On Steroids?

  I am all for mandatory testing of athletes. It allows for a leveling of the playing surface. It takes away cheating. It keeps the sports honest. At least as much as possible. 

I thought of testing athletes during this week and again on Thursday night. The thought occurred while watching Cleveland and the New York Knicks play Game 2 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals. 

I can guess that you are thinking that these Knicks need to be tested because of the way they are playing. Yeah, that’s a thought all right. 

But the genesis of my application for drug testing came from someone sitting in the first row among the celebrities at Madison Square Garden. That was one Alex Rodriguez, a poster boy for what not to do and how to muck up a great career, which should have landed him in Cooperstown among the best to ever play baseball. 

Seeing A-Rod, a part owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves, seated there amidst the famous persons who frequent MSG, like John McEnroe and Ben Stiller, made me think about how well the Knicks have been playing. Like they are on something. 

How else can it be explained that this team, which pulverized Atlanta after playing some close games early in that round, then dominated Philadelphia in a four game sweep in the next round, can look like the great Lakers, Bulls and Celtics teams which dominated their generations? Why does Jalen Brunson, the Knicks star guard, look like a left-handed version of a combination of Michael Jordan and Steph Curry? Or Karl-Anthony Towns appears to be a cross between Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan and Robert Parish? And how about Josh Hart acting like a replica of the cartoon character, the Tasmanian Devil, whirling around the court with reckless abandon?

Damn if I can explain this phenomenon. After the win on Thursday night, the Knicks have won nine straight playoff games. Let me repeat that: nine straight playoff games. That’s nearly unheard of. 

Some attribute the streak to the weakness of the Eastern Conference. Maybe. 

But given that the Atlanta Hawks had provided the Knicks with the most trouble thus far in the playoffs, save Tuesday night’s rousing come-from-behind victory, it still is a mystery why New York has a mastery over its opponents. That Tuesday night miracle was when Cleveland led by 22 with seven minutes left to play, only to run into a buzzsaw Knicks team which dominated the Cavaliers by a score of 44-11 to run away with a victory in overtime. 

It simply was a game which New York never should have won. Conversely, that contest was one which the Cavs never should have lost. 

On Thursday, Cleveland stayed with the Knicks—for a bit into the third quarter. By the time that period ended, NYK was ahead by a score of 85-70 and well on the way to satisfying the lust of the MSG crowd. 

Every Knick starter had at least 14 points. Brunson did not dominate like he did on Tuesday when he took it upon himself to lead the NYK comeback and score 38 points. And in both games, the Knicks shooting percentages from beyond the arc were not good but turned out to be very effective when needed. 

I also think that Cleveland requires something additional to pep them up when they return to Ohio for Games 3 & 4. Possibly being drained from the very tough Detroit series, which lasted seven games for the Cavs to take down the top seed in the East, is a valid explanation.

While star Donovan Mitchell scored 29 and 26 points in each game, the NBC analysts believe that something is wrong with him. Ditto James Harden; the bearded one hasn’t broken 20 points in either game and he was torched by Brunson in Game 1. 

I don’t know if this streak will continue for the Knicks. The fans on Thursday night sure want to keep it alive with their chants of “Knicks in Four.” For what it is worth, this has been an exciting playoffs for NYK fans. Even if it remains inexplicable. 

As a prelude to the Cleveland—New York matchup, a heavyweight battle in the Western Conference began a day before. Heading into Friday night’s Game 3 in San Antonio, the Spurs and Thunder are tied 1-1. 

The headline performers are SG-A and Wemby. For the uninitiated, SG-A stands for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Canadian superstar is the repeat NBA M.V.P. Wemby refers to Victor Wembanyama, the 22 year 7’4” Frenchman who has become a force in his second year in the league. 

Yes, there are other players who standout for each team. For defending champion Oklahoma City, 7’1” Chet Holmgren covers the front court along with Isaiah Hartenstein. Jalen Williams is nursing a hamstring injury and will be a game-time decision whether he plays. Alex Caruso has been playing outstanding ball for the Thunder. 

Wembanyama’s supporting cast includes Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell and former Rutgers standout, rookie Dylan Harper. Harper’s availability is questionable for Game 3, having suffered a right adductor injury. Another key player, De’Aaron Fox has been out with a sprained ankle but may be ready to play either Friday or on Sunday. 

Clearly, this series is about the two superstars. SG-A received his 2025-26 M.V.P. award in a pre-game ceremony prior to Game 1 in Oklahoma City. Bad timing, NBA? That had to rile up Wemby, who believes he is the best player in the NBA and in the world. 

