Knicks' Record Losing Streak May Be Far from Over and Other Thursday Takeaways

The Houston Rockets obliterated the New York Knicks, 120-96, Thursday night to hand the Eastern Conference cellar-dwellers a franchise-record 14th straight loss.

Trotting out a starting lineup consisting of Jason Smith, Cole Aldrich, Tim Hardaway Jr., Jose Calderon and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks (5-34) were positively squashed by Houston's high-powered attack. 

With Carmelo Anthony sidelined due to knee soreness and J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert shipped off to Cleveland, head coach Derek Fisher was forced to motivate a ragtag group that included Langston Galloway (19 points), Travis Wear (21 points), Cleanthony Early (16 points), Quincy Acy (11 points) and Shane Larkin with a pep talk that Disney producers would have been proud of, as TNT's Rachel Nichols transcribed: 

All five of Houston's starters finished in double figures, and James Harden led the way with 25 points (8-of-17 shooting) and nine assists. The Knicks starters combined to score 26 points and drop nine dimes. 

After the game, Fisher explained to reporters why he turned to his D-League collective after the starters failed to hold up their end of the bargain, via The Wall Street Journal's Chris Herring:

Those horrifying numbers contributed to front-row Knicks faithful engaging in personal shaming:  

Unfortunately, it may be a while before those fans feel comfortable showing their faces at Madison Square Garden again.

Here's how the Knicks' upcoming schedule shapes up:  

Date	Opponent	Opponent Record
Jan. 10	vs. Hornets	14-24
Jan. 15	at Bucks	19-18
Jan. 19	vs. Pelicans	17-18
Jan. 21	at Sixers	5-29
Jan. 23	vs. Magic	13-25
Jan. 24	at Hornets	14-24
Jan. 26	vs. Kings	15-20
Jan. 28	vs. Thunder	17-19

Just one of those opponents (Milwaukee) owns a winning record. And while the Charlotte Hornets have ripped off four consecutive victories, they're certainly beatable given the havoc injuries have wreaked on their depth. But it would be foolish to consider the Knicks anything close to favorites in either of those contests. 

The obvious game worth circling for fans of masochism is the Knicks' tilt with the Philadelphia 76ers on Jan. 21. After returning from a Jan. 15 London calling against the Bucks, New York will square off against their Atlantic Division foes in a gripping showdown with plenty of ping pong balls at stake. 

However, it would be unreasonable to prematurely chalk that game up as a New York win, particularly since the Sixers have been slightly less futile over the past month or so. 

Since the Knicks' 101-95 win against the Boston Celtics on Dec. 12, the Sixers have posted a record of 3-10, while New York has failed to make any headway in the win column.

And if advanced stats are any indication, we should be in for a doozy. According to NBA.com, the Knicks and Sixers have recorded league-worst net ratings of minus-16.0 and minus-14.7 points per 100 possessions, respectively, during that span. 

If Fisher's club wants to avoid a showdown of horribly futile proportions, it will have a chance to snap this unprecedented losing streak Saturday at 1 p.m. ET against the Hornets.  

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Kemba Pushes Hornets Past Raptors

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The Charlotte Hornets captured a fourth straight win as they defeated the Toronto Raptors, 103-95. Toronto has now lost four straight, including all three since the start of 2015. Miraculously, the Hornets now sit just two games out of the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed. 

Kemba Walker shredded Toronto to the tune of 29 points (12-of-25 shooting), eight assists and seven rebounds and has now dropped at least 20 points in six of his past eight outings. 

Charlotte's victory was particularly impressive because it was without the services of Al Jefferson (groin), Cody Zeller (shoulder), P.J. Hairston (illness) and Lance Stephenson (hip). 

Blazers Blow By Heat

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Thanks to a 33-16 third-quarter scoring advantage, the Portland Trail Blazers dispatched the Miami Heat, 99-83, behind 24 points and 12 rebounds from LaMarcus Aldridge. 

Wesley Matthews added 18 points (6-of-10 shooting, 3-of-5 from three) and five assists as the Blazers improved to 17-3 at home. Although Damian Lillard scored just 16 points on 6-of-17 shooting, Blazers PR noted he's joined some elite company from beyond the arc: 

The Heat, meanwhile, have lost seven of their last 10 games and lead the Indiana Pacers by a mere 1.5 games for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot. 

Dwyane Wade totaled 23 points and seven rebounds but the Heat shot just 37.7 percent from the field and 21.4 percent from three in the loss. 

Deron Williams Down and Out

Deron Williams was officially diagnosed with a fractured rib Thursday after he was forced to leave Wednesday's 89-81 loss to the Boston Celtics after just four minutes of action. 

The Nets confirmed the news in a press release, saying, "Brooklyn Nets guard Deron Williams has been diagnosed with a fracture of the cartilage portion of the left 12th rib following an MRI today, General Manager Billy King announced."

Williams is officially without a timetable to return but will be re-evaluated by medical personnel in one week, according to the team. 

Jarrett Jack now emerges as a key cog for the Nets, although he's appeared capable of handling the load at point guard. Over his last 10 games, Jack is averaging 15.3 points, 5.3 assists and 1.2 steals while shooting 47.2 percent from the field. 

Byron Scott Rips into Lakers

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After getting shellacked by the Los Angeles Clippers, 114-89, Wednesday night, Lakers head coach Byron Scott had some harsh words for his sputtering Purple and Gold.

"We were soft," Scott said of his team, according to ESPN.com's Baxter Holmes. 

"He said the same thing I said. He just didn't use a toilet paper analogy," Kobe Bryant said of Scott's rant, according to Holmes. 

Owners of the league's 29th-ranked defense, according to NBA.com, the Lakers are now allowing opponents to score 109.8 points per 100 possessions following Wednesday's embarrassment. L.A. also ranks 27th in foes' field-goal percentage at the rim (55.1) and 25th in opponents' paint points per game (45.2), per TeamRankings.com. 

The Lakers will have a shot at redemption when they host the Orlando Magic at 10:30 p.m. ET Friday evening. 

Rudy Gobert Pines for a Starting Gig

The Utah Jazz have won five of their last eight games thanks in part to the resurgent play of physical specimen Rudy Gobert. 

Starting Utah's last three games in place of the injured Enes Kanter (ankle), Gobert is averaging 11.5 points, nine rebounds and 4.5 blocks since the calendar flipped to 2015. 

With his numbers backing up his words, Gobert discussed his desire to start following Utah's 97-77 thrashing of the Chicago Bulls Wednesday night. 

"Of course I want more," Gobert said, according to The Salt Lake Tribune's Aaron Falk. "It’s obvious that I want to start, so I just try to get better on the court and help my team."

Gobert may be fighting an uphill battle to start once Kanter returns, but with the Turkish big man set to hit restricted free agency this summer, Utah's beloved Frenchman should be in line for a significant bump in playing time sooner rather than later.