‘One shot.’ It sounds like a line at the end of “The Deer Hunter” between Robert DeNiro and Christopher Walken in a seedy Saigon backroom. But it had an extra special meaning against Seattle on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. Stephon Marbury had a whale of a game, but missed his second free throw with less than a second left in regulation, giving the SuperSonics a one-point road win. They Knicks will have to shake it off and face a tough Wizards club (34-26) in Washington on Saturday.

Miraculously, the Knicks are still right in the thick of the playoff hunt. Basketball purists may scoff that a 28-34 team has any chance of reaching the post-season. But in the weak Eastern Conference, the Knicks are right there with the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic, who stand at 29-34. And the New Jersey Nets are also in the mix with a 28-33 mark.

Injuries have hampered the Knickerbockers, especially losing guard Jamaal Crawford. But all teams this time of year have had the injury bug. They have to work around that, and Marbury has picked up his offensive game a notch since Crawford went out.

At least Knick fans can hold their heads up and know that the team is playing hard. The youth on the team is getting some good experience fighting for a post-season berth, even if does not come to pass.

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