Tuesday, November 17, 2015

18. 2011 Game 2 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

To be honest, it took me several hours to decide which of the first two games against the Celtics was more agonizing to watch. After going back and forth with myself, I decided this game was more agonizing for one reason and one reason only:

Carmelo Anthony’s Performance

No, it didn’t match Jordan’s 63 against the Celtics in ’86, but it was still extraordinary. It’s not hyperbole when I say it is the greatest Knick offensive performance in the playoffs I have ever seen. [i]

He finished with 42 Pts, 17 Rebs, literally carrying the entire team on his back, like Bernard King did back in ’84.

Where was Amare? He finished with four points on 2-9 shooting. Let’s give him a break though, he did miss the second half due to back spasms he suffered doing a dunk before the game. And like I mentioned in the previous game, Billups did not play due to a strained left knee and wouldn’t play another game in a Knicks uniform.

The Knicks lineup during crunch time consisted of: Carmelo Anthony, Toney Douglas, Jared Jeffries, Bill Walker, and Roger Mason.

Think about that for a second….

The Knicks still had a chance to win this game; Jeffries converted with 19 seconds left, putting the Knicks up by one. But Kevin Garnett hit a tough shot putting the Celtics back up one with 13 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Melo gets the ball, and passes it to a WIDE OPEN Jeffries, who inexplicably fumbles the pass and loses the ball out of bounds. Of course, it should have been Amare down there, instead of Jeffries, but still, Jeffries is an NBA player (who led the Hoosiers to beat my Blue Devils back in 2002) and he should be able to at least attempt a shot. He had just made a more difficult layup 15 seconds earlier.

No one he was frequently booed during his tenure with the Knicks.

As a result of the play, the Celtics had the ball with about four seconds left. Melo inexplicably forgets he has to foul Rajon Rondo and nearly lets time expire before fouling with .9 seconds left.

How the hell does he forget to foul in that situation? That play doesn’t negate Melo’s magnificent performance, but one can argue that is his career in a nutshell.

The Knicks lost 96-93, a game they should have won and because of that game, the Knicks were demoralized and ended up getting swept and being the only team who qualified for the playoffs, but didn’t win a game.

God, I hate the Celtics….

Up Next: 17. Game 7 1984 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals Knicks vs. Celtics

[i] I’m talking about from the 90s on, I wasn’t alive to witness King dominate in ’84.

Monday, November 2, 2015

Knicks Fall to Spurs

NEW YORK—The Knicks have improved, but they still have a ways to ago.

After two days after beating the Wizards on Halloween, the Knicks put on a shoddy home performance , losing to the San Antonio Spurs, 94-84. LaMarcus Aldridge, who spurned the Knicks this summer, led the Spurs with 19 points

The victory by the Spurs gives future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan, who finished with 16 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, his NBA-record 954th victory with one team.

The Knicks started off strong, leading by three after the first quarter, but thanks to poor shot selection and costly turnovers by the Knicks, the Spurs took a ten point lead, midway through the second quarter, and never relinquished it. The Knicks were able to cut the Spurs’ lead to four on several occasions, but were never able to get any closer as the Spurs always seemed to get a timely basket whenever they needed one.

After averaging 113 points in the first three games, the Knicks offense tonight was nonexistent. The Knicks shot 36% from the field and was held without a field goal for seven minutes in the fourth quarter.

Carmelo Anthony, after scoring 37 against the Wizards, was harassed by reigning Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard, finishing the game with 19 points on just 4-17 shooting.

Rookie Kristaps Porzingis was very active tonight, finishing with 14 points and 13 rebounds, but appeared to injure himself from a collision with Carmelo Anthony, late in the fourth quarter. The X-rays of Kristaps Porzingis' neck were negative. He has a soft tissue injury and will continue to be evaluated according to Knicks beat writer, Frank Isola. Porzingis said after the game, “I have stiffness in my neck. But it's nothing serious.”

The Knicks will look to bounce back Wednesday in Cleveland, against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

19. 2011 Game 1 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

After what seemed like an eternity,[1] the Knicks were playing basketball in late April. I finally got to witness a playoff game since the first time I was an eighth grader at A.B. Davis Middle School, fawning over some girl named Olivia.

