The flashbacks flooded the broadcast on Friday of match 6 of a semi-final of the East Conference between the Boston Celtics and the Knicks of New York, longtime rivals with resolutely polar pedigrees during the last quarter of a century.
Images of former Knicks’ Luminaires with a courtyard of Madison Square Garden are a constant, regardless of the issues. While New York continued to hide the champions in title of the NBA on the way to a flight victory of 119-81, however, of the references and videos of the last Knicks Club to reach a final of the conference – in 2000, EGAD – also rolled.
A screaming and thirsty fans’ base of this moment will have until Wednesday to continue to party as if it was the year after 1999. The Knicks plan to return to work earlier, the Indiana pacers visiting the garden to open the Eastern finals.
“Our season is not over,” said Jalen Brunson from New York. “We have much more to do.”
Allow the Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau to explain exactly how much – without exploring the intangible assets of 1973, the last time New York won an NBA title.
“I think the way you have to look at it is what your ceiling is, that’s what you are looking for,” said Thibodeau. “You are trying to take expectations for you. The goal is always to win a championship. We have eight victories. You need 16 years. And everyone becomes more and more difficult. You have to keep fighting.”
New York wasted a previous attempt to win his eighth victory for the playoffs. With the Celtics who have apparently dizzy of the losing star Jayson Tatum to an Achilles tendon injury at the end of the match at the end of the match 4, Boston responded with a 127-102 home victory in match 5 on Wednesday to avoid elimination.
While Brunson was fighting against trouble and Josh Hart sailed his eye, the Knicks faded after playing the Celtics even in the first half.
“Just the way, the whole match 5, it was simply not us,” said Brunson. “We knew that we thought about it, we came back and we knew that we should be better.”
The Knicks have shown a similar resolution against Strait Pistons in the first round. Unable to close the pistons in the Garden of Match 5, New York did not waste its next opportunity to Detroit two nights later.
Friday undoubtedly brought the most complete game that New York played all season. With Brunson and Og Anunoby paving the way with 23 points each, four knicks finished with at least 21 points.
Hart, the other starting from New York, was not himself, contributing 10 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for the first triple franchise in the playoffs since Walt Frazier.
If you are a fan of the Knicks who is missing a certain vintage, “Clyde” was this gentle gent with the goat-goère and the top of the Puma gold mustard on Friday.
Frazier and Co. will have at least two other chances for the national television time – unless they also go to Indiana.
In any case, the Eastern finals – a revenge match of a contested seven games in the semi -finals last season – are not short. The Pacers rested simply eliminated the most seeded Cleveland riders in five games and kept a large part of the nucleus which overcome a deficit of the 2-0 series against the Knicks last season.
Playing in a city and an arena with a lot of glitter, the Knicks realize that they will need grain.
Nothing new there.
“This is how you react to the challenge that is in front of you,” said Thibodeau. “We cannot take it. Obviously, it’s a big victory and we are moving forward, you are looking at this, but you also understand that you have to prepare for the next series. We know that Indiana is a great team and we have to be ready.”
