Jalen Brunson's Knicks weren't charmed from the start, but they keep finding answers in the playoffs

After a topsy-turvy first-round series, New York's magical season continues

PHILADELPHIA -- It is easy to forget with New York City in the grips of Knicks hysteria and "LET'S GO KNICKS" chants traveling with the team to Wells Fargo Center, but the team that disposed of the Philadelphia 76ers in six games wasn't charmed from the start. On Dec. 5, the night that New York was eliminated from the first annual In-Season Tournament with a 24-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Kenny Smith said on TNT that the Knicks would "stay in the middle" because they would not have the best player in a matchup against any Eastern Conference playoff team.

Also that night: Quentin Grimes aired his grievances about his role in the Knicks' offense, just like Josh Hart had the week prior. The headline in the New York Post the following day read, "Knicks' poor roster construction has led to mounting frustration."

New York was 12-9 after a loss in Boston on Dec. 8, the game in which Mitchell Robinson went down with an ankle injury that would require surgery. It was 16-12 on Christmas Day when Stephen A. Smith lamented that he had to watch "some dude named Hartenstein" start for his favorite team. The Knicks had the worst defense in the NBA in December and ended the calendar year with a 17-15 record, eighth in the East.