Elfrid Payton, Marcus Morris hoping to keep Knicks in fight
Knicks guard Elfrid Payton dribbles the ball upcourt during the first half against the Wizards at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Dec. 23, 2019. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
LOS ANGELES — Elfrid Payton was exhausted late Friday night, the last player left in the Knicks’ locker room after a long day in which he became a father for the first time.
He had flown cross-country to join his teammates, gotten to the arena 77 minutes before the opening tip and played well in a disappointing loss to the Suns.
But all he could think of as he sat at his locker was the math. Out loud he started figuring out numbers — the Knicks’ record, what it would have been if they could have held on for a victory and what it was now, and most important, how far out of the playoff picture the team was.
The numbers weren’t encouraging — six games out of the eighth and final playoff spot. The loss left the Knicks (10-25) in 14th place in the Eastern Conference, and it’s hard to imagine that they can harbor any sort of postseason fantasies.
“We’ve got to handle our business,” Payton said. “No one cares. No one cares what we’ve been through. We’ve got to come out and match or exceed other team’s energy and get some wins. This is a very important part of our season, a tough month. We’ve got to get it done. This could be our season, this month here.”
But that was why Payton got on a plane just hours after his daughter was born and flew on his own to Phoenix to join the Knicks just in time for the game (on Saturday, he headed home to be with his newborn daughter and is listed as questionable for Sunday afternoon’s game against the Clippers). Payton knew that as bad as their record is, entering the Suns game, the Knicks were 6-6 under Mike Miller and were playing better since Payton himself returned from a 17-game absence while rehabilitating a strained hamstring.
Payton also knew what any fan knew — that the game against the Suns might have been their best chance for a victory on the four-game road trip. With a three-game winning streak snapped, the Knicks now will face the Clippers (25-12), Lakers (28-7) and Jazz (23-12).
“I think it’s going to be fun,” Marcus Morris said. “It’s fun to see how we fare against two good teams, a challenge to our heart and a challenge to our togetherness. It’s going to be very fun, man. I’m excited.”
The Phoenix game included Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan along for the ride, sitting just a few rows behind the Knicks’ bench with team president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry.
The Knicks have benefited from an easier portion of the schedule in Miller’s time at the helm, but that will disappear this month. This trip is the sort that can break their season.
The run right now could determine just how much of a fire sale the Knicks will hold with a roster that includes seven free agents signed this past summer, six of whom are on expiring contracts.
Morris, in particular, has been a target of rumors. He has played well this season, and among the teams that might be interested are the title-contending Clippers.
“I’m a vet in this game, man,” Morris said. “That [stuff] doesn’t bother me anymore, rumors. Like I’ve said before, I’m in New York. I love being there. I’m excited to help get this turned around. I’m not paying that any mind. I’m focused on us and what we’ve got going on in this locker room.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
