Defensive lapses plague Knicks, Rockets

Momentum is fickle, and over the course of an 82-game schedule, there are enough twists and turns to make sustained excellence difficult for most teams.

As recently as Dec. 20, the New York Knicks were riding high. On that date, the Knicks extended their winning streak to a season-best eight consecutive games with a 132-94 dismantling of the Golden State Warriors that seemed to confirm that all of their pieces were meshi