The Unicorn Returns
By: James Schapiro
Tags: Basketball, Knicks, NBA, Kristaps Porzingis, New York

Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

MANHATTAN — It was everywhere. In the stairwells, in the concourse, in the seats. Even before the first jump ball was thrown, you could hear it. When the Mavericks jogged onto the court for warmups…when Kristaps Porzingis took a layup…when the teams lined up for the national anthem…

“KP sucks! KP sucks!”

He was back. The former unicorn, Knicks savior, more recently the oft-injured apparent malcontent, was returning to New York in his new uniform. Obviously, it was going to be ugly. Around the Knicks, it usually is.

The crowd was amped. Primed. You could sense it. “Traitor!” someone shouted in the middle of the national anthem. Reaction was mixed. But civility couldn’t hold back the hate. By the end of the anthem, when someone else shouted out “KP, you suck!” the crowd cheered riotously.

Knicks fans wanted this one. The boos that greeted the Mavericks’ starting lineup, especially Porzingis, were loud. The cheers for the Knicks’ starters — especially, it seemed, R.J. Barrett — were louder. This wasn’t just about booing Porzingis. The Knicks had to beat him. Even David Fizdale got booed less than you’d expect.

You could feel the energy in the opening tip. The Mavs won it. “No!” shouted the fan sitting next to me. “No! No! NOOO!” Suddenly I was Kelly Kapoor, watching Michael Scott yell at Kristaps Porzingis’ Toby.

“Chris!” shouted a fan a few seats down. Later, I found out that he was from Staten Island. “You had one fuckin’ job all day!”

“What?” Chris asked.

“Remind me to bring the permanent marker!” said the other fan.

“You forgot the permanent marker?” Chris asked.

There were boos — loud ones — each time Porzingis touched the ball, and it seemed like they got to him. Early on, Porzingis looked terrible. With the Knicks up 6–2, he tried to drive to the hoop, backed off into the post, and tried for a clumsy step-back spinning pass…no luck. Turnover. Knicks take over and score. Knicks up 8–2, Mavericks call timeout. The Knicks City Dancers take to the court, but they can’t hold back the crowd.

“KP sucks! KP sucks!”

Cut to Celebrity Row — it’s John Stewart! What’s that he’s saying? J.B. Shuck? He’s not mic’ed up, but read his lips and it’s obvious.

The numbers don’t tell the story, but Porzingis was off his game. He finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, but missed one shot after another — only one for five from deep — and scored five of his points on free throws. The 2–9 Knicks, meanwhile, looked surprisingly competent. They led nearly from wire to wire. The Mavericks kept themselves in the game through free throws. They took 31 of them and hit 23, and were it not for the referees’ admirable commitment to getting Luka Doncic to the free throw line, the Knicks would have won comfortably.

Talk about an angry crowd — imagine how fans reacted when Porzingis drove to the hoop against Frank Ntilikina, and Ntilikina pulled down the block of the year, only to be called for an invisible foul. “You can’t foul the ball!” shouted a fan behind me. There was another bad foul the next possession against Ntilikina, and then another on Marcus Morris Sr., again guarding Doncic…the officials called fouls as if the air was an invisible, violent Knicks defender. But all the while, Porzingis was off his game. And the crowd loved it.

“KP sucks! KP sucks!”

The Knicks kept leading, despite a feeling in the arena that they couldn’t possibly keep leading. Porzingis made some shots, got some rebounds, threw down a dunk to end the third quarter…but the Knicks still led. Fourth quarter, 4:23 to go, Frank Ntilikina swipes the ball away from Doncic for a jump ball…and suddenly, inexplicably, the crowd takes it up two or three notches.

“KP SUCKS! KP SUCKS!”

And Ntilikina wins the jump, and Morris Sr. knocks down a three.

Game tied at 101, 38 seconds left. Barrett, a non-factor all game, drives to the hoop, and his layup falls off the rim. Randle rips away the rebound, but the officials call a jump…maybe Randle had it, but he wins the jump either way. Morris Sr. with the ball, ice coursing through his veins…knocks down a three with 13 seconds left. Mavs take it, score a quick layup…104–103. Ntilikina takes the inbounds pass, draws a few fouls, eventually goes to the line. Hits both. 106–103. Porzingis comes back in. And the crowd goes wild.

“KP SUCKS! KP SUCKS!”

A hurried desperation play, Mavs shot is up, no good…Knicks win? No, 0.8 seconds left, Mavs’ ball…inbounds pass tipped away, and finally, the ballgame is over. I looked down at the court, and saw something I wish I’d seen more often. There was Kristaps Porzingis, and around him, the Knicks were celebrating a win.