NEW YORK _ David Fizdale has pleaded and preached to the Knicks the need for the team to play 48 minutes with intensity. And if they weren't going to, at least he was. So when the team came off the floor midway through the fourth quarter, a huge early lead evaporated and now trying to keep the wheels from falling off completely, Fizdale greeted the team as they came to the bench.
Before letting them take a seat, he animatedly screamed at them, one by one, imploring them. But no strong words or motivational speeches were enough for an overmatched Knicks team to avoid losing their fifth straight game, this one a 101-95 defeat to the 76ers at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are 4-15.
The Knicks did at least put up a fight. But it wasn't enough to get a win. With 3:16 to play and the Knicks trailing by three, Philadelphia's Ben Simmons and the Knicks' Marcus Morris got tangled up, crashing to the floor. Simmons was called for the foul and as Morris moved to get up, he kneed Simmons in the head. But the officials didn't call that, sending Morris to the line, where he made it a one-point game.
