DETROIT — It’s not as if it’s surprising that the men who play for the Knicks reacted far differently than many of the people who root for the Knicks. There is a difference between the professional and the partisan, after all, between being in the arena and being at the arena.
There were a lot of folks who watched Pistons 106, Knicks 103, and were unable to sleep properly afterward, after the Knicks passed on their first opportunity to close out Detroit in this best-of-seven first-round series. The Knicks themselves weren’t among them, if the vibe that emanated from their postgame observations is to be believed.
“Close it out there, that’s the only thing we’re thinking about,” guard Mikal Bridges said. “We’re going to go look at film, make corrections and get the job done.”
Professionals. If they fretted in the same manner fans do, they’d probably be doing this in Portugal or Panama, away from the brightest lights, away from the highest stakes. Short memories, and all that.
