Might Be This Be The Year Championship Drought Ends? Knicks, Islanders, Nets Looking Good So Far In Playoffs
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The weather has turned, COVID-19 restrictions are dropping, and New York sports teams are giving fans a reason to celebrate.
Knicks fans spilled on to the street shutting down Seventh Avenue following the team's Game 2 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.
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New York sports fans aren't known for their peaceful composure. Their energy was felt everywhere, from Madison Square Garden to local bodegas. A franchise winning its first playoff game in eight years ignited a city, CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported.
"Amazing. Ain't really much I can say. You guys pushed us through the whole game," Knicks forward Julius Randle said of the fans.
Islanders fans are also in celebration mode. The team just won its first-round playoff series, knocking out Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second time in three years.
Co-owner Jon Ledecky experienced the joy firsthand with fans.
"You guys bring the energy," he said.
And lets not forget the Brooklyn Nets are dominating their playoff series against the Boston Celtics, the Mets are atop their division and the Yankees are only a game and a half back in theirs.
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New York has 12 pro teams, but over the past decade this city has endured historically bad seasons, like the Knicks' dismal 17-win seasons in 2014-15 and 2018-19, and heartbreakingly narrow misses -- the Mets in the 2015 World Series. In fact, the city hasn't enjoyed a championship celebration since the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012.
But at the same time, the last 10 years have produced crazes like "Linsanity," and moments we'll never forget, including Derek Jeter's last hit in 2014.
So, 2021 offers an opportunity for a rebirth in New York, and many of our sports teams are giving us a reason to rejoice.
The Knicks and Nets will both continue their series Friday night. The Knicks will be in Atlanta, while the Nets travel to Boston.
The Islanders will play the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Game 1's date and time has not yet been determined.