But this defeat, one day before the trade deadline, seemed likely to force the Knicks (32-19) to take a long, hard look at whether, as constructed, this unit has what it takes to beat scrappy, defense-oriented teams who've tasted playoff success in recent years.

WSJ: N.Y. Knicks: The All-Star Break Is Over, Right?

Before Obama spoke, House Republican leaders slammed him for failing to produce a budget proposal the day before, which they said is a long-standing deadline to do so under federal law.

CNN: Obama calls for short-term fix to imminent spending cuts