marc-host_1_05-15-2024_125656

The New York Knicks continue to overcome adversity and prove doubters wrong. Despite injuries and setbacks, they have stayed competitive and even won against tough opponents like the Sixers. Other teams in the playoffs have had games where they didn't show up, but the Knicks keep fighting. However, there was some doubt after a blowout loss in game four, but they turned it around in the next game. Jalen Brunson has been a standout player, exceeding expectations. The entire Knicks roster has been performing at high levels, and credit goes to coach Thibodeau for getting the best out of them. The Knicks are one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals in 24 years. Despite his flaws, Brunson's performance has been incredible, considering his size and athleticism. The Knicks' resilience and the potential return of Ogiannopoulos make them a strong contender against the Celtics. Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of the pod. Mark from Manhattan here on a Wednesday afternoon after the New York Knicks respond yet again in the face of adversity. This team just continues to respond. And I'm going to say I was very nervous for the first time because any time you try and doubt this team, any time there's a bit of adversity facing this team that creates a little bit of doubt in the team, it's almost as if they feed off of this. It's almost as if they like it, they use it to their advantage. You know, we've gone back and we've talked about the night that we knew Julius Randle was lost for the season. They went out, they opened the game against Sacramento at home, they went down by 20 plus points and they came back and won the game. One example. You know, in these playoffs, losing Bogdanovich, losing Ogiannopoulos, just they just continue losing Mitchell Robinson. They just continue to answer the bell. That's when you think they have an excuse to go and lay an egg. They haven't. They stayed competitive. They've won. They beat the Sixers. I mean, even in the games that they lost against the Sixers, they were competitive. And you see in these playoffs, these teams have games where they don't show up. The Knicks, despite having every excuse in the world to have a clunker of a game here and there or, you know, all these excuses at the ready. They just continue to compete. I mean, we saw the defending champ Denver Nuggets open their series against the Minnesota Timberwolves getting blown out of the water so much so that people were talking about them getting swept. And you know, guys like Bill Simmons and Stephen A. Smith talking about how, you know, what does this do to Jokic's legacy if they get swept? And now here they are, one game away from winning that series. But anyway, we'll talk about that later. But what I'm saying is, teams like the defending champs, every team, if you go and look at their results, has had games where they don't show up in these playoffs, where they lose by 20 plus points. And they don't have the excuses that the Knicks have. And despite the excuses and despite the injuries and being able to take a night off or, you know, even fold, the Knicks just keep fighting. And that's why you love this team. But I have to say, last night was the first night that I went into a game really nervous because they did have that one game. Now they had the game where they, you know, in game four where they got blown out, they were down by 40, they lose by 32 at the end. And so was the first time you saw a blip, a chink in the armor, as they say. And I didn't know if maybe, and it's silly me to doubt, you can't doubt this team. And that's the thing. No matter what happens. But I did have some doubt. I said, maybe they're just running, because they run out of guys. If you don't have guys to play, how are you going to play? I get they have a bench full of actual players, but I'm saying guys that can play at the level that is needed to win an Eastern Conference semifinal. If you don't have the horses. So I was worried that they were just running on fumes and finally the clock struck 12. It was the first time that I had had some reservations and some doubt. I will admit that. And then the beginning of the game happens, and the Knicks come out, they're missing a few shots, Pacers go up, and I'm like, oh God, the Knicks aren't going to win another game in the series. And then they just turn it around. You know, and I just want to say, it is well documented and well talked about that no one had any idea that Jalen Brunson was going to be this kind of player. And that people said the Knicks were overpaying him. How silly does that look now? Very well documented. That he is playing at levels, I mean now he's in a different stratosphere. Even if you had lofty goals and expectations, he's performing in these playoffs at levels that I've never seen, right, throw around Michael Jordan or Bernard King if you want to compare him to somebody in a Knicks uniform. But we haven't seen this, and we definitely have not seen this in terms of, you know, in recent years. And so that's all well documented. But if you go up and down the Knicks roster, they're filled with guys that are performing at levels far beyond what anyone thought they would perform at. Hardenstein, who's going to get paid, hopefully the Knicks can keep him this year, because of how incredible he's been playing all season and in these playoffs. He is the catalyst for so many things that the Knicks do right here. Whether it's blocking a shot, or making a pass, and of course on the offensive boards. Time after time, you saw last night, given the Knicks second chance opportunities. Hardenstein, hard. I mean, at his size, grabbing the amount of rebounds that he's grabbing, and playing and being the heart and soul of this team. Nobody saw that. DiVincenzo, even. Yeah, he was on Milwaukee and they won. But nobody saw DiVincenzo as a player that can put up 35, 36 points in a playoff game. Can some nights be the second best offensive option on a playoff team? Another example. You have all of these guys that are playing far and beyond what anybody thought, and you've got to credit Thibodeau. Yes, the front office brought the players here. But how many times have we seen in this, as Knicks fans, front office bringing players here and they don't play like this. Guys that have huge expectations, they come here and they play well below. Well below their expectation. Now we're getting guys that are far exceeding. So you've got to credit the front office guys for finding those guys, but also you've got to give Thib's credit. You have to give Tom Thibodeau credit for getting the most from these guys and having them believe in each other, having them feed off of each other. He just pushes the right buttons. He knows his team. The team has bought in. Look what happened last night. Deuce McBride, and I said it, they needed Deuce to have a game. They needed him. He had not shown up in this series yet. Obviously the Knicks are depleted in terms of having offensive answers besides Brunson. And they needed somebody to step up. And Thib's knew that. And what does he do with his struggling player? He doesn't put him on the bench. He starts him. He starts him and McBride answered the bell. So it's just this environment that the Knicks have created. This next man up, never die, and just continuing to come off the mat regardless of adversity. And now they are one win away from their first Eastern Conference Finals in like 24 years. Just unbelievable. And you can't talk enough about Brunson. You know, yeah. Sometimes he makes a nitpick. Sometimes he makes... But he's doing everything. So you can't say, okay, sometimes he throws the ball away. Yeah, he could clean it up. Yeah, he could maybe work on some foul shooting. Yeah, maybe sometimes he dribbles and, you know, doesn't get his other teammates involved. But that's because the guy, you know, he's got to do so much. But he is just incredible. And I've made a lot about the fact that, you know, he is oftentimes the smallest guy on the court, the least athletic guy on the court, and he is doing this despite all of that. Just like the Knicks are doing this despite all of their stuff, injuries and all of that. And Brunson may not be the most athletic and he may not be the biggest guy on the court, but most of the time, he's the best guy on the court. And it's just been amazing to watch these Knicks in this playoff run. And you know what? If they get OG back for that Celtics series, I'm not doubting this team can go to the finals. I'm really seeing what I see of the Celtics. First of all, they've had such a cakewalk of a run.