Hour 1: Knicks Collapse

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg - Hour 1: Knicks Collapse

Release Date: May 22, 2025

In the inaugural episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," hosts Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg delve deep into the dramatic collapse of the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. This comprehensive analysis captures every critical moment, strategic decision, and emotional reaction surrounding the game, providing listeners with an engaging and informative breakdown even if they missed the live action.

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1. The Unbelievable Collapse

Don La Greca sets the stage by expressing his disbelief over the Knicks' unexpected downfall. He reminisces about the unpredictability of sports, stating:

"You couldn't have scripted that. If you had scripted that, they would say, no. Just. It's not real. This is fake. This can't possibly happen." [00:55]

This sentiment captures the shock felt by fans as the Knicks, who led by nine points with under a minute remaining, succumbed to a rapid penalty-ridden collapse orchestrated by the Pacers.

2. Coaching Decisions Under Scrutiny

A significant portion of the discussion centers around the Knicks' coaching decisions, particularly the return of Jalen Brunson into the game despite having five fouls. Peter Rosenberg voices his concerns:

"I wasn't comfortable with Brunson. And he rested the whole fourth quarter. What the hell was going on?" [05:37]

Contrastingly, Alan Hahn defends the decision, highlighting the complexities of coaching in high-stakes moments:

"As a coach, I'm not telling you you're wrong in suggesting it as a Monday morning quarterback. What I was saying is, in the Eastern Conference finals, game one at Madison Square Garden, when my All-NBA three-time point guard, he's coming back in the game. I'm not leaving him on the bench." [18:15]

Despite the defense, the consensus among the hosts is that Brunson's return was a pivotal mistake that contributed to the Knicks needing to win four additional games instead of the usual three to advance.

3. Breakdown of Key Plays

The trio meticulously dissects the final minutes of the game, highlighting how strategic missteps and player fatigue led to the Knicks' downfall. Don elaborates on the statistical improbability of such a collapse:

"Since 1998, teams are 4 and 165 when trailing by seven plus in the final minute of the fourth or overtime... That was like oh for what, 1400. And so like it just doesn't happen." [12:22]

They discuss specific moments, such as Halliburton's critical three-point attempts and Brunson's missed shots, which turned the tide in favor of the Pacers.

4. Historical Context and the "Madison Curse"

The conversation naturally shifts to a broader historical perspective, examining past instances where the Knicks faltered in high-pressure situations. Peter Rosenberg introduces the idea of a "curse" plaguing Madison Square Garden:

"I call it the Penn Station curse, man. Nate Smith, six straight threes... It's just horror stories after horror stories." [45:25]

Alan Hahn counters, arguing that the so-called curse is more a series of unfortunate events rather than a supernatural phenomenon:

"They won their only two championships in that building above that Penn Station. Right, Patrick Ewing had a put-back dunk in '94 to win and take you to the finals." [47:04]

5. Statistical Insights

To emphasize the rarity of the Knicks' collapse, Don shares compelling statistics:

"Teams are 0 and 14 when trailing by nine or more points in the final minute of the fourth quarter in overtime since 1998 until last night." [13:01]

These numbers underscore the improbability of the Knicks' loss, reinforcing the severity of their late-game struggles.

6. Listener Calls and Fan Perspectives

Engaging with their audience, the hosts take calls from listeners who share their frustrations and theories. One caller, Mike from Texas, criticizes Brunson's in-game decisions:

"He has to do a better job at reading the game... he took the next four shots, and he missed them." [33:17]

Another caller, Geron from ESPN New York, muses about the potential "curse" affecting the Knicks, listing historical misses and blunders that have defined the team's legacy.

7. Final Thoughts and Future Implications

As the episode wraps up, the hosts reflect on the import of Game 1’s collapse for the series ahead. Alan Hahn remains optimistic, pointing to the team's overall resilience despite the setback:

"They are not the kind of team that will get mentally defeated by this. So if that is the case and they can be ready and feel great by tomorrow night, you know you lost by the hair of your chinny chin chin to a team that needed to be perfect to start the game and perfect to end the game." [11:34]

In conclusion, while acknowledging the pain of the Knicks' near-miss, Hahn and Rosenberg express confidence in the team's ability to bounce back in subsequent games, emphasizing that Game 1 serves as both a cautionary tale and a motivational stepping stone.

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Notable Quotes:

• "You couldn't have scripted that. If you had scripted that, they would say, no. Just. It's not real. This is fake. This can't possibly happen."
  – Don La Greca [00:55]

• "I wasn't comfortable with Brunson. And he rested the whole fourth quarter. What the hell was going on?"
  – Peter Rosenberg [05:37]

• "Since 1998, teams are 4 and 165 when trailing by seven plus in the final minute of the fourth or overtime..."
  – Don La Greca [12:22]

• "I call it the Penn Station curse, man. Nate Smith, six straight threes... It's just horror stories after horror stories."
  – Peter Rosenberg [45:25]

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This episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg" offers a thorough examination of the Knicks' early-round struggles, blending statistical analysis, strategic critique, and passionate fan perspectives. Hosts provide a balanced view, acknowledging mistakes while maintaining faith in the team's potential to overcome adversity in the fiercely competitive Eastern Conference Finals.

Transcript

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[Don]

Don. I'll be licking the television screen. Licking it like it's ice cream.

[Han]

Han. Oh. The type of music I listen to would make you cry. And Rosenberg, I expect to be called ball coach.

[Don]

This is in North Dakota. This is New York.

[Han]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg on 8 80, ESPN and the ESPN New York app.

[Don]

You go back to 1980. Do you believe in miracles? Yes. Or you go back to Jack Buck's call of the Gibson home run. I can't believe what I just saw. Or do you believe what I just saw? I don't believe what I saw last night. Like, I still. I still can't wrap my mind around how it all took place. I mean, this is. This is why we watch sports. You couldn't have scripted that. If you had scripted that, they would say, no. Just. It's not real. This is fake. This can't possibly happen.

[Han]

They would have definitely guarded Niecemith after the third three.

[Don]

Yeah, they would have done that. Yeah.

[Han]

I mean, what moron would let him shoot any more after he knocked the third one down?

[Don]

Teams don't lose.

[Han]

It's not a believable script. Go back, rewrite that, Bring it back when it's more believable. That was great theater last year.

