Almost Home

The New York Knicks are in the finals!

The last time that happened I still had black hair, my wife and I were on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and Bill Clinton was in the White House. That was 27 years ago. To put that in perspective, Johnny Carson was on the air for 30.

They say time flies when you're having fun. Fun would be the last word fans of this franchise would use to describe the hell they've gone through. Between 2001 and 2020, New York made the playoffs five times, advancing to the second round once. Over that stretch, a litany of GMs from Isaiah Thomas to Phil Jackson have come and gone. 

But it wasn't until James Dolan hired Leon Rose in 2020 that things began to turn around. Rose immediately went to work rebuilding an organization that had become the laughingstock of the league. His first decision was to hire Tom Thibodeau as head coach that summer. In Thibs first season, the Knicks made the playoffs, losing in five to the Atlanta Hawks. Though it was a bitter defeat, a foundation had been laid.

Over the next few years, Rose made several significant moves. In the summer of 2022, he cleared enough cap space to sign Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract; a move that was widely criticized at the time as an overpay. Then at the '23 trade deadline, he acquired Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers for Cam Reddish. Over the summer, he signed Donte DiVencenzo.

But his boldest moves were yet to come. In December of '23, Rose traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa. Then in the summer of '24. he traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges. Like the Brunson signing, this too was considered an overpay. But the final piece of the puzzle came right before the start of the 2024-25 season. In a stunner, he traded Julius Randle and DiVencenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. Rose had coveted the 7-0 center for years and now, at last, he had his man.

The Knicks would have their best postseason in a quarter century, beating the reigning champion Boston Celtics in six to advance the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. But the manner in which they lost to the Indiana Pacers - blowing a late fourth quarter double-digit lead - did not sit well with Rose. He fired Thiboadeau and replaced him with Mike Brown.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the Knicks displayed signs of a true contender. They won the NBA Cup in December, routed elite teams like the Denver Nuggets by 39 and the San Antonio Spurs by 25; the latter one of only three defeats the Spurs would suffer from February 1 through the end of the regular season. 

But there were also some bumps in the road. They barely beat a tanking Nets team and needed to come from behind to beat a Golden State Warriors team that was missing most of its starters. This dichotomy between greatness and underachievement was frustrating to watch, primarily because you never knew which Knicks team was going to show up. 

Going into the postseason, I wrote "the Knicks are capable of going all the way to the finals; they're also capable of being ousted in the first round." And after a game three loss that put the Hawks up 2-1, it was beginning to look like the latter was a very real possibility. The "Fire Mike Brown" contingent was in full force.

It was at that point that the Knicks had a come to Jesus moment. They went on a tear, the likes of which have rarely been seen by any New York area team. They won the next three against the Hawks, blowing them out by 51 points in game six. They then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Both closeout games were ostensibly over by halftime.

The numbers are staggering. Of the Knicks twelve wins, eleven have been by double digits and five have been by 25 or more points; they've held their opponents to under 100 points seven times; and their point differential of +271 is the highest through three rounds in NBA history. Their defensive rating of 104.4 leads all postseason teams.

Leon Rose has done a masterful job assembling this roster, and Mike Brown has done an equally masterful job coaching it. This is not meant as a knock on Thibs, but no way in hell this team gets this far with him as coach. So dominant have they been that even some of their harshest critics have been forced to grudgingly admit that they are legit; though they still maintain that they had an easy path to the finals. Oh, well, you can't fix stupid, but you can sure as shit block it. 

Which is what I've been mostly doing. Nobody is going to rain on this parade. I've waited 27 years for this moment and I'll be damned if I'm going to let the haters take away my joy. I haven't felt this way about a team I root for since the '86 Giants went through the NFL like shit through a goose.

I believe in these players, and I believe they have what it takes to go all the way, regardless of which team they face in the finals. As for who that might be, I'm done projecting. I wanted the Raptors in the first round; I got the Hawks. I wanted the Celtics in the second round; I got the Sixers. I wanted the Pistons in the conference finals; I got the Cavs. At this point, I could care less who they play.

The New York Knicks are in the finals! 

They are four wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973. 

That was 53 years ago. 

Knicks Are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA

We were told the East would go through Detroit. 

We were told once Jayson Tatum returned the Celtics were the team to beat.

We were told that the Hawks would beat the Knicks.

We were told that the Sixers, after they successfully came back against the Celtics, would come out of the Eastern Conference.

