By 3 o’clock, one of the riddles had been solved. Just then, the final buzzer sounded at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, just 762 miles from Madison Square Garden. There, the lowly Hornets defeated the Cavaliers 120-110. So the Knicks could have started fixing things here if they wanted to.
But the Knicks won’t give up.
They’re not a perfect basketball team. They have their drawbacks. There are a lot of people out there who are offended and fed on the idea that people below Charles Barkley aren’t as good as their record, that they’re vulnerable, that they can be. Perhaps it’s all true. All will be revealed in time.
But they don’t resolve. They work with integrity every day. They bring their lunch buckets to the garden, punch the clock, and give their best effort every time. For better or worse, that’s the Knicks. So they will fight back from an eight-point hole against the Bulls. They agreed to a five-and-a-half minute overtime and ultimately defeated the Bulls in overtime, 120-119, clinching the No. 2 seed in the East.
And later, when Tom Thibodeau was asked if he ever considered taking his foot off the gas pedal, his response was incredulous and pure Thibodeau.
First, he made a face like the one you make when you see a tree fall on your house during a storm. And he said: “The goal is to win. I gave everything I had to win.”
Sunday at the Garden was a delight for old-schoolers who dislike tanking in any form, even if it’s just to give athletes a break after an 82-game marathon. Billy Donovan’s Bulls are trapped in the nine holes and must play again in a few days. Still, the team’s four best players – Alex Caruso, DeMar DeRozan, Coby White and Nikola Vucevic – all logged at least 41 minutes.
Knicks?
The only concession was that Mitch Robinson sat out the entire second half, but that was an obvious precaution. The rest of the team played as if their lives in the playoffs depended on the outcome. That’s how they play 82 games a year with this lineup under this coach. Donte DeVincenzo played 52 minutes and 31 seconds, and at the end of the game it looked like he was headed to West Fourth Street for a little more play.
That’s this team. And, honestly, here’s why I believe they have a puncher’s chance no matter who they play in the playoffs. I can understand why some Knicks fans signed up for the No. 3 seed. The current first-round choices are Philadelphia, with Joel Embiid, or Miami, whose playoff gear is always about 40 percent higher than the regular season.
But it’s also worth pointing out that the Knicks lost two of three games to the Pacers. If he had lost three games, he would have tied it. And the Pacers are exactly the kind of young, athletic team the Knicks can give. They’re explosive (86 points in the first half against the Hawks on Sunday, coming off a total of 157 points), and their best player is point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who will at least tie the game against Jalen Brunson. He’s a player you can bring in.
In fact, outside of Boston, which finished with 64 wins, there isn’t a single opponent among the next eight teams in the East — and yes, considering what the Bulls showed Sunday, I’m including them. Would be–a “gift” to anyone who would consider it. And even the Celtics probably don’t mind in their hearts avoiding the Heat in the first round.
“We just play,” Thibodeau said.
they play. They shatter. They could have settled for third place. Minutes later, word filtered in that the Bucks were taking a hit in Orlando. 2 is now enabled. He was already close to reaching 50 wins. Elsewhere, the team was doing something else. Philly was sitting on Embiid. Cleveland had Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland sitting. Neither of these events was an accident, and may have been a wise decision. Again, all of that will be revealed in time.
Sunday Bulls. Jason Suzens of the New York Post
“I can’t speak for Cleveland,” Thibodeau said. “Cleveland will do what they think is best for their organization and we will do what we think is best for our organization.”
The Knicks scored two points. They achieved his 50th win, his first in 11 years. If they survive against either the Heat or the Sixers, they will advance to Game 7 of the second round at home. This sounds great, until you realize that the last three times the Knicks have had their home court (last year, Miami, 2021, Atlanta, 2013, and Indiana) they have been in Game 7. I didn’t even reach it.
Nothing is guaranteed and cannot be taken for granted. That’s why the Knicks’ creed is simple.
“Only worry about what you can control,” Branson says.
Winning this game was in their control. It’s up to them to rebel against the pessimists around them. Starting next weekend, they will back up a regular season that exceeded anyone’s reasonable expectations. Enjoy your time in the garden. It’s a good time for city games.