[Don]

Listen, there's two unbelievable things, different things, right? Like, if you're able to shut off your fandom last night, you. You almost envy the people that didn't have a dog in the fight, because that was amazing to watch. If you were in North Dakota watching that game, didn't care who won, didn't have a bet, just wanted to enjoy a basketball game. You're. You're. You're floating on air today saying, I saw something that I'm gonna be telling my grandkids about. Wow. That was amazing. What great theater. What drama. And I thought TNT did a heck of a job too. I mean, I know nobody loves Reggie Miller, but I thought everybody. I thought the analysis was really good.

[Han]

You could stop there. You went too far.

[Don]

No, I didn't.

[Han]

You weren't painful. He was painful. Painful.

[Rosenberg]

You didn't even watch.

[Han]

What are you talking About. I have an IFB in my ear the entire time.

[Don]

I'm just talking about as it happened.

[Han]

In what way painful?

[Rosenberg]

He was not anti Nick in any way.

[Han]

No, no, no, it's not that.

[Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Han]

It's the patronizing throughout the game. And then when that started happening, you could hear the Pacer coming out of him.

[Rosenberg]

You can hear it.

[Han]

You could.

[Don]

And then I'm not close to it.

[Han]

And then him pointing.

[Rosenberg]

He's too close though, Don.

[Han]

Him pointing. Halliburton like went over to. And he's, he's doing that point and he got caught on camera pointing.

[Rosenberg]

Well, no, he pointed.

[Han]

It was like, yeah, I shouldn't have done that. He. Did he say that he knows he shouldn't have done. No, he made a face like I should. I shouldn't be doing.

[Rosenberg]

He pointed back that guy.

[Han]

That. That's. No, no thank you on that. No thank.

[Rosenberg]

No. You are being Nick boy, right? He was fine last night.

[Han]

No thing.

[Don]

I'm not going to say that. I was like writing down. No, I'm not. Andrew Marshan writing down the notes of everything that was said from the, the tip to the end of the game. But I just thought as things were melting down, I thought the analysis was, was, was very good about what was happening there.

[Rosenberg]

And, and calling out. They were calling out Stan too. Calling out the Knicks for their defensive lapses.

[Han]

Stan saw everything that broke down. He was brilliant on all that went wrong.

[Don]

Even when he said if I, if I, I would just, I would just handle the towns at the end of the game just because.

[Han]

Which is what he did.

[Don]

Because you can't get a shot off in 0.2 seconds. So don't just hand on the ball. And Reggie's like, ah, that wouldn't be mocking. And I listen, really, I just.

[Han]

He just did a choke celebration. I just. But that's going to be mocking him.

[Don]

But I'm just saying that if you don't have a dog in the fight, that was tremendous theater. It was, that was fun. But our audience had a dog in a fight and 95.3% of them are rooting for the Knicks. And, and that makes you sick. Now, I'm not ready to just throw the series away. The Knicks have showed resiliency. And guys, let's break it down to the. A nine point lead with under a minute to play. That means you played 59 minutes of phenomenal basketball. You were better than the Pacers. You had a nine point lead with less than a minute to play. So just go keep doing what you're doing just clean up all the garbage at the end of the game. And even with all the garbage at the end of the game, a lot of things, a lot of calls went their way, a lot of breaks went their way. So I'm not ready to panic. But the one thing that I think is factual, guys, is now the Knick. It does feel like the Knicks now have to beat them five times instead of four because that's a win. You played well enough to win the game and didn't. Now you're going to have to go out and do it four more times when it should be just three more times because that should have been a win. So I'm not ready to throw them away here, but it's still. It's a tough pill to swallow.

[Rosenberg]

I have. I have a lot of questions.

[Han]

I got answers. Ask them all. I'm here for everybody. 800-919-3776.

[Rosenberg]

Well, some of you can't. I'm sorry.

[Han]

I can answer all of it.

[Rosenberg]

You're not.

[Han]

You're not all of it.

[Rosenberg]

Sorry. You can't. You're not God. Because some things there were not basketball. Some of it was God. I don't know what. Let me. Okay, I'll ask you this one, though. And Dave and Rick disagree with me this morning, but guess what? They're hacks to my eyes. And this is one of 50 things to ask about, but it's the first one that is on my mind.

[Han]

Go.

[Rosenberg]

I thought Brunson at the end of regulation and overtime looked completely dogged, like he looked tired, not in full control of his body. He wasn't good like Don. Did you feel comfortable with the ball in his hands very late? I wasn't comfortable with Brunson. And he rested the whole fourth quarter. What the hell was going on?

[Han]

I saw that too. Anunoby as well. Anunoby went for a layup and airballed it. Well, that was.

[Rosenberg]

That was early. I don't know.

[Han]

But. But there were things that like, that were off, that were happening. Like he. I don't know if he had an awful game, except he had a big.

[Rosenberg]

Moment in the fourth. He did give them a boost game.

[Han]

He gave you a couple of buckets right there. But for the most part, he was not great. It was like, yo, everybody's showing up but you, man. Like, you got to get on the boat. So that was one. But the Brunson thing, I agree with you.

[Rosenberg]

What can. How can you explain it?

[Han]

It was a bizarre. All of a sudden his handle wasn't tight.

[Rosenberg]

He's throwing the ball away. Almost.

[Han]

It was down. There was a lot of weirdness happening. Was it something the Pacers were doing?

[Don]

We keep.

[Han]

Here's the thing we do here. We always fault what went wrong instead of what went right. Rick Carlisle pitched, he pitched a perfect game. His decision making in this game throughout, it was brilliant to the point where he took Miles Turner out, put an OB top in and I'm thinking to myself, what are you doing? Miles Turner was having a good game. He's a seven footer. Why would you take him out of the game? You're going small. Cat's killing you. But it worked because he turned his team now into a track team. The 4 by 100. And they all of a sudden that tempo went up. And the Knicks almost got caught up in the tempo. Instead of understanding, you're up nine or you're up four.

[Rosenberg]

No, no.

[Han]

They did slow it down and they kept scoring. Stop that. They were trading clock, man.

[Rosenberg]

They were trading twos for three late. And you're going, stop, stop going to the bucket. I know you're getting two. It's not enough.

[Han]

The turnover with Brunson. And again, this is about the ball handling. Brunson drives, he gets to his spot. He's double teamed up and unders. Annunoby flashes. Now you would think, okay, you could throw that up and see if you can get an oop and an OBI fumbles it. It turns into a foul. That wasn't a foul. And then we move on. But that's a moment where, if you're Brunson, why dribble that back up? There was 20 seconds on the shot clock, maybe 18 seconds or whatever it was on the shot. There was tons of time on the shot clock. Let me just put it like that. There was no reason to get a quick two there. Unnecessary. Get that back, man. They're going to eventually need to foul. They're going to. You've got to play the long game at that point. And they for some reason got on a treadmill that was going faster than they can run at the end of the game. That was a big part of this, people. It was as if they couldn't realize what was happening to them.

