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When I first started following the Knicks in 1991, they had three epic losing streaks going on. They hadn’t won in Boston, Chicago or Cleveland for years. Not two or three seasons — the better part of a decade. You don’t forget bullying. Skin remembers. Bones, too. Pro’ly why to this day I’ve at some point rooted for every team in the league except them three (and Miami, natch).
So after years of watching Milwaukee (formerly an East elite) bully New York (formerly not), did I pity the former last night as the latter beat and battered them, 127-98? Fair question. It’s a weird world. The president’s a child rapist. The pope’s an American; a good one, at that. For nearly two months, the Thunder looked like the 2016 Warriors; since then, they’re more the 2026 Warriors. People change. Seasons change.
But as cockroaches and Twinkies were built to survive the apocalypse, so it goes for my disdain for the Deer, a meanness that only multiplied knowing Giannis Antetokounmpo was and remains out for the forseeable future. How tiresome have the Greek Freak’s trade desire twists turned? Put it this way: when I was 12, I was stabbed with a letter opener. Millimeters from my kidney. There were no adults around to help. I had to figure out what I should do. That caused me less agony than Antetokounmpo’s refusal to shit or get off the “trade me” pot.
Last night was the eye of a storm that isn’t moving on anytime soon. The shortest month of the year was long on legit foes: the Knicks played the Pistons twice, the Celtics, the Cavaliers, the Nuggets and the Rockets. Yet there’s no rest for the weary, as here come the Spurs, Raptors, Thunder, Nuggets, Lakers and Clippers, the last five games part of a six-game swing out west. A little Glass Joe last night was just what the doctor ordered.
The Knicks outscored the Bucks by 16 on 2s and 15 on 3s. Gotham’s greats started red-hot from deep and stayed hot, drilling half their 42 tries; five Knickerbockers made multiple treys. Seven had at least three assists, the most since . . . well, they don’t pay me enough to look that up; it’d take a while. Suffice it to say it’s pro’ly been a bit. Can’t remember too many nights they tallied 33 dimes to just 10 turnovers.
More good news? Mo Diawara played 23 minutes and Jeremy Sochan six. My joy doesn’t stem from seeing Sochan that little — he can make a difference in a specific spot in a playoff series. More that Diawara’s minutes were the second-most he’s played as a pro; that he finished a team-best +25 reminds us why so many are so high on him. A note of hope for all the Chicken Littles: Diawara’s played only 26 minutes against Detroit all season, 27 against Boston. Sochan played four minutes against the Pistons earlier in the season with the Spurs and 10 against the Celts with the Knicks. Wing depth was a weakness when this team broke camp. It isn’t now.
I’ve been playing Hades 2 an insane amount since it came out. One reason why I just can’t quit it is how far you can up the difficulty. You can make yourself weaker, make your enemies stronger, faster, tougher. It’s loads of fun, but requires a consistency and level of focus that I sometimes grow blind to; only when there’s a safe or light moment in the game does my body remember it’s okay to relax.
Quoth spreewellhasmouthstofeed: “No worries.” Last night was the last time the Knicks and their fans can relax till mid-March. Next game is 24 hours from now, a visit from Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. The Knicks are two games back of the second-seed, two games up on the fourth. Four could mean needing to beat the 76ers just to visit the Pistons; second could be hosting the Hornets and not seeing Detroit till the conference finals, if at all. Let the agita commence.