If they all go like this, new Knicks interim coach Kurt Rambis’ beard will be all white by March.
In a wild final minute featuring screeching turn after turn, the Knicks had a chance to send Rambis’ debut into overtime, but Langston Galloway’s 3-pointer from the right wing bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer and the Knicks were bounced into the All-Star break with another tough loss — 111-108 to the Wizards at the Garden on Tuesday.
The Knicks had scrambled back from 10 points down with 1:51 left, but appeared finished after Arron Afflalo’s and-one layup was nullified. The Knicks made another final rally from four points down in the final 30 seconds yet ultimately lost their sixth straight and 10th in 11 games.
A healthier-looking Carmelo Anthony, who finished with 33 points and 13 rebounds, summed up the bitter mood for the Knicks (23-32), who won’t play again until Feb. 19 and sit in 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
“Sometimes you got to disconnect from what’s going on with your life,’’ Anthony said. “We all need to get away from it a little bit, reboot, refocus and focus our energy in the right place. All-Star weekend is very helpful to me, our players. We all need a break away from this.’’
Rambis, who replaced the fired Derek Fisher, stressed defense entering his debut, but the Knicks gave up 35 points in the first quarter, 63 by halftime and his team couldn’t defend the Wizards’ speed-demon backcourt of John Wall (28 points, 17 assists) and Bradley Beal (26 points).
“Obviously in transition, we didn’t do a good job,’’ Rambis said. “It was a tough night for us, but we feel like we made stops in transition in the second half. I was pleased with their determination.’’
Galloway made a 3-pointer with 8.5 seconds left in regulation to get the Knicks within 107-106. Wall’s two free throws made it a three-point game with 4.3 seconds left.
Without a timeout, Jose Calderon raced upcourt and flicked it to Galloway for the open look that could have made Rambis’ debut a thrilling overtime affair. Instead, the final scene was Galloway crumpled on the floor on his stomach in disappointment.
“It has been a tough last few weeks, nobody is happy,’’ said rookie Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with 20 points, including 13 in the third quarter when the Knicks outscored the Wizards 33-20 to knot the score heading into the fourth.
Wall and Beal torched Calderon and Afflalo, as did a controversial replay reversal with 44 seconds left. Afflalo, off a Kristaps Porzingis block, appeared to score on a fast-break layup after a collision with Beal to make it 106-103.
Afflalo was headed to the line after Beal was whistled for a blocking foul to try to convert a three-point play and get his team within two, but sure enough, the Knicks’ rotten recent luck resurfaced.
The charge/block play is now reviewable and the referees negated the basket. Replays showed Beal was not in the restricted area. The Knicks fell back to a 106-101 deficit as Afflalo’s basket was nullified and he was called for a charge.
The Wizards drained an astonishing 83 percent of their 3-pointers in the first half (10-of-12), keeping up the Fisher trend.