
Loading summary
A
Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked up decided that's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks. 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick. And they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is not. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedupenergy.com Grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.
B
This is the Don Hahn and Rosenberg Podcast. That sounds like heaven to me.
A
Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3
B
on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers. It's the last call crew Don Hahn and Rosenberg till 7 o'.
C
Clock.
B
Alan had to leave early for his Nick duties. He'll be back with us tomorrow at 3 o' clock as we'll recap game two of the Eastern Conference Final. Mets have a 2 to 1 lead on the Nationals and they're looking to tack on bases loaded, two outs at the top of the ninth inning. However, Mets had bases loaded, nobody out. So we'll see if they are going to squander this opportunity to tack on or or get a big two out hit here. We'll have to wait and see. Let's get back to the busy phone calls and let's talk to Paul in Philadelphia. You're on ESPN New York. What's up Paul?
D
Hey Don and Peter. I love the show as always. You know, at first I was going to call in and say, you know, I think you both made salient points, you know, in that discussion that you just had. But honestly I think I got convinced and I actually agree with Alan now. I mean, first of all, like the caller from Nashville said, first of all, the finals loss is always going to be more impactful. It's always going to be more emotional than a loss in the conference semi in the conference finals. But beyond that, I mean Don, you always say you have to adjust your expectations. You're Patrick Ewing finger roll away from winning an NBA title. You have to adjust your expectations in that moment. Don, you literally always say that and it's disappointing that you would kind of go back on the way. I think, I think you're right. I think you're right. I think you should just stick to hockey.
B
All right. As the problem.
C
I didn't sense it Going there is
B
the finger roll was a 95, not 94. So get your act together there, hockey. Hockey boy. Had to remind you when the finger roll. Wow.
C
So that fire tough.
B
Oh, that is so sorry about that. That is unfortunate. And you adjust your expectations. What are your expectations right now? Your expectations are to wipe the floor with the Cavaliers and go to the Finals, right?
D
That's right.
B
So what were your expectations going into the Houston series when Peter just explained to you that you were a huge underdog in a series? And, oh, by the way, Alan makes it seem like, oh, well, you're a win away. Peter, correct me if I'm wrong, because again, I'm hockey boy, but back in the day, it was hard to win playoff games on the road. So game six and seven were in Houston because they were doing a two, three, two back then for the Finals. So you're going to have to win in Houston in 6 and 7. So I would think Peter, despite the fact that they were up three two, probably went into game six as an underdog and certainly went into game seven as an underdog. Will the Knicks be a dog in any game against the Cavaliers? Any game.
C
Let me think for a second. Give me a second. I imagine there'll be a short favorite in Cleveland this weekend.
B
A short saver.
C
Yeah.
B
So I would say, obviously something happens, God forbid, Brunson gets hurt or whatever, things can change. But I always talk about, you know, you change expectations. What are your expectations right now? This city is completely up for grabs. And you made the point off the air. I believe it was off the air, yeah. Then in 1994, we're only 21 years removed from their last championship. Two decades, a pretty long time.
C
How about you add 32 more years on top of that?
B
You were a lot closer to 73 and 94 than you are now to 94.
C
Correct.
B
More time has gone by since 94. Right. More time has gone by since 99. Are you telling me. So I guess by Allen's calculations, the second worst loss would be the one to The spurs in 99, where they were also a huge underdog. I'm factoring in that right now. You're expecting to beat the Cavaliers. You fired your coach last year because you couldn't get out of the third round. What are you going to do to Mike Brown if you don't get past the Cavaliers? There's a very good conversation to be had that you might fire Mike Brown if you lost this series. Were you firing Pat Riley? He left, but he can get fired. Were you firing Pat Riley after blowing the 32 series lead in 94, there's a good chance you're firing Mike Brown if you lose this series. Considering you got to get rid of Tibbs, he couldn't get you by the third round and that was replacement can't get by you a third round against an easier opponent.
C
I know. And last year, remember, I made. I was, I was just dumb to say, oh, well, Tibbs has done enough, he's good. So now I will not make that same mistake and say that this year I can't.
B
But listen, what are you going to do?
C
Listen, you're a yo yo hockey boy.
B
I'm a yo yo hockey guy.
C
You can't make. You have no opinion whatsoever.
