On Sunday evening, the New York Knicks picked up a narrow home win over the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden. It was the first game at home for the Knicks after a recent long trip to the West Coast, and at one point the team found itself trailing by 21 points against a Warriors team playing without Stephen Curry and several others, before eventually rallying to win.
Still, it wasn't exactly an encouraging performance for a Knicks team that has been slipping as of late, and recently, ESPN sports media personality and renowned New York fan Stephen A. Smith expressed his concern with the team.
"I'm sick. ... I had the New York Knicks to go to the Finals. I sure don't have that now," Smith said, according to First Take on X, formerly Twitter.
In fact, many analysts projected the Knicks to be a Finals-level team this season. However, the emergence of the Detroit Pistons, who have swept New York in their contests so far this year, as well as the surprising play of the Boston Celtics, who are second in the East and recently brought Jayson Tatum back from his Achilles injury, have undermined those plans, and now, the Knicks are as low as fourth in the East in terms of chances to make the Finals.
New York struggled during their recent road trip, losing badly to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, and had to struggle mightily to defeat the weak Utah Jazz.
The Knicks will be looking to turn things around in the final month of the regular season to reach the playoffs while playing their best basketball and not the slump they are currently facing.
