'I Love Everybody!': Knicks' Game 4 Win Drives Stephen A. Smith to Joyful Tears

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith finally had something nice to say about his beloved New York Knicks after the team took a 3-1 series in its NBA playoff series against the Cleveland Cavaliers in convincing fashion.

Stephen A. Smith may be used to the New York Knicks making him cry. Sunday afternoon provided a familiar yet startlingly new sensation.

The ESPN analyst and simultaneously one of the Knicks' most unapologetic supporters and harshest critics was moved to tears by the team's Sunday effort, a 102-93 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. With the win, New York is one more victory away from its first playoff advancement since 2013, leading the best-of-seven opening round series 3-1.

Smith, part of ABC's Sunday coverage, took the game in from the network's basketball studio. Following coverage of the Knicks-Cavaliers game, host Mike Greenberg noted that Smith had "tears in his eyes" after the win. Unlike the many prior disappointments the new-century Knicks have dealt to Smith over the years, these tears stemmed from pure jubilation.

The Knicks had @stephenasmith EMOTIONAL following their Game 4 win 😂 pic.twitter.com/64gDLwyaQR

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 23, 2023

"I love everybody!" Smith declared, much to the amusement of Greenberg and fellow analyst Jalen Rose. "I love RJ Barrett for showing up again, I love Jalen Brunson for showing up again, I love the Knicks' defense for holding Donovan Mitchell to two points in the second half on 1-for-9 shooting."

Of course, Smith, well-known for his rants against the Knicks, couldn't let a joyful moment on the New York timeline pass without at least some brand of negativity. All-Star Julius Randle, who did not appear in the fourth quarter that saw the Knicks put the finishing touches on the win, was the target this time around. 

"I love (head coach) Tom Thibodeau for benching Julius Randle," Smith exclaimed. "That's what needed to happen!"

While Randle has struggled in the series, Barrett and Brunson led the way for the Knicks with 54 combined points in the win. The last two victories at Madison Square Garden have been a showcase for the beleaguered Barrett, who shot over 56 percent from the field and tallied 45 points over Friday and Sunday's triumphs. Thibodeau mentioned after the game that he held Randle out of the final frame because the All-Star was still dealing with lingering pain from an ankle injury that kept him out of the final five games of the regular season.

Smith's newfound love of everybody is a stark contrast from his thoughts at the beginning of the year: when the Knicks failed to obtain the superstar Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, Smith vowed not to attend games at Madison Square Garden this season and called the team a "moribund, pathetic franchise." Should they close the deal against the Cavs, the Knicks might give Smith extra chance to break that vow.

The Knicks' first chance to win the series lands on Wednesday night when the series returns to Cleveland (7 p.m. ET, MSG/NBA TV).

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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