B
Don't know what's going on.
C
Well, it's a frustrating argument because if you believe the mic drop drop thing is the way the loss is worse is if it's further along in the tournament, well, then there's no conversation to be had.
B
Right?
C
You see what I'm saying? Let's not have the argument if we're not going to argue it. Because the second you say, well, one was in the finals, one would be in the conference finals, well, then we go. No point in having a conversation. We have to decide, are there rules for a debate?
B
Let me tell you something right now. I'll give the devil's analogy. The Devils. But he's going to say, well, they won in 95 and they won in 2000, but the Devils lost in 2001 to the Avalanche. Had a 32 series lead. But nothing's going to beat losing to the Rangers the way they did in 94. And that was the conference final. What is the worst giant loss ever? Getting crushed by the Ravens in the super bowl, right? Or was it the loss when they. The trade drunk. What was his name? Now the. The game in San Francisco where they blew the big lead, right? Or the. Or the. Or the. When they blew the nine point lead with 210 to go against the Minnesota Vikings at home.
A
Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked up decided that's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks. 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick.
D
And.
A
And they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedupenergy.com Grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks Smalls here.
E
If you're heading into summer without a medical emergency kit, you're taking a risk most people don't think about until it's too late. Summer colds can turn into sinus and infections that last weeks, ruining your perfect vacation getaway. And when you're traveling, finding a doctor and a pharmacy, it's stressful. That's why I ordered a medical emergency kit. It's like having an urgent care and a pharmacy at home. It includes prescriptions like amoxicillin and generic Z Pak to treat a wide range of illnesses. So if you wake up sick at home or on the road, you have what you need. No waiting for your doctor, no hours at urgent care, and no pharmacy lines. Also, no co pays. Match your symptoms to the right prescription in your guidebook or call their telemedicine doctor. Start medsuder and feel better faster. Every home needs a medical emergency kit, so order yours online in minutes, it's shipped right to your door. Save $45 with my promo code SMALLS@URGENTCAREKIT.COM SMALLS that's promo code SMALLS@ URGENTCAREKIT.com SMALLS
F
Always consult your doctor to determine if this product is right for you.
B
As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner and protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by. But Dove in Boston agrees with Alan. Go ahead, Dov.
D
Well, hello, gentlemen. It's always good to talk to you.
C
You too, man.
D
First of all, let's go Nick's. We can all agree on that.
C
I think we can. Let's come together.
D
Absolutely. Second of all, you know, it's funny. I originally called in really quickly at the beginning of this debate to agree unequivocally with Alan. Right. But the more I hear the conversation, I think I understand where the disconnect is. I think there are two different conversations being had. I think that we're discussing. Alan's discussing the most painful, the most emotionally painful loss. You guys are discussing the worst loss, which incorporates the odds, incorporates like, you know, some different context than Alan's argument would. Now, similar argument. I can only pose a hypothetical. Right. But like as a Jets fan, similar to Knicks fans in the sense that we have not won in forever. Right. 50 plus years. So if, if you told me the jets went to the super bowl, were ahead in the third quarter, halfway through the third quarter. Right. Would it necessarily matter who they were playing if they then lost that game, the super bowl, the jets never won, would I be hearkening back to Buffalo Week 17 and saying, no, no, no, no. That was more painful because we were supposed to be Buffalo.
B
Well, no, you're still talking about a regular season game. I'm at least comparing comp.
D
The Steelers around before the Steelers losing. Losing in the AFC Championship to the Steelers. I don't know what the odds were at that time. I'm not sure you.
B
Oh, sure, play. I'm sure playing the Steelers in Pittsburgh, you were an underdog in that game.
D
But if you told me the jets were in the super bowl, and this is where I think everybody's right, the context thing, the whole, your expectations change. Here's where I can kind of put it all together. Let's say we play okc, right? We're not going to be favored in that series. 100%. We're not gonna be favored.
B
Right.
D
If we're up three, two in that series as the Knicks, as expectations change, if we're on the radio when the Knicks are up three, two. I guarantee you what you guys are going to be saying is that you need to win the series. You're up 3:2. You need to win this series. The expectations will be. It won't matter.
B
But here's the thing, is that the rules have changed, right? So game six would be an okc. So would we be saying.
