Though they had their hearts broken in Game 1, most Knicks fans believed that the team would validate their faith by coming back with gusto in Game 2. For the first half, at least, that was a mistake.
The Knicks played perhaps their most pathetic half of the season. The starting five was horrendous — sure, Elfrid Payton was his normal crappy self, but the other four starters were terrible as well. Julius Randle shot 0-6 in the first half. RJ Barrett shot 1-8 after hitting his first two of the game. Nerlens Noel was horrific.