NEW YORK – The calendar has turned, and yet another nasty month is over. Isiah Thomas can breathe a little easier now, in spite of the New York’s 5-10 start, and what had developed during those fifteen games. Of course, such transgressions never really go away and, because they have a tendency to linger, one particular airline flight and one regular-season game at TD Banknorth Garden will remain in the back of our minds long after a champion is decided.

That is not to say Knicks cannot right this ship –often in rough waters and, at times, close to sinking- and salvage what remains. It just wouldn’t be on this evening, as New York imploded during the onset of the fourth quarter, and dropped a 115-104 decision to the Phoenix Suns, in front of 18,869 at the Garden.

Phoenix, opening a weeklong road trip, where they are scheduled to play five games, snapped the Knicks’ three-game home-winning streak. The loss lowered New York’s record to 5-11, while the Suns improved to 13-4, best in the Pacific Division.

Grant Hill, thought to be just a role player after a series of left ankle injuries doomed a potential Hall of Fame career, tallied 28 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and broke the game open with a personal 9-0 run during the opening three minutes of the fourth quarter. Amare Stoudemire also scored 28, and added 12 defensive boards. Shawn Marion contributed 15 and seven rebounds. Leandro Barbosa, the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year, accounted for 15 of the Suns’ 20 bench points.

Steve Nash, who sat for eight minutes bridging the final two quarters, still notched 15 assists. Phoenix’s total of 37 assists, which matched their rebound figure, were a season-high for a New York opponent; in fact, it was the most the Knicks had allowed since 1996.

After falling behind by 14 in the first quarter, New York caught the Suns at 50-all before the half, and again at 67-apiece when Quentin Richardson buried a three at the 9:24 mark of the third. From that point, until the end of the stanza, the margin did not exceed three.

But, at the start of the fourth, with the Suns ahead, 85-84, and Nash resting, Hill hit an 11’ jumper, and the ensuing free throw, and three other shots between 14 and 18 feet out.

In two minutes, twelve seconds, the Knicks were finished. A 30-20 scoring edge solidified defeat.

“We had a decent game going,” Thomas lamented afterward. “They made a run; we made a run. We fought our way back into the game. Then, Grant got it going, by making a couple of shots. With teams such as this, we almost have to play perfect basketball, because they capitalize on every mistake.

“It was a lot of fun to see Grant go off,” said Nash, who later admitted he didn’t have his legs. [His performance] took a lot of pressure off me.”

Eddy Curry and Stephon Marbury shared the scoring lead for New York with 21 points. Zach Randolph had 19, and added yet double-double to his dossier with 10 boards. Despite missing 12 of 18 shots, Quentin Richardson also played well, with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Off the bench, David Lee contributed 12 points and five boards in a scant 20:23.

[USA Today later reported that Marbury’s father, Don, had died while the game was played. This was the third personal tragedy the guard had faced within the last month, and followed the deaths of his mentor and aunt. Jonathan Supranowitz, the team spokesman, said that the elder Marbury was not at MSG when he passed on. Subsequently, Marbury was escorted out of the arena by security after the game. No other information was immediately given.]

“They ran off on us,” Randolph said. “We were out there, trying to play hard. Phoenix is a good team, and we hung with them until the fourth quarter. Then, we couldn’t score. And, we couldn’t get stops, either.”

Apparently, only Tom Coughlin, Head Coach of the New York Giants, could understand Thomas’ dilemma; trying to defend the Suns was similar to trying to the Giants lassoing Devin Hester, the Bears’ kick-return specialist, who has already set or tied nine NFL records since entering the league last season.

As such, Phoenix’s early domination created angst from the booing and hissing faction; it appeared that cheers only erupted when the Giants’ Reuben Droughns scored on a two-yard run to provide a 21-16 lead late in the game.

“The Knicks have had their ups and downs. We just hoped that we weren’t getting them on the ‘up’,” Mike D’Antoni, the Suns’ coach declared.

The visitors had drawn ‘first ups’ when Raja Bell sank a deep two just seven seconds following the opening tip. They needed all of 5:13 to establish the game’s first double-digit margin, but just slightly less than three-and-a-minutes to eradicate New York’s early 6-5 advantage.

The Suns shot close to 67%, including five-of-nine from the arc, and led 37-29. The stat sheet noted that there were four players with seven or more points. Nash led with five assists. The shot distribution was quite even as each starter took four shots apiece. Their biggest lead was 14, despite not receiving any opportunities to shoot free throws. [Note: Phoenix was given only 14 attempts on the evening, and converted 10 of them; the Knicks missed 11 of 29.]

“We didn’t look at them as a pushover,” D’Antoni said. “We excepted to see them at their best; they’ve got a lot of talent on the floor.”

“They were going to cause a lot of problems. We’re not particularly big underneath, and they post up a lot. So, our wheels had to make it a quick game, up and down. It was gonna take a lot of energy to do that.”

And, while the Knicks scored 52 points in the paint by virtue of their set offense, Phoenix’s run-and-gun approach led to a 50-point outbreak.

“I don’t take our success for granted,” said D”Antoni, who has led the Suns to three consecutive seasons of 54 wins or better. “We try to remind [the players] how much fun it is. Last year, when we won 17 in a row, there wasn’t that boyish enthusiasm I would’ve liked to have.

The team on the opposite sideline should only have such concerns.

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