[Don]

It was so out of character because they usually handle themselves very well in those situations. But you reminded everybody at the beginning of this series, this Pacer team, they don't die. They're going to continue. You saw what they did against the Boss.

[Han]

They are a mirror image of the Knicks.

[Don]

They are going to find A way to hang in there and to win the game. But still when you see something that like literally has never been done because I was watching get up and you threw the stat out, you know, since 1998. Because that's as far back as like the stats go of a team blowing a nine point lead with less than a minute to play. It was like oh for what, 1400. And so like it just doesn't happen. Especially at Madison Square Garden in the conference final. This isn't some first round where, you know, some, some eight seed blows a lead late. I mean this is. This is the. The one of the best teams in the NBA coughing it up. So yeah, it took some breaks and some miracles. But you're right. You just can't put yourself in that situation, man. You just cannot. You just can't do it. And you're so right about Carlisle to be able to have the challenges left to be able to challenge that impact.

[Han]

Especially when they were begging him to challenge a couple of others and we ignored.

[Don]

There were times where I'm like why is. Why aren't they challenging that foul?

[Han]

Yep.

[Don]

And.

[Han]

And the Knicks challenged one they shouldn't have Brunson and totally let leave that alone. That was his fifth Val. You wanted to protect him. But in that moment you got to say no way you were. That's too iffy. Don't use it. And because they burned that it cost them later on. That hurt them later on. And then this guy five o' clock. We're going to get the last two minute. I'm telling you there's going to be a couple of infractions.

[Don]

No, there's definitely going to be the.

[Han]

Goaltender that was missed. That was one.

[Don]

That was missed.

[Han]

Huge turnaround by the way.

[Rosenberg]

The goal 10 missed.

[Han]

That would have been six.

[Rosenberg]

Six.

[Han]

Yes.

[Rosenberg]

Instead they go back the other way, hit a three and it's one.

[Han]

Now it's one.

[Don]

That was. That was huge. That was huge. And but you can't put that in.

[Han]

The hands of the refs. You can't. You've got to take care of business.

[Don]

And make your free throw. It didn't matter anyway. But you know Toppin was clearly fouled on the dice. That made it three a point game.

[Rosenberg]

It would have been four if it would have been.

[Don]

If he makes his shot, it's four. And they weren't great looks. But the Knicks did get two three point opportunities on that possession by the way.

[Rosenberg]

And backs an air ball.

[Don]

But. But the towns one was actually a.

[Han]

That's his shot.

[Don]

That's a.

[Rosenberg]

That's a good look, by the way. And that's legs too. Dead short. A foot short.

[Han]

No, you know what? I see and I understand why you'd say that. Cuz J. Will said that and I said no. Watch it again. That was because his feet wasn't set. You're right about the legs, but that's not fatigue.

[Rosenberg]

It was just.

[Han]

That's. His feet weren't set, he caught it and he almost like rushed himself instead. Take the dribble. Just one. Just one dribble.

[Don]

Set your feet.

[Han]

Shoot it. You had time. But he felt rushed. He felt I gotta get. He did like that. And he was. I mean, the clock was winding down. But that's his shot. It was dead on straight. He just short off.

[Rosenberg]

But tell me this though.

[Han]

Not enough juice.

[Rosenberg]

But the Brunson airball, I mean, granted.

[Han]

That was well defended by Nemhar.

[Don]

It was well defended.

[Rosenberg]

You don't see him miss everything.

[Han]

I agree.

[Rosenberg]

I just. There are so many things. If Cat hits one of his two. If Cat hits two of his free throws instead of one. If OG Hits both instead of one.

[Han]

Yep.

[Rosenberg]

But everything had to happen. And here's my positive storm. My positive takeaway for the Knicks is. And Allen said yesterday, before any of this happened, and then he said it to us in the group chat yesterday, they are not the kind of team that will get mentally defeated by this. So if that is the case and they can be ready and feel great by tomorrow night, you know you lost by the hair of your chinny chin chin to a team that needed to be perfect to start the game and perfect to end the game. They were perfect. Not talking about like kind of perfect.

[Han]

That's a great point.

[Rosenberg]

They were literally perfect for five minutes on either end.

[Han]

That's a great point. And they made seven straight threes. You're absolutely right. It's a great point.

[Don]

Well, however. And I'm going to throw some stats at you, but I'll lead with this one because of what Peter just said. Since 1998, teams are 4 and 1659 when trailing by seven plus in the final minute of the fourth or overtime.

[Han]

Out of those four wins, out of.

[Don]

Three of the four were the Pacers in this postseason.

[Han]

They are. They are the. Exactly. The Knicks are looking at a mirror image of them, which is a team that always believes they have a chance. We've made a big deal about the Knicks and their clutchness in this postseason, and we have ignored the fact that the Pacers have quietly done the same thing. One in Each series now so far and.

[Don]

But you're right, Peter. They played a great 59 minutes. The Knicks. It's a game that they should have won. A lot of things had to happen funky for them to be able to win the game, the Pacers. But when you look at that, this is kind of what they do. So just file it away. No matter what the lead is, you're going to have to play a full 48 minutes against this Pacer team to win. The other stats per Elias, teams are 0 and 14. 14 when trailing by nine or more points in the final minute of the fourth quarter in overtime since 1998 until last night.

[Han]

That's crazy.

[Don]

And the Knicks win probability with a 14 point lead with 344 to go in the fourth was 99.8. So with 344 to go, the Indiana Pacers had a 0.2% chance of winning the game and did. And let's not forget two guys, they scored the first four points in overtime. Like they overcame it, right? They get the gut punch of gut punches, go to overtime and they. And they got a four point lead in overtime.

[Han]

Yeah. Scored the first two baskets and then another three. And then that's what it was. It's just the three. They were defending the three very well in the game. I kept noting, I kept looking at the box score as the game was going on and I kept marveling at the fact that, you know what, the Pacers aren't getting a lot of threes up. They're taking a lot of twos. They're driving more and they're like. It was as if the Knicks were forcing the drive and taking away the three. I thought this is great. They've learned how to defend the three until the last three minutes and overtime where it just, it completely fell apart. And it was back to the miscommunications and all the different issues that were going on.

[Rosenberg]

This was in a postseason that's been very good for Tibbs. Last night was a tough one.

