The New York Knicks are currently in the hole three games as they try to claw their way out of a disappointing series against Atlanta Hawks. This is their first playoff appearance since 2013 when Carmelo Anthony was still on the team, and they fell to the Indiana Pacers, courtesy of Paul George.
However, this has been one of the most exciting Knick seasons in recent memory, thanks to All-Star-level play from Julius Randle and the emergence of unexpected talent like Immanuel Quickley and Nerlens Noel. Nonetheless, the postseason is a different beast, and the Knicks are still trying to figure out how to overcome an Atlanta team that seems more aggressive and ready for the moment.
In the meantime, the NBA is going through an interesting string of events as fans return to the stadiums and engage in hostile activity. Ranging from throwing popcorn at Russell Westbrook to a water bottle at Kyrie Irving, The Garden has its fair share of incidents going on behind the scenes.
Rookie Immanuel Quickley detailed a riled up fan throwing beer at the Knicks’ bench:
“[In] Game 2, somebody threw a beer or something, not sure why, not even sure who did it, but it happened,’’ Quickley said. “I guess that’s part of having fans in the game.’’
Quickley is oddly calm about this situation, indicating the fan was just riled up and excited, which played a part in his obvious mistake.
“I’ve seen it happen before, and people are riled up for big games,’’ Quickley said. “I don’t really know what’s going through their head at that moment. I didn’t get a chance to ask them. But they were just riled up and threw a beer.’’
The Knicks have identified the individual and permanently banned him from MSG, along with another fan who spit on Trae Young or attempted to, instead hitting 50 Cent’s girlfriend.
It is very interesting to see the latest string of events and hostile actions taken from fans, as the energy is undoubtedly different after almost a year of watching games from home. People seem to think they are invincible and immune from penalty, but teams around the league are cracking down on fans and starting to showcase consequences. Aside from being permanently banned, a fan over the weekend was arrested for throwing a water bottle at Kyrie Irving and will be sent to trial for assault.