When Stephon Marbury left the game with 10:40 left in the second quarter with a turf-toe in the Knicks 99-94 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, New York’s injury situation grew to never-before-seen heights (or is it depths by now?) of absurdity. With Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, and Steve Francis all out, the Knicks were without their top FOUR guards, leaving the team with a 5-9 second-year player in Nate Robinson and rookie Mardy Collins in the back court. That the Knicks still managed to storm back from a 18-pont deficit to make this a game -- a very exciting game, no less -- was somewhere between completely unexpected and beyond astonishing.

“I thought in the second half we made some adjustments and got back in the game,” Coach Isiah Thomas understated the case. “But we just didn’t have enough firepower to close out the game.”

Led by a manic Nate Robinson -- who brought the house down with 15 points on 5-6 shooting (3-4 treys) in the period -- the Knicks actually tied the game at 74 with 10:27 left on the clock after a fabulous third quarter run. Trailing by 18 points, 59-41, after a poorly played first half, the Knicks outscored Kevin Garnett and Co. 29-13 to explode back into the game with Little Nate sinking all kinds of parking-lot three-s and weirdly twisting lay-ups over guys a foot and a half taller. But, once again, the team didn’t have sufficient weapons to sustain.

“It’s like we’ve been playing the same game over and over the last couple of weeks,” a somber Thomas said.

David Lee DID play after a lengthy absence and ”did an okay job” (his own words) with 6 points, a team-high 8 rebounds, and 3 very fine assists. “To be completely honest, I was in considerable pain,” he said. “But look, I am playing the rest of the year. As long as I can walk I am going to be out there trying to play. It’s more than about me right now. There were times when it was very, very painful but there are seven games left and I am going to give everything I have left for seven games.”

Yes, the Knicks are still alive in the Eastern Conference playoff race so, Marbury or no Marbury, Thomas was not about to be satisfied with the unquestionably hard work the young Knicks put in once again -- or with a moral victory. “I wasn’t nice to them in the locker room tonight,” said the coach. “I was very upset with them. All season long we fight and we battle and the little things we need to complete the game don’t get done. The big things and the monumental things we actually do quite well. But when it comes to simplicity we’re not quite there yet.”

There was nothing simple about New York’s lineups which, by dire necessity, featured one-guard fronts the team has never used previously. “It was kind of fun playing like that a little bit,” said Lee, trying to see the bright side. “Sort of like you are playing in the summertime. You can’t run too many plays because everybody is out of position. It is a different type of game but it definitely gives you that back-against-the–wall feeling because you don’t have a lot of guys.”

Robinson led the Knicks with 21 points (and added 4 rebounds) while center Eddy Curry had a tough 20 and 6. Rookie Renaldo Balkman, simply everywhere once again, had another outstanding game with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and an assist.

“It’s frustrating but look at the bright side,” said Robinson. “We’re still in the race.” “Our whole mentality is to try to play every game as hard as possible,” added Collins. ”Then whatever happens, happens.”