The Knicks officially have no other choice
NY Post
ATLANTA — At the end, there were hard fouls and some hard feelings, a few elbows and a few shoves, and lots of laughter on the other side of the floor. Opposite the Knicks bench, Spike Lee sat, chin in his hands, grim, glum, representing the fans back home who by now had certainly opted for other television choices on a rainy day.
Behind the Knicks, up on the mezzanine level at State Farm Arena, a chant began in earnest. “HAWKS! IN! FIVE!It was only a three-second glimpse, but Matt Rempe, finally, showcased offensive strides. The ones he started talking about in the preseason — after a summer’s worth of work — and kept doubling down on, even when he fluctuated in and out of the Rangers lineup and shuttled back and forth to AHL Hartford.
In a different time, in a season to come, we may be inclined to wax poetic about the way this one played out. In a different time, in a season to come, the Nets will be seeking to stack wins and not losses, will be fighting for playoff seeding and not for a few extra ping-pong balls in the draft lottery this spring.
The NBA has an All-Star Game problem. Despite Adam Silver’s efforts to inject juice into the February showcase — including a format alteration to the 2025 game that is too confusing to attempt to understand before it’s inevitably changed again — there’s little interest in watching teams eschew defense for a series of layup line highlights. That also means the most entertaining part of the NBA All-Star Game is just like the Pro Bowl — debating over who should get a spot.