You know what all those teams have in common? They're all playing the golf, that's what. Meanwhile the team nobody took seriously is one win away from its first trip to the finals since 1999.

It's time to face facts. The New York Knicks have become a juggernaut. They are 11-2 this postseason. Their point differential in those 11 wins is a plus 236; in the two losses, it's a minus two.

Since January 20, the Knicks have the third best record in the NBA (39-13), the number one net rating (12.5), the number one offensive rating (120.9) and the number one defensive rating (108.4).

In 13 playoff games, they've won by 25 points or more four times; held opponents to under 100 points six times; and allowed more than 110 points just once: the closeout game against the Sixers. 

And yet, despite that, they get all the respect of Rodney Dangerfield. Even now, the same geniuses who dismissed them during the regular season are now bending themselves into a pretzel trying to discount what they are doing in the postseason. You should hear some of them.

"They haven't beaten anyone in the playoffs."

"They've had the cheapest run to the finals in NBA history."

"Analytically we've won two out of three on the expected score."

That last gem came from Kenny Atkinson, who apparently doesn't know his team is trailing 3-0 in the series. From what we've seen on the court, his players are just as clueless.

Meanwhile in the Western Conference - you know, the supposedly superior one - the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have beaten the likes of the Phoenix Suns (4-0), the L.A. Lakers (4-0), the Portland Trailblazers (4-1) and Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2). None, except for maybe the T-Wolves, were considered legitimate contenders going into the season. Yet to hear it from the so-called "experts," either of those teams would wipe the floor with whomever comes out of the East. I swear if stupidity were an Olympic event, these bozos would win the gold. You can't make this shit up, even if you tried.

First of all, if the Knicks were to win the championship, they wouldn't be the first team to have a "cheap" run. In 2023, the Nuggets beat an 8th, 4th, 7th and 8th seed; in 2024, the Celtics beat an 8th, 4th, 6th and 5th seed; and in 2025, the Thunder beat an 8th, 4th, 6th and 4th seed. Not one of those teams had a 10-game win streak during their march to a title, or for that matter the highest margin of victory or highest point differential like the Knicks currently do.

Second of all, why is that even relevant? Where is it written that success in the postseason has to be qualified? History is replete with examples of lady luck shining on teams. You think Knicks fans care one iota that their team didn't have to face the Celtics or Pistons to get to the finals? Not in the least. You play the hand your dealt. Anything else is sour grapes.

If anything, I've been impressed with this team's discipline and demeanor. Not since the 1998 and 99 Yankees have we seen a New York area team dominate like these Knicks. They haven't once pounded their chests or counted their chickens before they're hatched. Even now, on the eve of what could be their greatest accomplishment in more than a quarter century, they are laser focused on the task ahead.

In 1994, the Rangers finally broke their 54 year drought and won the Stanley Cup. Who's to say this isn't the year the Knicks finally break their 53 year drought and win the championship?

Go, New York, Go, New York, Go!

Hart and Soul

Two up, two down. Fresh off a historic come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks won their ninth playoff game in a row 109-93, and are now two wins away from their first finals appearance since 1999.

The Cavs, to their credit, showed no signs of a hangover. They did everything possible to even the series. They doubled-teamed Jalen Brunson, which left Josh Hart wide open. The thinking was if they were going to lose, it would not be at the hands of the best clutch player in the league. They even dominated the glass early, out rebounding New York 12-8 in the first quarter. And for their efforts, they took a 27-24 lead into the second. 

But the Knicks were just too good and too deep for them. They took a 53-49 lead into the half; they then went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter and never looked back. After missing his first three attempts from downtown, Hart went 5 for his next 8 and wound up with a game-high 26 points. Brunson, after being held to just two points in the first half, finished the game with 19 and recorded a career-high 14 assists. Mikal Bridges contributed 19 points of his own, while Karl-Anthony Towns picked up another double-double, his eighth in 12 postseason games.

But the night belonged to Hart. After being pulled in the fourth quarter of game one, the forward / guard was determined to redeem himself. Time and again his Villanova buddy saw him unguarded outside the key and got the ball to him. And Hart made the Cavs pay dearly for their disrespect.

Throughout this season, Mike Brown has had to walk a fine line between appreciating the intangibles Hart brings to the table while also acknowledging the limitations to his game. It was a needle Tom Thibodeau did not have the stomach to thread. As difficult as it was to bench him in game one, Brown knew he could count on him to bounce back in game two.

