Derrick Rose #4 of the Knicks celebrates late in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Hawks during game two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on May 26, 2021. Credit: Getty Images/Elsa
As Game 2 tipped off at Madison Square Garden, it seemed as if Tom Thibodeau had conjured up the perfect atmosphere. A mix of the sound of 15,000 fans screaming for a sign of life and a defensive intensity that seemed as if it had been recovered from an old locker, tucked away since the old days of Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy.