The Knicks still face mathematical playoff elimination tonight at the Staples Center against the Clippers, but at least they are going down with courage and fight.

Despite a fourth-quarter collapse in which they squandered a 10-point lead in the final 4:07 of regulation, the Knicks held Utah to just two points in overtime, with Allan Houston hitting the game-winner with 4.4 seconds left in a nasty, physical 94-92 win at Delta Center last night.

"It says a lot in terms of our maturity," Chaney said. "Think about the beginning of the year, we would collapse in a game like that."