That's another difference between both coaches: Brown isn't afraid to pull his starters when they're not performing well. He has enough faith in his bench to know someone will come through. It could be Shamet - like it was in game one - or Deuce McBride or Jordan Clarkson or Jose Alvarado. There are no passengers on Brown's train. If you're wearing a Knicks jersey, you're expected to contribute when your number gets called. 

The results speak for themselves. The compete level of this team is off the charts. Yes, they've won nine in a row, but it's the way they're winning that's most impressive. During this stretch, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 212 points; the best point differential over a nine-game span of any team - regular season or postseason - in NBA history. 

For those who continue to dismiss them, I don't know what more evidence you need. I have watched the Knicks for more than 50 years. Not even the 1992 through 2000 teams under Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy were this dominant. At this point, it isn't a question of if they beat Cleveland, but how many games it will take. 

At the risk of invoking - and paraphrasing - the lyrics to one of my favorite songs from the '80s, if things keep going like this, Knicks fans are going to be partying like it's 1999 pretty soon. 

Miracle on 33rd Street

With just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks were trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-71. They were 4-24 from three, and it looked to all the world as if they were going to lose. ESPN analytics gave them a .1 percent chance of winning; not 1 percent, .1 percent.

The rust vs. rest debate had been settled decidedly in the rust camp's favor. Indeed, yours truly tweeted the title of my next piece: "Rust Never Sleeps," a pun on the classic Neil Young album from 1979. Oh well, I thought, at least they wouldn't blow a lead like they did a year ago to the Indiana Pacers. I still felt confident that the Knicks would win the series; it was just going to be a little more difficult now.

And then something truly remarkable began to happen. The Knicks went on an 18-1 run over the next four minutes to pull within five before Kenny Atkinson finally called a timeout. They then outscored the Cavs 12-7 the rest of the fourth quarter, and 14-3 in overtime to complete one of the most improbable and unbelievable comebacks in NBA history. In all, New York outscored Cleveland 44-11 over the final 12:52, and won 115-104 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. 

In the play-by-play era - which goes back 30 years - teams trailing by 20 or more points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game were 1-594. That one win was by the L.A. Clippers, who overcame a 24 point deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies, April 29, 2012. Make that 2-594.

So how did the Knicks pull it off? Two words: Jalen Brunson. Captain Clutch scored 17 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and OT. He abused James Harden, who, true to form, had more turnovers (6) than field goals (5). Possession after possession, Brunson blew right past the 36 year old like he was standing still. Why on Earth Atkinson didn't pull him is a mystery. The Beard was utterly useless on both ends of the court down the stretch.

But then that wasn't the only brain fart the Cavs coach had. Apparently Atkinson didn't realize that he had four timeouts left, because at his post-game presser he said he wanted to save them for the last minute of what he felt would be a one-possession game. While it was a one possession game late in regulation, by not using two of his timeouts earlier - when it might've made a difference - he lost both of them. It is inconceivable that someone as experienced as Atkinson didn't know this.

But while Atkinson had arguably his worst game as a head coach, Mike Brown had one of his best. With 7:52 to go in regulation, he replaced Josh Hart, who was a minus 23 in 31 minutes, with Landry Shamet, who was a plus 25 in 17 minutes. That move gave the Knicks a lineup with five genuine scoring threats. The Cavs now had to defend five players instead of four. That meant they couldn't double team Brunson. 

It was no coincidence that right after the substitution, the whole demeanor of the game changed. The vaunted Knicks offense that we were waiting for suddenly appeared. In addition to Brunson's 17 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had two field goals, Mikal Bridges had a pair three pointers, and Shamet hit three from downtown. 

But the principal reason New York won this game was because Cleveland simply ran out of gas. As I wrote in my series preview, teams that are extended a full seven games in their first two rounds tend not to do so well in the next. Going into this postseason, their record was 1-4 in conference finals.

So now what? Well for starters, the Cavs are in deep trouble. They let a game they had well in hand slip away from them. Just ask the Knicks what that means; they never recovered from that catastrophic loss to the Pacers last year. And since it's unlikely New York will have another slow start like it did in game one, Cleveland has an almost impossible task ahead of it.

As for the men in orange and blue, they shouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth. They dodged a bullet that would've felled most teams. They need to come out from the opening tip off and remind the Cavs that they are the best team left standing in the East; that they've won a franchise-record eight games in a row; and that they have the deepest bench as well as the number one defensive rating among all teams in the postseason. 

