NFT - NY Knicks - 2023-2024

[brownelvis54]

Some of the ref calls were suspect

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Some of the ref calls were suspect

It's playoff time. It's when refs let the best players, play. I went to a hockey game last night between the Binghamton Black Bears and Carolina Thunderbirds for the conference championship of the Federal Prospect's Hockey League. The arena was sold out days ago and my buddy had gotten me a ticket. The arena was ridiculously loud and nuts, and the crowd kept chanting, "Refs You Suck", because they didn't call an infraction every time a player got pushy or losing their cool, especially around the net. I loved the fact they didn't call every infraction and just let them play. They pretty much let both teams play as hard as they wanted, tempers and all - both were the top teams in the league, and it was for the championship and the refs were not going to determine the outcome. To put it bluntly, it was great to watch them play their hearts out without the refs getting into every skirmish or incidental? hook, etc. They let them play, which is what happens in most cases when champions face champions for a title match. Much more interesting to let the testosterone flow and "may the best man win" type of game

Hence, I'm seeing in the NBA, some dirty plays (both ways sometimes) and the refs let them play it out on their own terms. I am a bit surprised at just how physical the game has become. It's mono e mono - hand-to-hand combat. And that's the way it should be. They've had an entire season to get conditioned to the rules of the game and to know how hard to push the rules. Almost like back in the days of the Roman Coliseum...LOL

BTW, Binghamton won and it was bedlam at the arena https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/black-bears-win-commissioner-s-cup-championship-earn-first-title-in-franchise-history/ar-BB1mc7P8

[DaveBrown74]

That was very ugly today.

I'm not going to do a deep dive autopsy on this game, because it was just brutal all-around, but the Knicks will need to do some soul-searching before game five and come up with a much better effort than that if they want to preserve a decent chance of winning this series.

Beating anyone decent without OG, Randle, and Mitch plus Brunson playing on one foot may simply be too much to ask. I feel like it all finally caught up with them today. I'm honestly not sure if they'll win another game with this group.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Yup...ugly. Nobody was hot...maybe Alex off the bench, but they just completely had an off day   

[Philosophers]

It went from 2-0 to 2-2 really quickly.  Dont love that.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

The dream has ended 

Hats off to Indiana, who shot the ever-living lights out at the Garden today. They couldn't miss even if they took nothing but hook shots with their eyes closed 

Wait til next season 

[DaveBrown74]

Credit OG for doing his best to be available today, but he clearly was too hurt to play. Hart has also been playing hurt recently. The Knicks put up a valiant effort, but they were simply too depleted to win this series.

Very good season overall, and they're definitely headed on the right track as a franchise. Now they can focus on getting healthy.