No Clear-Cut Cure for What Ails Knicks

Emotion is an intangible. So is concentration. Start there when discussing the Knicks’ troubles. Throw in physical deficiencies such as poor perimeter shooting and transition defense, and it amounts to a club in disarray.

More than that, and perhaps most disturbing, no one on the team seems to have concrete answers on how to break out of this state of flux.

“We’re talking about a mental thing, and that’s out of my league,” said coach Stu Jackson, an intelligent man whose wife, Dr. Janet Taylor, is a psychiatrist.

Because of their problems, which were front and center in a humbling 110-93 defeat at Philadelphia (38-22) Wednesday, the Knicks (37-22) relinquished their first-place position in the Atlantic Division for the first time since Nov. 18.

“Losing and first place is not what’s important right now,” Trent Tucker said. “I’m concerned about us. It’s not basketball. We have to evaluate what emotion we bring to the game each night. More than anything, I think we need spirit.”

Inexplicably, in their most important game of the season, the Knicks were lifeless against the 76ers, who played with “a permanent smile on their faces,” Jackson said. No one, not even Patrick Ewing -- their on-court leader -- did anything to rally the troops.

Recently acquired Maurice Cheeks and Ewing are more leader-by-example types, but the Knicks need to give them an emotional lift. They have dropped six of their last 10 games, and it might get worse.

“We’ve talked over and over about emotion ... Ultimately, it’s not there,” the coach said. “It’s as if we’re in training camp, rather than in the stretch run. And I don’t have the answers. I’m dumbfounded.”

Gerald Wilkins insisted the Knicks have emotion. “But we need more fire,” he said. “Everyone has to realize this is the time of year everyone has to step up his level of play ... I think we know it, but we have to do it.”

It also would help if their perimeter shooting were competent, especially when teams collapse around Ewing late in the game. But Trent Tucker, the Knicks’ best outside shooter, has converted only 5 of 18 shots since he was inserted into the starting lineup two games ago to open things up for Ewing.

Johnny Newman came up with a big performance (26 points on 9-for-15 shooting), but he was all alone. The Knicks shot just 2-for-11 from three-point range. And their defense, particularly in transition, allowed the Sixers many easy layups.

“That’s a concentration thing,” Tucker said. “You know you have to get back on defense.”

But they don’t. They are beating themselves more than any opponent is. “I guess the only answer I have is to go back to the grindstone,” Jackson said. “We’ve been practicing well. But when the lights go on, we’re not there. We have to be tougher mentally.”

Mark Jackson said the Knicks must recapture their enjoyment of the game. “We’ve somewhat lost that feeling of having a good time out there,” he said. “We have to have fun, let our hair down and play ball. The character of this team is to play with instinct, to let it flow. That’s what we need.”

Charles Oakley agreed -- to a degree. “It’s like we’re holding back,” Oakley said. “We’ve got some guys going through the motions. We have to just spit our game out. We need everyone playing hard.”

On the Knicks’ side is their immediate schedule. They face the New Jersey Nets Saturday at Madison Square Garden and play at Miami Sunday. Thoes teams hold up the bottom of the division.

“Still, we have to come ready to play. Everybody can be tough in this league,” Oakley said. “The Nets always play us tough. And Miami has alredy beaten us down there. We have to get it together.”