Oh, and they also have the best clutch player in all of basketball. 

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Three)

For the second year in a row, the New York Knicks find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their opponent, the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers, ousted the first-place Detroit Pistons in a thrilling seven-game series. And thanks to the seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers beating the second-place Boston Celtics in the first round, the Knicks are the first three seed or lower team to have home court advantage through the first three rounds since seeding began in 1984.

This matchup is ironic in that throughout most of the regular season, the prevailing sentiment was that the Pistons or Celtics would come out of the East. Instead, it'll be the Cavs and Knicks who will battle it out for the honor. Funny how that works. 

In the last round, I was guilty of giving the Sixers too much credit. I really thought they would give the Knicks all they could handle. About the only thing the Knicks handled were the brooms they used to sweep them out the playoffs. New York treated Philly like they were a bunch of G-Leaguers. Make no mistake about it: the Cavs are no G-League team. They are the toughest opponent the Knicks have faced so far in these playoffs. Conversely, the Knicks are the toughest opponent the Cavs have faced so far in these playoffs. 

How tough? Both teams combined to have the top 10 plus / minus Eastern Conference players in the postseason. Jalen Brunson leads the way with a plus 162, while Jarrett Allen of the Cavs brings up the rear with a plus 44. And that means we're in for one helluva conference finals. Anyone predicting a short series is sniffing something that would be illegal, even in Colorado. 

Before we get to the keys for the Knicks, a final thought on the Pistons. Watching these bullies get their comeuppance was truly gratifying. Detroit thought they could resurrect the Bad Boys of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Instead, they earned themselves a trip to the golf course. Bottom line: It takes more than intimidation and hard fouls to win a championship in today's NBA; it takes talent. In the end, the Pistons didn't have enough of it.

Now for the keys. 

1. A healthy OG Anunoby. It goes without saying that Anunoby must be fully recovered from the right hamstring pull he sustained in game two of the Sixers series. The Knicks will need his elite-level defense. If he is not at full strength or - worse - re-injures himself, New York will have its hands full contending with Cleveland's backcourt.

2. Win the turnover battle. The Cavs have committed the second-most turnovers this postseason, averaging 16.6 per game, with James Harden the worst offender at 4.8 per game. Meanwhile, the Knicks have committed the fifth-fewest turnovers at 13.3 per game. That trend needs to continue, and the best way for that to happen is for New York to pressure both Donovan Mitchell and Harden whenever they have the ball. Expect Mikal Bridges to guard Mitchell, while Anunoby gets Harden.

3. Contain Mobley and Allen. Unlike Joel Embiid, who was, for all intents and purposes, useless, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can score and defend. While not as physical as Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, they can still cause trouble for New York in the paint. The best way to deal with them is for Karl-Anthony Towns to continue being the point center. That will force Kenny Atkinson to bring one of his big men out to the perimeter which is what the Sixers were forced to do in the last round. And that will free up Mitchell Robinson to grab as many offensive rebounds as he can. Expect Mike Brown to play both centers together at times in this series. It is the one matchup New York can truly exploit.

4. Hit the open threes. The Knicks are leading all NBA teams this postseason in three-point shooting at 40.8 percent. The Cavs are 7th at 34 percent. While Cleveland's defense has improved somewhat in the playoffs, they're still nowhere near elite level, meaning New York will get plenty of open looks from beyond the arc. They need to bury as many of them as possible. 

Last year, the Knicks blew a late fourth-quarter, double-digit lead against the Pacers and never recovered. I don't expect they will repeat that same mistake. In fact, I've been impressed with the level of maturity and poise this team has exhibited throughout these playoffs. After the Sixers series, there were no wild celebrations or chest thumping. It's as if they realize what the goal is and what they will have to do to achieve it. The only other past local-area teams that have displayed that much focus were the '86 Mets and Giants and the '94 Rangers.

Something to keep in mind: prior to this postseason, only five teams had advanced to the conference finals while being extended a full seven games through the first two rounds since the NBA went to a best of seven format in all four rounds in 2003. Their record was 1-4. The Celtics won in '08, while the Mavericks ('03), Suns ('06), Raptors ('10) and Nuggets ('20) all lost. The point is playing that many games that early in the playoffs takes a lot out of a team.