D
But you know, in the moment.
B
I know, I understand. Nobody is debating whether it's painful or not, but I'm just looking at the fact that you're supposed to beat the Cavaliers to go to the final. Now, you're right. If you lose in seven to the Thunder and the Thunder were the better team and the heavy favorite and you lost in seven, it would, it would stink. It would be heartbreaking. But would you be embarrassed? That's the point is I remember 94. I lived it. I was working at Sportsphone, watching every game, completely invested in what was happening with the Knicks and the Rockets. As painful as Game 7's loss was and Starks couldn't hit a shot, you did not walk away from that series embarrassed by the Knicks performance.
C
Cringing because of Starks performance.
B
I can't. Right? But I don't think you sat there and went, oh, we blew it. Maybe some did. But hey, you were an underdog and you lost two games on the road. You are going to be an embarrassed. You would be embarrassed. If everybody stays healthy and the Knicks is presently constituted lose this series to the Cavaliers, you're not going to say we blew it.
C
There's also one other piece that I think there could be a disconnect on. Allen at that time, in 94, he hadn't even really. He was just getting to become a writer, right?
B
I don't remember.
C
It's 30. That's 32 years ago.
B
So how old was I in 94? So I was born in 68. So what was I? 26 years old.
C
So he's younger than you and he's
B
a few years younger than me.
C
So he's 22 years old.
B
He was probably just out of college, so I don't know if he was working in.
C
So just to be clear whether he was or not, he wasn't a professional yet. He may have been working either way. He was a fan. He was. Allen was a Knicks fan when that happened. So that level of pain, Don is going to be certainly different than anything he can even think about for what fans are going through right now where he's covering it as a profession.
B
And I also think the. Listen, agree with me, disagree with me. At least admit that it's a debate. But if you want to call me a moron, it's not a debate. Or at least to give me that it's a debate that you don't fathom losing to the series anyway. But what would you feel like if you did? But I don't want to have that game because we're talking negative. But we were asked if you're wondering why we're even having this debate is because we were asked by Richard, would it be the worst loss in franchise history? I say yes. And Alan definitively said no. It was 94. Edgar and White, Plain Jeran, ESPN New York. What's up, Edgar?
D
Who is that?
B
Is that. That sounds like you have a child.
D
Say hi, Don. Hi, dad. Say hi, Don. Say hi, Peter. Wow.
B
And who is. And who is this that I'm saying hello to?
D
That's my little son, Dennis.
B
Oh, very nice to meet him. Great. How old?
D
He's a good boy. He is two.
B
Oh, it's great.
D
I have three of them. He's my third. I've been listening to you guys forever.
B
I appreciate it, man.
D
So let me tell you a lot, a lot, a lot of nights, waking up in the middle of night, listening to your podcast so I don't fall asleep and drop him while three of them. While they were.
B
We all appreciate that, man. Thank you.
D
So, listening to your debate and a couple things so that I was thinking of, like, feeling like emotion, like I wasn't around during the 70s championships when they lost in 94 was what, 8? So I feel like I have a more of an emotional connection to this team. So, I mean, you can look at this as what's the worst loss in their history or what? It's very. It just feels very personal. What's the worst loss for me? Right. And I feel like that's kind of the back and forth. And I'll let you comment second, just to switch the conversation here is the Knicks, right? They feel like those last eight games, or this last seven games, not counting this last one, they were playing a different brand of basketball that we've never seen. And I feel like we went back to the hero ball of Brunson because we had to, right? We had to win and he has to take over the game. But I'm really curious and nervous to see what's going to happen the next game. Are we going to continue with this Brunson ball that kind of got us in trouble in the first couple games, or are we going to play that brand of basketball? We just.
B
Well, you did. Out of desperate. The question I have, Edgar, is why were you in the situation you were in to begin with? And I have to think the reason they were down 22 at seven and a half minutes to go was because of the long layoff. And they, out of desperation, went to Brunson ball. I think the Cavs got exhausted. Knicks won the game going away. So that, to me, the better question is I don't think they're. They're going to go back to what they were doing. The question, Peter, is why were they in that situation to begin with? And I have to believe it was because of the long layoff.
C
That was my thinking as well.
