Knicks fans outnumber a lone Celtics fan during the pre game shoot around before Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals,
Knicks fans outnumber a lone Celtics fan during the pre game shoot around before Wednesday's Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals,Barry Chin/Globe Staff
Knicks fans, as loud and proud as ever, were easy to spot in their blue and orange jerseys in front of TD Garden ahead of Game 5.
Willie Colon made the trip from The Bronx wearing a throwback Phil Jackson jersey for good luck. Jackson, who went on to coach the Bulls and Lakers to three-peats, was a member of the last Knicks team to win a championship in 1973 as a player.
“We need all the luck we can get,” Colon said. “I’m a die-hard Knicks fan, I was a 90’s Knicks fan growing up. This is one of the best teams we’ve had in a long time, so we’re in the house.”
Colon was part of a large group that chanted “Knicks in 5” while walking down Causeway Street before pausing for photos. One fan, who did not want to be interviewed, simply pointed to his Timberland boots as he walked away.
“We came here to stomp them out,” the fan said.
There were some feelings of unease mixed with the New York bravado. These are, after all, the same Knicks who blew Game 7 in the second round last year at Madison Square Garden against the Pacers.
Indiana has punched its ticket to this year’s Eastern Conference finals after upsetting top-seeded Cleveland. The Pacers were also the opponent the last time the Knicks made the conference Finals in 2000.
“I think we’re cautiously optimistic. I’m also a Jets fan,” said Matt Alonge, who drove to the game with his brother, David. “It’s been a lifetime of heartbreak around here. It’s been too long for the Knicks.”
Tyler Knoepfel, 24, couldn’t pass up the chance to see the Knicks on Wednesday. They entered Game 5 one win away from what would be the franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals appearance since he was a one-year-old.
So, he and a friend from high school, Steve Pellegrino, drove from Milford, Pa., for the opportunity to witness history. It was Knoepfel’s first trip to TD Garden.
“I was born a year after they last made it to the conference finals,” Knoepfel said. “It’s been like 25 years, so I came to see them close it out in person. It would be pretty special.”
Being up in the second round is pretty sweet, Pellegrino said. The fact that they’re leading the Celtics makes it even sweeter.
“It definitely means a little more that it’s Boston,” Pellegrino said. “It’s a rivalry and you always want to beat the rival. So, it definitely means more. They’re also the defending champs. So, you want to take them out.”
Multiple fans said they felt sympathy for Jayson Tatum, who was sidelined with a season-ending Achilles’ injury that he suffered in the Game 4 loss at Madison Square Garden. Tatum scored 42 points before crumpling to the floor in a heap of pain as OG Anunoby raced by him for a layup off of a Jaylen Brown turnover.
“Obviously, it’s unfortunate what happened to Tatum,” Alonge said. “There will always be that ‘what if’ Jayson didn’t go down. We don’t want it to be tainted by that, having a star player go down.”
Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s clutch player of the year, has been a draw for Knicks fans. His steadiness under pressure and knack for hitting big shots have made him a fan favorite. After most of the crowd had cleared out following Boston’s Game 2 loss, a pack of Knicks fans stuck around and chanted his name in the TD Garden stands.
“He’s different, and it’s a great story. Second round pick. Underdog,” Alonge said. “Dallas let him go. The Knicks thought they were getting a good player, not an all-time Knick.”
An NYPD police officer named Jimmy brought his eight-old nephew along for the trip. Decades after feeling the pain of Reggie Miller draining clutch threes in the conference finals against the Knicks, this was an opportunity to expose a new generation of Knicks fans to the buzz around this team.
“I have no problem investing in this team because it’s bringing me joy and I want to pass it on to my nephew,” the officer said. “He’s the best ride-along. We go to the Mets games together, I took him to Wrestlemania last year, and now to take him along to this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Khari Thompson can be reached at khari.thompson@globe.com.