It took a Lonzo Ball injury for him to get there, but Knicks rookie Kevin Knox tried to make the most of his appearance in Friday's Rising Stars game as part of the NBA's All-Star weekend. 

The 19-year-old played 16 minutes for Team USA, which defeated Team World, 161-144. Knox had 11 points, two rebounds and assist, going 5-for-9 from the field including 1-for-3 from 3-point range. Knox was tied for the second-fewest minutes on the team after playing in a back-to-back with the Knicks Wednesday and Thursday.

Kevin Durant's pending free agency has at least one NBA Hall of Famer scratching his head. 

Rick Barry, who won an NBA Championship with the Warriors in 1975, is absolutely baffled by the very thought of the Warriors All-Star leaving the franchise to potentially join the Knicks. 

"He has a chance to be part of something exceptional, something so special. Why would you want to leave that when you can have fun playing the game the right way?" he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News on Friday.

Duke freshman phenom Zion Williamson has posted impressive stat lines, thrown down electrifying dunks and wowed crowds with stunning blocks.

But LeBron James is most impressed with Williamson's attitude.

"Everybody gets so caught up in the game itself," James said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "I look at the intangibles. And he seems like he has great intangibles and seems like a great kid."

The Knicks got the taste of victory for the first time in a month and a half, defeating the Hawks on the road, 106-91, on Thursday night. >> Box score

Things to know about Thursday's game

1) This one felt different from the start with the Knicks getting off to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. They would finish with a solid 28-13 lead, which set the tone for the rest of this one. The Hawks would tie it up at 47 with 1:28 left in the second after an Omari Spellman three. But New York went into the half with the lead, and didn't lose it the entire second half.

The grim reality for New York Knicks fans is that their season truly continues on Tuesday, May 14, otherwise known as the day of the NBA Draft Lottery.

How the ping pong balls fall that evening will define the course of this franchise for years to come, and these last 25 games, though sure to be a slog of losses, will play a major role in shaping the Knicks' fate that evening. Here are the varied scenarios Knicks faithful should prepare for between now and when that first envelope is opened.

Currently, New York owns the worst record in the league at 10-47. The teams trailing in the tank-off but within reach are the Phoenix Suns at 11-48, Cleveland Cavaliers at 12-46, and Chicago Bulls at 14-44. The Atlanta Hawks were once a contender in Tank Bowl 2019, but rattled off five wins in six games in late 2018, and have since been regular terrible instead of Knicks terrible.

Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce wants to see his young team finish the first portion of the season strong.

The New York Knicks, who visit the Hawks on Thursday in their final game before the All-Star break, simply want a win.

The Knicks (10-47) have the worst record in the NBA and have lost 18 straight, a single-season franchise record and two short of the 20-game streak that spanned the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.

Celtics star Kyrie Irving can be a free agent after the season, and the idea that he could team up with fellow free agent Kevin Durant on the Knicks this summer has picked up steam since the Kristaps Porzingis trade cleared two max slots for New York. Here are the latest rumors...

Feb. 14, 12:47 PM:

The Celtics believe Klutch Sports, whose staff includes Anthony Davis' agent Rich Paul, spread rumors about Irving's potential interest in the Knicks after their blockbuster Porzingis trade cleared enough cap space for New York to land two max free agents, according to the New York Post's Justin Terranova.

Warriors star Kevin Durant can be a free agent after the season, and the idea that he could team up with fellow free agent Kyrie Irving on the Knicks this summer has picked up steam since the Kristaps Porzingis trade cleared two max slots for New York. Here are the latest rumors...

Feb. 14, 10:36 AM:

Ethan Strauss of The Athletic -- who Durant called out by name during his recent tense presser with reporters -- said during his podcast Thursday that "There is infrastructure being laid down in New York, for him to go to New York -- if we're just completely real about it."

Dennis Smith Jr. exchanged words with Ben Simmons during the Knicks' loss to the Sixers on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. After the game, Smith weighed in.

"He was just, you know, doing a lof of things that wasn't really related to basketball," Smith said. "He knows me . ... I'm just saying, just keep it hooping. If there's anything else, just let it be known. But other than that, just play basketball."

Smith and Simmons first got into it Wednesday when Kevin Knox posterized Simmons. After Knox rose over Simmons and threw down a ferocious dunk right in his face, Smith ran over and taunted him as Simmons was laying on the floor under the basket...

