Knicks’ Game 1 Loss Ignites Stephen A. Smith’s Fury

The Knicks’ loss in Game 1 on Wednesday hit hard enough that it left Stephen A. Smith feeling unwell.

While covering the upcoming Western Conference Finals for ESPN, Smith expressed how the Knicks’ defeat made him feel nauseous, even leading him to down a bottle of Pepto-Bismol during his commentary.

“Honestly, I was nauseous,” he shared. “It was just an awful performance. And I think all Knicks fans needed to see this so, here’s some Pepto-Bismol for you. If I could chug this like a soda, I would!”

Despite holding a 14-point lead with less than three minutes to play, the Knicks squandered it. Pacers’ point guard Tyrese Haliburton sent the game into overtime with a buzzer-beater that tied things up.

Ultimately, the Knicks fell short, managing only six points in the final three minutes, which Smith referred to as a “chalk job.”

Knicks’ Collapse Under NBA History’s Spotlight

“That was a complete meltdown,” Smith continued. “Yes, that’s my take. We’ll see how they respond, but they looked like a team that hasn’t practiced, I swear.”

This kind of collapse has been rare in NBA history, marking the first instance of this sort since 1998, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Players on the Knicks are taking responsibility for the loss, and they seem prepared as they look ahead to Game 2 on Friday.

“We just didn’t finish the game,” Josh Hart remarked. “It felt like we lost our edge—we slowed down and let them dictate the pace.”

“I mean, defensively, we just went cold. There was a lack of strength and physicality,” he added.