"If Brunson is the guy you fawn over, Josh Hart is the guy you buy a drink for. He is more New York than a halal cart, always open, always ready to serve, giving you what you crave just when you need it most."
Well Jon it worked the previous newsletter comment I made roughly 24 hours ago about how I was going to go to sleep and hopefully manifest a win.
I shall now go to sleep and manifest healthy limbs for both OG and Brunson. Or at the very least, maybe they both take game 3 off and return to bestow upon us a huge win for Mother’s Day. I mean, we did the right thing by not purposely losing against the Bulls. We’ve had so much bad luck with injuries. Surely we’re due for “cramping thigh” and “tweaked ankle” instead of worse.
Regardless, as I heard you say last night, I could not be more proud of this team. Win or lose the remainder of the season. It matters yet it doesn’t considering the plethora of misfortune. They’ve arrived and kicked down the proverbial door and fired the butler. They’re taking over the house. Good night.
Just when I think I could not be prouder of a team, they keep coming up with new highs.
At the risk of repeating what I said last night:
It is like the Black Knight in Monty Python and Holy Grail. King
Arthur cuts off the Black Knight’s arm and he says “tis but a scratch”. Cuts off another arm and the Knight says “I’ve had worse”. Loses a leg and says “perhaps we’ll call it a draw”. Except our version of the Knight manages to win.
We should carefully bubble wrap them till the next game.
Some kid is going to grow up with Josh Hart as his all-time favorite Knick because of THESE games.
The first Knicks team I ever watched for real was 1992, when I was 7 years old. My parents let me and my brother stay up late to watch that whole playoff run.
That was Anthony Mason’s first year with the Knicks. 1992-1996. That’s it, that’s the whole time he played here.
And he is my all time favorite Knick. That doesn’t mean I thought he was the best player on that team; anyone with eyes could see Patrick Ewing was bringing us literal greatness.
But something about the way Mason played, interacted, reacted. He was my favorite Knick.
Josh Hart has played 374 of 384 available minutes for the Knicks this postseason. And in a year defined by injuries, he has been an iron man. There’s some 7-10 year old staying up late with his or her family watching these games and thinking “yeah Jalen Brunson is the best on the team, sure Divincenzo is a better shooter, of course Hartenstein is a better passer, but Hart? That’s my guy.”
All I could think of last night was the Black Night in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “Tis but a scratch,” scene. https://youtu.be/ZmInkxbvlCs?si=hUI52GbGM6mkvRMZ . . . . The Knicks will keep fighting regardless of the ridiculous impediments tossed in their path. At some point, with no limbs, we will have to to surrender, but not until then.
When I heard that Brunson was questionable, I told my wife the season is probably over. 20 minutes later she's wondering why I'm yelling- he's back and the Knicks are ahead!
Words don't easily describe this team, it's leader, and the culture but Jon's doing the best job of putting our collective euphoria into words.
My wife has a running joke every time anyone goes down. I’m a bit of a worrier with injuries, and she is a former collegiate athlete. So every time someone goes down, I inevitably say “Oh man! He looks really hurt!”
She looks at the tv, and proclaims “Oh he’s fine!”
Sometimes she’s wrong, she said it about Damar Hamlin, but most of the time she’s right.
So when Brunson went down, and I pulled up the replay of his injury - the actual one, not the one where he got kicked in the nuts - I looked at her and said he hasn’t been in the game the entire second quarter.
And she looked back at me and said “He’s FINE”
I put my daughter to bed as the second half was starting, and I hear her yell upstairs “Guess who’s starting the second half?!”
No Brunson for over a quarter, with O.G. getting hurt thereafter, and Carlisle is still crying about the officiating. LOL Spare us Rick with the "small market teams deserve a chance too" nonsense. His coaching these first two games hasn't exactly been stelllar.
Praying that O.G. might be able to get back for later in the series. Need some luck there.
Brunson does that 54 years to the day of the Willis Reed game. Does seem magical.
Carlisle says 78! calls decided wrongly in favor of the Knicks- NBA ought to drug test him before they fine him. Did he see the Knicks take 100 free throws?
Jon - I am not sure if there is some award we can nominate your writing for, but as a fellow attorney and romantic of the written story, there is no one else I would rather read on a daily basis. Couple that with THIS FUCKING TEAM, and it's just pure joy. I watched the first three quarters on a flight back from Florida's Gulf coast, and then had my brother give me the play by play from the walk from the flight to the car. It was the shortest and most exhiliariting 60 minute ride home of my life as I caught the last four minutes on the radio on the way home. But the night wasn't done yet.... on the postgame I channel surfed from NBA Radio to Mad Dog Radio to ESPN Radio and on all three, last night, every host said what we all know... JB is a SUPERSTAR. My brother, I think, said it best when he simply text me late last night... LEGEND. And Josh F'n Hart! Actually, it's the whole TEAM, and I think this, again, is why not only have we fallen deeper in love, but no matter the outcome, we will always love them.
