Everybody on the Knicks is Either Acting Like a Child or Getting Hit in the Face

The New York Knicks lost Monday afternoon, 108-107, in a tense, back-and-forth contest against the Atlanta Hawks. As usual, though, the game on the court was probably the least interesting thing to happen to the Knicks, who remain basketball's version of the "Aristocrats" joke.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne is reporting that team president Phil Jackson plans to speak to star forward Carmelo Anthony, who has been seeking an audience with the Zen Master ever since an incendiary article ran last week written by Fanrag Sports columnist Charley Rosen, a former assistant under Jackson during his time coaching the CBA's Albany Patroons (Sweet Jesus, the Knicks are an NBA Mad Lib, aren't they?).

New York Knicks prez Phil Jackson plans to meet with disgruntled star forward Carmelo Anthony in the next few days, sources told ESPN.

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne)January 17, 2017

Melo has asked to have a conversation with Knicks brass twice since the critical Charley Rosen column. Word is that convo should happen soon

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne)January 17, 2017

Rosen, who has often acted as Jackson's official mouthpiece during his tenure in New York, claimed that Anthony, "has outlived his usefulness in New York," and that he would only accept a trade to the Cavaliers or Clippers. Rosen quickly clarified in another article that his views did not reflect those of Jackson; clearly Melo still needed some convincing:

I twice said to Carmelo that these weren't Phil's words, it was his writer friend's words. Melo wasn't buying it. — Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN)January 16, 2017

And so the team president and its highest-paid player will talk soon. Hopefully. Jackson spends most of his time in New York — where Carmelo Anthony just so happens to live and work — so you would think communication wouldn't be such an issue. You would think…

As if the Phil-Melo cold war weren't petty enough, shooting guard Courtney Lee posted (and later removed) these photos from Instagram after he was asked to come off the bench Monday:

Courtney Lee (removed from starting lineup today) just posted 'Dumb & Dumber[er]' pics to Instagram without any caption Everything is fine. pic.twitter.com/FKTyjakGW8
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) January 16, 2017

Look, I get the whole Dumb and Dumber theme, but that first photo is actually from the 2003 classic Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd. Get it together, Lee — you're supposed to be a professional.

Lee later dropped an explanation post, because why not…

The two players who were inserted into the Knicks' starting lineup for the first time Monday, Mindaugas Kuzminskas and Ron Baker, both were hit in the face at various points in the game, because some Knick wounds aren't merely emotional:

RUFF BOYZ — Seth Rosenthal (@seth_rosenthal)January 16, 2017

To quote Knicks legend Michael Ray Richardson, the ship be sinkin'.