Unfortunately, the Knicks first playoff game ended in heartbreaking fashion, a loss in Boston, to the hated Celtics[2].

The Knicks actually came out strong to start the game, which led Knicks fans believe we actually had a chance to win this series. They even led by 12 at halftime! This was a team who had dominated the Knicks during the Dolan Era. I still remember this game to this very day. The Celtics fought back in the second half, but the Knicks were still able to take a slim five-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter took years off my life, as both teams went back and forth trading the lead. When Toney Douglas hit a three pointer[3] with about 35 seconds to go, to give the Knicks a three-point lead, I was ecstatic! The Knicks were finally going to win a playoff game for the first time in TEN YEARS!! But then, the Knicks inexplicably allowed the Celtics to convert an alley-oop off coming off of a timeout, which cut the lead to one.

On the ensuing possession, the Knicks gave the ball to Melo. Even though he was having a rough shooting night, (5-17 at that point), I thought to myself, “Of course, he was going to score and ice the game. This is why the Knicks gave up half of their team and future draft picks, just for moments like these. “

But Paul Pierce flopped, and Melo was called for a bullshit offensive foul with 21 seconds remaining. How many times has he flopped in his career? 10? 20? 10000?? Remember this? What I thought and what they called were two different things," Anthony said after the game. Everyone with a semi-functional brain, knew that was a bad call, except for Doc Rivers.

“Heck of a call to make," he said, "but it was the right call."

Of course, it was the right call Doc. Had he been on the other end of that call, he’d be bitching about the refs like he did here, here, here and here.

On the next possession, Ray Allen hits a three, aided by the 400000^th million illegal screen set by Kevin Garnett, which put the Celtics up two with 11 seconds left.

Out of timeouts, the Knicks raced up the court, Melo got the ball and shot desperation three that missed, and just like that, the Knicks lost the game.

How painful!

This game ruined a great night from Amare who finished with 28 pts and 11 rebs. Even though the Knicks lost this game, they were confident they would still be able to win the series.

And then there was Game 2…….

Up Next: 18. 2011 Game 2 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

[1] Actually it was seven years, but it sure seemed like an eternity.

[2] At least Larry Bird did not walk out through that door..

[3] Billups sprained his knee with a minute left to go, and would not play another game in a Knick uniform.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

20. 2013 Game 6 ECSF vs. Indiana Pacers

Ahhhhhh, the game that gave me the idea to come up with this list in the first place. The Knicks were supposed to beat the Pacers to set up an anticipated Eastern Conference Finals matchup with the Miami Heat.

But the Pacers had other plans…

After having their best season in over a decade, surprising everyone by winning 54 games, the Knicks’ season abruptly ended in Indiana. The Knicks had nearly come back from a 3-1 series deficit to force a game 7 , but Carmelo decided to channel his inner John Starks, scoring only 4 points in the 4^th. To be fair, it wasn’t his entire fault the Knicks lost that game, in fact he doesn’t even get 5% of the blame if you ask me. He did finish the game with 39 points and besides of a few Shumpert threes, no other Knick showed up on the offensive end. The Knicks shot terribly throughout the series, including J.R. Smith who shot an abysmal 4-15 in game 6 and 29% for the entire series[1] and Raymond Felton, who somehow ended up finishing the game without making a field goal.

Of course, there is the block, which is the most memorable part of this game and spurred an 11-2 run, but the most painful part of this game is watching New York High School legend, Lance Stephenson score a playoff career high 25 points, including nine points during the run. The Knicks passed on him twice in the 2010 NBA Draft, drafting Landry Fields and Andy Rautins.[2] Now three years later, instead of having him on the team, the Knicks were forced to watch Lance Stephenson torture Knicks in the 4^th quarter like Reggie Miller used to do.

The Knicks haven’t been to the playoffs since then. But do not worry; the free agent signings of Robin Lopez, Derrick Williams, and Kyle O'quinn will propel the Knicks back into the playoffs, right?[3]

In Derek Fisher we trust!

Up Next : #19. 2011 Game 1 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Boston Celtics

[1] He was never the same after throwing an elbow to Jason Terry

[2] What a surprise, another Knicks draft blunder

[3] I somehow forgot to include Aaron Affalo, what a misstep.

