N.B.A. Playoffs - For Knicks, a Team Effort in Wins and Losses Tyson Chandler stands a little taller than his Knicks teammates, a function of both genetics and jewelry. At 7 feet 1 inch, his size matters. As the only starter with a championship ring, his authority matters more. In moments of crisis, no voice carries more weight or wisdom or useful candor. So it was instructive to hear Chandler on Sunday, bluntly assessing the state of the Knicks in light of their two-games-to-one deficit against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "Stick to the game plan," he said. "Play it correctly," he said. "Be willing passers," he said. "Sacrifice yourself," he said. "Good teams win basketball games," he said, the emphasis on "team." The words were chosen carefully and aimed at no one individual, but Chandler's message was clear enough. The Knicks are in crisis not because they have lost two games but because they have lost their way - as much a credit to the Pacers" resolve as it is an indictment of the Knicks" character. The Knicks won 54 games this season with smart spacing and ball movement and a hailstorm of 3-pointers. A blistering, balanced offense was their calling card. The Pacers have effectively robbed the Knicks of their identity, lulling them into a plodding pace and foolish one-on-one forays that undermine the Knicks" offense and their esprit de corps. "I'm not saying anybody's doing it malicious," Chandler said. I think it's more so you get in a situation where you want to take over the game, or you want to make a big shot, where you have to just stick to the game plan. Translation: When in doubt, pass the ball. The Knicks were never a high-assist team this season (they ranked 29th in assist ratio), but their offense has become increasingly stagnant in two playoff rounds against the elite defenses of Boston and Indiana. They produced just 11 assists in Saturday's 82-71 loss and just 15 in their Game 1 defeat. They had 20 assists in Game 2, their lone victory of the series. "We get it in spurts," Coach Mike Woodson said, "but we're not getting it consistently enough. We're just not. And in a playoff series, when teams start locking in, you can't play on one side of the floor. Last night, we went back to that again. There was never any doubt about the Knicks" talent or firepower this season, not as long as Carmelo Anthony and J. R. Smith were healthy and focused and keeping their teammates involved. The question was whether they could sustain their best habits under the duress of the playoffs, when the spotlight turns brighter and the defenses turn fiercer. At the moment, the Knicks are losing not just the battle against the Pacers but also the battle against themselves. They obliterated opponents with 3-pointers all season, averaging 10.9 a game, on 28.9 attempts. Yet in their two losses in this series, the Knicks went 7 for 19 and 3 for 11 from beyond the arc, abandoning one of their greatest assets. On Saturday night, Amar'e Stoudemire had more 3-pointers (one) than all of the Knicks" guards combined. You could credit the Pacers - the N.B.A."s best team at defending the arc - for forcing the Knicks into tougher shots (mostly from midrange), but Chandler saw it differently. "Honestly, I think we're doing it to ourselves," he said. I watched the tape myself, and there's open looks. And we have to be willing passers. You have to sacrifice yourself sometimes for the betterment of the team, for the betterment of your teammates. So when you drive in the paint, you draw, you kick it. I think we need to do a better job of allowing the game to dictate who takes the shots and not the individuals. The Knicks have two players who possess the skills to consistently break down a defense and create those shots, but neither one was talking Sunday. Anthony slipped out of the practice court without speaking to reporters. Smith, still coping with an illness that sapped his strength Saturday night, stayed at the team hotel to rest (along with Kenyon Martin, who was also ill). Defensively, the Knicks were sturdy enough Saturday night, allowing just 82 points, but they were repeatedly burned by Roy Hibbert, who powered through their frontcourt for 24 points and 12 rebounds, the best playoff performance of his young career. The Knicks" game plan was to double-team the Pacers" big men, Hibbert and David West, to force them into passes they preferred not to make, to prod them into turnovers. "But last night, we didn't play it correctly," Chandler said, "and because of it, we were exposed." Because of the N.B.A."s plodding postseason schedule, the Knicks will have nearly three full days to correct their errors before Game 4 on Tuesday. But the warning signs right now are glaring. The Knicks have lost four of their last six games, going back to the first round. They have lost the home-court advantage in this series and face the very real danger of falling behind by 3-1. "That would be a tough climb for us," Woodson said. Anthony is shooting 39.1 percent in the playoffs and Smith 33.9 percent, each of them having apparently forgotten the lessons of the last six months, when they were lauded for playing smarter and more selflessly. "Good teams win basketball games," Chandler said pointedly. Unless you're a great-great-great-great individual. We only have a few of those come through.