You're the man, Brian...thank you for those kind words. Means a ton.
There's something about listening to the end of a game on the radio out of necessity that makes it even more special. I'll always remember Game 7 of the '94 ECF. I listened to the third quarter and some of the 4th in the car with my stepfather on our way home from some party my mom dragged us to. I'll never forget it.
Josh Hart is Scottie Pippen to Jalen Brunson's Pippen. Man, if you told me I'd be saying that at the beginning of the season, I would have thought I must have been drunk.
damn. sports aren’t supposed to make you cry, and sports writing definitely isn’t supposed to, but this column got me all teary. really nicely written, JM. this fucking team.
A new level of resilience on this magically ride, this was the most improbable of several unbelievable W’s in our first 6 of 16.
Thibs needs to dust off both Burks and Sims to help us get past this beatable, but very young and deep Pacer Team. We will play Games 3 to 6 on one day rest without OG who is likely done for at least the Eastern Conference run.
It’s time to get our new core 6 (JB, Hart, Donte, I-Hart, Deuce and Precious) under 40 minutes and give Alec and Jericho some PT.
I’ve been watching sports since I was 6 (I’m 34 next month) and I’ve never seen anything like this. I don’t have the words to describe this.
As inspiring as this is, I can’t help but think what we’d be doing if we were healthy. OG’s injury was a gut punch on what was otherwise an awesome night. I really hope he’s okay and doesn’t miss much time
"If Brunson is the guy you fawn over, Josh Hart is the guy you buy a drink for. He is more New York than a halal cart, always open, always ready to serve, giving you what you crave just when you need it most."
PERFECTLY. SAID.
Well Jon it worked the previous newsletter comment I made roughly 24 hours ago about how I was going to go to sleep and hopefully manifest a win.
I shall now go to sleep and manifest healthy limbs for both OG and Brunson. Or at the very least, maybe they both take game 3 off and return to bestow upon us a huge win for Mother’s Day. I mean, we did the right thing by not purposely losing against the Bulls. We’ve had so much bad luck with injuries. Surely we’re due for “cramping thigh” and “tweaked ankle” instead of worse.
Regardless, as I heard you say last night, I could not be more proud of this team. Win or lose the remainder of the season. It matters yet it doesn’t considering the plethora of misfortune. They’ve arrived and kicked down the proverbial door and fired the butler. They’re taking over the house. Good night.
lol......I said the same thing at halftime....unbelievable
Just when I think I could not be prouder of a team, they keep coming up with new highs.
At the risk of repeating what I said last night:
It is like the Black Knight in Monty Python and Holy Grail. King
Arthur cuts off the Black Knight’s arm and he says “tis but a scratch”. Cuts off another arm and the Knight says “I’ve had worse”. Loses a leg and says “perhaps we’ll call it a draw”. Except our version of the Knight manages to win.
We should carefully bubble wrap them till the next game.
Ha! I'm not dead yet !
Some kid is going to grow up with Josh Hart as his all-time favorite Knick because of THESE games.
The first Knicks team I ever watched for real was 1992, when I was 7 years old. My parents let me and my brother stay up late to watch that whole playoff run.
That was Anthony Mason’s first year with the Knicks. 1992-1996. That’s it, that’s the whole time he played here.
And he is my all time favorite Knick. That doesn’t mean I thought he was the best player on that team; anyone with eyes could see Patrick Ewing was bringing us literal greatness.
But something about the way Mason played, interacted, reacted. He was my favorite Knick.
Josh Hart has played 374 of 384 available minutes for the Knicks this postseason. And in a year defined by injuries, he has been an iron man. There’s some 7-10 year old staying up late with his or her family watching these games and thinking “yeah Jalen Brunson is the best on the team, sure Divincenzo is a better shooter, of course Hartenstein is a better passer, but Hart? That’s my guy.”
I think I am that kid lol
All I could think of last night was the Black Night in Monty Python and the Holy Grail, “Tis but a scratch,” scene. https://youtu.be/ZmInkxbvlCs?si=hUI52GbGM6mkvRMZ . . . . The Knicks will keep fighting regardless of the ridiculous impediments tossed in their path. At some point, with no limbs, we will have to to surrender, but not until then.
Any comment referencing Monty Python is a good comment, I believe.