[Han]

This was the. And this also plays into why he doesn't take guys out. You know, when everybody says you're up by 20, why doesn't he take them out with two minutes to go? That's why. Cuz he believes that can happen at any moment. And the fact that it did, that's his greatest nightmare. That's ex. That right there plays into his greatest nightmare. One guy gets hot and two minutes go by. And what seemed to be a laugher of a win, right, was suddenly a loss. And that's why? When. When people wonder why he doesn't take people out of games. When you're up by 20 or 15 with two minutes to go, he won't do it. That's why. That's why now it's like it. That was the nightmare come to. Come to life in that building. And just the, the comfort. By the way, this series, the Pacers, the Knicks, what else would you expect? It really did play right into the history of this rivalry.

[Don]

Now, the revisionist history moment. And it's been discussed a lot on this show. We were talking about it during our meeting as well. Was. It's a classic second guess of why did Brunson come back into the game? You went on the run to take the lead. When Brunson's out with his five fouls. Should have kept him out. Should have kept those guys out there. No, you're hearing it.

[Han]

Who's saying that?

[Don]

Our pinhead suit, John Winthrop. Wait, I said what was Brunson brought back into the game? He's got five fouls. He's not a great defender.

[Han]

You should leave your NBA clutch player of the year on the bench in the last five minutes of a playoff game at home.

[Rosenberg]

And he has 40 points, but he's got 5,000.

[Don]

He's not a great defender. And you went on a huge run without. What was the lead? The logic.

[Rosenberg]

Let me, let me, let me. Before we shoot this down, though, what was the. What was the lead when Brunson came back in? Was it all the way up to 14?

[Don]

I believe so. Yeah.

[Han]

Standby.

[Rosenberg]

I could double check. Before Allen comes and yells at us, let me just say this. I could argue that with five fouls. Right.

[Don]

And not a great defender.

[Rosenberg]

And not a great defender. And he's done his job. 14, five minutes left. I could keep him there unless things get bad.

[Han]

You don't do that.

[Rosenberg]

But why?

[Han]

Because you don't. It's your best player. He goes out there, you trust him. You know he knows. But there are times, you know, he's not. He's not.

[Rosenberg]

What's he going out there?

[Han]

It's not infallible, by the way. Like, he also had a little bit of a selfish game at the end.

[Rosenberg]

He was not good.

[Don]

But I want to follow through this train of thought. You have him out there.

[Han]

All right, Brunson back in. It's a 1, 1198, up 13.

[Don]

All right, they're up 13. With how much time?

[Han]

It's five. I'm looking at it right here. He goes in for McBride, literally 5 minute mark exactly.

[Don]

Okay, 5 minute mark. Exactly. 13 point.

[Han]

And they went up.

[Don]

You just.

[Han]

And they just went up 15. Right after next possession they score on a bridge's little fade away. So it's 113 to 98. That's the biggest 15 point lead, the biggest to finish the game, 455 to go.

[Don]

And I'm not saying I agree with it, Alan, but just the train of thought is, and I didn't think of it at the time, it just seemed natural that he would come back into the game. But he's got five fouls, he's not a great defender. You say bring him in because you know that's what you do. He's your starter, he's your star player, he's your clutch. What are you looking for in that moment with less than five minutes?

[Han]

I want a guy who I know, I know I'm going to get good possessions, right? I'm getting good possessions, good shots and I'm making sure, like you, you played most of the game with him on the floor, but it wasn't like you were getting killed.

[Don]

No, but you, but you opened up the big lead with him off the floor.

[Han]

Yes.

[Don]

So they went on a run. So why are you so hot to get him back in there when you should be thinking more defensively? Like I want to make sure I don't blow this lead. So what is the purpose of having out there if he's not a great defender? You just went on a run without him at that particular point. Could you wait a little while longer?

[Han]

Let me be clear. I don't think it's a bad idea when you talk about it as a strategy or a mindset. Right. As a coach, I'm not telling you you're wrong in suggesting it as a Monday morning quarterback. What I'm saying is, is that in the Eastern Conference finals, game one at Madison Square Garden, when my all NBA three time all NBA point guard, he's coming back in the game. I'm not leaving him on the bench. Because, because if the lead goes away and now you're like, well, why the hell did you leave him out so long? So you are putting him back in the game. But that doesn't mean though that as it slips and you see, see what, what I, what I will be critical of and we all know I, I love Jalen Brunson. He is a phenomenal player. He's an even better person. But he's not infallible. He is not above criticism. What I didn't like was he played not to foul out. And they kept going at him and he was on defense. And there were some defensive moments where he played soft off the ball because he didn't want to take the sixth foul. That to me can look like selfish basketball on defense because that to me is saying, I don't want to foul out, so I'll, I'll yield points instead. And that's a mistake.

[Don]

So you got to play hard.

[Han]

And if they call the sixth tip your cap.

[Don]

Now, I, I've always said that, like any decision you make is usually based on, or how do I explain it to the media after the game? The answer could be, well, why, why didn't you bring Brunson back in? Well, he's playing with five fouls. He's not a great defender to begin with. He, he's compromised because he doesn't want to foul out of the game. So he'll, it'll even be more. So I've got after that 13 point lead that became a 15 point lead. I'm going to bring him back at some point, but with five minutes to go, I don't want him to foul out and then maybe have to play the last four and a half minutes without my best player if things all of a sudden get out of hand.

[Han]

Don, I get it.

[Don]

That could be the answer.

[Han]

I'm telling you, the logic is there. But you do know that in sports, especially professional sports, we all know this is not coaching 8th grade basketball. This is different. There are egos involved. There is a lot of things involved that, you know, I have to do the right thing. The right thing is you put your star back in the game because you expect your star to play well enough to take it home because he's shown you time and time again he can do that in this situation. He missed a shot. I think he, he missed his first shot when he came back in. And as I said, he did get to the free throw line. He did miss a free throw. He knocked down a three. It put him up 14. You're at under three minutes to go now and you're up 14 off his three. But then he missed another step back three that I felt was not a great shot. Then Towns missed like a 28 footer, which I also didn't like that shot. Quick shots, threes, 28 footers.

[Rosenberg]

When you're up 14 under three, you don't need.

[Han]

And that's when Neesmith started making the, he started knocking the threes down. That's when really things start to unravel. Two bad possessions where you open the door for them. They hit two. And now it was once 14 is now seven.

[Don]

But the crazy thing to me is that you usually see runs like, how do you score that many points in that short a period of time? Because they outscored the next 20 to 6. So it wasn't like it was a they. They blew the 14 point lead. It wasn't a 14, 0 run. It was a 20 to 6. They scored 20 points every single possession. 3, 3, 3.

