the worst week of his young career with easily his best game of the season. 

It wasn't so much that RJ Barrett had 24 points on 11 shots, but how he went about getting them, putting his head down and bulldozing his way to the line 11 times, showing no fear of the place that has caused him so many headaches over the last three months. He knocked down 9 of those freebies, and looks to have skirted the rookie wall, at least for the moment. No one would argue that this is how he must play to be successful.

The star of the day, however, is someone fans are quite split over. Marcus Morris was impeccable, scoring a career high 38 points on an absurdly low 19 shots. Some feel he should not be traded under any circumstances. Others feel like New York should take the best deal they can get. If the Knicks' brass chooses the latter, the Clippers may just emerge as the highest bidder after today. He was that good.

And then there was Coach Miller, the man Knick fans have happily thrown their support behind since he took over. Afterwards, he predictably praised his team's heart, effort and grit. This is the same roster that routinely showed none of those things for David Fizdale. Simply put, Miller gives them a chance to win more often than not.

It wasn't perfect. Montrez Harrell - also a monster today - showed Mitchell Robinson that he has a ways to go before he's versatile enough to hang with the very best and most brutish. But even Robinson responded well with some nice defensive possessions in the second half, a reminder that his time might not be here yet, but it is coming.

There were also self-inflicted wounds. The Knicks missed their usual maddening allotment of free throws - 13 today - and got hit with four techs. They obviously loomed large with the final score.

But there was more good than bad, for today at least. Now New York will go out of the frying pan and into the fire to see if they can keep the momentum moving. Back to Staples they go, to face the Lakers, on Tuesday.

Another test awaits.