To sum up: this will be a long series. Both teams have multiple ways they can beat you, both teams have very good benches, and both teams are well coached. The difference is on defense, where the Knicks have the clear advantage. It's been 27 years since this team last made the finals. That streak comes to an end here. New York in six. 

And now for the Western Conference Finals.

San Antonio over Oklahoma City in six. I know I said OKC would repeat as champions in my last preview, but that was before I saw what Victor Wembanyama did to Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Put succinctly, the NBA has never seen anyone with Wemby's skillset in well over a generation. He's the equivalent of what baseball calls a five-tool player. Imagine a player who can defend like Bill Russell, block shots like Hakeem Olajuwon, rebound like Moses Malone, pass like John Stockton and shoot like Steph Curry. The last player to dominate his sport the way Wemby does was Wayne Gretzky. That's why I'm picking the Spurs to win this series and quite possibly the title.

As with my last three previews, if the Knicks advance, I'll preview the finals; if not, whoever wins the West will win the title. 

Time Was Always On the Knicks Side

In the end, the hotly contested series I predicted never materialized. The New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers four zip, with three of the games not remotely close; game four was ostensibly over at halftime. Knicks fans who showed up at Xfinity Mobile Arena - AKA, Madison Square Garden South - were absolutely beside themselves with glee.

It's the first time the orange and blue have swept an opponent since 1999, which, not coincidentally, was the last time they went to the finals. The team that was built to beat the Boston Celtics, dispensed with the Sixers as if they were a G-League squad.

How did they pull it off? Just like they had done in the previous round against the Atlanta Hawks, New York exploited mismatches with Philadelphia, most notably the inability of Joel Embiid to guard. The man was, for all intents and purposes, a statue on defense. The Sixers also had no bench; Nick Nurse was forced to play his starters longer than he would've preferred. That meant they were gassed by the fourth quarter.

What made this series so special was that two of the wins came without OG Anunoby, arguably their most "indispensable" player, who, prior to game three, was listed as day to day with a right hamstring injury sustained in game two. What we are seeing here is truly special, something rarely seen in New York sports. The Knicks, after dropping games two and three against the Hawks, have won a franchise record seven in a row. Six of those wins have been by double digits, and four have been by 25 points or more. 

New York's defensive rating of 105.7 is second best in the league. Overall, they have a net rating - the difference between offensive and defensive rating - of 20.3. To put that in perspective, the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks with Kareem Abdul Jabbar had a net rating of 13.6, and that team went 12-2 in the postseason. The Knicks +194 point differential through the first ten games is the best since the 2017 Golden State Warriors at +170.

Individually, the Knicks have been just as brilliant. In these playoffs, they have nine of the top ten plus / minus players in the Eastern Conference: 

1. Jalen Brunson: +162
2. Josh Hart: +145
3. Karl-Anthony Towns: +135
4. OG Anunoby: +118
5. Miles McBride: +112
6. Mikal Bridges: +101
7. Jordan Clarkson: +77
8. Mitchell Robinson: +66 

9. Cade Cunningham (Detroit) +57
10. Jose Avarado: +50

What's impressive about Anunoby's totals is that he missed the last two games and yet he's still in 4th place.

While defense is a team effort, one player in particular deserves a special shoutout. Mikal Bridges has been nothing short of spectacular. Last year, he was the reason the Knicks knocked off the Celtics; this year, he was the reason Tyrese Maxey didn't go off. Before the start of this series, this is what one so-called expert had to say about the Sixers guard:

"There's nothing the Knicks can do to stop Tyrese Maxey; he's going to get his points."

The so-called expert who wrote that was none other than yours truly. I told you to take my predictions with a grain of salt.

In this series, Maxey averaged 18 points per game, 10 under his regular season average. I can assure you wishful thinking had nothing to do with that. Whether you still feel that giving up five first round draft picks for him was an overpay, there's no denying Bridges is an elite defender. Without him, the Knicks would never have gotten to back-to-back conference finals. You can see why Leon Rose wanted him so badly, and why there's no way in hell, regardless of what happens in the next round, that he's trading him in the offseason, especially for you know who.

But defense wasn't the only secret sauce the Knicks had going for them. Karl-Anthony Towns has been reborn in these playoffs. For most of the regular season, KAT struggled to find an identity in Mike Brown's system. He seems to finally have found it, and in the most unlikely of ways. The 7-0 footer has now become a point center. 