[Han]

Well, here, I'll give it to you again. It's a. It's an 11 points. Jalen Brunson hits the step back three, 251. It's a 14 point game. Halliburton hit a three, a 29 footer. Brunson missed a three. Neesmith hits a three. There's your six right there. Right now it's an eight point game. Towns misses that long three. All right, now there's a now hard foul. Siakam Siaka makes one of the two seven point game. All right. Brunson scores on the layup to make it 9. There's your 9.5. Eight seconds ago, you feel like the. The layup, making it nine minutes ago, you're thinking the only. The only way you do it right.

[Rosenberg]

The only way you blow this is if you're Duke playing Maryland. Otherwise this should never happen.

[Han]

Yeah, the miracle minute. So Neesmith hits another three. Now it's six. That's when the goaltender that should have been called wasn't called. Right?

[Rosenberg]

I believe. Or is that early overtime?

[Han]

That's over. All right, I'm sorry. But then what do you get? Towns hits the layup.

[Don]

So now it's eight.

[Han]

Eight. Neesmith, the 31 footer, the crazy one that he just split his legs. Crazy shot right? Now timeout. This is when Brunson loses the ball on the double team turnover. Now they have. Did the ball go out of bounds? Did it not go out of bounds? That's the coach's challenge moment. And then Nismis hits that, hits that next three. That heart falls down. So you lose the possession. They get possession. They're down 5. You gotta know, take all threes away, right? Hart goes under and splits a screen, slips. Neesmith just jumps, immediately shoots the three, knocks it down two point, and there you go. So you say, how fast can happen? That's. Those are empty possessions with one layup in between them.

[Don]

Empty possessions are, for the most part threes. And it's all three, exception of the foul. The foul shot.

[Han]

Yeah, the Siaka made One free throw, right? Yeah. And then that's where.

[Don]

And then.

[Han]

And then Towns gets fouled, hits one.

[Rosenberg]

Of one of two.

[Han]

Now it's a three point game. And then, you know, this goes on from there. It's. Yeah.

[Don]

It's the anatomy of a breakdown, guys. It really. It's. It's.

[Rosenberg]

And you realize the crazy thing is.

[Han]

Painful how fast that happened.

[Rosenberg]

If OG let's remove the cat one. Okay. Cat. Cat did enough yesterday. He really did. He should have done enough. OG Hits both free throws, assuming things. And you don't know how things will play out. But if it played out the same Halliburton step back. That ends up being a two and an obi.

[Han]

Seven seconds left. Two.

[Rosenberg]

Two free throws and gets one. When Halliburton steps back and hits the three that he thinks is a three, it turns out to be a two. Knicks win by one. Game's over.

[Han]

That's the KD shot against Milwaukee instead.

[Don]

That's exactly what I was thinking.

[Rosenberg]

Instead. The foot on the line is enough and.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Doesn't matter.

[Han]

Isn't that amazing?

[Don]

Everybody's going to kill Halliburton. He had to think the game was over. Everybody did. They stormed off the court.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

Like so he's, he's, he's doing the choke thing because he thinks the game is over.

[Rosenberg]

Well, guess what? We had a chance. The Knicks had a chance to ruin that for him. And guess what? They won an overtime anyway. So it doesn't even play out that better.

[Don]

And that's why I keep circling back. They scored the first two buckets of overtime like they were.

[Rosenberg]

They choked again. Choked in overtime.

[Han]

Yeah. Well, they gave up. They gave up again. That was the nem hard three.

[Rosenberg]

And then you. I need you to analyze what they were doing off of the inbounds that led to the top and dunk. What the hell was going on? I don't understand what was happening.

[Han]

Well, that's, that's ball watching.

[Don]

Oh.

[Han]

Like it's a lot going on.

[Don]

That was just. That was too easy. And it should have been. It should at least be in a chance at a four point play.

[Han]

And that to me is. Is not fatigue on defense. That was your rattled.

[Don]

You're right. Yeah.

[Han]

I think that's your focus now is completely lost because you're rattled at that point.

[Don]

Listen, we talked a lot here because there was a lot to talk about, but it's a lot about you today. 1-800-919-3776. Legler will be joining us at 5:00. He's got a lot to that he actually requested the beyond. Yeah he always when when a guest of his significant wants to be on you put him on. Oh yeah, he's got lots to say but I know you do as well. 1-800-919-3776. Don Han and Rosenberg take you up until 7:00 clock here on 8:80, ESPN New York and the ESPN New York app you want to get the most for your money. That's why more Mazda buyers choose Ramsey Mazda lease a new 2025 Mazda CX50 Hybrid, all wheel drive only 249 for 36 months. Start shopping now at Ramsey Mazda.com choose wisely. Choose Ramsey Mazda. Call 833-853-2970 for details. Excludes tax talent registration 0 Security Deposit Fin SN 320885 MSRP 32285 and 6225.

[Rosenberg]

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[Han]

Memorial Day Door Buster deals are here at Lowe's right now. Rewards members save $80 on the Master Forge four burner gas grill. Now just 149 plus rewards members save $900 on the Lowes extension exclusive Hisense French door refrigerator now only 9.99. Lowe's we help you save. Valid through 526. Selection varies by location while supplies last. See lowe's.com for more details. Program subject to terms and conditions. Details@lowe's.com Terms subject to change. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Han]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don]

Game time is brought to you by Tullimore New Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's Tully time. Rangers and the Yankees. That game is over. Yankees win one nothing. They sweep the series and they've now won four in a row. Timberwolves and Thunder game two coverage right here on 880. Immediately following Pat O' Keefe at eight and the Liberty. Visit the sky at eight o' clock. That's Tullamore du, the original triple distilled, triple blended and triple cast matured Irish Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Tully Mordue or try the new Telemore Due. Honey, during today's action, glasses up to enjoying Telemore Due responsibly. Maybe it's the hockey guy in me, the football guy in me, but when I was explaining that the Knicks played a great game until the final minute, I said 59 minutes instead of 47 minutes. So I've been called out.

[Rosenberg]

You did.

[Han]

It felt like 59.

[Don]

Don't let it go. Plus, also because of how much time was left, like less than a minute. It was like 50. Right?

[Rosenberg]

Just under an hour.

[Don]

But you know what? It's. It's in my defense, you know, two. I follow all the sports, obviously, to do this show, but two of the ones we talk about a lot, certainly football and hockey are 60 minutes. So that's just kind of my fallback. So thank Peter. Don't spare my feelings. We're getting a lot of callers that are very confident. Ben Judicus was on. He's a little nervous. I would be Judicus. I'm Judicus. See now you could have laid out there. You could have said lunga la die, but you would have missed a great moment.

[Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Don]

So don't.

[Rosenberg]

Sorry. It just went. You were. You had moved on to something else.

[Han]

I'm waiting for the collab on snl where Stiller and Rosenberg come out as.

[Rosenberg]

Judicus, a group that no one ever knew existed. Or they didn't need it. By the way, so Iman Shumpert showed up early.

[Don]

He's.

[Rosenberg]

He's. Where is he?

[Han]

That's okc.

[Rosenberg]

He's an okc.

[Han]

Yeah, he's doing a hit for sports.

[Rosenberg]

But he's doing it. And so they told him, you're going to be on tv.

[Han]

Yeah. And he's wearing a football jersey.

[Rosenberg]

He's wearing. And listen, I get it. It's probably some dumb luxury company where that fake football jersey costs like two grand, but it still looks like garbage.

[Han]

And meanwhile, Jermaine o' Neal in.

[Rosenberg]

Jermaine o' Neal.

[Han]

Is that a Gucci vest?

[Rosenberg]

Oh, that. No, it's, it looks like a shirt. It's a Gucci shirt. Oh, it's a. Oh, where like the, the vest is built in.

[Han]

It's a good look.

[Rosenberg]

It's not. No, no, no, it's not. That's not it. No, that is not casual.

[Don]

It's not.

[Han]

Wait, wait. It's a short sleeve shirt. It's a golf shirt.

[Rosenberg]

No, it's a long sleeve, I believe. But it's like the Gucci. You see like the Gucci GS, which are gigantic.

[Han]

Not like, oh, his screen froze. That's tough.

[Rosenberg]

And it looks like it's like a built in vest to the shirt. It's like he walked into a luxury store and just, he went, I give me the most ostentatious thing you have. And they were like, we got this. It'll be $2,500, sir.

[Don]

We can do a whole show on what they're wearing on espn. It's like, it's almost like the Met Gal.

[Han]

Oh, please, don't get me started.

[Don]

It's almost at that level now.

[Han]

Our bat, our, it's, it's really. Our basketball coverage is a lot more fashion than our football coverage.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Han]

Well, our football people are just more about football and just like talking the sport and basketball we really spend a lot more time about.

[Rosenberg]

But Iman doesn't work for espn.

[Han]

No, he's doing a hit.

[Rosenberg]

You know, they.

[Don]

But still, I would have said he's good.

[Han]

His insights, great. Trying to get him on with us. He's really good.

[Rosenberg]

No, he, he actually is a really good.

[Han]

You know, I saw it like last night. By the way, get him on Baron Davis bd.

[Don]

Oh, he's great.

[Han]

Love him.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, he'd be good too.

[Han]

Another guy is a good talker. Good storyteller was Baron JR Smith. You guys like him?

[Rosenberg]

I love JR's good talker.

[Han]

Love to reach. All right, so we got to get.

[Rosenberg]

Them on and Baron was a Nick briefly.

[Han]

Yeah, well, he. He had went out. Went out on his sword, you know, when he. He played in that Heat series and his knee exploded.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, that's right.

[Han]

Carried him off the Garden Court and got a standing ovation. The Miami Heat gave him a standing ovation, like everybody, because he's a beloved.

[Don]

Guy and because our audience loves Weed. Get JR Reid on, I think get JR Smith. Both of them, right.

[Han]

Or JR Reed.

[Don]

JR Reed. He's a big weed guy. And our audience loves weed.

[Rosenberg]

J.R. weed, you're saying?

[Han]

J.R. weed. Listen, after last night's game, we all needed a little something to mellow us up.

[Don]

Anything.

[Han]

All right, let's go.

[Rosenberg]

Let's get the.

[Don]

Let's get to the calls. 1-800-919-3776. No need to give the number. It's jam packed. Andre's out. Georgia, you get us started here on Don Han and Rosenberg.

[E]

Hey, fellas. How you guys doing?

[Don]

Good.

[E]

Well, I'm not doing too good. The game last night, obviously disappointing. And the point I want to make is, I don't know if you guys saw it or you noticed. I'm sure you did, but when the Knicks went on the run, Brunson comes back in the game. Brunson takes the next four shots. And my, my thing with that is, I know he's our closer, I know he's clutch player of the year, but I just feel, and you know, just my opinion, I just feel that he has to do a better job at reading the game. Yes, to it. Always talks all the time and say the game will dictate and will tell you what to do. And at that point, when you come inside the game, your players, your. Your team is rolling. We was doing well, you know, the ball was moving. He comes in and he goes straight to ISO. And he takes the next four shots, and he missed them. Now, if he made those shots, obviously we'd be having. It'd be a different story. But I just felt that he could have did a better job of reading the game and seeing what was going on on the court when he came in the game. Thanks, fellas.

[Han]

I can't argue with that. Like I said, I think that and all great players have that little side of them with the ego of, okay, I'm going to put this away like I'm coming in the game. I'm going to shut this thing down. Now. He hit it. I believe the first shot he took, he hit, right? Yeah, I believe that's what I said. He came in the game, he Knocked down.

[Don]

He put him up 15, right.

[Han]

No, Bridges made it 15. No, I'm sorry. He missed. Yeah, he missed his first shot.

[Don]

Bridges made it 50.

[Han]

Yes, bridges made it 50.

[Don]

He made it nine.

[Han]

Yeah. Then. Then what Brunson did was get fouled. He got to the free throw. He made one of two. Then he hit a three. That made it 14 with 251 to go. That was the last big moment. He hits that. That's the one where. 119105. You're like, all right, it's a wrap. You had to feel that way. You did not know that Neesmith was about to go ballistic.

[Don]

That's so funny. Of all.

[Rosenberg]

Who could have known?

[Don]

Like when we had Ben Stiller on yesterday and all of what people were talking about in the second half, the pain of the. Of the Celtics, like, it's not over. It's not over. I can't believe this happened. But the Knicks, we. That. This is why.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

Last night is why.

[Han]

How many dads.

[Don]

Nothing for granted.

[Han]

It's so fun. How many dads who talk to their son about how great the 90s were? Oh, son, you should have been there for it. Those 90s Knicks, man, we loved them. Then last night happened, and the kid goes, did this happen, too, in the 90s, dad? Yeah, yeah. Yeah, it did, son. Yeah, it did.

[Rosenberg]

And this is even worse. This was somehow worse.

[Han]

I don't know if it's worse yet. Reggie going eight points in nine seconds in game one, in 95 that led to you losing the series.

