It wasn’t quite Joe Namath, but James Dolan did make somewhat of a prediction hours before the monumental Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
During an interview on WFAN, the Knicks’ owner professed his belief that his team will win its first championship since 1973 and bounce back from the disappointing Game 3 loss on Monday.
“I expect to win tonight, being as [when] I make predictions here they come true,” he said, referring to the WFAN studio. “We’ll win tonight and we’ll win the finals.”
The Knicks saw their franchise-record, 13-game playoff winning streak come to an end on Monday, but they still lead the series 2-1.
A lot has been made of the officiating that has gone in the Spurs favor – they attempted 10 more free throws than the Knicks in Game 3 and coach Mike Brown complained about the discrepancy – but Dolan believes the Knicks will prevail.
“Look, in the end, it’s not who we play, and it’s not the officiating. It’s how we play,” Dolan said. “If the team that comes out on the floor tonight is the Knicks we know and love, there’s nothing that can stop them. Not missed calls, not 7-foot-4 aliens [like Victor Wembanyama]. Nothing will stop them if they play their game. I believe in these guys. Everybody should believe in them, too, because they can do it.”
“San Antonio is not an easy opponent. But if our guys come out and play the game they know they can play, we will win this game and we will win this series.”
