"What If"

We love sports because they liberate us from the crushing weight of "real life," even if just for four quarters. For a couple of hours, we are free to escape...

According to the old cliche, the two best words in sports are "Game Seven."

Well, the two cruelest words in sports may be "What If" 

The New York Knicks' remarkable 2023-24 campaign came to a bitterly disappointing end Sunday afternoon at MSG, as they lost in a blowout to the Pacers in Game 7.

For the better part of three months, the Knicks found ways to win despite a slew of injuries to key contributors. 

First, Julius Randle suffered a separated shoulder that required season-ending surgery. Then Mitchell Robinson, who had missed 50 games due to ankle surgery, was re-injured and sidelined for 6+ weeks. Shortly thereafter, Bojan Bogdanovic was lost for the year due to a combination of wrist and ankle ailments. Still, New York somehow advanced past the Sixers and into the second round. 

Yet, in Game 2 vs. Indiana, OG Anunoby strained his hamstring and limped to the locker room. Josh Hart was forced out of Game 6 due to an abdominal strain. Both Hart and OG suited up for Game 7 but were clearly far from 100%. 

Anunoby could barely move and was exposed on the defensive end. Five minutes into the first quarter, he was yanked and did not return. Hart was able to gut out 36 minutes but could not make his typical impact.     

Despite falling behind by 20+ points on several occasions in the first half, the no-quit Knicks made one final push at the start of the third quarter. They eventually whittled the lead down to seven points via a Donte DiVincenzo three-pointer. However, in that same quarter, Jalen Brunson fractured a bone in his shooting hand. 

With their season on the line, the Knicks were forced to rely on a lineup featuring DiVincenzo (who started the season as a reserve), Isaiah Hartenstein (who began the season as a reserve), Miles McBride (who started the season out of the rotation), Precious Achiuwa (who began the season in Toronto and was not a part of NY's rotation at the start of the playoffs) and Alec Burks (who started the season in Detroit and was a DNP-CD in each of NY's first seven games this postseason). 

The Knicks were missing six of their seven leading scorers and their six highest-paid players down the stretch. 

The Pacers deserve plenty of credit for not only forcing a Game 7 with an impressive home victory on Friday night but then coming into the Garden and winning the deciding contest. That is never an easy assignment. Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton were awesome. Indy's role players were incredibly effective and efficient. 

Yes, New York had no choice but to roll out subpar defenders, but Indiana converted 53 of their 79 FG attempts, becoming the first team in NBA history to shoot over 67% from the field in a playoff game. That's impressive, even if they were shooting alone in a gym. Indy scored 39 points in the opening frame, setting a new NBA record for most points scored in the first quarter of a Game 7. 

By the time the fourth quarter began, as New York had finally run out of healthy bodies, Knicks fans slowly realized they had to accept that this fairytale run was about to end. 

We love sports because they liberate us from the crushing weight of "real life," even if just for four quarters. For a couple of hours, we are free to escape to a place where the most important thing at a particular moment is the outcome of a child's game played by grown men in shorts and tank tops.   

When a game ends, the relentlessness of reality comes rushing back. The pain is amplified when a team loses a Game 7, meaning there are no more contests on the horizon to look forward to.

Yet, for the most part, the heartbroken folks inside MSG on Sunday seemed able to shrug off the anger and recognize that this team deserved all the praise and appreciation they could muster. When Josh Hart fouled out with ten minutes left, he received a long, loud standing ovation as he returned to the bench. 

Still, despite the endless enjoyment this team provided, you can't blame fans for wondering "what if."