Perhaps if the San Antonio Spurs had made the Finals this season. With the Knicks missing Randolph and Eddie Curry, the Spurs would have very likely held the lead.
But there are no what-ifs in life.
The Knicks gained an advantage right from the start.
Even though Little General shouted about "happy basketball" from the sidelines, which did give the Mavericks a push.
But that push wasn't enough to change the clear disparity in strength between the two teams.
Many people watching at home who cared about this game turned off their TVs before the first quarter was even over—people like the Little Emperor in Cleveland, the absolute ruler in Charlotte, and Miami's Bishop Caesar.
They were the elites of the basketball world, able to see the essence of the game far quicker than the average fan. They were the type of people who stop scratching a lottery ticket the moment they know it's not a winner.
At the end of the first quarter, the Dallas Mavericks were trailing by 6 points.