[Rosenberg]

We don't know that choke game.

[Han]

You won that series. So let's see which. What. What comes to this right before you could say it's the worst, you got to see the result.

[Don]

You got to see because they win the next four.

[Han]

Because as Don said, you walk out of that game if you just. If you. If you. If you tell yourself to forget what happened from three minutes on, you feel pretty good about how you played against this team. They couldn't guard Cat. Brunson was still able to do whatever he wanted to against their guys.

[Don]

You could.

[Han]

You did a good job defensively, you rebounded well. Like, everything worked out. Like, you got good performances from just about everyone.

[Don]

This was your win game.

[Han]

Yes. This was the win game that you gave it away. And now you got to go like. Like, we can beat them, but we just gave one away. Now you got to, like you said, win five.

[Don]

That's what it's going to feel like.

[Rosenberg]

I got to know. We could talk about the percentages. To win, I got to know the percentage of the ball to go through the basket when it goes eight feet off the back. Like, oh, by the way, over an.

[Don]

Outstretched Mitchell Robinson, which is not nothing. No.

[Rosenberg]

It's one of the most difficult outstretched arms to deal with in the NBA.

[Don]

I mean, if the sun was out, it would feel like an eclipse. Right. Like, he would. He would have blocked the sun at that point.

[Han]

I'll tell you.

[Don]

And I keep thinking about the. The Kawhi Leonard, but it.

[Han]

The bounce, bounce, bounce.

[Don]

But. But that. This was different.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

Because from the side, it was out.

[Rosenberg]

And it stayed in the cylinder. It was bouncing around the cylinder.

[Don]

If you look at it, the ball hits the back of the rim and then leaves the screen. Yes. It's not on the screen.

[Rosenberg]

No.

[Don]

That's a significant amount.

[Han]

Like, everybody's eyes are all looking up. I just waiting for it to come down so you can say, okay, the game's over. I was. Boys, I was one foot on the court, microphone in hand with a cameraman with me and a crew waiting to run to a spot that I had to get a quick interview fast. So I'm right there. He takes the shot. It goes up. Clank. I'm like, all right, start taking your steps.

[Don]

Yep.

[Han]

So I'm getting to. And then it goes up and I'm what? And then you see, like, three players are around the rib. It's literally like. Like, Don is for me. That's how close it was. And they're all like this looking up, and you see the ball coming down, and my angle was the side, so I don't know. Is it left? Is it right?

[Don]

It's straight. See, it's such a great point that you. Because if. If you see it leave the screen.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

So your first instinct is, game over.

[Han]

It's going to hit me. Scoreboard, whatever it's going to do.

[Don]

But then immediately where you see the ball re. Enter the screen, you're now like, this might go in. And then the reaction of the players, not one player was with those celebrated, like, everybody. Just the fact that the players were all looking where the ball was going to go. Told you it was at least going to be close. We go back to Super Bowl 25, Giants win on the missed Norwood field.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

In retrospect, he missed it, you know, but if you. When watching it live, you don't know. It's not good until the last second. But Emerson Walls puts his hands up and runs off the field celebrating like.

[Han]

The second it's kicked because he saw.

[Don]

He Knows he got the better angle. So that indicates to you he's. He's going to miss this. It was. It was like the reverse. The fact that nobody. No Nick. Put their hand up. There was like, no pumping of it. It was just all of them, like, looking like, where's this going to go? There's nothing to recall. It's just a matter of waiting.

[Rosenberg]

How many. This is a complete guess, Alan, but you watch a lot of basketball in the 82 games that every single team in this league played all year. I wonder how many shots did that the whole year. Back of the iron, straight up, seven or eight feet and back. I bet it's on one hand the entire season that a shot like that happened.

[Han]

Yeah, that's.

[Don]

I mean, it might happen.

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Insane.

[Don]

During the course of a game, it might happen maybe a dozen times all year.

[Rosenberg]

That's what I mean.

[Han]

At the end, randomly.

[Don]

But at the buzzer, I don't like the first quarter. Like, yeah, it might happen. It's no big deal. So what? It's made the score 6, 4.

[Han]

And I don't want to hear this from Halliburton about how he didn't have it predetermined. That was 100% predetermined.

[Rosenberg]

What to do the choke.

[Han]

Oh, absolutely.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, he knew once, if he had.

[Don]

Time about it when he dribbled.

[Han]

He's watched winning time a ton. He's watched. He's already admitted he's watched that. 30 for 30 a ton. He's watched it. So he knows the story in the history, and I actually appreciate that. I appreciate the fact that he does know the history, but he also was seeing the whole. The momentum churn. And once they knew they had an opportunity to win, that was front of his mind. And if he said, if that's cash, I'm doing it. Because he knew Reggie was there, because he went right to Reggie when he did it. That was predetermined. And you know what?

[Rosenberg]

How can you be mad at.

[Don]

You can't get mad.

[Rosenberg]

If we were Pacers fans, we'd love it. We'd all be rooted.

[Han]

It was. You could hate it all you want. It was tremendous theater. It's what makes this rivalry great, and it's what's going to make this series even better.

[Don]

It's going to really, really spice it up.

[Han]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with a message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying.

[Rosenberg]

No judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment anyway.

[Han]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment.

[Don]

Of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required Intro rate.

[Han]

First three months only, then full price.

[Don]

Plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

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[Don]

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[Han]

Thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.

[Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Han]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Don]

Fanatics Fest is making its return to New York City this summer at the Javit center from Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June, June 22, a three day celebration where sports culture and collecting converge, bringing fans closer to their favorite athletes and sports leagues than ever before. With appearances from your favorite athletes, celebrities and entertainers, live podcasts and a full schedule of panels featuring the most recognizable names in sports, you can enter to win a four pack of tickets on the ESPN New York app. Find the contest tile and submit your entry. Adults and kids. Tickets are available now@fanatics festival.com let's get back to the busy phones you'd heard from us. Let's hear from you. Let's go to Mike. He's out in Texas. You're on ESPN New York. What's up Mike?

[Han]

Hey Dallin, Han Rosenberg.

[E]

Long first time, long time.

[Don]

Thanks.

[E]

Taking the call. Hey, I was kind of piggybacking off.

[Han]

Of what Rosenberg said earlier as opposed.

[E]

To when he said Brunson was kind of gas. Hey do you guys know if. Whenever Brunson took that shot to the neck, could that have had a play.

[Han]

In anything like that was in the first quarter, I believe it's pretty early. And he, you know, he got his usual rest second quarter, but he put up 43 points.

