Isiah Thomas traded his starting center a week ago, and, even to the casual observer, it looked as if a white flag had been waved over the New York Knicks' season.
In the space of one afternoon, Thomas, the Knicks' president, shipped out Nazr Mohammed -- the team's only true center -- and three end-of-the-bench players for two forwards with redundant skills and burdensome contracts. It sent critics into a two-day howl.
The Knicks said they were planning for the future, with two extra draft picks and a pair of new players, Malik Rose and Maurice Taylor, who might be rotation players or might be trade bait for the next round of face-lifts.
Not even the current Knicks were sure what to make of their revamped locker room.
"We know that if you're losing, anything can happen; anybody can go," said the young guard Jamal Crawford, who nevertheless noted, "It was kind of shocking."
The only thing more shocking is what followed: Rather than collapse, the Knicks surged.
They have won three straight games since last Thursday's trades, despite their undersized roster and despite a forward-heavy rotation in which the new players duplicate many of the old players' skills.
Rose is a hustling, hard-nosed, undersized power forward, but didn't the Knicks have Jerome Williams playing that role? Taylor is a jump-shooting power forward, and doesn't Kurt Thomas do that effectively?
The Knicks have for months been a team that inspires more questions than answers, and now only more so. They used to talk about finding an identity, but that pursuit now seems pointless, with only 25 games left to play and only an outside shot at making the playoffs.
But the contradictions are inherent in everything they do, from the front office's puzzling maneuvers to the team's wholly unpredictable performances on the court.
The trades seemed to signal an end to this season, but now they look like a beginning.
Mike Sweetney, who slid into Mohammed's starting job, had a breakout game Monday, with 19 points and 12 rebounds in an overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Tim Thomas, burdened by injuries and personal issues all season, averaged 24.3 points over the past three games.
Rose has supplanted Williams as the energy guy off the bench. Taylor and Thomas give the Knicks two decent offensive threats in the post. Trevor Ariza, the rookie swingman, continues to make strides.
And the Knicks began Tuesday five games out of the playoff picture.
Rashard Lewis had 30 points on 14-of-19 shooting and the Seattle SuperSonics rallied in the fourth quarter for a 101-93 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday.
Trailing 89-84 with 5:17 left in the fourth quarter, Lewis started a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer, bringing Seattle within two. Vladimir Radmanovic gave the SuperSonics a lead with another 3-pointer, and Lewis hit from long range again to put them up 93-89 with 3:45 left.
Stephen Jackson had 28 points and six rebounds, and Jermaine O'Neal added 18 points and eight rebounds for Indiana, which lost its second straight game after a five-game winning streak.
Ray Allen scored 18 and Radmanovic chipped in 14 for Seattle, which shot 53 percent from the field one game after shooting a franchise-low 29.4 percent in a loss to Milwaukee on Sunday.
Pacers coach Rick Carlisle got two technical fouls in less than a minute in the first quarter for arguing with officials over fouls calls and was ejected.
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