On the burnt end of the N.B.A. season, an unintentional loser beat an intentional loser.
The Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night, and trust me when I say that you are better for having missed this game. It was the weird congruence in team philosophies that was striking.
Four years ago, the Philadelphia 76ers grew tired of mediocrity and decided to become as awful as possible. Under the guidance of the N.B.A.’s equivalent of a mad diet doctor, the team began to lose and lose and lose again. At the end of each season they obtained a top draft pick.