STAMFORD, CT – The NFL withdrawal is kicking in hard and February is not disappointing with its general suckiness. But there is still some fun sports stuff going on around town. The Giants’ draft situation with the 6th pick and the QB situation is compelling, but we’ll get to that soon. The Rangers are on a seven-game heater and coming off a thrilling outdoor win. The Knicks are trying to duct tape some guys together for a playoff run. Plus, there was an NBA All-Star Game that lacked defense, to put it mildly. Let’s get after it.
No “D” in All-Star
In case you missed it, the final score of the NBA All-Star Game was 612 to 578. Not quite, but it was 211 to 186. Now I’m all for guys pulling up for threes from half court and trying crazy alley oops they wouldn’t try in regular games. But the lack of defense was ludicrous.
Sports are only exciting when someone is actively trying to stop the other guy from doing the thing. Otherwise, we’d all be happy just watching the 3-point and slam dunk contests.
Congrats to the Rangers on the February Stanley Cup pic.twitter.com/tQ7INwydUh
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) February 19, 2024
Rangers Rolling
The Rangers pulled off a fun comeback out at the Giants Stadium on Sunday. The outdoor hockey games are great. And if you’ve ever tried to skate into a brisk February wind, you know how different it is, playing out in the elements. The NHL is mixing these games in nicely, so it still feels novel and not overkill.
The Rangers have been finding ways to win but haven’t always looked great. And Igor is still not Igor. Look for them to add reinforcements before the March 8 deadline. The injury to Blake Wheeler makes RW even more of a priority.
Knicks Getting Healthy
The Knicks should come out of the break much healthier, with some key guys coming back. A starting lineup of Brunson, DiVincenzo, Hart, Achiuwa, and Hartenstein, with Burks, Bogdanovic, Sims, and McBride coming off the bench, gives them a solid rotation. That group should be able to get some wins and hold the fort until Randle and Anunoby get back. Now stop getting hurt, fellas!
It’s will be a tall task getting everyone back and playing like they were in January going into the playoffs. But there’s a chance. And if they pull it off, we still have a shot at some great hardwood moments at MSG this spring.
That’s all folks. Come back tomorrow for Angry Ward.
