Nova Prime

On the same night the New York Knicks found out that Julius Randle's season was officially over, they could've rolled over and phoned it in. And for a while there against the Sacramento Kings, it looked as if they were about to do just that. They trailed the Kings 39-20 early in the second quarter at the Garden. Losers of three straight, they were well on their way to their fourth.

But then this incredibly resilient, but undermanned, group of athletes found an inner resolve and refused to lose. They outscored the Kings 100-70 the rest of the way to improve their record to 45-31. The victory allowed them to keep pace with the Orlando Magic, who had beaten the New Orleans Pelicans the night before.

Leading the way for the Blue and Orange was the awesome threesome from Villanova: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart. The three combined for 87 of New York's 120 points. But though Brunson led all scorers with 35 points, it was Hart's 31 that proved the most consequential. Hart has been coach Tom Thibodeau's Swiss army knife all season long. His versatility has allowed Thibs to play him at either the 2, 3 or 4. Not noted for his scoring prowess, last night's production was sorely needed and much appreciated by his teammates.

Indeed, while Brunson continues to prove his detractors wrong, amid the chants of "MVP," it's the production of DiVincenzo and Hart that have allowed this Knicks team to flirt with second place in the Eastern Conference, even after Randle and OG Anunoby went down at the end of January. And any hope they have of winning a round or two in the postseason will hinge on how well these three incredibly talented players perform. 

Thibodeau's decision to ostensibly go with four guards in his starting lineup the last few games is a tacit admission by him that he realizes the Knicks don't have an ice cube's chance in hell with a more conventional starting lineup. Let's face it: Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks have both been busts since their arrival from Detroit. The only bright spot is that at least Leon Rose didn't part with any of his first round picks to land them. But their failure to produce offense has forced Thibs to run his guards ragged. The other night in Miami, they looked gassed. How much longer he can afford to do this remains to be seen.

The good news for the Knicks is that of their remaining six games, three are against the Chicago Bulls and one is against the Brooklyn Nets. A record of 49-33 is certainly doable and just might be enough to secure the 4th seed in the East, which would give them the home court against the Magic. Who knows, if Anunoby makes it back in time for the playoffs, a deep run could still be in the offing.

It's nice to dream, isn't it?