Marcus Morris Sr. On Knicks Reaching Playoffs: "That's the goal"

Back on December 5, 2018, the Brooklyn Nets fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-112. The loss dropped Brooklyn to 8-18. The mood was bleak.

Four months later, the Nets thundered into the playoffs as the six seed.

While Marcus Morris Sr. playfully pretended not to know which NBA team plays across the river after Tuesday night's game, he didn't shy away from reiterating that the postseason is absolutely the goal for this team.

"We're trending in the right direction," Morris said. "I'm not going to go out and say we're going to make the playoffs, but... that's what we're fighting towards."

That Nets team, which many thought would sell off parts, instead rallied. The standings after the Thunder loss had the Nets in 12th place in the Eastern Conference, 1/2 game behind the Knicks and more to the point, four full games back of the Charlotte Hornets for the eighth seed.

Last night's win catapulted the Knicks ahead of the Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers, all the way up to 14th in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks trail the eight seed, the Orlando Magic, by 5.5 games.

There's a reality check worth adding here: that means the Knicks are further behind, later in the season, than one of the more unlikely playoff pushes in recent memory.

That doesn't mean that Morris, who has given every indication that he wants to stay and help guide this Knicks team, reiterating that point to reporters last night, is ready to give up on the idea.

"That's the goal, and we're definitely, definitely trying hard, and hopefully we do make it," Morris said. "Man, if we continue to play like this and keep pulling together we have a great shot to do it."