Just like that, the Knicks were focused on playoff basketball. But even more importantly, the city of New York was energized.
There was a buzz leading up to the first Knicks playoff game at The Garden. With city mandates being lifted a bit, MSG sold out for Game 1 against the Atlanta Hawks.
"It's gonna be pretty packed in there, and we're excited about that," Randle said. "Fun, just the energy, all that. We went from no fans to a certain amount to a good amount now, and I think it's perfect timing."
Nerlens Noel added: "It's been electric in there, even at 2,000 or whatever it was. I'm super excited to get however many plus more. I think it's gonna be a great atmosphere for us. I know the fans are gonna bring it at a high level."
Oh, they did.
The crowd was rockin' for Game 1, and since it was the first time most fans were able to sit in the MSG seats in awhile, it was louder than expected. But the Knicks would drop Game 1 because Trae Young went off and hit a clutch floater with seconds left in the fourth to solidify a statement road win for Atlanta.
Game 2 saw a dominating Knicks second half to even the series. However, New York didn't win again after that. But the foundation was set and higher expectation were set for the future.
