The Knicks Complete Their First Three-Game Losing Streak Of The Season

Well, it had to happen eventually, although I never imagined that our Knickerbockers could be so thoroughly humiliated three nights in a row, twice on their own home court. Granted, they are currently battling numerous injuries and were playing two of the best defensive teams in the NBA, but the fact remains that the only thing worse then their defense of late has been their offense. Read more about this ugly, ugly game after the jump.

This game was eerily similar to the Knicks loss at Indiana on Thursday night. Though our boys in white managed to raise their field goal percentage for the game to a scorching 41.1%, this was mostly due to a garbage-time-turned-comeback push led mostly by Carmelo and his strangely silent 39-point game. For the first three quarters, the Knicks shooting percentage once again stayed below 35%, and once again their three-point prowess that was so formidable at the beginning of the season seems to have abandoned them.

And again, the Knicks proved that even with Melo, they cannot handle the Rose-less Bulls. Once again, they switched on every screen, and consequently got burned pretty much every single time down the floor. Carmelo eventually had the game that Knicks fans were expecting out of him coming off his suspension (39 Pts, 8 Reb, 5 Ast, 1 Stl, 1 Blk) his 1-11 start set the pace, as did his "matador defense" (patent trademark Walt "Clyde" Frazier) on Luol Deng, who once again managed to make every and any shot he decided to shoot.

Of course, Carmelo can hardly be blamed by the mid-season tailspin the Knicks seem to reveling in. Jason Kidd continues his decent through the purgatory of mediocrity and seems to have aged about thirty years in the last three games. Posting only the second no-point, no-assist game of his entire 18-year career...I just read that he in fact only had one turnover. I've got to say, watching the game, I could have sworn it was closer to 20. He seems to have lost all confidence in himself as a dribbler, passer, shooter, or any other useful part of his old man game. He continues to do his patent up-fake at the three-point line, though he perhaps drew too many teeth to the skull, for he seems terrified to draw any contact at all anymore.

And credit where credit's due, the Bulls shut down JR, Tyson, Amare, Copeland, Novak and just about anyone else not named James White on the Knicks roster. Add to that the fatigue from the second night of a back-to-back and I can safely say that I am only mildly-to-moderately terrified for things to come.

Some questions I welcome anyone to answer in the comments sections: when was the last time Melo started at four? What has happened to Ronnie Brewer? Is he still alive or has he been replaced with a Ronnie Brewer-dummy to sit on the bench and wear headbands?

The optimist in me, the man who basked in the glory of Linsanity and waited with baited breath on the arrival of Amar'e and his new, cartilage-free knees says that this is just a momentary lull in an otherwise spectacular season, that Rasheed, Camby, Felton, and of course Shump (SHUMP!!!) will be back within the month and life can resume its natural course where puppies and unicorns prance about at halftime and the Friday Night Knicks curse is only a fairy tale. The embittered, manic-depressive Knicks fan of years past in me knows that this is just the newest in a long line of heartbreaks that our boys in blue and orange have made us live (and die) through, and pours another drink. Only time will tell at this point. All you can do is take a moment to bow your head and pray to whatever deity you happen to believe in that a trip to the UK, where Melo destroyed Olympic records and Tyson roared at soccer hooligans, is exactly what this team needs to get its mojo back. Amen.

A little something to ease the pain. Or, if you prefer, use to convince your children that the boogeyman is real and waiting for them if they don't eat their vegetables. Good night, all.