The Knicks were a bad, discombobulated basketball team, and then Jeremy Lin arrived and the team rebounded, then they struggled against good teams and coach Mike D’Antoni quit, and then the Knicks peeled off eight wins in nine games under new coach Mike Woodson.

The next chapter in the 2012 odyssey took place late Saturday night: the team announced Lin needs knee surgery and his season is very likely over. If the Knicks manage to get into the second round of the playoffs – ha! – there’s a chance he could return.

The Knicks, who just a few weeks ago looked like a deep, dangerous team capable of creating some havoc in the Eastern Conference playoffs … now will probably be without two starters (Amare’s hurt, too) for the rest of the regular season.

Devastating.

So now New York’s two point guards are Baron Davis (33 years old next month) and Mike Bibby (34 in May). Barring a miraculous run by the Knicks at the end of the regular season, combined with a spectacular collapse by the Hawks and Magic, New York will be ousted (swept?) in the first round by Chicago or Miami.