Can the Knicks do it?
Can they beat the favored Boston Celtics, take this round of the playoffs and, maybe, just maybe . . .
Start rootin’, New York.
After all, they’ve already proved the naysayers wrong, storming to a 2-0 series lead over their Boston Celtics arch-rival — and on the Celts’ home court, no less!
Now, the squad is within two games of its first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in a quarter century.
They’re on a roll: Twice this week, the refuse-to-lose Knicks stunned the Celtics with fourth-quarter magic to take their improbable lead over the defending NBA Champs.
Their “Mr. Clutch,” All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson, has been positively electrifying, with his magical fourth-quarter play.
Teammates Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges are bringing the fire, too.
Not that it will be easy, of course: The Celtics’ 3-point sharp-shooters — who slumped in Games 1 and 2, hitting just 25 of 100 shots from deep — could get hot at any moment.
But New York can handle it.
At the end of Wednesday’s thriller, “Knicks in four” chants filled the air in Boston’s TD Garden as the orange-and-blue faithful who made the trip spilled out onto Legends Way.
And the next two games will be at Madison Square Garden — where fans will be loud, frenetic and raucous.
Hey, we’re New York. We’re always L-O-U-D.
The Knicks are energizing the Big Apple — and getting voters’ minds off of the dismal mayoral primary race.
If they get past Boston, they’ll face either another ’90s rival, the Indiana Pacers, or the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
But beat them, too, and it’s on to the NBA Finals.
Let’s go, Knicks. Beat Boston.
