Yeah

... just found them to be a great story because of how they played together, how they shared the ball.

Um, th- th- it, it w- they were led by a, just a great story in Jalen Brunson, and we all know about, you know, the magic he pulled off.

And by the way, guys, I'm on the Da- I'm on, I'm in the Dallas-Fort Worth area these days, and let me tell you, after the Luka Dončić maneuver, that whole fiasco, now you've got this compounding it where they had Jalen Brunson.

I mean, Mavericks fans are just at a low point.

But yeah, the Knicks were just a great, great story for, you know, and, and they're not, I don't think they're a generational team.

I don't see them being, uh, obviously a dynasty team.

Yeah

What was it like for you? when that moment where Mike green and the clock goes off, what was that like for you, Mitch?

Well, I, I felt good for guys like you, my best friend who wasn't a media guy who was passed away about 15 years ago, huge Nick fan.

You know, there were other people I grew up with and I was a Nick fan when I was a kid, I was a Nick fan in 1970, actually a few years before and then 73.

So I'm just happy for you guys.

I mean, Listen, I had to endure, you know, when you cover the Knicks and it's the James Dolan regime, it's a very tough cover because they made like kind of different.

I'm complaining because I'm out of it.

But even at the time.

How do you see this thing playing out with Giannis as we get closer and closer to the draft?

Mm-hmm

...

they should have run the table.

They should have been 16 and 0, and that one Cleveland win denied them that.

But that would have been the greatest.

This 13 game run that the Knicks had, that's one thing where you just...

And, and not just beating teams by, you know, five or six points, just blowing teams out.

the guy that has put them on the doorstep of winning the title.

Mm-hmm.

But they've been, this is their sec- second big playoff run together.

Last year got to the conference finals.

Experienced losing, you know, to Indiana in the conference finals, which I think is a big deal.

You grow off of that.

You learn from that.

And now the Knicks go in, and I love their approach.

Do you think that's gonna be more of the game plan in game three? 'Cause it felt like the Knicks then stopped scoring at the clip that they were when they were doubling Brunson and there was open shooters in the corner with the Brunsons or, sorry, the, the, the Bridges and the O- O- and Anunobys able to hit some of those open threes.

... like in your mind that things do end tonight or how do you see this going? San Antonio is a three-and-a-half-point home favorite.

I know, which is not a, you know, it's like a one possession game.

Um, I think Oklahoma City has a great chance to close it out.

I continue to be amazed, guys, by the fact that they're missing an all NBA player, their second most important player in Jalen Williams, and they continue to win.

That just shows you the quality of depth.

And AJ Mitchell also.

I mean, when you put those guys in, you just take a regular Thunder box score and you insert their names where they should be starting, coming off the bench, they're going, what, 10, 11, 12 deep.

... with the Knicks on the other side?

Right.

29.

You know, to me, starter's minutes, and they've been reduced over the years, but when I first started to cover the league, gentlemen, in the '80s, starter's minutes were like 36, 37, 38 minutes or more.

And guys weren't coming out of playoff games but for two or three minutes.

I remember when the Knicks last were in the NBA finals in 1999, uh, Tim Duncan played 46 minutes a night in the finals.

46.

Knicks had, uh, Ewing wasn't there, he was hurt, and Larry Johnson was on li- one leg.

Like how in love is that city with this team?

James

Dolan, the Knicks owner, in early January, came out and said, getting to the finals, we absolutely have to do.

Winning the finals, we should do.

Remember those statements he made to WFAN in New York, which sent the league, the league went crazy.

He just threw that bomb out there.

Now, when you talk about an owner coming out publicly and saying that about a team that hasn't been to the finals since, what, 1999, last year they had a a great run under Tom Thibodeau, but he was the fall guy when they fell short.

So the owner has these huge expectations for this team.

you know,

... kind of break down what happened? 'Cause Thibodeau just led the Knicks to their best season this century, and, and then he gets axed.

Yeah, I mean, he had the best playoff run since 1999, and the fans were partying like it was 1999.

And all of a sudden, he's the guy who's the scapegoat.

Uh, it is...

Listen, the Garden front office is full of vipers.

These are guys who have their own agendas, whatever they are.

They leak stuff to the media.

(laughs)

... break down what happened? 'Cause Thibodeau just led the Knicks to their best season this century, and then, and then he gets axed.

Yeah.

I mean, he had the best playoff run since 1999, and the fans were partying like it was 1999.

And all of a sudden, he's the guy who's the scapegoat.

Uh, it is...

Listen, the Garden front office is full of vipers.

These are guys who have their own agendas, whatever they are.

Okay.