Monday, August 17, 2015

New York Knicks: The 20 Most Painful Postseason Losses in History

After reading Dan Hanzus' NFL Pain Rankings, which you can check out here, (the Vikings are too low, by the way) I started to think about all of the Knick playoff disappointments after a good friend of mine, who is a die-hard Pacer fan, sent me this video. After weeks of re-watching old Knick playoff games, and reading tons of articles, I’ve complied a list of the 20 most devastating Knick playoff losses in their 69-year history.

Tune in each day for the next three weeks to see where your favorite, or should I say, least favorite game, ranks on my list.

Honorable Mentions:

1994 Eastern Conference First Round Game 3 Nets-Knicks

After easily winning the first two games at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks lost their 5^th straight game in New Jersey, an overtime thriller in New Jersey 93-92. The Knicks were lethargic all game, trailing by 10 after the first quarter and as much as 16 in the third. The Nets offense collapsed, going 12 minutes and 15 seconds (including the final 9:35 of regulation)[1], without a field goal and only scoring 9 points in the fourth quarter. Patrick Ewing made the game-saving play, blocking Kenny Anderson’s layup, with the score tied at 83, which sent the game into overtime.

The lead seesawed in the final minute of overtime. John Starks, for once in his Knick career, hit a big shot, a three, which gave the Knicks a 90-89 lead with 1:04 left. The Nets answered; Armon Gilliam’s dunk gave the Nets a 91-90 lead with 43.5 seconds left. Ewing hit a turnaround jumper to give the Knicks a 92-91 lead with 20 seconds left. The Knicks just needed one more stop to sweep the Nets. But Charles Oakley fouled Chris Morris, who got away with a travel as he was penetrating to the basket. Morris hit both free throws, which gave the Nets a one-point lead.

On the last possession, with a chance to win the game, John Starks miraculously found himself wide open for a three pointer.

And of course, he missed it….. and had a stupid dejected look on his face. Did anyone with a brain, watching the game thought he would actually make that shot?

…Of course not

1993 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals Game 3 vs. Hornets

The Knicks were supposed to breeze through the Charlotte Hornets to set up the inevitable rematch against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals. But the Hornets had other plans. After winning the first two games in Madison Square Garden, the Knicks faced off against the young Charlotte Hornets in a double overtime thriller, Hornets fans still talk about to this day.

Up six with a little less than four minutes left in the game, the Knick had a chance to take an insurmountable 3-0 lead, but the Hornets were inexplicably able to score on five straight possessions on arguably the stingiest defense the league has ever seen. The Hornets had a chance to win the game but Larry Johnson bricked a fallaway jumper.

…A few years later, he became a Knick and became one of the most overrated Knicks of all time (because of this game), bricking fallaway jumpers on a regular basis.

Anyways, in the first overtime, the Knicks looked poised to take game 3; Ewing hit a couple of jumpers to give the Knicks the lead. As the Knicks were looking to go up four with about 40 seconds left, Ewing threw one of the laziest passes I’ve ever seen. Had that been anyone else, he might have gotten cursed out, but since he is the greatest player the franchise has ever seen, he deserves a pass. The Knicks were still up two, but Alonzo Mourning was fouled with 12 seconds left after grabbing his own rebound, and was able to hit both free throws. That’s clutch!

You know who is not clutch?

..John Levell Starks

Not only did he shoot 7-20 from the field, and had almost as many turnovers as assists (Eight Assists, Seven Turnovers), but he allowed Muggsy Bogues to strip the ball from him, as the Knicks were attempting to win the game in the final seconds. How many times can one person fail, before he ultimately succeeds?

Seriously, if John Starks never wore a Knick uniform, I’d probably be a much happier person. Something tells me, his name will appear a few more times on this list, before it’s done.

In the second overtime, Bogues did his best Walt “Clyde” Frazier impression coming up with 393,223[2] steals, while hitting the game winner jumper to give the Hornets a 108-106 lead with 54 seconds left, and iced the game by hitting two clutch free throws with six seconds left.

The Knicks won the next two games, albeit in tough fashion to win the series 4-1, which set up a rematch with the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.

