Quizzical Season: Think You Know the Knicks?

Photographs by Barton Silverman/The New York Times

Top left to right: Amar'e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony, J. R. Smith and Mike Woodson.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — The atmosphere felt familiar Thursday morning at the Knicks' training facility. For the 19th time this season, the Knicks reconvened to talk about another defeat. Several players, including Carmelo Anthony, did not practice because of injuries, and that felt familiar, too.

In the wake of Wednesday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden, where the team was blown out (again) and the fans booed (again), Coach Mike Woodson somehow summoned the energy to talk about an important opportunity this week: back-to-back games against the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors, who will visit the Knicks on Friday before hosting them Saturday. Woodson also reminded everyone that his team was, inexplicably, only three games out of first place.

This has been another of Woodson's frequent messages — that the Knicks, despite their many problems, remain in contention. Go figure.

Avid fans of the Knicks have heard this all before, of course, and the true die-hards know it all by rote: the coach's messages and the players' responses, the many injuries and the many losses. With that in mind, take the following quiz to gauge just how well you know the beleaguered Knicks.

Fred R. Conrad/The New York Times

Woodson on Losing

Mike Woodson has gained a lot of experience this season in the delicate art of briefing the news media in the wake of defeat. It is not an easy job. His emotions have ranged from angry to disturbed to frustrated to mortified. Match the quotation with the game.

1. "Our defense, it stinks right now."

2. "You just can't come out on your home court and dig a hole, 21 points, and spot a team, and then have to fight so tough to get back in the game."

3. "I didn't like the fact that we let a 17- to 19-point lead shrink within six minutes. So that's something that was addressed today."

4. "Nobody should be happy about watching something like this happen."

5. "It's just unacceptable."

A. An 85-83 preseason loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Oct. 25

B. A 109-100 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3

C. A 120-89 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 10

D. A 102-97 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats on Nov. 5

E. A 114-73 loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 8

Answers: 1-D; 2-B; 3-A; 4-D; 5-C

Day or Night?

Sometimes, losses defy explanation. Sometimes, it is better to avoid trying to explain altogether. Match the quotation with the player.

1. "It was just one of those days."

2. "It was just one of those nights."

A. Tyson Chandler after a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3

B. J. R. Smith after a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday

Answers: 1-B; 2-A

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Searching for Solutions

As the self-declared leader of the Knicks, Carmelo Anthony has attempted to remain upbeat amid the team's struggles. He wants to figure it out. No, really, he does. It has been a point of emphasis since the preseason. Match the quotation with the game.

1. "I'm very confident we'll figure this thing out."

2. "We have to try to pinpoint the problem, try to figure it out and go from there."

3. "I'm very confident we'll figure this thing out."

4. "We, as a team, should feel that losing is unacceptable, and try to figure it out."

5. "If you never been through situations like this before, it'd be hard for you to try to figure it out."

6. "I don't want to try to figure this one out right now."

A. After a loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Nov. 10

B. After a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Nov. 27

C. After a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Dec. 10

D. After a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Nov. 3

E. After a loss to the Boston Celtics on Dec. 8

F. Before a loss to the Detroit Pistons on Nov. 19

Answers: 1-D; 2-B; 3-A; 4-C; 5-F; 6-E

Opposing Views

The Knicks have established a bit of a pattern. After they are roughed up by an opponent, Mike Woodson talks about areas where his team needs to improve before lauding players on the other team. Match Woodson's quotation with the target of his affection.

1. "There's nothing this young man can't do."

2. "I like everything about him."

3. "He causes havoc on anybody."

4. "He's starting to come into his own now as a player."

A. Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers

B. Jeremy Lin of the Houston Rockets

C. Paul George of the Indiana Pacers

D. John Wall of the Washington Wizards

Answers: 1-C; 2-D; 3-A; 4-B

Who Said It?

Losing has become monotonous for the Knicks, but the players still have a knack for spicing things up during their postgame interviews. Match the quotation with the player.