Trailing Knicks show no depth in listless 122-115 loss to Spurs

The Knicks entered Thursday night's game without Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin.

[{"selector":"#anim-6aab5610-49a0-4795-a51e-af8d6a508799","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-337145fe-18d1-4da8-8f1f-fa144d6930b6","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-91d043a5-cfdb-41e6-9bde-02c322f7f204 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.550014736559149%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

they've been going through an 11-23 Spurs squad without their second-highest scorer,

[{"selector":"#anim-90e4236a-ebfd-4937-990f-6bf2a484b156","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-13fd417a-fff0-4f62-bea5-cfa163001b54","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-30fc0bde-f7bd-4ae6-9bb9-6ff5b5e3cde7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

it seemed like a useful matchup to extend a shorthanded loss. Until it wasn't. The Big Apple came out flat,

[{"selector":"#anim-faa9370e-ebe1-4d14-8a2c-dee5ed91739b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ac06131-a842-47f3-ae8a-2526a9a102c4","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12606fb9-db01-4380-805b-4ad2bc584448 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(4.165000265120273%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

they hadn't fully recovered from their heartbreaking out-of-regulation loss to the Mavericks on Tuesday.

[{"selector":"#anim-625d1c6d-694e-4ced-b8f1-40e4f5c51a07","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-114.9847%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-576cc67e-d47f-4c82-803b-e95214aedc56","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cc294824-b6b7-4aca-b3fc-73190d33545e [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

They gave up 38 points in the first zone to a team ranked 22nd in the league in consistent points in the game and 27th in true shooting percentage.

[{"selector":"#anim-a834ce2b-3132-4401-aef1-f1c46f9f50b1","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0266c412-1253-4a15-9214-3e0321a4d995","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7738c725-112c-4454-a809-5aebe2b46c21 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Despite a few offensive runs and an early try back inside the fourth box, the Big Apple never got a game together

[{"selector":"#anim-2c8dac98-efa6-47e2-9a96-c312974ec3fd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-111.25402%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bff27a30-ce2b-4972-8c6e-3d24129f846e","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b30c832b-7b24-47f2-b10f-120bf1a01979 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

the defensive try continued to be a problem throughout the course of the contest.

[{"selector":"#anim-4fc19523-abe5-46db-b09a-0bb519e34688","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ab2cdae6-4a92-4c45-8b33-bb8783ac4cfd","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-845794fc-d698-4afa-9570-5224170f3bca [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Part of that is due to the way Tom Thibodeau handled his rotation. The effect may be visible on the bumper.

[{"selector":"#anim-3deb7fb6-23f9-460a-901a-a46c11a32bd6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8446140f-64ab-4c79-ad20-e0c159643573","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bde3e343-7764-4eb0-ae0e-c1fbbd564ea0 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-3.085714294380832%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

NEED MORE STORIES

[{"selector":"#anim-d3f9085c-36f4-450a-bc42-506e9fd29130","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-115.75562%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .8, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-900c21e6-21be-4e07-b6d4-0056a1f9c21f","keyframes":{"transform":["rotateZ(-180deg)","rotateZ(0deg)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.2, 0, .5, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e4de2b10-b071-4c1d-af8b-b5aa47f69725 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(15.550014736559149%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] Learn more