Knicks fans want coach Derek Fisher fired

Knicks fans turned their frustration toward first-year coach Derek Fisher by chanting “Fire Fisher!” during the closing seconds of New York’s 95-82 loss to Milwaukee at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

Courtside microphones picked up fans chanting “Fire Fisher!” in the closing seconds of the double-digit defeat.

The defeat, which was the Knicks’ 11th in a row, came with Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, Samuel Dalembert and Andrea Bargnani all missing in action. Fisher’s makeshift starting lineup of Jose Calderon, Tim Hardaway Jr., J.R. Smith, Quincy Acy and Cole Aldrich included a number of career backups. Afterward, the Wall Street Journal reported that Fisher accepted criticism for the team’s play, but added: “Six of the 10 guys who suited up for us have really never played in the NBA before.”

Sadly, the Knicks haven’t won a game since Dec. 12 and their 5-31 record (.139) puts them just one game up over the Sixers for the league’s worst record. In its first full season under president Phil Jackson, New York will almost certainly set a mark for the worst team in the franchise’s 69-year history by falling short of the 21-59 record accumulated by the 1962-63 squad. To make matters worse, the Knicks are reportedly considering whether or not to shut down Anthony for the season due to a knee injury that may require surgery.

Jackson signed Fisher, one of his former Lakers players, to a contract worth a reported $25 million over five years last June. Fisher, 40, had recently retired after an 18-year playing career with the Lakers, Warriors, Jazz, Thunder, and Mavericks. He won five titles with the Lakers but has struggled implementing Jackson’s preferred triangle offense this season, as the Knicks are No. 24 in offensive efficiency.  New York also ranks No. 28 in defensive efficiency after trading away Tyson Chandler, the starting center last season, in an offseason move.