New York Knicks move to second round of playoffs, as Stephen A. Smith celebrates

ParallelDesk 12:43:51 PM, 27 April 2023

"Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks" by MattBritt00 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/.
Image shown for representational purpose only.

The New York Knicks have advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs after a 106-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5. The victory sparked unbridled joy from Stephen A. Smith, one of the Knicks' most loyal supporters and an ESPN analyst. Smith jubilantly tweeted his excitement after the win, declaring, "One down, two more to go. I'm thinking finals, baby! I'm thinking, finals. Orange and blue skies! Go New York go. Yeah! Sorry about that Donovan Mitchell, I love you, brother. New York is in the house!" Smith's joy at the Knicks' success is significant because the franchise has struggled in recent years, failing to advance past the first round of the playoffs since 2013. And despite landing some of the NBA's top free agents, like Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, the Knicks have been unable to compete at the highest level. In fact, the last time the Knicks made it to the NBA Finals was in 1999, where they were ultimately beaten by the San Antonio Spurs led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson. The Knicks then reached the conference finals the following year but were ultimately eliminated by the Indiana Pacers. However, the Knicks' fortunes could be on the rise after their latest victory. Smith predicted that the Knicks would win a tough Game 7, which he later changed to Game 6. But in reality, the fifth-seeded Knicks only needed five games to eliminate the fourth-ranked Cavaliers. New York's next opponent will be either the Miami Heat or the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the playoffs. And although the Knicks will certainly have their work cut out for them, Smith's optimism and love for the franchise will undoubtedly continue to buoy the team and its fans.