Ridiculous!

After leading by as many as 19, the Knicks finally defeat the Sixers 110-105.

The Knicks came out of the gate on all cylinders Wednesday night. At one point, they led by 19, but of course, Philly started coming back in the third and finally in the fourth quarter they took the lead. Of course Jalen Brunson had to single-handedly save the day. Ridiculous.

Ridiculous because the Knicks are the third seed in the East and the Sixers were on an eight-game losing streak. Ridiculous because it was basically the Knicks against Kelly Oubre and Tyrese Maxey. This should have been an easy win. Like how the Cavaliers and Celtics easily defeated them. But these days the Knicks don’t do anything easy.

The new starting lineup

Karl Anthony-Towns did not play, so Tom Thibodeau used a new starting lineup. Towns didn’t play because of a sore knee he got in the Boston debacle. Instead of Precious Achiuwa, Thibs used Ariel Hukporti and it did not stink for 16 minutes. Hukporti would bring with him athleticism and spunk. A reminder of the young Mitchell Robinson. He contributed eight points, two rebounds and a block. Not bad for a rookie in his first start.

O Captain, My Captain…

If it were not for Jalen Brunson, there might be a different story to tell about this evening. (And there might have been an announcement of a coaching change.) With a total of 34 points, seven assists, three rebounds and a steal, Brunson’s nine straight points at the end of the game is what finally got the job done.

Guess who came to play tonight…

Mikal Bridges came to play Wednesday night. (You would think he heard all those fans decrying those first round picks that were used to get him.) He had 28 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Bridges amassed 19 points in the first quarter, but only nine points for the rest of the game. Seems as though the ball is not being distributed to the hot hand. That’s another pet peeve I have. Whether Thibs takes them out of the game, or the ball just mysteriously doesn't find its way to that hot hand…hmmm…

Mikal scores 19 in the first quarter on eight of ten shooting; he didn’t score in the second quarter, but he had a steal. In the third quarter, he shot two of three for five points and in the fourth he got the other four points on two of four shooting. He played well, shot well, and I bet if he had the ball in his hands more, could have scored an easy 30 points, which is what this team will need since the coach likes to put injured players in the game for no good reason.

Mitchell Robinson to the rescue?

Some time this season, we can expect to see the Blockness Monster return to the court. Rumor has it that he will appear on Friday when the Knicks take on the Memphis Grizzlies. Understand this, Robinson will cure a lot of what ails the Knicks. And he definitely will fix their mistakes, but he can’t be everywhere, always at once. He will protect the rim and block shots, pull shots out of the air that were supposedly three-pointers, but he’s not going to give this team the confidence or the passion or wherewithal to defeat those top three teams. That’s an inside job.

Miss Tee…

I hope Mitch’s return does turn this team around. He deserves that. He is the last man standing from a Knicks team that would win just 17 games for the season…twice. I hope he’s the reason this team makes it past the second round. I hope he does it for RJ Barrett and Julius Randle…who were in that fight with him but will never see what the pain of that rebuilding brought forth.

The Philadelphia 76ers were without their star center Wednesday night. The center that put our center out…until even now. They have been labeled the biggest disappointment of the season. I remember how Stephen A and the ESPN crew talked about how they were going to be a big three problem and a better team than the Knicks. Sorry.

Yet and still this shorthanded Philly team was allowed by this Knicks team that has the best starting five in the league, to come back from 19 down. Kelly Oubre and Tyrese Maxey. Oh and Paul George was there. What are the Knicks fans supposed to think about that, feel about that?

Make it make sense how the Detroit Pistons on this same Wednesday night beat the snot out of the Boston Celtics 117-97! The Detroit Pistons, coached by ousted Cleveland Cavaliers coach JB Bickerstaff!!! I don’t care who on the Celtics didn’t play! I know who played and couldn’t defeat them. Detroit doesn’t have Karl Anthony Towns or Jalen Brunson, two starters for the All-Star game. They have Cade Cunningham. It’s so disheartening. I had so many expectations for this Knicks team… But I’m still holding out hope for Mitch’s return.

This Knicks team should be beating the hell out of every team in the league. Especially when Mitch returns.

Now on Friday the Knicks will be traveling to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. You remember what the Knicks did to them last month? Be expecting a revenge game a la Ja Morant.

Knicks Nation, I know you don’t want to hear me bitching about this team, or this coach. Well, more than likely they were my team before many of you reading this were born. Over fifty years I’ve been waiting for a team like this. We’ve given up some really good players for a team like this…so WTF is wrong?!!! This is truly ridiculous, on so many levels…

Until next time.