MMPG: Team of the Weak

New York Knicks

You guys are giving me a lot of material this week! (Photo by Nick Laham/Getty Images)

The New York Knicks promoted consecutive games at Madison Square Garden against the teams with the league's three best records as "Dream Week." But it was actually a nightmare for Chris Rock and Spike Lee's favorite team as they lost three in a row to the Los Angeles Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics. Then, the Knicks topped it off with a gut-wrenching road loss in Portland on Sunday.

Kobe Bryant set a Madison Square Garden record with 61 points last Monday, besting Knicks legend Bernard King and Michael Jordan and hearing "MVP" chants throughout the game. LeBron James came in determined to show up Bryant two nights later, nearly recorded a triple-double (52 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds) and joined Jordan as the only players with multiple 50-point games.

The Knicks likely weren't going to win any of those games last week, but where was the pride against the Lakers and Cleveland? Bryant and James are arguably the two best players in the game, but how could they not even attempt to double-team those stars? How could they just let them come into their building with the sole purpose of adding another notch to their respective belts of accomplishments -- and not attempt to offer any resistance?

The Celtics didn't have any superhuman individual performances, but they shot 14-for-18 in the fourth quarter against a Knicks defense that has been absent all season. The Knicks lost their fourth in a row in Portland on Sunday, 109-108, allowing the Trail Blazers to score the final eight points.