Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement - scroll for more content
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
J.R. Smith, 40, was at Madison Square Garden to see the Knicks dominate the Philadelphia 76ers in a 137-98 win on Monday, May 4, giving New York a 1-0 edge in the second-round series. But Smith, who played for the New York Knicks for four seasons, became a victim of the chaos as the celebrations poured into the city streets. As seen in a video shared by New York Basketball, fans became rowdy while celebrating the playoff win, and Smith got caught in the middle of the raucous.
“Relax man relax “
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 5, 2026
JR Smith joined the crowd outside MSG
At one point it got out of hand pic.twitter.com/LCHRWM0EJN
Knicks Videos: "I just have a message for our fans. Last time we played the Knicks it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East. Knicks fans, they travel, they're going to buy the tickets." Joel Embiid encourages 76ers fans to combat the high Knick fan presence in Philadelphia:
The Knicks — coming off three of their best efforts of the season, including a 140-89 beatdown of the Hawks to reach the second round for the fourth straight season — will have had three days off before Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden against the 76ers and oft-injured nemesis Joel Embiid. They return a core that broke a 25-year conference finals drought. Now, there is no question of the team to beat in the East. “I haven’t heard of it,” Jalen Brunson said Saturday, “and I don’t care.”
The challenge will be even greater for the 28-year-old in a second-round matchup against the 76ers and Embiid, the former MVP who embraces the animosity he inspires at Madison Square Garden and infamously committed a dirty foul on Mitchell Robinson during the 2024 playoffs. “The playoffs are a lot more physical than the regular season,” Brown said. “Stuff happens. Everybody is human … [But] it’s extremely important in that situation to not have anything result in a future suspension or anything like that.”
But this? A team-leading 58 points across two playoff games, at Madison Square Garden? A team-high 32 points in Game 2, including the shot that put the Hawks ahead for good? A tied series heading home? All orchestrated by the guy who was dismissed by pundits as an “expiring contract” three months ago? Well, no. Not quite this. “I’d be bullshitting if I was like, ‘Hey, this is gonna happen,’” Saleh told The Ringer. “I was not expecting him to take over and be the type of player he’s been the last two games. It’s just been like, Damn! Like, this is pretty amazing.”
Advertisement
Brown prefers to sit both Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns for the starts of the second and fourth quarters rather than stagger them and have one on the court. The lineup he uses instead — with Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Mitchell Robinson on the floor — struggled in the Knicks’ 107-106 Game 2 loss to the Hawks on Monday night at Madison Square Garden. “We’ve played that lineup quite a bit at the end of the season,” Brown said. “That lineup’s been pretty good. We weren’t good tonight and we turned the ball over a few too many times during that period. But we had opportunities where our starters were in, and we were up eight to 10 [points] and Atlanta closed it. So I wouldn’t just say that specific lineup caused it.”
The Knicks blew a 12-point lead to start the fourth quarter and fell to the Hawks 107-106 in Game 2 Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Now the series is tied 1-1 heading to Atlanta with a completely different tenor. Now the Hawks have life. Now, the worst memories around the Knicks have come flooding back. “It’s a game we should’ve won,” Josh Hart said. “In the playoffs, we can’t give away games.”
Additionally, as Smith was shown on the WrestleMania broadcast, the New York Knicks were in the middle of playing Game 1 of their playoff series vs. the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Smith claims to be a big Knicks fan, despite a history of struggling to even know the basics of their roster. Knicks guard Josh Hart said in March, “For me, Stephen A., as a part-time Knicks fan, needs to shut the hell up. He barely knows guys that’s on the team.”
Oakley was one of the few people willing to talk on the record. Years ago, he claims, he was attending a game at MSG with his friend Anthony McNair. His former Knicks teammate, Hall-of-Famer Patrick Ewing, was the associate head coach on the opposing squad, and sought out Oakley before tip-off. The pair embraced, chatted briefly, and made plans to talk at the game's conclusion. Oakley and McNair said they were soon approached by security, who informed Oakley he wasn't allowed to stray from his seat or venture into areas where fans are restricted. After the final buzzer, Oakley met Ewing alone near the visitors’ locker room. There, according to Oakley, Ewing warned him about talking because listening devices were everywhere. “Don't talk too loud,” Oakley said Ewing told him. “This place is supposed to be mic'd up.”
Knicks Videos: Jalen Brunson on the difference between a home game and a playoff home game at Madison Square Garden: "The energy. It's electric. It's something we can sit here and explain but no one really knows it unless they experience it"
Advertisement
The long arm of the law gets a big embrace. Thousands of New York’s Finest packed Madison Square Garden Saturday night for a free, star-studded concert honoring their service in a spirited push to boost morale across the force – an inaugural event set to become an annual tradition. The “Thank You, NYPD” concert – spearheaded by MSG Entertainment CEO and executive chairman James Dolan – welcomed over 15,000 police officers and civilian employees, along with their families, to be entertained by comedians, Grammy Award-winning legends, and blue-backing actors. “I’m absolutely excited,” Officer Andy Guo, of the 60th Precinct, told The Post ahead of the concert, noting he was most excited to see Cyndi Lauper perform. “I think [the concert] just highlights the importance of what my brothers and sisters do on a daily basis.” The event raised $500,000 for the New York City Police Foundation.
Thank-you clips from the public, along with messages from heavyweights such as Jerry Seinfeld and Darryl Strawberry, were also played during the event. As part of Dolan’s initiative, people were encouraged to thank police officers directly or submit a video featured at the concert. Dolan, who footed production and operating costs and offered The Garden rent-free, previously told The Post he wanted to stage the gratitude event to show Big Apple cops how much they’re valued amid rhetoric that often condemns the police. “We think that in your and my world, where there’s so much cynicism and negativity, that this was an opportunity to do something really positive for New York,” the New York Knicks owner said.
Jalen Brunson scored 10 straight Knicks points — and 15 of their last 18 — late in the fourth quarter, carrying the Knicks in crunch time en route to a 121-116 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden. It marked the Knicks’ seventh straight win — tying their second-longest win streak of the season. “Just trying to be myself,” Brunson said. “Stick to my habits, focus on my work ethic, what’s gotten me here. And keep it that way.”
Jaxson Hayes has been just as good, if not better, as an interior defender over the course of the season. He’s a more forceful roller out of the pick and roll, which will be especially important Sunday if the Knicks hedge and recover on pick and rolls with Doncic as the ball handler like they did significantly in the Feb. 1 matchup at Madison Square Garden, which the Knicks won 112-100. Hard rolls from an athletic center who can provide vertical spacing opens up lob opportunities, which Doncic is one of the best at delivering. “Him and Luka have a really good connection right now,” Luke Kennard said. “They’re playing really well and playing off each other.” Factor in Hayes’ improved playmaking out of the short roll and the Knicks will have to ensure they don’t give Hayes too much of a runway while also trying to contain Doncic. “I love playing with Jaxson,” Doncic said. “This year, his improvement is unbelievable. He understands, I think this year even more, how to play with me. We’ve been working on that. So playing with him is very special for me.”