Pope of Basketball.

Summary

The chapter describes the Knicks' recent performances in various games. On December 30th, they beat the Orlando Magic 104-97, with Ewing scoring 38 points and dominating the game. The Magic, weakened without O'Neal, struggled defensively. On January 2nd, the Knicks won against the Nets 107-102, with Ewing scoring a double-double. A rematch against the Magic resulted in another easy win for the Knicks. On January 5th, the Knicks lost to the Wizards, highlighting struggles with rookie performances and defensive issues against stars like Juwan Howard and Chris Webber. Point guard Rod Strickland also shined for the Wizards with a standout performance. Despite the loss, the Knicks continued to regroup, with Larry Johnson returning to help secure a 99-88 win over the Nets on January 7th. The chapter also hints at tension between Knicks coaches Yang Rui and Van Gundy over strategy disagreements, while comparing their team dynamics to the internal conflicts within the Bulls, particularly between Phil Jackson and Jerry Krause.

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