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A lucky charm could not save the season for the New York Knicks.
Spike Lee learned it the hard way when he saw his beloved Knicks decimated by the Indiana Pacers, 130-109, in Game 7 of their second-round playoff series on Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
Lee, the Oscar-award-winning director and Knicks superfan, arrived at MSG with the Knicks’ 1970 championship ring in Game 7, hoping its luck could help his team reach the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 20 years.
The Knicks suffered an embarrassment in front of their home crowd as the Pacers raced to a big first-quarter lead and never looked back to book a ticket to the East finals.
Tyrese Halliburton led the Pacers with 26 points and 6 assists while Pascal Siakam and Andrew Nembhard added 20 each. Donte DiVincenzo paced the Knicks with 39 points while All-Star guard Jalen Brunson flamed out with 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting.
NBA fans on social media platforms had mixed reactions to Lee bringing the championship ring in Game 7.
“It’s always important to bring our 54 year old championship rings in the second round. Winning franchises do this all the time,” an X user wrote.
Another fan wrote, “If anyone can tell this guy that we will come back next year. Seeing how sad he was after Brunson left broke my heart. But this is thr closest we’ve come in so long. Don’t give up!!!!! Let these guys rest and recover. And we will come back whole, and stronger than ever.”
Spike Lee Cherishes Chance of Owning Knicks’ 1970 Championship Ring
The 67-year-old Lee bought the 1970 Championship ring along with other items in 2019 from the family of its original owner, Red Holzman, the legendary Knicks head coach who guided the franchise to their first NBA championship in that year.
Holzman, one of the NBA’s pioneers and revered Knicks’ head coach, led the Knicks to another title in 1973, the last time the franchise basked in championship glory.
Lee said owning the particular championship ring means a lot to him since he was in the arena when Willis Reed answered the call despite limping with a thigh injury and willed the Knicks to a Game 7 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I remember being at that game on May 8, 1970,” Lee said in an article on Sports Collector Daily published October 12, 2019. “It was a memory I will never forget. Willis Reed coming back and the Garden went nuts. It was a very special moment in Knicks history.”
Stars Flocked to MSG, But Witnessed the Knicks Crumble in Game 7
Spike Lee wasn’t the only celebrity who attended the deciding game of the Knicks-Pacers playoff series as other recognizable names also showed support for the orange and blue.
From Hollywood icons to Knicks legends, stars were everywhere at Madison Square Garden on the night their team ran out of gas in the tank.
Ben Stiller, Tracy Morgan, Steve Schirripa, Christopher Meloni and TV show host Jon Stewart made their presence felt, hyping the Knicks in every good play they made throughout the game. Rappers Jadakiss and Travis Scott were also in attendance for the game.
Knicks legend Walt Frazier, the other notable member of the Knicks’ 1970 and 1973 championship teams, also watched in disappointment as he saw the Knicks within a win from returning to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Pacers have set the stage for a best-of-seven duel with the No.1 seed Boston Celtics. The Celtics will return from a weeklong rest after they dispatched the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games.
Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals is scheduled on May 21 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.
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