.. Yes that game will be on this list, stay tuned. You know what f***n game I’m talking about…

1994 ECSF Game 3 Bulls-Knicks

After winning the first two games, the Knicks headed to Chicago for a game three, which would be remembered for eternity.

This game is best known for Scottie Pippen refusing to get off the bench during the final seconds of the game because his number wasn’t called for the last shot. This game negatively affected Pippen’s career, and is the main reason why he is one of the most belittled stars in NBA history. But we’ll get to that later…

Even without the Pippen debacle this game was one of the wildest games in the Knicks/Bulls rivalry. There was this fight, in front of former NBA Commissioner David Stern and there was a Knick comeback for the ages.

Well almost…

After blowing a 15-point lead in game one, and an eight-point lead in game two, the Bulls blew another huge lead.

The Knicks were down as much as 22 points late in the third quarter before making a historic comeback The Knicks outscored the Bulls 32-15. Ewing led the comeback, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter (he finished with 34) as Bulls coach, Phil Jackson, refused to double Ewing. It wouldn’t be the first time, his basketball philosophies would be questioned. In Phil we trust though, and I say that with the most optimistic Knick fan voice imaginable.

After Ewing tied the game at 102, with a beautiful seven-foot hook over Cartwright with about two seconds left, the Bulls called a timeout. Jackson created the potential game winning play for Toni Kukoc instead of Pippen. Pippen had a terrible fourth quarter, only making one field goal and failing to even get a shot off, causing a 24 second violation late in the game. Kukoc also hit three game winners prior, so perhaps that factored into Jackson’s thinking.

With Pippen sitting on the bench, Kukoc hit a tough shot to win the game and the Bulls avoided a 0-3 series deficit.

Thank god (and Hue Hollins) the Knicks would eventually win the series in seven games.

Up Next on The Knicks Most Painful Playoff Losses:

20. 2013 Game 6 ECSF vs. Indiana Pacers

[1] The Nets also missed 17 consecutive field goals attempts.

[2] Actually it was just three, but watching the game, it felt like it was that many.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Open Letter to Knicks Fans: We are Delusional

Dear Knick Faithful,

I have been concerned with the overwhelming positive fan reaction regarding the Knicks’ offseason this summer, so in response, I am reverentially writing this letter to inform you: we are unequivocally the most delusional fan base in the National Basketball Association. I assume you must be pondering: “Who the are you to say something like that?”

Please allow me to overture this by saying, we generally are the most obsessive fans in the league; it is admirable how we consistently fill the World’s Most Famous Arena, whether the team stinks or not. Unfortunately, in regards to our Knickerbockers, while we excel in loyalty, we are severely lacking in intelligence. It is baffling the amount of praise we are giving Phil Jackson for this offseason. Let us not forget Jackson’s draft debacle. Despite what NBA draft experts claim, we were justified in booing Kristaps Porzingis. We decorously assumed the pick was catastrophic. Jackson drafted a player, who will probably make little to no impact, thus effectively wasting another year of Melo’s prime. Don’t be shocked if Melo eventually waives his no trade clause, and decides he wants out of New York. A month later, we’re praising Jackson for taking the long-term approach in rebuilding this team back to prominence, instead of taking the “quick fix” approach, an approach that has bedeviled us for almost two decades. Of course, no one raised the question: how exactly does one rebuild with a 31-year-old star in Melo, who delayed knee surgery, just so he can impersonate John Starks, in an all star game?

In addition, let us also not forget, when Phil Jackson was hired on March 18^th, 2014, he stated, he planned to make a big splash in this free agency class. He reiterated this statement in March, as the Knicks were in the middle of the worst season in franchise history, stating, “We know what the first-round pick is going to mean for us, but we also know we're going to build our team with free agents.”

