The Knicks had one of their most rotationally-pleasing games on Thursday against the Kings. Can they keep that magic going against the Pacers? It probably depends on the health of one Elfrid Payton.

Oh look, the doody minds are coming to town. After trouncing the hapless Kings, things will get a little more complicated against a Pacers team that don’t exactly come from Smack Town. The big question today will be whether or not Elfrid Payton ends up playing. I say that not to measure how much I don’t like his game, but how far out the Knicks can stretch the positive energy that carried them through Thursday’s 140-point champagne soak.

One of my favorite parts of the game — it actually lasted all 48 minutes — was the way that Thibs was able to stay on his rotational toes. Without his Elfrid Payton anchor we were treated to a more instinctual, proactive set of substitutions. He has been extremely hard to budge at times this year, believing things will work themselves out if you just stay the course. To his credit, that has worked occasionally. Maintaining and expanding a lead or stopping a cut from stretching wound and bleeding you out has eluded him, though. It’s a fabled foible we saw the last time the Knicks were in the playoff hunt. With any luck, Mike Woodson’s experience is a powerful voice in his ear. Unless Woody learned nothing. In which case, Tom! Please! I beg you! Listen to ME.

Thankfully (for my purposes) it looks like Elfrid might still be on the outs with a hammy twang. That could mean the Pacers’ somewhat-depleted lineup may have a particularly hard time scoring. You might not win specifically on the margins, but you do need to put yourself in position to make the most of them. Maybe Frank Ntilikina isn’t the answer (he is) but if you don’t chase this down, how can you possibly find out? What is the point of poring over video only to not try a new technique?