by Lisa Olson Filed under: NBA EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Desperation oozed from every pore. If New York-area basketball hasn't reached its nadir, it's only because the NBA has a silly rule that some team must win. Otherwise, who knows how low this charade might go? The players might be the ones slipping paper bags over their heads, to match the fans' embarrassment as they sit in the stands and try not to rubberneck. Though plenty of empty seats were available, more than the usual few gluttons for punishment showed up at the Izod Center Saturday afternoon, hoping to see ... what? New Jersey Nets coach Lawrence Frank fired after the first quarter? New York Knicks owner James Dolan do an about-face and sign Allen Iverson to a multi-year deal? The teams set a combined record for most horrendous shooting in four quarters? Dora the Explorer, the day's big draw, dunk over Nate Robinson ? The possibilities really were endless. As it was, the Nets dropped to 0-13 and continued to careen dangerously toward matching the league record of 17 straight losses to open a season. The Knicks, by virtue of their 98-91 victory, actually won consecutive games to improve to 3-9, and can now turn their focus back on the real goal: convincing LeBron James , or any big free agent to-be, that the cesspool really isn't as nasty as it currently looks. Video: Nate Robinson's Wrong-Way Hoop Hapless on the Hudson: Nets, Knicks and Nate All Going the Wrong Way originally appeared on Fanhouse - Lisa Olson on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 19:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments