The New York Knicks lost a hard-fought series to the Indiana Pacers, falling in six games and getting eliminated before they could make the NBA Finals.
The Pacers snapped a 25-season Finals drought and are looking for their first title in franchise history. The Knicks, meanwhile, have not appeared in the Finals in 26 seasons and last won in 1973.
After adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges this offseason, the Knicks had very real title hopes and managed to beat the defending champion Boston Celtics in the second round before losing to the Pacers.
After getting eliminated on Saturday, New York waited over 12 hours to send a message to fans.
Miles McBride and Jalen Brunson.
Miles McBride and Jalen Brunson.
© Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
While some fans chalked the season up as a success, as evidenced by "#NewYorkForever" trending on social media in the final minutes of the game, the reality is this team, especially after beating Boston, had very real title hopes and simply came up short.
Still, going on the deepest playoff run since 2000 (where they also lost to the Pacers!) is no easy feat, and the Knicks broke their silence.
While the comments and quotes had the usual unsolicited advice from fans who think they know more than the front office, most of the feedback was shockingly positive, especially since the Knicks lost to a bitter rival after blowing a 17-point lead in Game 1 and going only 1-2 in front of their home fans at Madison Square Garden during the series.
The Knicks have their cast of stars all under contract for next season, so they could run things back, although trade rumors are starting to pick up, and it stands to reason that the roster will undergo some changes.
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