The matchup between the 76ers and Knicks Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden went as anyone would expect: A loss for the home team. Despite the Knicks having a fourth-quarter surge, the final 126-111 score was an outcome most would have seen coming even before both teams stepped on the hardwood. 

However, there was one matchup that Knicks fans had to love coming into this game -- Mitchell Robinson vs. Joel Embiid. 

Robinson, the Knicks' second-rounder that has seen a surge in production lately, did more than just hold his own against the All-Star center. While scoring 14 points (on a few lobs of course) and collecting 13 boards, Robinson also registered a game-high four blocks that included a couple forceful ones on Embiid.

The Knicks made a valiant effort to make a comeback, but the 76ers pulled away to beat New York, 126-111, at Madison Square Garden on Wednedsay night. >> Box score

Things to know about Wednesday's game

1) The Knicks had a poor effort on the defensive side of the ball in this one, as the Sixers shot 53.8 percent from the field. Joel Embiid and newly-acquired Tobias Harris cashed in the most, finishing with 26 and 25 points respectively. Embiid also had 14 rebounds to collect another double-double on the season. 

It looks like Sixers PG Ben Simmons didn't get the memo: When Kevin Knox is coming down the lane, don't jump.

Knox added another highlight to his rookie reel on Wednesday night, as he took a pass from DeAndre Jordan, streaked through the lane, and rose to dunk all over Simmons.

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE VIDEO

After the Knicks traded Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis two weeks ago, the team apparently is trying to distance itself from him so much that it doesn't feel the need to host Latvian Heritage Night.

The Knicks will no longer be holding the event, according to The Athletic. The celebration was originally scheduled for Feb. 24 when the Knicks host the Spurs.

Once DraftExpress' Jonathan Givony provided the world a glimpse at Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013, NBA teams which previously either weren't aware of "The Greek Freak" or didn't think much of him as a prospect were suddenly descending on Greece in droves. People from all levels of nearly every NBA front office were getting an up-close look at Antetokounmpo.

Only one team didn't make the trip, and it was none other than the Knicks, the revelation only making the sad-sack franchise look worse.

According to Giorgos Panou of Octagon Basketball Europe, the Knicks were the only club to not send anyone on a scouting trip to Greece to evaluate Antetokounmpo. Panou revealed this in a teaser clip for TNT's upcoming documentary "Finding Giannis."

On Monday night, the New York Knicks broke the franchise record for longest single-season losing streak.

On Wednesday, the Knicks may move another defeat closer to their all-time record -- while also getting a glimpse at an opponent that proves such struggles can lead to a positive end.

The Knicks will look to snap their epic skid Wednesday when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden.

New York's losing streak hit 17 games Monday night, when a late comeback bid fell short in a 107-104 defeat to the host Cleveland Cavaliers.

Enes Kanter has found a new home in the NBA. 

Kanter announced on Twitter that he has agreed to a deal with the Trail Blazers for the rest of the season. 

CLICK BELOW TO SEE THE TWEET

Zion Williamson was at it again Tuesday night.

The Duke men's basketball star, likely No. 1 NBA Draft selection and potential future Knick led the No. 2 Blue Devils to an epic comeback as they erased a 23-point second-half deficit to defeat No. 16 Louisville, 71-69. The second-half comeback was the largest of the Mike Krzyzewski era and the second-largest in program history.

The Knicks set a new franchise record with their longest losing streak (17 games) in franchise history after losing to the Cavaliers, 107-104, in Cleveland Monday night. >> Box score

Things to know about Monday's game

1) The Knicks came close to forcing overtime in this one, as Luke Kornet drained back-to-back threes to bring New York within one. He had a great look after a pump fake to take the lead, but was well short on another three. In the end, the Knicks had two chances to bury a three to send the game to overtime, but Dennis Smith Jr. and Kornet were off. 

The good news is that someone will have to win Monday night, when the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers play each other. The bad news is ... someone will have to win.

A valuable spot in the draft lottery may be at stake when the Cavaliers host the Knicks in a battle of teams engaged in the "race" for the No. 1 draft pick in June.

