Knicks vs. Pacers: How New York Collapsed in Terrible Loss to Indiana

The New York Knicks have had some bad losses this season, but after blowing a 15-point, fourth-quarter lead against the Indiana Pacers, it's safe to say the 112-104 loss was the worst of their season.

At one point during the third quarter, the Knicks were cruising and it looked like it was going to be a blowout.

New York led by as many as 17 points before Indiana rode Danny Granger en route to a 40-17 fourth quarter that put the Knicks away.

Carmelo Anthony led the Knicks with 39 points and 10 rebounds.

As dominant as Anthony was during this game, it was his dominance that slowed the team's offense down and led to their stagnation.

Indiana's perimeter shooting picked up in the last period, and Granger dropped 14 of his 27 on New York with the help of three three-pointers.

He even mimicked Steve Novak's "Discount Double-check" gesture to add insult to injury.

As much as the MSG Network's analysts wanted to make it out to be a case of a tired team blowing a lead late, I have to disagree. 

I think it was a mixture of fatigue and complacency.

The Knicks seemed to ease up after gaining a big lead and didn't look like the same team that dominated the second and third quarters.

It certainly wasn't the effort of a team coached by Mike Woodson.

They depended too much on one man—Anthony—and stopped looking for the best shot on the floor.

Turnovers were costly down the stretch and, defensively, the Knicks weren't swarming with as much intensity as they were earlier in the game.

Landry Fields had a strong first quarter, with 10 points, and finished with 15 overall. His perimeter game looked as good as it has all year, and the Knicks will need that moving forward if they want to make the playoffs.

Frustration set in late in the game when J.R. Smith got tied up with Leandro Barbosa and ended up shoving him to the ground.

Smith was immediately tossed from the game.

This was an extremely tough loss to swallow, and New York squandered a great opportunity. 

The Knicks have a very difficult schedule over the final 12 games, and this one against the Pacers was one of the more winnable games on the list.

We may revisit this game at the end of the season if the Knicks miss out on the playoffs in 2012.