[Don]

And he also took another shot to the neck late. It wasn't blamed, but there was. There was that foul that they should have called. I don't remember if it was late in the fourth quarter in overtime. Do you remember that one? Kind of got hit high.

[Han]

Yeah, I'm not. I don't know. I'm not in the place to start creating excuses, and I don't think he would either.

[Don]

Well, he had a rest when they went on the run.

[Han]

He was. He was. He sat. He sat a long time, came back in the game.

[Don]

If there is something.

[Han]

He hit a shot to put him up 14.

[F]

I.

[Han]

Again, I. I know fans always want to find a reason why. Sometimes you just have. Sometimes you just make mistakes. Sometimes you make bad decisions. Sometimes you miss shots. Sometimes the other team just has a guy who goes. You know, he detonates. I mean, again, Neesmith, just six for six guys. Six?

[Don]

Yeah, he made six threes.

[Han]

He made four in a row in the last three minutes. Sometimes that. That doesn't happen. Normally. It happened last night. Sometimes you just look and go, my God, that guy just went crazy, went ballistic. And the Knicks were rattled by it. That happened.

[Don]

Andreas and Lynn Hurst. Geron, ESPN New York. What's up, buddy?

[F]

Hey, how you doing, guys? Hey, guys, I think it's time that we start discussing that there might be a curse in Madison. Great Garden on the Knicks, man. This is up there with the 86 Red Sox, Cubs, Black cat. I call it the Penn Station curse, man. Nate Smith, six straight threes. Tyrese Halliburton with that unbelievable bounce at the end, and then Reggie Miller. I had to mute the tv, man, because of Reggie Miller. I can't stand the guy. And now he's gonna be on NBC next year. He's even worse. We have Roy hibbert's block in 2013, Patrick Ewan's mislib in 95. I'm a diehard Knicks fan. I'm only 34, and I remember this stuff from my youth, man. And it's just horror stories after horror stories. This is just as bad as game one of the World Series, when Freddie Freeman hit the home run. It's terrible, man, and I don't know what we can do to stop it, but I would just want to win this series in seven and just, you know, send that choke signal right back to Tyreek. Man, that was awful.

[Don]

See, that's the thing. This wasn't game seven. It's the first game of the series so they could turn around and win the next four games. And this is just a footnote, just an entertaining game that you laugh about. As far as the curse stuff is concerned, I was on the morning show in Toronto a couple of days ago and they were comparing the Knicks and the Maple Leafs. You know, two forever franchises. Big markets haven't won in forever. Leafs in 67. Knicks. Yeah, those guys.

[Han]

Yeah, great guys are awesome.

[Don]

And I said, here's the difference. I can't really say the Knicks are cursed. There's been just a lot of bad decisions, a lot of bad basketball. There really hasn't been that many opportunities. You know, the Leafs have been a loaded franchise for a long time and can't even go to the Stanley Cup Final. Like it's crazy where the Knicks, there's a lot of holes where they were just not a very good team. And even in the moment you're talking about, like you want to talk about, you know, those losses to the Bulls, you know, the Bulls were better.

[Han]

Michael Jordan.

[Don]

Michael Jordan in the way and self inflicted wounds, but they're just not enough evidence.

[Han]

You also can't cherry pick the bad stuff because first of all, they won their only two championships in that building above that Penn Station.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Han]

There's no curse.

[Don]

No, there's no curse.

[Han]

Patrick Ewing had a put back dunk in 94 to win and take you to the finals. Right, Right. Patrick Ewing had one of his great games of his career. It also happened to be on the Same night that O.J. simpson was in a white Bronco. But in that building.

[Don]

Yeah.

[Han]

Larry Johnson's four point play was in that building.

[Don]

But there's just not been a lot of opportunities.

[Han]

Yeah. And that four point play was a phantom play that the Hugh Hollands call on Hubert Davis in 94 against the Bulls was in that building. So you can't cherry pick the bad.

[Don]

Right.

[Han]

Moments. You can't do that.

[Don]

And when you talk about the curses like the Red Sox, I think there was a point before they broke the curve. Like every time they went to the World Series they lost in seven.

[Han]

Wow.

[Don]

And they were a good team. The Red Sox had good teams that just couldn't beat the Yankees.

[Han]

Yeah.

[Don]

You know, but, but and the Maple Leafs had some really, really good teams. Just can't get over the hump. The Knicks have gone Stretches where they just weren't very good. They were, they weren't run well.

[Han]

Is it true the Rangers have lost 10 straight winner take all games, elimination, Something like that. I saw a stat about game sevens.

[Don]

No, because they beat the penguins in Game 7.

[Han]

That's what I'm saying. I saw a stat had the Ranger logo that was about teams that like the streak. Because if it had to do with the Maple Leafs when facing elimination, a losing streak when facing elimination.

[Don]

And I thought, I thought all those games.

[Han]

That's what I said. I thought Hank was unreal in these game seven. So.

[Don]

No, back in the, in the run in 2014, you know, they beat the Flyers in seven.

[Han]

Well, that's 2014. That's, that's still 10 years ago. They could, they could have.

[Don]

They lost the game seven in 2015 to the, to the, to the Lightning. But they didn't, they didn't have. They didn't lose.

[Han]

Maybe it was that one.

[Don]

Was he talking about because they won game seven against Pittsburgh 42.

[Han]

He's talking about way back 1942 to 1970.

[Don]

The Rangers lost 11 straight elimination.

[Han]

There you go. That might have been what they were referencing, but it was like the all time law. Yeah. So I thought it was current.

[Don]

Popped into my head. You know, Carolina lost to Florida in game one of the Eastern Conference final. A couple. They're playing game two. That was their 13th consecutive loss in the Eastern Conference finals. The last three times they went to the conference final, they were swept. And now it's 13 straight that has not won a conference since they beat the Sabers in game seven of oh, six.

[Han]

That's unreal.

[Don]

They won the cut. Like that's crazy. Wow.

[Rosenberg]

But to always go and always lose.

[Don]

It's the ineptitude though of the Knicks.

[Han]

Right.

[Don]

I mean, you go through Isaiah Thomas, you go through Phil Jackson, the coach, like so. But you know, I don't believe in.

[Han]

The curse thing at all. I don't think it's that. I think it's you. Sometimes we dwell more on these moments than we do on the, the great ones. And maybe because the great ones have been so long ago.

[Don]

Yeah, it's. It's few and far between, unfortunately. But you just rattled off a bunch of amazing moments at Madison Square Garden.

[Han]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast. I don't want to know how the Saus made, but I just want to know. It's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.