B
Right now that's off the table. If all of a sudden the same thing happens tonight, then you got to start. Then you start evaluating. Well, was there another reason? Are the Cavaliers a bad matchup? All that stuff then enters the conversation.
C
Yesterday, Alan and I had like a slight disagreement early in the show.
B
You did. It got contentious for a second.
C
No. Well, he was Sort of like he
B
talks down to people, let's be honest,
C
a little bit with the basketball. But he was. And just loudly more than his down is just the volume goes down.
B
Well, listen, I can just tell you just from my standpoint, if you think you can shout louder than me.
C
No, no one can shout louder than you.
B
Step away. Mets just won 2 to 1. Devin Williams gets out of a runner at third, one out situation outs and wins a game. Go ahead.
C
I want to make a point. I want to make a point about that because you saw I was very dialed into that game till the end when I was paying attention to whatsoever. But I really thought the Knicks were not playing their game at all. Alan was describing it somewhat as shots not going down. I, I may be wrong, but when I was watching Don and I know you were in the building, so you take in the game a little differently when you're in the suite versus, you know, watching. I just felt like it wasn't their game. I felt like they weren't running and gunning and running the ball through everyone else. I thought it was a lot of hand jailing the ball and see what happens.
B
And you also said you didn't think it was that the Cavaliers were playing particularly well either.
C
Possession after possession, I watched the Cavaliers come up short. Knicks couldn't take advantage. So I really wasn't impressed with the Knicks and I think they did deviate from what's been working for them. So we'll see if they bounce back to the Metro quick beat in the Nationals 2:1 to salvage a split. We were making fun of them earlier. I was joking with Don saying he was right, they still stink. But I will say this was not a pretty series. As we said, they kicked the ball over the place in the outfield. They were. They were bad. The fact that they snuck out of Washington with a split instead of losing the series or even all four. Remember the win in game one took a ridiculous 10 run, 10 run, 12th inning for them to win. I'll say that even though they're still playing like the Mets, there is some sort of slight mojo change that they were even able to salvage a split.
B
To me, I will answer that when
C
we come Retort buster.
B
Only here for La Quinta by Wyndham.
D
Summer work, travel can feel like extra
B
innings, long days, late nights and not
D
a lot of room to stretch out. Especially when your hotel room feels more
B
like the dugout than the clubhouse. But when you stay at La Quinta by Wyndham, you can step up to
D
spacious suites that give you room to
B
relax, recharge and get ready for the next day. I always feel like I need that
D
when I'm traveling on the road covering ball games.
B
Plus, you can earn Wyndham Rewards points with every qualified stay because when you've got space to unwind, you're always playing at your best. Tonight La Quinta, tomorrow you shine. Book your next work trip@laquinta.com Terms and conditions apply.
F
In today's world, planning ahead isn't always top of mind, but not having life insurance can leave families facing difficult financial uncertainty during already emotional times. In many cases, loved ones are left managing expenses, debts or long term obligations without a clear plan in place. Life insurance is one of those ways to help provide financial security and support when it's needed most. That's where Ethos comes in. Ethos makes getting life insurance fast and easy, and it's 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and even get same day coverage. There's no medical exam, you just answer a few simple health questions online. And coverage options are flexible, with up to $3 million available and some policies starting at around $30 a month. Ethos has also earned strong customer feedback with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot based on more than 3,000 reviews. Help protect your family with life insurance through Ethos. Get your instant free quote@ethos.com sports that's e t h o s.com sports application times and rates may vary.
C
The NFL schedule dropped and it is time to settle up people. There's road trips to plan, hotels to book, tickets to split, tailgates to cover, scores to settle. All the things for the season. But now when you send $10 or more to a friend with PayPal by May 28, you could win two tickets to every home game of your favorite team. Yep, the whole season. Visit paypal.com P2P sweeps. No purchase necessary. See website for details, including how to enter by mail. Brought to you by PayPal official peer to peer payment. Sponsor of the NF
B
thanks for listening to the Don Han and Rosenberg Podcast.
C
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
B
Catch this show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts. All right, last chance to hear from you 1-800-919-3776. So at some point, Knicks coverage will be here on 880. Right now the Mets are on 880, so 1050 is going to be where the Knicks will start their program because the Met Game just ended. We're here on the app and on YouTube. We go away when the show's over at 7 o'. Clock. But if you want to listen to the end of the Mets Postgame, that's on 880. If you want to listen to at 7 o' clock which is just 10 minutes from now, the pre game with Pat O' Keefe on the Knicks games, two with the Cavaliers that could be heard on 1050 and eventually everything will be on 880. Got it?