Jackson, whose $12 million a year salary exceeds league MVP Stephen Curry’s[1], failed to make a big splash in free agency, in fact, he failed to even make a ripple. When did our standards become so low, as to where Robin Lopez, a decent center, but certainly not a game changer, Aaron Affalo, a pro who is basically on a one year deal, but is slightly overrated, especially on defense and Derrick Williams, an athletic four, but has been a bust since being drafted number two overall four years ago, warrants a successful offseason? [2], A few months ago, if someone had told you the Knicks would land Robin Lopez, Aaron Affalo, Kyle O'Quinn, and Derrick Williams this offseason, would you have been satisfied? I’ve heard fans claim this was the plan all along; Jackson wanted use cap space, to find role players, who fit his outdated system (The Triangle), instead of max guys like LaMarcus Aldridge or Marc Gasol. Let’s be honest with ourselves, given the chance, do we really think Jackson wouldn’t have signed Aldridge or Gasol? I’ve even heard fans claim players will perform at a higher level in a structured system. For example, Demarre Carroll was a journeyman his first few years in the league, before blossoming into an excellent ‘three and D’ player in Mike Budenholzer’s system in Atlanta and just became the highest paid player on the Raptors. Do we really think Derek Fisher, who arguably was the worst coach in the NBA last season, can pull the same feat?

After all of these moves, according to the gambling website Bovada, the Knicks have just 150-1 odds to win the championship, after having 50-1 odds to win the championship last year. That’s right, there is actually a less chance the Knicks will win the championship. So I ask you again, how successful was this offseason?

I will give Jackson some credit: he and his eleven rings, have amazingly hypnotized an entire fan base, in such a way that makes even Sam Hinkie jealous.

Unfortunately, when someone constitutes a negative point, or a possible concern, we have a tendency to designate that person as a hater. For example, we designate guys like Frank Isola and myself as “Knick haters” due to our propensity for negatively writing about the Knicks, but praise guys like Alan Hahn, who notably had Jason Smith in his “ideal starting five.” May I ask, what makes us Knick haters? Do we not bleed orange and blue, similar to the rest of you? May I remind you this is the worst stretch in franchise history? We’ve dealt with terrible teams, despite high payrolls, due to abysmal trades and draft choices. Not to mention, we’ve only had the pleasure to witness one playoff victory since 2000, after setting an NBA record for most consecutive playoff losses. Are we not allowed to be naturally pessimistic after nearly two decades of incompetence? I understand things can eventually turn around, we need to look no further than the Golden State Warriors, the current NBA champions, who were incompetent for decades, before an ownership change and some shrewd moves, led to their first Larry O’Brien trophy since 1975. Believe me, if the Knicks start to progress, I will be the first one to praise them, but I will continue to criticize the team, if need be. I’m not guiltless either, but at least I have the decency to recognize what is actually going on.

If you want to join a Knicks group filled with positivity, join the Knicks’ Click, a group on Facebook, which is over 16,000 members strong. It’s a closed group, but I’ll be glad to add you, if you’d like. You can all sing kumbaya songs, while holding hands and all of that jazz.

As long as James Dolan is the owner, we should continue to have my doubts on whether things will eventually turn around, no matter what high profile name Dolan decides to hire next. Oh believe me, it will happen again, and once again, we will be genuinely excited, despite the lack of experience that person may have in whatever position they’ll get hired for.[3] How excited were Knicks fans, the day Phil Jackson was hired as President of Basketball Operations, despite never having experience running a team? And as long as we continue to attend the game, purchase the merchandise,[4] Dolan won’t have any incentive to sell the team.

I urge you to open your eyes; hopefully after reading this letter, you will start to see what ‘s really going on. I don’t hate any of you, despite the ridiculous statements, in regards to the Knicks, I hear on a daily basis. I’ve consistently used the word “we”; despite our opposing views, we are in this together, And if you disagree, that’s fine, but try to articulate intelligently, instead of resorting to using the appalling “hater” phrase.

Of course, I’ll be watching our Knickerbockers this season, and I look forward to debating with you all.

Sincerely,

A realistic Knick fan.

[1] Curry signed a four-year, $44 million extension in October 2012

[2] I will admit, I am a fan of the Kyle’ O’Quinn signing, as he is a fantastic passing big man and his some range; at only $4 million a season, I believe we are getting a steal.

[3] Isiah Thomas and Derek Fisher, are other examples that come into mind.

[4] I admit, I should be the last one discussing purchasing merchandise; after all, I’m considering spending over $100 dollars on a t-shirt.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

The Worst Day in Knicks History

The day is June 2^nd; 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 2^nd 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.