Pain.

There are gut-punch losses... And there are GUT PUNCH losses... And then there are "getting punched in the stomach by an enraged, prime Mike Tyson" losses.

There are gut-punch losses.

And there are GUT PUNCH losses. 

And then there are "getting punched in the stomach by an enraged, prime Mike Tyson" losses. 

Scrolling through social media after the game, I realized how many young Knicks fans had never experienced a true DEFCON LEVEL 1 loss in their lives prior to last night. It's one thing to fall short in a close regular-season game in February or even bow out in the first round against an annoying gnat like Trae Young. 

But it "hits different," as the kids might say, when you are fully invested in a team with a realistic shot at making a legitimately long, special postseason run.  

Alright, before we get into the psychological stuff and all the rest, let's start at the ending.