New York Knicks Play The Blame Game In Philadelphia

Time is beginning to run out on the New York Knicks' playoff hopes after dropping another close game in Philadelphia.

In a too familiar position this season, the New York Knicks found themselves in another close game with their division rivals.

The Philadelphia 76ers executed down the stretch to once again pull out a clutch 105-102 victory against the Knickerbockers, overcoming a double-digit deficit.

Carmelo Anthony's game-winning shot last weekend didn't carry over to Philadelphia last night as he couldn't convert this time around. The frustrating loss added more controversy to the locker room as Anthony spoke to reporters, subliminally criticizing head coach Jeff Hornacek's lack of adjustments during games.

The 10-time All-Star struggled all night, scoring 18 points on 5-of-18 shooting from the field. A very frustrated Anthony went on to break down the missed 14-foot fading jump shot from his viewpoint with the MSG Network crew on hand.

As Anthony seemed to be focusing his attention on the coaching adjustments, starting point guard Derrick Rose put the blame squarely on his shoulders. Rose inexcusably missed a relatively easy layup in the final minute and immediately told MSG Network that the loss was on him.

The loss was critical in the Knicks' quest for a playoff spot as it dropped their record to 25-37 — 4.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for the final spot in the Eastern Conference. On the other side of the spectrum, New York is in an even better position to earn a top-10 pick in this summer's NBA Draft.

Anthony, however, in a quote in the New York Daily News, is not a fan of the "tanking" theory fans and media have been throwing at the team lately.

Anthony's words of inspiration and hopefully better shooting performances may not be enough for the Knicks to surprise the league and capture the eighth seed.

The national television matchup with the heavily favored Golden State Warriors coming off back-to-back losses will challenge the team's true destiny this rocky season.