The Knicks scratched this one out, and that's OK.

The Knicks didnt necessarily need the reminder of just how fragile a good thing can be in the NBA, and they certainly didnt want this firsthand account of just how brittle the delicate tapestry of a season can be.

Right now, Tom Thibodeau really does have a career that parallels Buck Showalters in so many ways.

When was the last time you had this much fun watching one of your teams?

Jalen Brunson refused to let the Knicks lose against the Wizards with the game on the line.

For Knicks fans of other demographics, there is a faint hint of recognition.

The Knicks are better as you read this than they were at this time yesterday, or last week, or last month. That is the measure of a general manager at the trade deadline, and that is what Leon Rose did as the hours ticked away toward 3 oclock Thursday afternoon.

Logic tells you that this is going to catch up to the Knicks eventually. So does simple arithmetic. And if they needed a hint as to how fragile and fleeting this can all be, all they needed to do Tuesday night was have a gander at the lineup the other team at Madison Square Garden rolled out onto the floor.

Wrap this one in cellophane. Place it in a safe place, away from the dust, away from the elements.