Thomas vows to keep Knicks in hunt

The injury certainly puts a damper on head coach Isiah Thomas’ plans for a playoff run, but the former NBA star is determined that his team will not lose focus as the postseason nears. After Crawford went down in Monday’s win over the Miami Heat, Thomas alluded to a sign that graced the old Boston Garden. Thomas never forgot the inspiring ’We will not be denied’ sign, and is determined to keep his team pushing for a playoff spot.

New York is two games off a playoff position in the Eastern Conference, but will struggle without Crawford in the lineup. Crawford, who is averaging 17.9 points and 4.5 assists this season, is posting 17.8 points and 5.4 assists over the last five games. In Monday’s win over Miami he finished with 20 points and buried a huge three-pointer late in the game.

The Knicks will miss his sharp-shooting ability after a CT scan and MRI revealed the magnitude of Crawford’s injury. The former Michigan standout hasn’t ruled out surgery, but could opt to go under the knife soon. Crawford, who thought he had tendinitis in the ankle, has led the Knicks in scoring a team-high 22 times and assists 27 times this season.

According to the New York Post, Quentin Richardson, Jared Jeffries, Nate Robinson, Renaldo Balkman and Mardy Collins are expected to see more action for the rest of the season. Thomas also noted that center Kelvin Cato may move to the No. 2 spot on occasions.

Thomas’ squad has alternated wins and losses over the last nine games, and will hit the road to Boston on Wednesday night.

Center Eddy Curry must continue his recent surge, as he is averaging 19.6 points and 7.8 rebounds over his last five games. Curry, who leads the team in scoring, owns 14 double-doubles this season after posting 10 last year.