Great comment
Amazing newsletter today…last section gave a me a mix of goosebumps and watery eyes!! 🥹
When I heard that Brunson was questionable, I told my wife the season is probably over. 20 minutes later she's wondering why I'm yelling- he's back and the Knicks are ahead!
Words don't easily describe this team, it's leader, and the culture but Jon's doing the best job of putting our collective euphoria into words.
My wife has a running joke every time anyone goes down. I’m a bit of a worrier with injuries, and she is a former collegiate athlete. So every time someone goes down, I inevitably say “Oh man! He looks really hurt!”
She looks at the tv, and proclaims “Oh he’s fine!”
Sometimes she’s wrong, she said it about Damar Hamlin, but most of the time she’s right.
So when Brunson went down, and I pulled up the replay of his injury - the actual one, not the one where he got kicked in the nuts - I looked at her and said he hasn’t been in the game the entire second quarter.
And she looked back at me and said “He’s FINE”
I put my daughter to bed as the second half was starting, and I hear her yell upstairs “Guess who’s starting the second half?!”
He’ll be fine.
More New York than a halal cart is just perfect.
No Brunson for over a quarter, with O.G. getting hurt thereafter, and Carlisle is still crying about the officiating. LOL Spare us Rick with the "small market teams deserve a chance too" nonsense. His coaching these first two games hasn't exactly been stelllar.
Praying that O.G. might be able to get back for later in the series. Need some luck there.
Brunson does that 54 years to the day of the Willis Reed game. Does seem magical.
Carlisle says 78! calls decided wrongly in favor of the Knicks- NBA ought to drug test him before they fine him. Did he see the Knicks take 100 free throws?
Jon - I am not sure if there is some award we can nominate your writing for, but as a fellow attorney and romantic of the written story, there is no one else I would rather read on a daily basis. Couple that with THIS FUCKING TEAM, and it's just pure joy. I watched the first three quarters on a flight back from Florida's Gulf coast, and then had my brother give me the play by play from the walk from the flight to the car. It was the shortest and most exhiliariting 60 minute ride home of my life as I caught the last four minutes on the radio on the way home. But the night wasn't done yet.... on the postgame I channel surfed from NBA Radio to Mad Dog Radio to ESPN Radio and on all three, last night, every host said what we all know... JB is a SUPERSTAR. My brother, I think, said it best when he simply text me late last night... LEGEND. And Josh F'n Hart! Actually, it's the whole TEAM, and I think this, again, is why not only have we fallen deeper in love, but no matter the outcome, we will always love them.
You're the man, Brian...thank you for those kind words. Means a ton.
There's something about listening to the end of a game on the radio out of necessity that makes it even more special. I'll always remember Game 7 of the '94 ECF. I listened to the third quarter and some of the 4th in the car with my stepfather on our way home from some party my mom dragged us to. I'll never forget it.
One more movie quote from me, with the first line spoken by
Ronan, the Indiana Pacer. “You’re mortal! How!?"
"You said it yourself, bitch. We're the Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Josh Hart is Scottie Pippen to Jalen Brunson's Pippen. Man, if you told me I'd be saying that at the beginning of the season, I would have thought I must have been drunk.
We’re all drunk on life.
That should have been Pippen to Brunson's Jordan. Still amped over that win!
damn. sports aren’t supposed to make you cry, and sports writing definitely isn’t supposed to, but this column got me all teary. really nicely written, JM. this fucking team.
Thank yo so much MB. That really, really means a lot (especially since I may have had a tear or two in my eye while writing it).
A new level of resilience on this magically ride, this was the most improbable of several unbelievable W’s in our first 6 of 16.
Thibs needs to dust off both Burks and Sims to help us get past this beatable, but very young and deep Pacer Team. We will play Games 3 to 6 on one day rest without OG who is likely done for at least the Eastern Conference run.
It’s time to get our new core 6 (JB, Hart, Donte, I-Hart, Deuce and Precious) under 40 minutes and give Alec and Jericho some PT.
We are going to need 8 to outlast Boston.
I hope OG can take rest for Pacers but return for Celtics
Can't wait for the return of the iHart Sims double big lineup from the 2022~2023 season
I’ve been watching sports since I was 6 (I’m 34 next month) and I’ve never seen anything like this. I don’t have the words to describe this.
As inspiring as this is, I can’t help but think what we’d be doing if we were healthy. OG’s injury was a gut punch on what was otherwise an awesome night. I really hope he’s okay and doesn’t miss much time
One of these days, I'm going to need a Macri-penned book about the Knicks a la Blood in the Garden. Or at the very least, a Josh Hart biography.
Give me a few years ;)