Times Top 100 Influential Sports People, Knicks Warn Spurs About Dirty Play,

**Craig Carton** (0:00)
Yo, yo, 438
The Knicks have spoken today. The Spurs are speaking right now, and everybody's avoiding the topic of the day, the filthy, dirty play of Victor Wembanyama, mama. And I give the Knicks credit. The fans are pissed off. The Knicks players, business-like.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:22)
Business-like.

**Craig Carton** (0:23)
We played like crap. It's on us.
We didn't move the ball around enough. We didn't shoot the ball well enough. We didn't play good enough defense. And while yes, could we complain and moan about certain calls or certain plays that didn't go our way and maybe wasn't our fault? We could. We're not going to. And that's why I think you're going to have a much different Knick team. No guarantee they win.
But a much different Knick team on the court tomorrow night. I do believe that in my heart.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:49)
It better be. It better be. That was a bad performance. And again, I'm not going to kill them for it. I don't think any Knick fans should. How could you?

**Craig Carton** (0:54)
They're 13-1.

**Chris McMonigle** (0:56)
You couldn't have a bad performance here or there. But unfortunately, this is the nature of the beast. It's not who's the fastest to get to 16 straight wins. It's who can win the next four out of seven.
So they have to be better. They have to be better in game number four.

**Craig Carton** (1:09)
And by the way, one other thing, Big Mac.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:10)
I expect them to be.

**Craig Carton** (1:10)
You know, this year, regular season through the playoffs, the San Antonio Spurs at no point this year lost three consecutive games. They never did it.
So they do get a little bit of credit. That they're in the finals for a reason also.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:27)
They beat the defending champs on the road in game seven.

**Craig Carton** (1:29)
They were never beaten at any point this year in three consecutive games.
So we've only played three games. We won two out of the three.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:38)
Somebody has to win two. Somebody has to win one. And I'm glad that Knicks won the two.

**Craig Carton** (1:41)
Right. We could be down 2-1 right now.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:44)
Absolutely.

**Craig Carton** (1:44)
And then tomorrow night's game is our season.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:46)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (1:47)
Right?

**Chris McMonigle** (1:48)
So I still feel like it is. I know I'm...

**Craig Carton** (1:50)
You're crazy about that.

**Chris McMonigle** (1:51)
It's a little... I know. I just...
I just feel like if the Spurs win this game, they can have all the momentum. I'd be very... I'd be very nervous. Then I start getting real nervous.

**Craig Carton** (1:59)
Two days off. Momentum killer.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:01)
I get you.

**Craig Carton** (2:02)
It's not every other day.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:03)
No, I get you.

**Craig Carton** (2:04)
Don't forget. The game is not Friday night.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:06)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (2:06)
And it's not Sunday night. It's two nights off.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:09)
Two nights off.

**Craig Carton** (2:09)
Saturday night San Antonio.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:11)
Saturday night's a big night.

**Craig Carton** (2:12)
All right? Saturday night should be fun.
Look, that's the game. Because either we win the championship, right? Or we go up 3-2 or down 3-2.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:22)
Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (2:22)
That's the game.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:23)
Right?

**Craig Carton** (2:24)
Yeah.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:24)
No, that's the game. Yeah.

**Craig Carton** (2:26)
I feel very comfortable that this group of Nick players, because they are so businesslike, the highs aren't too high, the lows aren't too low. I think, again, I can't promise you're going to win tomorrow, but I think you get a much better performance out of them tomorrow.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:41)
I agree. Listen, they have to.

**Craig Carton** (2:43)
They really just got to get off to better starts, if you want to be honest, man. They got to come out of the game better.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:48)
Ten points in every first quarter.

**Craig Carton** (2:50)
Yeah.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:50)
All three games, they've fallen behind by double digits in the first.

**Craig Carton** (2:53)
Very hard to win.

**Chris McMonigle** (2:54)
Hard to win that way. They've done it two out of three times, can't do it again.
They got to be much better. And yeah, look, I hate to boil it down to a make or miss league. I hate that, but can't be for 9 in the fourth quarter from three. They got to shoot the ball better.

**Craig Carton** (3:08)
And by the way, I don't think Wemby has spoken yet today. I just saw Champagne talking right now.