NEW YORK — It was the perfect backdrop for the New York Knicks, the league’s king-in-waiting, and the NBA itself.
And Christmas Day, of course.
While the NFL continues to stake claim over territory usually respected and reserved for the NBA, it has the added advantage of every regular-season game meaning something. The advantage the NBA has is a regular-season game feeling like everything in the moment, even if it means less in the 82-game grand scheme.
But for two hours, it can feel like the NBA Finals if the investment is there, especially with the backdrop of Madison Square Garden and desperate Knicks fans.