Both teams, appropriately enough, will enter Monday mired in the midst of epic skids. The Knicks tied a franchise record by suffering their 16th straight loss Saturday, when they fell 104-99 to the visiting Toronto Raptors. New York also suffered 16 straight losses during the 2014-15 season. >> Read More

The Knicks are currently losers of 16 straight games and have the worst record in the NBA with under half a season to play. This may be reason enough for some to tune out, but the team's collection of young talent now has a touch over two months to develop their game over extended NBA minutes.

Considering these neophytes make up the entirety of the Knicks' books beyond this summer, it's as good a time as any to get used to seeing them, especially with the team's future in their hands. Here are a few reasons to watch New York and its youngsters play out 2018-19:

Dennis Smith Jr., staying solid

The Knicks issued a statement about potential free agent Kevin Durant appearing in a photo the team was using to promote season ticket sales for the 2019-20 season.

"Game action photos are used all the time for marketing purposes, but given everything going on, we took precaution of taking the photo down," the Knicks said in a statement, according to the New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy. "To be clear, it was one of several rotating photos on the website."

Former Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek opened up about his two-year stint with New York, working with former team president Phil Jackson and how he struggled with the triangle offense for the first time.

Speaking on "The Woj Pod" with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Hornacek said he thought coaching the Knicks "was a great experience" and embraced the Madison Square Garden atmosphere.

However, Hornacek, who went 60-104 in two years before he was fired and replaced with David Fizdale, said his grasp of the triangle offense that Jackson won championships with the Chicago Bulls with didn't carry over.

Along with the decisions coming from pending free agents Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, and others, the decision Kawhi Leonard makes could have huge ramifications for the Knicks. 

The Knicks haven't been heavily connected to Leonard, but where he winds up could potentially have the biggest impact on the man rumored to be their main target -- Durant.

And if you were expecting Kawhi Leonard -- one of the quietest superstars ever -- to give away what he's thinking about his pending free agency, you should probably adjust your expectations.

The Knicks are expected to sign sharpshooter John Jenkins to a 10-day contract on Sunday, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Jenkins, who has spent most of this season with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, is finishing his 10-day contract with the Wizards on Sunday.

Before his recent stint with the Wizards, the 27-year-old Jenkins last played in the NBA for the Suns during the 2016-17 season.

It was hard fought, but the Knicks fell for the 16th straight game as the Raptors took them down, 104-99, at Madison Square Garden Saturday night. >> Box score

Things to know about Saturday's game

1) The Knicks got off to a hot start with a 14-3 run. However, the Raptors closed the first quarter with a 25-23 lead. New York made it close the rest of the way, regaining their lead at one point in the second. But Toronto, the second-best team in the Eastern Conference right now, would've let this one slip away. 

It was Saturday's best college basketball matchup when No. 2-ranked Duke visited No. 3 Virginia for a tough ACC matchup. But Duke, once again, came away with the victory, 81-71, as they continue to show their dominance this season. 

With LeBron James among those in attendance, Duke F Zion Williamson was doing it all on the hardwood. He drained 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 5-of-7 from the free throw line. He also collected five rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and three steals. 

The only knock on Williamson tonight was his five turnovers, as he was sloppy with the ball. However, he made up for it with plays like this one...

Since coming over in the blockbuster trade with the Mavericks, Dennis Smith Jr. has been the Knicks' entire offense. And that's not an exaggeration. 

After dropping 25 points the game before, Smith drained a career-high 31 against the Pistons on Friday night. He also had eight assists, as the young point guard hasn't been shy with his aggressive style of play. 

But Smith still wasn't happy despite setting a new personal best in points. He shot 11-for-19 from the charity stripe, which included five misses in the fourth quarter that allowed the Pistons lead to rack up. 

The Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks were both busy at the NBA trade deadline, albeit with entirely different goals in mind.

Both teams might move closer to their objectives Saturday night, when the free-falling Knicks host the Raptors at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks closed in on matching an ignoble record Friday night, when they absorbed their 15th consecutive defeat in falling to the host Detroit Pistons, 120-103. The Raptors earned their third straight win Thursday when they beat the Hawks in Atlanta, 119-101.

