PHILADELPHIA – Is anyone a little worried about the blossoming romance between New York City and the great troika of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo? All of these products come from the Knicks’ home basketball manufacturing center, also known as Villanova University.
Philadelphia is over. That’s who.
Villanova’s official account made the announcement shortly after the Knicks’ miraculous 104-101 upset of the 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference playoffs on Tuesday night. I tweeted this To his 206,500 followers: “Our @jalenbrunson1 and @Divincenzo hit two big 3s to seal the Game 2 win.” Here’s a video of the epic sequence that clinched the game. , both of these shots were shown.
And Philadelphia…well, Philadelphia didn’t take this well.
“You’re rooting for the opposing team at your school in Philadelphia. Try harder.”
“Please delete this tweet!”
“Okay, you’re definitely not a Philadelphia school.”
“This is why no one likes you. This is why you’re not a Philadelphia school.”
And those were kind replies. And yes, technically Villanova is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. It’s about 32 miles from Villanova’s Finneran Pavilion to the Wells Fargo Center, where the Knicks vs. 76ers series resumes Thursday night. This is an interesting geography lesson.
For example, Carnesecca Arena is 24 miles from Madison Square Garden. No one debates whether St. John’s is as much of a New York school as NYU or Hunter.
Two prominent Villanova alumni noticed the commotion. In short, they were perplexed.
“Villanova is in our blood,” Josh Hart said. “We have an even deeper bond, a bond that goes beyond where we’re from. For Philadelphia fans to be outraged about that…that’s stupid. To me, that’s the bond. We are family and we play for those who came before us. Whether they like it or not, Villanova is in our blood. “
Jalen Brunson isn’t usually one to partake in non-business nonsense like that, but he laughed when he heard that Hart did something “stupid.”
“I don’t know what to say about that,” Brunson said, but he did find the next word. “We’re not a Philadelphia school in their eyes, but obviously when we win, we are a Philadelphia school.”
And we’re off.
Greater Philadelphia has been angry for the past few days, and for good reason. The NBA’s two-minute report was basically that they were robbed at the end of Game 2, and the real miracle of Game 2 was that they didn’t call a few fouls on Tyrese Maxey and gave Nick Nurse time. Supported that there was no whistle to be swallowed. When he gave the signal half-heartedly, he was out.
So the Knicks were already scheduled to go into the furnace Thursday night. This year, they’ve enjoyed plenty of breezy surroundings in Charlotte, Orlando, and Atlanta, where they won “MVP!” Calls for Mr. Brunson were barely drowned out by counter-boos. Not this time. Sure, there are probably some Knicks fans at Wells Fargo, and some may be brave enough to go out wearing Knicks gear.
But Wells Fargo will bleed. They certainly agree with Joel Embiid that the Sixers are the better team despite the current two-game difference. They will definitely hear the garden noise on Monday and want to resume service. They’ve certainly heard the special, deeply vulgar chants Knicks fans have chosen for Embiid, and they’ll likely have similar love notes in mind for the Knicks they choose.
And, yeah… now they have those Vilanobatarn coats to fuel them.
This is perhaps the most unique and important challenge the Knicks have faced this year. The difference between winning and losing in Game 3 is huge. The possibility of a short series between Milwaukee and Indiana throwing hay at each other over six or seven games is very appealing. And so is the statement that a strong game in the belly of the beast would provide.
“Now it’s the playoffs,” Brunson said. “If you need more ammunition, I’m not sure you’re doing your job right.”
But it’s Philadelphia. New York. Ammo always increases. Garden held serve and played against the Knicks on the strength of a broken voice box over two games. Now it’s Wells Fargo’s turn. Do the Sixers still believe they’re the better team? Does Philadelphia believe that? This is where the Knicks go to revise those ratings.
