Westchester Knicks Celebrate at the County Center but Lose in Semifinals to Lakeland
The Westchester Knicks, the NBA affiliate of the NY Knicks, won their first G League Playoff Game in the five-year history of the franchise, when they beat the Windy City Bulls, 95-82, at the Westchester County Center, on March 27.
In 2017-18, the local Knicks won the regular season G League Eastern Conference and Atlantic Division Titles. Therefore, they received a bye to the Eastern Conference Semifinals. However, they lost to the Raptors 905, leaving them without a G League Playoff win until this year.
The NBA G League Playoff game brought 1900 fans to the County Center including, NY Knicks players Emmanuel Mudiay, Noah Vonleh, Kevin Knox, John Jenkins, Damyean Dotson and Kadeem Allen. Jenkins, Dotson and Allen at one time all played for the Westchester Knicks.
Also in attendance were NY Knicks President Steve Mills, General Manager Scott Perry, VP Player Development & Minor League Operations Craig Robinson and Westchester Knicks GM Allan Houston.
NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim also attended the game and spoke with the White Plains Examiner. ‘The G League continues to grow and we are excited about all that is ahead of us,” said the G League President. “The Knicks are one of the NBA family’s storied franchises. We look forward to continued support and for them to do their best with their G League team,” stated Abdur-Rahim.
The Westchester Knicks, the three-seed, did not disappoint the adoring County Center crowd as five local Knicks finished the game in double-figures with three players accumulating double-doubles in their First Round win over the six-seeded Bulls.
Billy Garrett had 20 points and 11 assists, Zak Irvin netted 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Jameel Warney, a former player for Stony Brook University, scored 20 points and secured 14 rebounds. “It feels good to get our first victory in the playoffs. It is the product of all the hard work we put in as a team,” said Garrett.
Nonetheless, the celebration did not continue for the local Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. They were eliminated from the G League Playoffs by the number two- seeded Lakeland Magic, 104-91, on Friday in Florida.
The Westchester Knicks finish their 2018-19 season with a 30-22 record while winning their first ever NBA G League Playoff game and advancing to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
