The doors at Madison Square Garden will finally open to fans Tuesday night when the Knicks host Golden State, the first time that the Knicks will have performed for hometown fans since March 8, 2020.
So what will the crowd — albeit a small fraction of what the venerable arena normally holds — find upon entrance? Not just the small pods of fans that will leave the arena 90% empty, but what about on the court? These are not the Knicks you remember from the day the doors closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The faces may be familiar with the starting lineup on most nights consisting of players who were part of the 21-45 season that ended just days after that last game at MSG — only Mitchell Robinson’s fractured hand keeping it from being a complete throwback to last year’s roster.