Schmeelk: Game 3: A Special Night For MSG, Knicks Fans
By John Schmeelk
» More Columns
As you get older, especially when you work in the media, there's a tendency to get a little spoiled, cynical and hard to please. I've worked Super Bowls, attended more Yankees playoff games than I can count, and have been in the building when the teams I cover -- or root for -- have won championships.
When you see all that, and it's part of your job, some of the luster of being a fan fades away. Not that it ever feels like work, but it never feels like it did when you were a kid, living and dying with every moment of every game. It's part of your job, and other things in your life become more important. The pure love you felt goes away, replaced by something a little different. It's hard to explain, but it isn't the same.
But tonight feels different. I feel that extra excitement when I think about walking into Madison Square Garden for Friday night's Knicks playoff game. The fact they haven't been a real playoff team for ten years has something to do with it. It's been a decade since the Knicks had a legit shot of winning a playoff series. There's nothing familiar about this. All there is are echoes of games and emotions of a distant past.
It makes me think back to some of the Knicks postseason games I was lucky enough to attend in the mid-nineties. My family bought New York City Hawks (arena football) tickets just to get access to Knicks playoff tickets in 1997. The one I'll never forget was Game 6 of that series, the game after the Knicks had half their team suspended because PJ Brown flipped Charlie Ward -- and Patrick Ewing walked a couple feet off the bench.
Without Ewing, Ward or Allan Houston, the Knicks tried to clinch their series at home in Game 6 against the Heat. The angry but resilient energy in that building is something I'll never forget. The anticipation, hope and defiance that flowed through the crowd as the "Eight Men, One Mission" video played over Gardenvision still gives makes me smile. It was special. I miss it.
All Knicks fans hope that the game on Friday ends a lot better than that game did against the Heat. Whether or not it does, I'm not going to be in the media business when I walk into Madison Square Garden tonight. I'm going to be that kid filled with butterflies and energy sitting in blue heaven, trying to will the Knicks to a Game 3 win with every scream. That building is going to feel special, and I can't wait to be a part of it.
* * *
Despite being down two games to none, the Knicks still have a real chance of coming back and making this a long series. The Celtics are far from unbeatable. This isn't complicated anymore, and the series shouldn't be over analyzed.
First, if Amar'e Stoudemire is out, you can mail it in. The Knicks have no shot. Billups would help, but his presence isn't as essential as Stoudemire. The Knicks can win with Toney Douglas at point guard if Stoudemire is healthy.
Here's what the Knicks need to do make it happen:
1. Keep the broken record going because the Knicks still need to push the tempo! The Celtics were far too effective at slowing it down in Boston, allowing their halfcourt defense to really give New York offensive problems. Without easier opportunities in transition, the Knicks will be in an awful lot of trouble.
2. The Knicks need to get someone not named Anthony or Stoudemire going. Landry Fields has to give the team something offensively, even if it's just knocking down an open three or finishing on the fast break. Douglas is the most likely person off the bench, but Shawne Williams, Bill Walker and even Roger Mason Jr. are welcome to contribute. Anthony and Stoudemire need help.
3. If the effort in Game 2 can be repeated in Game 3, the Knicks will have a far greater margin of error. Out rebounding Boston by more than ten is unrealistic, but staying on the plus side is not. If Douglas can figure out how to guard Rajon Rondo, the rest of the defense will continue to be solid.
4. Finally, Carmelo Anthony and Stoudemire need to both play well. The Celtics are not the same and appear terribly flawed, but the Knicks still won't have a chance if their stars don't perform. It's obvious, but true.
Are you pumped for Game 3? Sound off in the comments below!
