ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith was devastated by the New York Knicks’ elimination from the playoffs.
The 56-year-old veteran sportscaster watched from the court as the Knicks lost 130-109 to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the series on Sunday night.
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Smith boldly stated before the offseason on his show First Take that the Knicks would make the Conference Finals this season.
The prediction appeared to be coming true as New York took a 3-2 series lead over the Pacers last week.
But back-to-back losses mean the franchise’s wait for an NBA title stretches back 51 years.
Stephen A. was featured throughout the night on ESPN’s NBA Countdown broadcast as he mingled with fans in a raucous Madison Square Garden.
After the outburst, he mourned the loss of injured star Jalen Brunson to a broken hand.
“After all these damn injuries already suffered, now I just heard that Brunson fractured his thumb. Damn!” a devastated Smith wrote on X.
“Thanks for the season, @nyknicks. There is a lot we can overcome,” he added.
First Take later uploaded a screenshot of him broadcasting on ESPN, with the caption “Pain.”
“The game was over long before Brunson’s injury. No kicks,” said a fan in response to X.
“Cry me a Hudson River!” joked another.
A struggling New York lost OG Anuby to injury just minutes into Game 7 as the Pacers were coming out of the blocks.
Forward Josh Hart was also listed as questionable before the contest due to an abdominal strain and struggled throughout.
Star forward Brunson made just 6 of 17 shots from the field before being forced out of the game early in the fourth quarter.
“Knowing that this team has been at its best all year, I can live with the result,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
‘You’re seeing this backwards’
MOLLY Qerim was forced to interrupt a Stephen A Smith rant on First Take and save her blushes.
Appearing virtually, Smith began berating Chris “Mad Dog” Russo for apparently sitting in his chair in the studio.
“Now I’m here in South Beach,” Smith said, “so I’m usually never grumpy.
“What the hell are these seating arrangements?
“Why aren’t you Tim Legler sitting in my chair? Why is that man, Mad Dog Russo, in my chair?!”
But Qerim intervened and said, “You’re seeing everything backwards.”
Smith realized his mistake and was left red in the face.
“The video is backwards,” replied a red-faced Smith, “They promised me they would fix it.”
“It’s disappointing, but in the end there will only be one happy team. Twenty-nine teams will fall short.
“This team fought like crazy and there are no regrets.”
The Knicks last reached the Conference Finals in 2000 and were kept in the game by point guard Donte DiVincenzo.
The 27-year-old hit an impressive 9 three-pointers en route to 39 points, but it wasn’t enough to hit a red-hot Indiana.
The Pacers made 29 of their 38 shots in the first half, a ridiculous 76.3 percent shooting percentage.
They advance to face the Boston Celtics in a series that begins Tuesday.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
