It was the end of a basketball season turned sour. Carmelo Anthony led the New York Knicks to the playoffs, only to disappoint die-hard fans who haven’t seen a championship win in 38 years.
“We sacrificed a lot for Carmelo,” said fan Roger C., 25, of Harlem, who watched in disbelief as the Knicks faltered quarter after quarter in what would be their final game against the Celtics.
“It’s painful to watch them get sweeped like this,” he said.
The Knicks signed superstar Anthony in February with a three-year, $65 million contract. But many New Yorkers blame the nail-biting loss to Boston on management.
“We need to buy a team, not just players,” said East Village resident Pete Bourquin, 28. “It’s not ’Melo’s fault — he inherited this.”
“We purchased one leg of a five-legged stool,” offered Mark Perkowski, 28, a physician from Williamsburg.
The Knicks trailed the Celtics by about 10 points the entire game, leaving little hope for a victory. At one point, they trailed by more than 20.
Still, some fans remained optimistic.
“If we had the whole team at full strength, we’d be up,” proclaimed Sheldon Shaw, 36, a personal trainer from Murray Hill.
Follow Emily Anne Epstein on Twitter at @EmilyatMetro.
