Frank Ntilikina raced upcourt on a fast break late in the first half Monday afternoon. As a defender closed in, he put the ball behind his back, softly flicking it to Enes Kanter to finish off the break.
As the Garden crowd applauded, it came with a disclaimer. This one moment in a 127-109 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, in which the Knicks were steadily manhandled, was a rare highlight in game nearly devoid of reasons for the home crowd to cheer. And it also came with the reminder that those two players could be part of the “Once a Knick, always a Knick” crowd, potential trade chips before the Feb.