Knicks should embrace being just good enough for time being

In a perfect world, the walk-ons would have been on the floor, grinding out garbage time. In a perfect world, at a point in the Knicks schedule when they could use a laugher — against a team that had lost 40 of its first 48 games, a team that specializes in laughers — the starters would’ve already had towels draped over their legs, the page already turned to Tuesday and the Pelicans.

But things aren’t quite so perfect around the Knicks these days.

And this was turning into the most imperfect of nights for the Knicks, who let the Pistons stay in the game for 47 minutes and were about to absorb the worst loss of the season in the 48th. Old friend Quentin Grimes had made the go-ahead bucket — because of course he had — and suddenly the Pistons were up, 111-110 with 37.3 seconds left in the game.

The Garden was hushed but hopeful. Jalen Brunson dribbled upcourt. For two years, there have been few greater sources of comfort for any precinct of New York fans than the ball in Brunson’s hands, a game in the balance. But Brunson fired up a 3. It wasn’t close. Grimes saved the ball, pushed it toward teammate Simone Fontecchio.

Josh Hart stole the ball. He flicked it to Isaiah Hartenstein.

Twelve seconds left now.