Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Worst Day in Knicks History





                                  
The day is June 2nd; there is a mammoth thunderstorm outside, so petrifying everyone has been advised to stay inside for safety. There is an outlandish man outside, donning a threadbare Allan Houston jersey, sitting adjacent to a tree, with a gloomy look on his face, with a complete disregard for everything that is around him. The more I look at him, the more I realize this man is a similitude for not only the current state of mind for Knicks fans around the world, and more importantly, this day should be considered the worse day in Knicks history.
The day was June 2nd 1993; with the series tied two games apiece, the New York Knicks faced the two-time defending champion Chicago Bulls in a pivotal game five of the Eastern Conference Finals. Unlike last year, when the Knicks lost to the Bulls in seven games in the semifinals, the Knicks were favored to dethrone the Bulls and reach NBA Finals for the first time in 20 years. After winning the first two games in New York, the Knicks lost the next two in Chicago. But the Knicks, winners of 27 in a row at Madison Square Garden, were confident they were going to win the game, and ultimately win the series.  The game was akin to a heavyweight fight; the game seesawed back and forth throughout. 
But the last 20 seconds will live in Knicks’ infamy forever. Down one, the Knicks had the ball; Starks initially went up for a shot, but judiciously decided to pass it to Ewing. He drove to the rim, passing it to Charles Smith, before tangling with Stacy King and falling down. Charles Smith a soft player, who Knicks traded Mark Jackson and a first round pick for, halfheartedly attempted four shots at the rim, all which were blocked by Grant, Jordan and Pippen. Just like that, the game was over, as well as the Knicks’ chances of winning the series. To this day, I have never seen Jordan enthusiastic after winning a basketball game. Sure, there was another game to be played, but everyone, including Jordan and  the Knicks team, knew it was over. The Knicks proved everyone right, losing game six in Chicago, 96-88, becoming the first team since 1977 to lose a seven game series after winning the first two games.
 In hindsight, the Knicks’ dreadful free throw shooting (20-35) prevented them from winning game 5, but at that moment, Smith was lucky he got out of Madison Square Garden alive. Sure, he may or may not have been fouled, but at 6’10, he should have gone up stronger than that.  Now, whenever Knicks fans hear the name ‘Charles Smith’, all they think about him getting stuffed at the rim four times, costing the 93 Knicks, possibly the best Knick team of all time, their best shot of beating Jordan, and winning the title.  
Exactly seven years later, it was  game six of the Eastern Conference Finals;  this time, the Knicks were down 3-2 to the Indiana Pacers. Unlike last year, when the Knicks miraculously defeated the Pacers in six games, the Knicks have been completely outplayed this series during the first five games of the series, but the Knicks were looking to win another nail biter at Madison Square Garden[1], to extend the series to a seventh game. Ironically Patrick Ewing due to a foot injury, missed the two games the Knicks won.
 Unfortunately, game six was no exception, Reggie Miller dominated, scoring 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter, as the Pacers defeated the Knicks 93-80. With the win, the Pacers advanced to their first ( and only ) NBA finals, in franchise history.
If losing to the goddamn Pacers was bad enough,  this game wound up being Patrick Ewing’s last game in a Knick uniform. Ewing, who believed he was being treated unfairly, insisted to be traded.  Unfortunately for Knicks fans, his wish was ultimately granted.
 On September 21, 2000, instead of waiting for Ewing’s contract to expire, the Knicks traded Ewing to the Seattle Supersonics, in part of a four  team trade ,receiving  peripheral players in Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, Vladimir Stepania, Lazaro Borrell, Vernon Maxwell, two first-round draft picks  and two second-round picks.

"The one thing I know is that Patrick is happy," said one of his best friends, Alonzo of Miami. "Based on the way New York treated him the last couple of years, it was disheartening to him that what he gave to that organization wasn't appreciated."
It’s great to know the best player from ,one of the Knicks vastest rivals, was more concerned with  how Patrick Ewing is beating treated, than the Knicks were.

... I guess it’s karma, the Knicks have been the NBA’s laughing stock since.

Fifteen years later, the Knicks still haven’t found a player who can be considered a Patrick Ewing facsimile, Phil Jackson grosses $12 million a year to be a figurehead,  fans can’t decipher whether Derek Fisher is an NBA Head Coach, or a mime, and the Knicks just finished their worse season in franchise history.

Not to mention, J.R. Smith, and Iman Shumpert, two Knick cast-offs, are four wins away from accomplishing something Patrick Ewing never did in his 17-year illustrious career.

Two hours later,  it’s still raining, and the outlandish man is still by the tree, but sun will shine sooner or later.


…Who are we kidding?  Knicks fans have been saying that on this day every year since 1993.


[1] The Knicks won games three and four at Madison Square Garden, by a combined five points.

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