It was the same result between the Pistons and Knicks in this second leg of a home-and-home, as Detroit took down New York, 120-103, on Friday night. >> Box score

Things to know about Friday's game

1) Following up a 25-point game, Dennis Smith Jr. dropped a career-high 31 points on 9-for-15 from the field with eight assists and two rebounds as well. Smith also went 11-for-19 from the charity stripe, which he didn't seem happy about having given away eight free points. Either way, he has solidified himself as the Knicks' main source of offense since the Kristaps Porzingis trade. 

With thoughts of free-agent stars potentially finding their way to "The City That Never Sleeps," the current New York Knicks' cast will attempt to wake up from a persistent nightmare on Friday when it visits the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons (24-29) handed the NBA-worst Knicks (10-43) their 14th consecutive defeat and 22nd in 23 games on Tuesday with a 105-92 decision in the front end of the home-and-home set.

Blake Griffin scored 29 points, and Andre Drummond added 17 to go along with 16 rebounds as Detroit defeated New York for the fifth straight time and kept its hapless foe winless since its 119-112 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan 4. >> Read More

Knicks fans should know better than to put the cart in front of the horse, but with their team's summer plans revolving around Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it's worth looking at how they plan to surround the two with players that can aid them in a championship hunt.

The two alone won't make New York a leading contender in today's arms race among the league's best. Philadelphia and Golden State are four All-Stars deep, while the Knicks will likely have just five players on their roster come July 1.

Here's who they should try to retain and pursue once that time comes given Durant and Irving decide to sign on.

Pelicans star Anthony Davis has requested a trade, informing the team he has no interest in re-signing. With news of Davis wanting out came reports that the Knicks have strong interest in trading for him. Here are the latest rumors...

Feb. 7, 8:20 PM:

Davis will play the remainder of the season for the Pelicans, general manager Dell Demps said in a statement on Thursday. Demps said a number of factors contributed to the decision and New Orleans looks forward to seeing Davis in a Pelicans uniform again soon.

"Ultimately, Anthony made it clear to us that he wants to play and he gives our team the best opportunity to win games," Demps said. "Moreover, the Pelicans want to preserve the integrity of the game and align our organization with NBA policies. We believe Anthony playing upholds the values that are in the best interest of the NBA and its fans."

Kevin Knox is honored to bring his talent out of the Big Apple and showcase it on the national stage during All-Star weekend.

The 19-year-old rookie forward was added on Wednesday to play in the Rising Stars Game on Feb 15 in Charlotte. Knox received the nod as a replacement for Lakers' Lonzo Ball on the US team. The game features the game's top rookies and sophomores.

"It's a great accomplishment," Knox said. "My mom and dad will be out there too. Need to go out there and put on for the Knicks, but put on for the USA team as well. I feel very honored by it and just going to play hard."

With the NBA trade deadline officially closed, the Knicks will release C Enes Kanter and newly-acquired G/F Wesley Matthews. 

The Knicks made Kanter's release official in a press release, and he is likely to find a new team soon. The Celtics could be a fit for the disgruntled center, as Begley pointed out earlier this week.

"From the moment he arrived in New York, Enes passionately embraced our franchise and our city," GM Scott Perry said. "He is a courageous individual and we thank him for his many contributions both on the court and in the community. We wish him the absolute best moving forward, personally and professionally."

After the blockbuster trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks and made the possibilities for the summer of 2019 tantalizing, the Knicks remained silent all the way until the NBA trade deadline passed Thursday afternoon.

Here's what's next...

The Anthony Davis saga continues

The Knicks may be open to trading guard Wesley Matthews less than a week after he was included in the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster, and he could return to Texas if he is bought out.

Should New York buy out Matthews, who along with Dennis Smith Jr. and DeAndre Jordan joined the Knicks in last week's trade with the Dallas Mavericks, executives believe the Houston Rockets will have interest in signing him, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

Enes Kanter, unhappy with his playing time over the past few weeks, is to be released by the Knicks as the NBA trade deadline came to an end on Thursday.

And the Boston Celtics are expected to be interested in signing him when he's made available, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

Kanter, in the final year of a four-year, $70 million deal, has not played in six of the Knicks' last eight games due to head coach David Fizdale's shifting priorities. 

With under two hours remaining until the NBA trade deadline, the Knicks have received trade interest from the Denver Nuggets in forward Noah Vonleh, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.

The 23-year-old Vonleh, who is averaging 8.6 points and 8.5 rebounds in 53 games with New York this season, will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season after signing a one-year, $1.6 million deal with the Knicks last offseason.

