C-Mac found himself torn while watching the Knicks’ regular season finale on Sunday, unsure if he should want New York to win and clinch the second seed or lose and face the Pacers instead of the Heat or Sixers in the first round.
“I know you play to win the game,” C-Mac said. “But do you have to root to win the game?
“I know the Knicks play to win the game. I’m not sure about the rest of the NBA, but I knew the Knicks were gonna play to win that game, and that’s why we love them.”
The Knicks did win, locking up win No. 50 and getting the No. 2 seed in the postseason, meaning their first-round matchup could be a tougher one. But regardless of who they play, C-Mac says New York cannot be a one and done after the year they just had.
“As great as this regular season was…there’s one thing you can’t do, no matter who you play. The Knicks cannot lose in the first round,” C-Mac said. “It will taint this regular season. It will make us have a totally different feel about 2023-24. They cannot afford to lose this series.”