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The New York Knicks had every reason to celebrate on Tuesday night.
According to ESPN analytics, the Knicks had a measly 0.1% chance of prevailing over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals after falling behind by 22 points with 7:52 remaining.
However, thanks to Mike Brown’s brilliant offensive philosophy (hunting James Harden, who’s a below-average on-ball defender) and Jalen Brunson’s isolation mastery, the Knicks pulled off the improbable comeback. It didn’t occur in regulation, though, as New York forced overtime following Sam Merrill’s in-and-out triple in the final seconds and outscored the Cavaliers 14-3 in the extra period.
Following the monumental playoff victory, Knicks fans had some fun outside Madison Square Garden, chanting ‘We want Wemby (Victor Wembanyama)’ as loud as humanly possible.
For reference, Wembanyama’s San Antonio Spurs squad is three wins away from an NBA Finals appearance. Still, with the Knicks securing an 11-point win in a game where they didn’t play their best basketball on either fan base, it’s clear that the organization's fan base is more confident than ever that they’re the most dangerous team remaining in the field.
If the Spurs find a way to edge out the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, containing Wembanyama will be a difficult task. The electric 7-foot-4 center possesses guard-like ball-handling skills, a lethal shot fake, a respectable long-range shot, a majestic touch around the rim, and an exceptional 8-foot wingspan that enables him to disrupt any and every layup/dunk attempt.
That said, New York fans seem to believe the organization will be up to the challenge, but it'll have to get past a Cavaliers team prepared to make adjustments before worrying about its potential NBA Finals opponents.
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