In the playoffs, Towns is averaging a team-high 6.6 assists per game; 5.3 more than he averaged last postseason. And he's still averaging 10 rebounds and 17.4 points per game. In short, he has become the focal point of the Knicks offense, and that has allowed Jalen Brunson to play off the ball more, thus making it harder for defenses to double team him. Both the Hawks and Sixers were frustrated in their attempts to prevent New York from scoring almost at will. 

And then there's the depth. This postseason, the Knicks bench is averaging 32.4 points per game, 5th in the NBA. Under Tom Thibodeau last postseason, it was 15th with 15.8 points per game. Now you know why Rose fired Thibs and hired Brown. 

For those who may be wondering where this team was hiding all season long and why it waited until the postseason began to reveal it self, I would submit that they've shown us glimpses of this all along. There was the 25 point blowout of the Spurs at the Garden and the 39 point humiliation of the Nuggets in Denver. It was never about whether they could play like this, but rather whether they could sustain it.

So now that the Sixers have been vanquished, the Knicks will sit back and await the outcome of the series between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The earliest they will begin the conference finals is Sunday. Normally having that much time off is not a good thing, but in this case, the extra few days will allow Anunoby's hamstring to fully heal.

As for who they'll play, the last time I dipped my toe into that pond and expressed a preference, I ended up with egg on my face. This time around, I'll simply say that whoever New York plays will likely be a far tougher foe than Philly. But let's be honest, that's not exactly a high bar, is it?

As for my preview, I'll write that on Saturday. In the meantime, enjoy the week, people. I'm sure the Knicks will.

Knicks Dodge A Bullet

It was quite a night at "The World's Most Famous Arena." The New York Knicks, trailing 90-89 going into the fourth quarter, rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102. Jalen Brunson led the way with eight points - 26 in all - while Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 for the game, along with 10 rebounds, and finished just three assists shy of his third triple double of this postseason. 

But as good as Brunson and KAT were, it was the Knicks stifling defense that proved to be the difference. After giving up 90 points through three quarters, the orange and blue went into lock down mode in the fourth, holding the Sixers to 12 points on 4-19 shooting; 1-10 from three. It was the fifth straight playoff win for New York, one shy of the franchise record set in 1999. That team, if you recall, went to the finals.

The biggest story of the game, however, had nothing to do with the scoreboard. With approximately three minutes to go in the game, OG Anunoby appeared to injure his right hamstring after coming down awkwardly on a dunk attempt that was rejected by Paul George. Seconds later he was seen holding the back of his right leg and noticeably limping as he signaled to the bench to come out of the game. He would not return. 

For the remainder of the night and well into the following day, Knicks fans anxiously waited for word about the severity of OG's injury, and more importantly, how long he would be sidelined. Nothing was riding on it, of course, except the entire season and the fate of the free world.

Then at 1:44 P.M. yesterday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Anunoby had been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and was listed as day to day. Millions of Knicks fans across the tri-state area breathe a sigh of relief. No tear; just a strain. The worst had been avoided. The Knicks dodged a bullet. 

It cannot be overstated just how invaluable Anunoby is to this team's playoff hopes. How invaluable? During the regular season, OG missed 15 games; during that stretch, the Knicks went 8-7. In the postseason, Anunoby is shooting a team-high 61.9 percent from the field; 53.8 percent from three. He leads the Knicks with a +6.2 offensive net impact; KAT is next at +2.0. Among players remaining in the playoffs, Anunoby is second behind between Chet Holmgren in total leverage, which tracks scoring, shot creation, shot-blocking, rebounding and defense. He's tied with Brunson with a league-best +118.

Last November, I wrote a piece in which I made the argument that Anunoby is the "most indispensable player" on the Knicks. I've seen nothing since then that has contradicted that argument. Put succinctly, this team has no chance of getting to the finals, much less winning a championship without him. Hearing he'll be back soon is like Christmas in July, or in this case May. 

As for when that is, I think we can rule out games three and four. Mike Brown would be nuts to risk further injury to his star forward. In fact, if the Knicks gain a split in Philly and go up 3-1, we might not see him for the remainder of the series. But if the Sixers should win both games, OG could return for game five.

As for the adjustments Brown will have to make to his lineup, he could turn to Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride to take some of Anunoby's minutes. Mohamed Diawara is also an option. Leon Rose assembled one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. Now it's time to find out just how good a job he did.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus; and he wears a Knicks jersey.