In “Tangled Up in Blue,” Bob Dylan wrote:
But all the while I was alone
The past was close behind
I seen a lot of women
But she never escaped my mind, and I just grew
Tangled up in blue
That’s the Knicks and the Heat. We’ve seen a lot of NBA games played, but the past was close behind, and we’re right back to where we were in the 1999 playoffs, a five game series with the Heat having the home court advantage and a #8 seed involved. Of course, back then, the #8 seed won, which is what will happen this time, as well.
The Knicks received every lucky break imaginable during the end of their Game 2 victory against the Heat, and they still just barely put away a Heat team playing without Jimmy Butler. Duncan Robinson was guarding Jalen Brunson one-on-one at points, people! It was a very messed up Heat team, and the Knicks still needed a number of lucky breaks to take them down (like “Oh, did that graze the rim? We can’t tell, so I guess it didn’t although it clearly did. Moving on!”). So that does not bode well for the Knicks in Game 3 in Miami, where Jimmy Butler will likely start for the Heat (although, amazingly, as of right this second, in a tweet just a few minutes ago, the Heat are still listing Butler as questionable. Not only that, by Highsmith is also questionable for the Heat, and Caleb Martin is in bad shape with a back injury, but he will play today).
So the Knicks will clearly lose this game, and the series, but hey, at least it’ll certainly be an interesting basketball game! If you’re going to be tangled up with another team, as least the Knicks are tangled up with another interesting basketball squad.
There’s no point in saying it, but i will say it anyways – let’s go, Knicks (oh, and Spo, please give Duncan Robinson big minutes. Please!)!