It was a loss that seriously damaged the Knicks in the three-team race for best record in the Eastern Conference.

This year, a three-team race has developed for the wild card, and two of the teams play in the Central.

It looks like a three-team race.

But it seems to be a three-team race, led by two evenly matched competitors: the Nets and San Antonio.

A division the Yankees once led by 12 games now has a three-team race.

We had only the Blue Jays to catch, but this season's three-team race would make a seven-game deficit all but insurmountable.

The 1987 Tigers were in a three-team race, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division lead.

The Knicks have fallen to third place in the three-team race atop the Eastern Conference.

Sure, the Mets are still third in a three-team race and need teams to stop the Phillies while they halt the Braves.

Nevertheless, the Dodgers and the upstart Padres could make it a three-team race the rest of the season.