That led to a slugfest which went to double overtime to decide a winner on Monday night. Wembanyama put up monster numbers: 41 points with 24 rebounds. Harper added 24 points with 11 rebounds. Both impressive performances by young stars. 

For OKC, Caruso contributed 31 points off the bench on a night where Williams provided 26 points. Gilgeous-Alexander had an off night, scoring 24 points. 

San Antonio had a sizable lead in the fourth quarter, only to fritter it away in a helter-skelter finish which led to overtime. Finally, in the second overtime, Wemby asserted himself, controlling the game as only he could, to lead the Spurs to a very necessary road win. 

Game 2 on Wednesday night was another close contest. SG-A had a much better shooting night, to compensate for the loss of Williams to the hamstring injury. Harper’s injury and the absence of Fox proved costly in the 122-113 loss to OKC. 

Now that the teams are in San Antonio, if Harper and Fox are able to play without reinjuring themselves, the Spurs might now have the edge. Until the teams return to Oklahoma for Game 5. 

Deepening upon the availability of players and the assertiveness of the two super stars, those factors will go a long way to settling the outcome of what many pundits believe will decide who wins the NBA Playoffs. Anything from five games to a full seven is possible here. Medical science, along with height and speed, will have a lot to say about which team wins. 

Hockey has begun its conference championships. Experts picked Carolina, unbeaten in eight previous games, and Colorado, losers of very few games, to advance to play for the Stanley Cup. 

However, nobody told either the Vegas Golden Knights or the Montreal Canadiens this fact. Both underdogs won on the road in their opening games. 

Perhaps, in the case of Carolina, an eleven day layoff hurt their momentum. Even so, the Canadiens are coming off a second seven game series, both won on overtime goals. 

Carolina demolished two overmatched teams—Ottawa and Philadelphia. Meanwhile, Montreal defeated two very formidable opponents—Tampa Bay and Buffalo, the latter a team many picked to win it all. 

The battle-tested Canadiens appear to be on a roll. There is very little fear when the Habs face adversity—the two series wins came on the road. A winning brand of confidence has a ton of meaning in hockey. 

Out West, VGK may be a team of destiny. The late season coaching change that saw John Tortorella take over behind the bench has been nothing short of miraculous. The Golden Knights first eliminated a game Utah team before stopping a fine Anaheim team. Both series were won in six games. 

Colorado is missing two-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Cale Makar. The league’s top defenseman suffered an upper body injury in Game 5 versus Minnesota. His absence has been key to how the Avalanche perform—it causes a “trickle-down effect” which impacts the entire defense corps, according to Coach Jared Bednar. Makar’s eventual return—he is considered day-to-day, will considerably impact how this matchup plays out. 

Nobody believes that either series will be decided in a sweep or even in five games. There is too much talent on the losers of Game 1 to see that happen. 

There was an interesting question posed on ESPN Friday morning. Which will be more important—the Knicks winning the NBA title or Montreal winning another Stanley Cup? 

My answer is it depends. New York has not seen a championship team since 1973, when the likes of Willis Reed, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere and Earl Monroe were on the court at MSG. Their jerseys are hanging from the Garden rafters for good reason. Each one has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame and the Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. 

The 1970 and 1973 crowns are the only ones the Knicks have won. The franchise has appeared in eight finals, the last one in 1999, when the Spurs won 4-1. Thus, the frenzied NYK fans are starved for another title.

Compare that with Montreal’s dominance of the NHL The Habs have made the playoffs 34 times, winning a league-record 24 championships. The last time the Canadiens made the final was in 2021, losing to the Lightning by a 4-1 count. And the championship drought for the passionate fans of the bleu, blanc and rouge goes back to 1993. 

I think that Montreal fans consider it to be a sacred birthright to win championships. Knicks fans believe that the team, playing in “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” not far from the lights of Broadway, in “The City That Never Sleeps,” and where the New Year is celebrated first and foremost in Times Square, feel they are equally justified. 

My answer is simple. You decide. Either way you cannot be wrong. 

Of course this assumes that either or both make it to the next round. Which their opponents might just have a lot to say about. Besides, neither team possesses the pedigree of its predecessors. At least not yet. 

What is certain is that each remaining team has been or is playing like they are on some kind of substance which has elevated their performance. I haven’t even discussed the feats of the MLB-leading Tampa Bay Rays or the Big Ten’s desire to expand the College Football Playoffs to a robust 24 teams. They, too, must be doing something to alter their persona. 

So, I end with this vexing question: Is everyone overperforming or just on steroids?