No Sit, No Quit

Behind one of the greatest - and guttiest - playoff performances in Knicks history, New York stays alive.

Knicks 112, Heat 103

Done.

We were done.

More cooked than the turkey in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation levels of done.

Done done.

Down 24-14 after a first quarter in which basically every bad thing the Knicks had been doing to be down 3-1 to begin with was once again on full display. Silly turnovers. Failed box outs. Poor shot attempts. And a version of Julius Randle that picked up right where he left off in Miami.

Not exactly the sort of start we were expecting from a team that has been defined by their resilience more any other quality.

It was so bad that the integrity of the entire season, with all of its immaculate vibes, was suddenly called into question. Did we imagine it? Were we getting high on our own supply? Was the moment really that big, to the point that so many reliable players were turning into empty husks in jerseys and high tops? If they went out like this, could we really still call it a successful season, what with all the uncomfortable questions that would now be raised?

As I was rapidly shuffling through the five stages of grief, I happened to notice that Jalen Brunson was still on the court as the second quarter began. Good job by Thibs, I thought, trying to milk his point guard for an extra couple of minutes, but I also wondered what was the end game here? Julius had been terrible, so even if the goal was to ensure that one of those two players was on the court at all times, wasn’t this just delaying the inevitable?