Knicks: Quarantine Orange and Blues: Raptors vs Knicks, 2000 Playoffs

Keeping busy in quarantine by watching classic New York Knicks games.

Remember the few month stretch where there was no sports? That was just a dream, right? Unfortunately, we all lived through the bizarre and somber stretch, but I’m here to remind you that there was light at the end of the tunnel—and that light was a New York Knicks blue-ish orange color.

Hopefully, you were able to take in the first edition of Quarantine Orange and Blues, and enjoyed the stroll down memory lane. Today, we’ll lock in on Game 1 of the 2000 Playoffs between the Raptors and the Knicks. New York ended up winning a tight contest, 92-88.

Patrick Ewing Was Still A Focal Point Down The Stretch

In what ended up being his final season as a Knick, Patrick Ewing still averaged a respectable 15 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, with an acceptable 62 games played in his age-37 campaign. During the previous season in the NBA Finals, the team was forced to play without Number 33 due to injury, which unofficially began the passing of the torch into the hands of Latrell Sprewell and Allan Houston.

But when push came to shove in this game (and good lord, was it physical-Charles Oakley and Antonio Davis played for Toronto), Jeff Van Gundy’s game plan resembled one from the mid-90’s.

Within the last seven minutes of the game, Ewing: finished an and-one against Davis; drew a foul against Oakley and sank two free throws; hit a leaner in the paint against Oakley; and passed out of a double team to setup the winning Larry Johnson three-pointer.

Even though he was lumbering up the court with gigantic white knee pads, Ewing authored a masterful vintage performance.

Chris Childs’ Intensity Kept New York From Folding

The Knicks were up by fifteen at the end of the first quarter, and seemed like they were going to pull away from the Raptors very early on. But to Toronto’s credit, they hung in, settled down by 90’s playoff veterans Davis, Oakley, Kevin Willis, Dell Curry and Muggsy Bogues.

New York could have been discouraged by the Raptors’ mosquito-like ability to stay just close enough to be annoying, but Chris Childs’ play in the final frame really set the tone for the victory.

At one point early in the 4th quarter, Childs scored five straight points, keeping Toronto at bay while Vince Carter was just starting to find himself. He also contested a Kevin Willis shot (despite a 9 inch height disparity), and disrupted a Curry/Oakley pick-and-roll, which resulted in a turnover. He put the cherry on top by diving and securing a loose ball during a mad scramble with less than a minute remaining.

Tracy McGrady’s Potential Was On Full Display

Tracy McGrady was Robin to Vince Carter’s Batman during the regular season, but in this game, there was a complete role reversal.

T-Mac, an impending free agent after the 2000 playoffs, took it upon himself to get Toronto back in the game after a slow first quarter. He ended up scoring 25 points in the contest, which were huge considering Carter (3-20 shooting) barely showed up.

While McGrady’s performance through the first three quarters was nothing short of breathtaking, he ran into some difficulty in crunch time against New York’s enhanced defensive pressure. He also missed an open, short 12-footer with about a minute to go that could’ve extended the Raptors’ hopes of stealing a win at the Garden.