Knicks’ latest loss to Celtics has silver lining — but it might be a hollow consolation

For a couple of minutes there, there was a whiff of belief circulating through Madison Square Garden. Maybe it was fool’s gold. Or maybe it was something else. The final score — Celtics 119, Knicks 117 (OT) — would suggest the former. The life inside the building as the Knicks finally punched back against Boston would hint at the latter. 

With some luck, we’ll find out for real soon enough. 

For now, this is a bitter loss for the Knicks, who twice led by three points in the dying minute of regulation before committing two cardinal sins. On the first — fouling Jayson Tatum from behind the arc, up 3 — they were spared when Tatum made only two out of three, and then Jalen Brunson found Josh Hart for a 107-104 Knicks lead with 11.2 seconds left. 

On the second — failing to foul Tatum rather than allowing him to launch the 3 that tied the game at 107 with 2.9 seconds to go after he’d stepped inside the arch, than dropped back — they weren’t so lucky.