Something Special

With OG sidelined, NY will need a few more miracles to keep this crazy crusade going, but watching Brunson & Hart and these guys makes even the most calloused fan believe in the magic of miracles.

Final Score: Knicks 130 - Pacers 121
Series: 2-0

Throughout this magical mystery tour of a season, I've talked about how there is seemingly something special going on with these Knicks. 

For those of us who have been following this team night in and night out, there's been a captivating aura surrounding them.

Something mythical, folkloric. 

Still, I'd occasionally ask myself if I was being hyperbolic. Maybe they'd come crashing back down to earth and regress to normality when the lights shine brightest. 

Well, as it turns out, I may have been underselling the level of specialness. 

On the anniversary of Willis Reed limping out of the tunnel at the old Garden in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, Jalen Brunson emerged from the tunnel about four minutes before the start of the third quarter. He took some free throws, trying to get loose. Boisterous "MVP MVP" chants rained down from the rafters, echoing off the iconic concave ceiling.   

It all seemed implausible, flat-out unbelievable.

Before going forward, let's backtrack and explain how we got here. 

Brunson checked out of the game with 3:32 left in the first quarter. That's a bit earlier than when he gets his first rest, but not entirely out of the ordinary. However, after the second quarter began, fans and writers noticed that Brunson had retreated to the locker room and had yet to return. At this point, red flags were raised. 

Then folks noticed that Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, Jalen's dad, had left the bench to check on his son. Concern levels were rising. Halfway through the second quarter, Brunson was still nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, the Pacers bench was putting up points in bunches and building a lead.   

Finally, the Knicks PR department provided an update. Brunson was dealing with a sore right foot and was questionable to return. Panic and anxiety gripped the Garden as word spread.

Tyrese Haliburton drained a couple of three-pointers before the break, and by the time the second quarter ended, the Pacers had a comfortable ten-point cushion.   

As the two teams headed into halftime, fans in the stands and those watching on their couches at home had far more questions than answers. 

Would Brunson miss the rest of the game? The rest of the series? Humans (especially those who've been hurt as Knicks fans have been) tend to imagine the worst. Was this fairytale coming to a deflating, whimpering end?

Which brings us back to Brunson making his way back onto the floor prior to the start of the second half. The crowd erupted when the Garden faithful got their first glimpse of their point guard. JB waved his arms in a downward motion as if to tell the fans to lower their expectations. It seemed he wasn't sure he'd be able to go.

However, after getting up a few shots, he walked over to head coach Tom Thibodeau, and they had a short conversation.

Brunson started the third quarter. And never checked back out. Over the final 24 minutes, the Knicks point guard scored 24 points, spearheading an improbable comeback.  

Riding the high of seeing Brunson return to captain the ship, the Knicks outscored the Pacers 36-18 in the third quarter. 

When the final buzzer sounded, New York had secured another victory and a 2-0 series lead. 

And Knicks fans were blessed with another unforgettable Garden memory. 

That really just happened? Fifty-four years TO THE DAY after Willis inspired the most important victory in franchise history, Brunson overcomes a foot injury to lead his team to a crucial postseason win. 

If you submitted this script to Hollywood, they'd immediately reject it as hokey and impossibly unrealistic. 

Yet, it happened—in real life—and we saw it. For that, we should be thankful.

There's something special going on with this team.

With OG Anunoby now sidelined by a hamstring injury (which we'll get into below), New York will probably need a few more miracles to keep this crazy crusade going, but watching Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and the rest of this team play basketball makes even the most hardened and calloused person believe that maybe, just maybe, miracles are possible. 

6 down. 10 to go. 

Other Takeaways and Knicks Notes:

🏀 OG Anunoby was having arguably the best game of his NBA career. He had scored a playoff-high 28 points in 28 minutes and was about to make it 30 with just under four minutes left in the third, as he was on a breakaway. However, going up for an uncontested layup, OG grabbed his right string and fell to the floor in pain. He checked out of the contest at the next ball, limping directly to the locker room in obvious pain. The Knicks ruled him out a short time later.