Knicks find new level of toughness to tempting statement gain

Once in a while across the endless basketball winter you get one you need to circle, the better to remind yourself later. Then circle this one. Use your brightest red pen. Circle it again. Put it away in a drawer somewhere.

And maybe return to it in a few months when it is 30 degrees warmer outside when it will feel 80 degrees warmer inside Madison Square Garden, when there may be a serious moment that somehow becomes lost, a annoying setbacks that are morphiced to an advancing success.

“We were in a funk,” said Karl-Anthony Towns, “and then we found a way to fight, fight, fight. And found a way to win. “

Knicks were 0-8 at home when they lost at half, and then found 11 after three for the electric, elastic rockets. The garden was unsuccessful. Knicks had received relatively good news about and Anunoby’s foot a few hours before, but the fact is that he was still absent and is likely to be a little. The rockets were also short. But after a foggy no show by Knicks on Saturday against Lakers on national TV, this looked like a bookend Buzzkill of a night at the big fitness center at the top of Penn Station.