Since being the No. 9 pick in the 2014 draft, Vonleh has averaged 5 points and 5.4 rebounds, spending time with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday night for the first time in over a week, Warriors star Kevin Durant ripped the media's recent coverage of him -- coverage where many speculated his silence had to do with the Knicks recently opening up two max free agency slots for this summer.

Durant had been largely silent since the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis, and recently went on a Twitter liking spree of users who were bashing an article that connected his silence to his pending free agency and the Knicks. 

When Durant broke his silence on Wednesday night, he didn't hold back...

Although Knicks fans may have had their trade fill following the Kristaps Porzingis blockbuster, there's still some time to go until the trade deadline with several possible directions for New York.

Here are a few of the directions they can go in by Thursday afternoon.

Anthony Davis

The college basketball world currently revolves around Zion Williamson, the Duke dynamo whose highlights have become must-see, especially for Knicks fans dreaming of seeing him call the Garden home.

But just how good of an NBA prospect is the 6-foot-7, 285-pound freshman? That question was explored in a Yahoo Sports report which sought the opinions of more than 12 observers. Though there's a great chance Williamson is selected No. 1 in this year's NBA Draft, whether he improves certain aspects of his game could determine whether he becomes a professional powerhouse or fails to live up to the hype.

Enes Kanter's not happy with his playing time, and the Knicks aren't going to play him much, if at all. So if Kanter is still on the team when Thursday's trade deadline passes, he could be leaving New York shortly thereafter. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday that buyout discussions between Kanter and the Knicks "are expected to begin" after Thursday's 3 p.m. deadline if a trade can't be worked out. 

We are very excited to announce that we have a new commenting platform that we'll be launching on Thursday.

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The look is slightly different than before and we've added some great, new features. You'll still be able to publish comments and follow conversations in real time. You'll continue to benefit from threaded conversations. And if you have notifications settings enabled, you'll receive emails alerting you when others reply to one of your comments or mention you.

The 76ers have reached out to the Knicks about trading for Wesley Matthews, reports Jon Johnson of SportsRadioWIP in Philadelphia.

The Knicks have been "exploring the trade market" for the recently-acquired Matthews, Marc Stein of The New York Times reported on Monday.

While the Knicks are attempting to trade Matthews, there are plenty of teams -- including the Rockets, Thunder, Raptors, and Warriors -- who are hoping the Knicks simply buy Matthews out so they can pounce, adds Stein...

There is one thing the Knicks have the rest of the NBA beat at, which is making money. 

For the fourth consecutive year, the Knicks are the top-valued NBA franchise, coming in at $4 billion in 2019, according to Forbes. 

It is an 11 percent spike from last year's $3.6 billion valuation and is tied with the Yankees as the second-most valuable franchise in all U.S. sports, trailing the Dallas Cowboys, which are valued at $5 billion.

There will be a Knicks player in the NBA's Rising Star Challenge after all. 

Kevin Knox was announced as a replacement for Lonzo Ball of the US Team for the Friday, Feb. 15 game consisting of rookies and second-year players that takes place during All-Star Weekend. 

Knox, 19, said last week that when he learned he was not going to participate in the game that he would use it as motivation.

The Los Angeles Clippers agreed to send Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic and Mike Scott to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Landry Shamet, Wilson Chandler, Mike Muscala, two future first round picks and two second rounders on Wednesday. 

It is a trade that directly impacts the Knicks in three ways:

The Kevin Durant to the Knicks rumors started flying before the season and have reached a fever pitch since the trade of Kristaps Porzingis freed two max slots for New York for the summer of 2019.

As Durant ducks the media in Golden State and league executives whisper that they expect him to bolt for the Knicks, is there another sign that KD could be Big-Apple-bound?

A Kevin Durant Charity Foundation (KDCF) billboard is up on East 11th street in Manhattan...

It has been almost a week since the Knicks traded Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks, yet more continues to come out about the details of his rocky relationship with the franchise. 

Per Marc Berman of The Post, Porzingis' brother/agent, Janis, wanted to have a bigger role with the Knicks, which included getting jobs within the organization for members of Porzingis' entourage. 

The Knicks had official positions for friends of Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire during their tenures in New York, but nothing was ever done for Janis' requests.