C
Got it.
B
Tomorrow 3 o', clock fraud alert.
C
Friday we had a 6:30 vehicle tomorrow
B
and we got a 6:30 because the Mets are in Miami to take on the Marlins. Now you were mentioning about the Mets taking two of the four game series against Washington. What the Mets have done in recent vintage has proved to you that they're not the worst team in baseball. They started the year as the worst team in baseball. Now they're showing you that they're not the worst. But have they shown you enough to believe that they can be a playoff team or challenge for the division which was the expectation going in? Remember David Stearns told us this will be a better team than last year. Well, last year's team won 83 games. So now I would expect you to be north of 85, 86, be a 90 win team, easily make the playoffs and compete for the division. Well, the division doesn't look like it's going to be had. Atlanta's running away with it at this point. So yes, Peter, they're playing better and they're proving to you that they're not what they were to start the season. But hey, you know what? Unfortunately because of being 12 games under 500, whatever they were at the lowest point, you know, splitting a four game series against Washington, not good enough. Now instead it's not. Now if you took three out of four and you take two out of three for Miami, but now you're gonna have to sweep Miami to make up for the one game you didn't get against Washington. You, you see how it becomes a vicious cycle. Yeah, you lost 12 games. Now at some point you're going to have to go out and win 10 of 11 if you want to truly make up for it. So you know, that's where they're at right now. They're playing better. That's a good thing. And hopefully they'll, you know, eventually get back to 500. But right now you're six games under. Listen, you're back where you started four games ago, you know, so. And it starts to pile up. Hey, it's early. Well, guess what? Now you're.
C
Wait, there's six games under.500. And that's what. From where they were five years ago
B
when they, when they started the series, they were six under.
C
They gained no ground.
B
They gained no ground and they lost four games on the schedule. Right. And that's what happens is. Is that you start. Listen, they're not running out of time. They're only 50 games into the season.
C
No, no, listen, you are correct. And like, it still did age well for you not getting overly excited about the last couple weeks. I'm just saying, I guess if. For. For the Mets fans out there, I think today was an important salvage. Some, Some version of the moment. Momentum they've been building game. Because if you. If you had lost today and you. And you lose three or four against the Nationals, I think it stings a little differently than splitting the series.
B
True.
C
That's all I'm gonna say.
B
No, you're certainly.
C
But you're also. We're both right. It's not great.
B
I'm just gonna have. This is good. You're just gonna have to, you know, keep doing it or be a little bit better. So now take two out of three from Miami, take two out of three from Cincinnati, and then. And get to.500. But as it is, you're not going to get to.500. Under.500 anytime. You're going to have to sweep the next two series to get to.500, you know, and that. And could that happen? Sure, it could. But let's see. I was. Peterson started a game he didn't have a caddy, he didn't have an opener today, got into a ton of jams, but, you know, pitch well enough to hold the Nationals to one run. Bullpen did its job and they won the game. Carlos is in the Bronx. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Carlos?
D
Hey, guys. So, yeah, I think that I want to put the blame on the Knicks loss in the 1994 finals. I put the blame on O.J. simpson, okay? And this is because I was watching game six at home, you know, watching on the TV, and then all of a sudden, you see O.J. in the white Bronco flashing before my eyes on TV. And I'm like, what's going on here? Like, everybody in New York doesn't care about O.J. like, this is LA we're talking about. Doesn't affect us, right? And then all that positive energy, all that, you know, good karma that we're trying to spew into that television to give the energy to. The Knicks is gone. So they're by themselves now. And so because New York wasn't there to, like, give them that positive energy, they lost. They lost the game. They lost. They lost the series, and that was that. So thank you, O.J.
B
well, it was game five at the Garden, not game six in Houston, so I can't blame O.J. and also, I hear what you won.
C
And also, I hear it's a game you won. I hear what you're saying. No one here cares about this. Just to be clear. I mean, no. Knicks fans were probably like, oh, my God, I got to see what's happening in the game. But if you were of age that time to know there's not a human being in the world or in America who saw it and didn't at least care about it, but you just thought, oh, my God, we're in the middle of game here.
