ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith didn’t hold back after the New York Knicks suffered a heartbreaking playoff loss on Sunday night.
The 56-year-old veteran sportscaster watched his Knicks lose 121-89 to the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
two
Indiana’s surprising victory ties the Conference Semifinals series at 2-2.
The Knicks are currently ravaged by injuries and were subpar during a dismal first half, scoring just 41 points through two quarters.
Stephen A. predicted before the postseason that his Knicks would reach the Conference Finals.
But during the NBA Countdown halftime show, he attacked the team for its lackluster showing.
“The first thing I would do is get out of the bathroom,” Stephen A. fumed after being asked what Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau would say in the locker room.
“Because I just threw up after seeing my team play the way they did in the first half.
“It was absolutely horrible.”
New York shot just 33.7 percent from the field and 18.9 percent from three-point range.
The loss was the Knicks’ worst postseason loss in 12 years.
It was also the fifth worst in franchise history, for SI.
Star Jalen Brunson struggled throughout to match his scoring exploits from previous playoff games.
The point guard has been suffering from pain in his feet and ended the contest with 18 points, making 6 of 17 shots from the field.
“We can talk about fresher legs and you can give us all the pity we want,” Brunson said, via New York Post.
“Yes, we are understaffed, but that doesn’t matter now.
“We have what we have and we need to move forward with it. Therefore, there is no such thing as ‘we are short of manpower’.
NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs
First round
Boston Celtics (1) 4-1 Miami Heat (8)
Cleveland Cavaliers (4) 4-3 Orlando Magic (5)
Milwaukee Bucks (3) 2-4 Indiana Pacers (6)
New York Knicks (2) 4-2 Philadelphia 76ers (7)
Conference Semifinals
Boston Celtics (1) x Cleveland Cavaliers (4)
Indiana Pacers (6) x New York Knicks (2)
“There’s no excuse. There’s no excuse at all. If we lose, we lose. That’s what happened.”
The Knicks return to Madison Square Garden in Manhattan for Game 5 on Tuesday.
Kickoff will be at 8pm ET, with two more MSG games scheduled if the series goes the distance.
“We really have to get back to playing basketball, get back to playing in front of the fans like this,” center Isaiah Hartenstein said.
“Because the way we played, especially today, we didn’t respect the fans and the way they support us.”
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