Game. Day.

My message to Knicks fans: Embrace the angst and apprehension. Soak up the suffering and suspense. It's a gift.

I'm not gonna be long-winded (for a change) or use a bunch of nerdy numbers to try and prove a point this morning.

We found out the Knicks and Cavs would face each other in the first round with three games still remaining in the regular season. We've spent an entire week discussing and debating this scintillating showdown. I used roughly 5,000 words to break down the matchups between these two clubs. Fans argued about how the series might play out on podcasts, sports talk radio shows, and barber shops from Amityville to Akron.

But the time for talking is over.

This evening, at around 6:00 PM EST, Mitchell Robinson and Jarrett Allen will both jump and try to tip the ball to their respective teammates. And the games shall commence.

Yes, I'm curious to see how New York will defend Donovan Mitchell when the Cavs run pick-and-roll action. And how Julius Randle looks (in case you missed it, ESPN, Adrian Wojnarowski reported Friday afternoon that Randle is "targeting a return" against Cleveland in Game 1, which was very welcomed news to nervous Knicks fans). And I'm fascinated to find out who Thibs uses as his five-man unit to close out the contest.

But, again, we've dissected the details and parsed the potential particulars ad infinitum.

Now comes the fun part.

There's nothing quite like playoff basketball. The jitters leading up to Game 1. The anxiety and anxiousness one experiences watching their favorite team play a do-or-die contest, in which every single possession in the fourth quarter feels like life or death for die-hard fans on both sides.

But that's the purpose of this post; to remind everybody to embrace the angst and apprehension. To soak up the suffering and suspense.

Knicks fans know postseason appearances aren't guaranteed. I mean, the Seattle SuperSonics have as many playoff victories this century as the Knicks.

Outside of the 2012-13 "We Here" team and about two weeks' worth of Linsanity, New Yorkers haven't had much to get realistically excited about.

This club is different. Maybe it's actually having a legit point guard. Perhaps it's the way the team has fought and competed and created an identity. It may be the way homegrown players have emerged as key contributors. Whatever it is, this Knicks squad feels special. And Knicks fans deserve good things.

So, for folks that have remained loyal to this franchise despite suffering through the awfulness of the past two decades, make sure you enjoy today!

For fans that lived through the Scott Layden and Isiah Thomas and Phil Jackson regimes, you've earned this.

For fans that died a little inside when the Warriors took Steph Curry at 7 and the Knicks settled for Jordan Hill at 8 - you deserve this!

For fans that tried to talk themselves into the Antonio McDyess trade and the Eddy Curry trade and the Andrea Bargnani trade…

For fans who attempted to convince themselves, guys like Maciej Lampe and Ron Baker, Jerian Grant, Andy Rautins, Mardy Collins and Cleanthony Early would develop into studs…

For fans that survived their favorite team signing Jerome James and Jared Jeffries and Joakim Noah to gargantuan contracts…

Here's every player that has started at point guard for the Knicks on Opening Night over the past ten years:
2013: Pablo Prigioni
2014: Shane Larkin
2015: Jose Calderon
2016: Derrick Rose
2017: Ramon Sessions
2018: Trey Burke
2019: Allonzo Trier
2020: Elf Payton
2021: Kemba Walker

Four years ago, in the final game of the 2018-19 season, the Knicks lost to the Pistons (it was NY's 65th defeat that year). In that contest, the following players logged at least 13 minutes for New York: Kadeem Allen, John Jenkins, Isaiah Hicks, Damyean Dotson, Luke Kornet, Henry Ellenson, and Billy Garrett…

For fans that watched the Knicks roll out a starting lineup of Langston Galloway, Alexey Shved, Andrea Bargnani, Lou Amundson and Lance Thomas… you've earned this!!

I say all of that to say this: Enjoy today!!!

It's mid-April, and the NBA playoffs will be underway shortly. And the Knicks are playing.