Mm.

There's been a lot of people who said, "Nah, don't see you as this.

Um, no, you can't do that." Um, you know, I, I've, I've had that happen.

Um, what I don't think I knew, even I'll go back to four years ago before I came back to The Post, and, you know, we've had some really good growth.

Um, when I first started, I didn't have the idea for New York Got Game.

Um, some of the other shows I do, that, none of that was being thought about.

I, at that point, I was just thinking like, "How do I become a better storyteller, reporter, anchor?" I'm just...

[laughs]

It is sad.

It is sad.

And it's not solely a basketball issue, right? You know, I always like to look at sports...

in this way in which it intersects with society, right? So it's a socioeconomic issue.

And I always personally get concerned when people are getting priced out.

I mean, what you said is very poignant because you were a college student at the University of Houston and you were able to say, okay, you know, I got 30, 40 bucks in my pocket and I could go see this game or $80 to go see game one NBA finals.

And I'm sure it was so amazing for you to be like, I'm in college, I'm here in Houston, they're playing the next game on the 94 finals.

Well, just please describe just the vibes of this parade.

Shout out to

Danielle.

I'm sure she is.

I'm going to send her a text after this.

I'm sure she is.

No, he can't.

I agree with you.

How do you feel about, you know, journalism if it you if it really this term really is dead?

How much of that Eastern Conference finals loss do you think carried over into this season and the postseason?

Honestly, I think a whole lot.

Or I re- I really do, Mike.

I think a whole lot because when you look at...

Let's just look at game one against the Cavs in the conference finals this year, and the Knicks almost found themselves in a very similar position, right? Although they blew the lead in game one of the conference finals against the Pacers at home last year, game one this year against the Cavs, they're down 22 points.

And Jalen Brunson gave a very impassioned speech trying to rally the troops in the huddle, and you could kind of see there's been this focus of, "We're not gonna let this happen again to us." Um, and the way the team has talked about things throughout the entire postseason run, I think it speaks to the point that you're making, that they have learned from last year, that they are taking this one step at a time.

The mantra from them has been, "Job's not done." Even last night after their win, you heard Mitchell Bridges talking about the fact that, "Hey, I didn't play as good as I should've in the fourth quarter.

Mm-hmm.

And Joy-Anna Rogers, again.

[laughs] I won't.

But anyway.

[laughs] Um, I thought it was important, we both thought it was important that the Knicks sort of establish that continued dominance, getting 12 straight, punching them in the mouth and being like, "No, this team is here.

We, you, if you're overlooking us, there's no reason for you to overlook us." And I think it's even more important, J-Mac, how they won in a comeback fashion because that puts a little bit more doubt into the heads of the San Antonio Spurs that's like, "Oh man, this team really can come back and they can win any kind of game.

They can blow us out.

They can come back if they're down 13, 14.

He was in and got taken out.

I think so, too.

I think he'd probably get the assignment on, on, uh, Stephon Castle.

And, you know, you saw Josh Hart has sometimes, whether it was on C.J. McCollum, not saying that C.J. McCollum is Stephon Castle, 'cause I think Stephon Castle a little bit more of a problem in that way.

Um, Stephon Castle also can get a little bit over aggressive as we've seen sometimes, and I wonder if, if the Knicks' experience there can, can handle that.

Um, but yeah, I think that's gonna be a key.

I think tur- turning, turning them over and then being able to get those easy baskets.

I think defensively overall it's just gonna have to be still the great communication we've seen, right? Uh, communicating with your guys, um, everybody communicating on a string.

Yeah.

So to answer your question, Dexter, the moment that I allowed myself to believe that they could win the game was when Shamit put them up by nine in overtime, which is what prompted the reaction that I think is going around Twitter

right now.

That's crazy, but I loved how you explained it because...

That's honest.

I'm not saying you're crazy, my guy, but...

It shows you what fandom can be like.

And you and I are exactly the same age.

What's the plan for Towns? Do you have any thoughts on that?

Size up game three at the Target Center tonight as the scene shifts to Minneapolis.

Yeah, one good play by you there with the Wolves in game one.

You're right.

They played off that momentum.

And, you know, even Ann Edwards coming off the bench gave them a bit of a spurt.

But listen, the Spurs responded like they should in game two.

And now that shifts us to game three.

Should they be the favorites over Las Vegas? Cause I'm sure that Asia Wilson and company might take a, put a little chip on their shoulder when they see that, that New York is the team to beat right now, at least for via the odds makers.

Oof.

This, this is bad, and, and the Mets have a lot of soul-searching to do.

I think the other problem, guys, you know, it's easy to rag on the offense, which has been terrible, but the other thing is this team now, it looks like in hindsight, is poorly constructed.

You have guys, a lot of guys playing out of position.

There's no every day first baseman.

There's guys switching, playing at first, playing at third, playing in right field.

There hasn't been stability for this team, and David Starnes talked about shoring up the defense and run prevention.

What's going on with the Knicks?

This was a methodical, workmanlike, one team just kind of putting it to another, and the other team not knowing what to do.

Looking lost.

Yeah, looking lost.

They di- here...

And here's the thing, you know, and, and when I d- when we do this, I've, I've...

It's funny, you looking at the same thing as me.

I want to look actually more...

Brunson's gotta show some heart here.