What the Big Apple is thinking right now: “Bring it, LeBron.” You’re about to find out these aren’t your regularly fragile New York Knicks.
- New York Knicks (7-5)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (6-7)
- NBA, East, Nov. 14, 2017, 7:30 p.m. ET, MSG
- Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
No, no, no … LeBron. This is not the same thing.
As you ride the New York City subway system during the day while laughing it up with teammates, don’t think for one moment that the Big Apple evening will bring along the same vibes.
It won’t.
We get it. We understand who you are and what you’re capable of. You belong in the G.O.A.T. discussion. Whether or not you’re No. 2 or 5 (Michael Jordan, Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) is up for individual debate. You do, indeed, belong thanks to an unholy mix of basketball IQ and raw physical talent.
Therefore, putting up memorable nights at the Mecca is your birthright.
We saw you on Mar. 5, 2008, when you put up a cool 50 to go along with 10 assists and eight rebounds. We witnessed your 52 a year later on Feb. 4. We fell into a deep depression on Dec. 17, 2010 while you spanked the New York Knicks with Miami while Amar’e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton looked like they had something special going under Mike D’Antoni.
And of course, our basketball lives sunk to the basement any time you squared off against the Carmelo Anthony-led Knicks.
That’s history. While important and always remained etched in stone, it’s still history. Tonight, on this Monday of Nov. 13, 2017, you begin something new. You walk into Madison Square Garden a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers perhaps not fully aware that a new era has been born.
No more laughing with the opposition prior to games. No more smirking in-and-out of whistles on that MSG court under that iconic roof. No more playing patty cake with the hapless Knicks.
These Knickerbockers, led by a certain Unicorn, are something totally different.
There’s fight. There’s fire. There’s competitiveness, team ball and grit to go along with defense. Yes, the Kristaps Porzingis-led Knicks would rather fight you than succumb to your dominant will.
That’s how it should be. That’s how it needs to be.
While the overall talent still lacks legitimate championship hopes and you may just drop another 50-bomb before it’s all over, these Knicks will come at you in a completely different way.
… they’re going to make you earn it.
Tip-off from the Garden comes your way at 7:30 p.m. ET.