B
You got to realize that every network went to it live. NBC went to it live and got out of the game in New York. They. They gave you at least a little box with the game on it. So they at least gave you the game. Didn't bother anybody at the Garden, and it only bothered the people at home.
D
We're not having real conversation about the
A
fact that the chase actually affected the
B
Knicks chances of winning that game.
C
No, you know what?
B
You're right.
C
You're right.
B
We're having a conversation.
A
We're stopping this.
B
That hockey boy isn't the dumbest person in the room.
C
We love you, hockey moron boys.
B
You know, you come out and you come at me and the caller in the last segment, information was wrong. Finger roll was a 95, not 94. This guy's got O.J. game six. Obviously, he was really watching the game closely because the game was actually at the Garden and it was game five. But, hey, what are you gonna do? You know, it was a long time
C
ago, but think about it like this.
B
We were at war.
C
You're hockey. You're hockey boy, moron. They think I don't even talk about or enjoy sports.
B
So, yeah, hey, listen, when Alan leaves, it's two morons. So we took you up to 7 o', clock, and I think we do a pretty decent job. I'll see if I can figure out how to shut the mic off when we're done here. We will talk to you again tomorrow at 3 o'. Clock. Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
C
I don't want to know how the
B
sausage is made man. I just want to know. It's good. Here, more of Don Allen and Peter
A
Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app,
B
and your smart speakers.
A
Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked Up Decided. That's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks, 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick. And they taste so good, the 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedupenergy.com Grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks.
ESPN New York | May 21, 2026
In this dynamic and debate-filled hour, the Don, Hahn & Rosenberg crew (minus Alan Hahn, who left early for Knicks duties) dive deep into New York sports, focusing mainly on the Mets’ nail-biting win over the Nationals and a passionately argued debate over the most painful and “worst” losses in New York Knicks franchise history. The episode moves between heated sports philosophy, personal fan stories, and rapid-fire banter—all in classic Don & Rosenberg style.
With Alan Hahn gone, Don and Peter track the final moments of the Mets vs. Nationals game. The Mets manage a 2-1 win, but both hosts agree that the team continues to show inconsistency and that the road to playoff contention remains steep.
Peter throws in a note of skepticism despite the split against a weak Nationals squad.
Callers and hosts revisit a running debate: What’s truly the worst (or most painful) loss in Knicks history—the 1994 Finals loss to Houston, or would it be losing as favorites in the current playoff run?
Don and Peter break down two ways to measure a bad loss:
The “finger roll” (Ewing’s missed layup) and 1999 loss to the Spurs are referenced as franchise touchstones of disappointment.
Callers weigh in:
Peter’s Nuance: He questions whether losing to a heavily favored team can be as embarrassing or damaging as choking away a series as a favorite—especially in front of the current Knicks-starved, title-less fanbase.
The Knicks' fallback to “Brunson-ball”—relying on star Jalen Brunson taking over rather than team-oriented play—is dissected.
Don & Peter ponder: Was the Game 1 struggle caused by a long layoff, a bad Cavaliers matchup, or creeping bad habits?
Peter highlights how, from his “suite” viewing at MSG, the Knicks lost their typical game flow and energy, and the Cavaliers also failed to impress (17:25).
Don puts the Mets’ mini-revival in perspective: Winning isn’t enough given early-season futility. Splitting series now means more ground to make up later.
Both hosts agree: Playing better is good, but the bar is higher after a disastrous start. Momentum is fragile.
Playful Self-Deprecation on Expertise
On Past Pain and Changing Expectations
Caller Humor: O.J. Simpson Distraction
Hosts Fact-Checking Callers
Finales and Sign-offs
The episode is a blend of serious sports debate, quick-witted humor, and authentic New York fan energy. The hosts’ playful self-critique (“hockey boy,” “two morons”) and willingness to engage callers’ heartfelt or hilarious stories keep things personal and lively. The tension between long-suffering Knicks fans’ pain and the hope for a new narrative is palpable, while Mets fans are cautioned to contain their hope until the team shows real, sustained improvement.
**Fans looking for:
…will find this episode a quintessential Don, Hahn & Rosenberg experience.**