Maybe others don’t, but Knicks co-captain Lance Thomas takes the losing personally. And he sounded off on his frustration.
The Greenwich Village resident and Brooklyn product is the longest-tenured Knick. And he’s seen an unbearable amount of defeats since arriving in a January 2015 trade.
The Knicks reached another miserable milestone Saturday, logging 50 losses for the fourth straight season in a 115-109 Garden defeat to the Pistons. The Knicks fell to 27-50 with five games left and will almost certainly finish worse than last season’s 31-51 mark.
It’s even a new low for owner James Dolan. The last time the Knicks logged four straight 50-loss seasons was in early 1960s (1961-64).
“I hate losing,’’ Thomas told The Post, his voice cracking. “Anyone who has God-given ability to make it to this level hates losing. Myself being the long-tenured Knick here, I’ve been part of some losing teams and it doesn’t sit well with me. I want to find a way to turn it around. I lose sleep when we lose.”
As the New York baseball teams hit boom times, the Knicks are going bust and carry a head coach in Jeff Hornacek whose job hangs by a thread.
“It bothers me because this is my home team,’’ said Thomas, regarded as their team leader and best defender. “I have a more special bond to this New York team than the average guy who plays here. Losing is never something I will accept here. It happened but it doesn’t mean I’m OK here.’’
Thomas spent most of his childhood in Scotch Plains, N.J., and is one of the few Knicks who lives in Manhattan. He said it isn’t easy being a Knick nowadays.
“I hear it all the time from my first year here to now,’’ Thomas said. “Knicks fans are passionate. You got to have alligator skin to play here and got to be able to take it. There’s always instances where I’m walking the street and hear, ‘You got to play better, got to step it up.’ ”
The Knicks were in the lead by two late in the third before folding. Michael Beasley scored 32 points to lead the Knicks, making 14-of-21 baskets. But he was short on a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left and the club down four.
Trey Burke, making his fourth straight start at point guard, notched a double-double with 18 points and 15 assists. But the Pistons placed all five of their starters in double figures — led by center Andre Drummond’s 22 points and 17 rebounds. Anthony Tolliver also burned the Knicks for 17 points.
In a perfect sequence defining Beasley’s career, he electrified the crowd late in the fourth quarter with a powerhouse left slam over Drummond. One possession later, Beasley didn’t get back on defense as James Ennis III scored on a fast-break layup.
Troy Williams made his first start at small forward but didn’t finish. He got whacked in the mouth, came out in the final minute and the Knicks said he was being further evaluated for “a dental injury.’’ Williams finished with 11 points.
The Knicks were without starting center Enes Kanter with back soreness, Courtney Lee with foot soreness and rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina with an illness. Kyle O’Quinn returned from a three-game absence and started at center (eight points, 15 rebounds).