The Knicks are riding the high of an Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett-led win over the Cavs into an afternoon matchup with the Clippers at home. Unfortunately, the Clips are winners of 9 of their last 10. Can the Knicks overcome their vastly superior opponent?

Further than we’ve gone in this galactic pastiche there’s an incontrovertible bridge forward. We can’t see the footpath that takes us there, nor should we. One thing we might not speak on enough, as we connect these dots, is RJ Barrett’s iridescent star. The certainty of seeing RJ is starting to beleaguer those cloudy nights, the ship is coming in, threatening to find his way to land.

The Clippers glide into Madison Square Garden, winners of nine out of their last ten games. An unwelcome guest creeping up the shoreline. Are the Knicks intent on being rude today? Who will represent the wintry mix, the weighted blanket of slop? We’ve been delighted by Barrett’s steady glow, but what happens when those lithe and muscular clouds, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, sail into the frame? This would be an excellent time to see if Barrett is still capable of throttling his way to open space and stepping through the inclement elements, dry and warm. When does the the ship no longer need a navigator?

Come to the kitchen

Immanuel Quickley is my starter and Frank Ntilikina is my sixth man. That is final. There is no Elfrid Payton.

Of course, Hellfridge will be there in the starting group. He’ll play his annoying minutes and the fresh veggies will rot. The stench erodes when Immanuel comes into the kitchen and simply closes the damn refrigerator! Thats an unacceptable patch. Tom Thibodeau needs to clean it out! If that Kevin Knox is open, you can leave it in. If it’s still sealed, let’s keep it in the pantry, Tom. And we have a French chef, for crying out loud. Get him in there and make a cassoulet, dog damn it!

Early access

Day games are inherently a trap. The players are always a step slow, the first quarter lurches forward. It’s cold. Even going to the day games is a trap (I’m old enough to remember when fans attended). There’s too many kids, they ooh and ahh at the dancing Knick children. It’s torture to be around that many children in a crowd. Fucking hell. And I really can’t even tell you how much I despise the dancing kids. I really am appalled by it.

This game is especially trapping because it was originally set for the evening, but the NBA decided to move it up to one in the afternoon. How dare they, what if my team likes to sleep in!? They’re growing, always tired, always hungry. I need time to make sure they get a healthy breakfast before they rush out the door.

Ugh! This refrigerator!! Hideous. Here’s twenty bucks, go get a win, team. And I want my change!

I’ll let them keep it. I just try to say that type of thing in hopes it gets them to think twice before they buy something that’s not really in their budget. You can’t go out of the house with no money in your pocket. Things always come up. I just hope those nasty boys from Los Angeles don’t come and try to take it. I worry.

Knicks by -31

A break to make

Ya know, if there was ever a time to steal a game off one the NBA’s elite, maybe this would be the time to take advantage. I hope they have the gumption!