Cote: Root for Knicks and Sabres in NBA and NHL playoffs. Here’s why | Opinion
The DNA of sports fans demands we love our team while pretty much hating all others. The idea of having a side team that we secretly root for is anathema. The beauty of gambling is that it allows us to bet on a team we hate but cheer for our money while still hating the team.
But sports fans are missing out by refusing to adopt a rooting interest during those postseasons when the home team’s players are sitting on the couch eating Cheetos and watching on TV just like us. That’s now in South Florida, with Miami Heat and Florida Panthers fans both out of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
What to do? Peruse our Misery Index for the final eight franchises in the NBA and NHL and adopt a sad sack!
My Misery Index (patent pending) is the combined seasons since that franchise’s most recent championship, playoff series won, and playoff appearance. The higher the number, the easier the rooting interest.
Here are the NBA first and then the NHL Misery Index totals for the remaining teams, followed by a “Rootbaility” breakdown for each sport’s four remaining second-round series with Western Conference first and then East:
▪ NBA: New York Knicks 55, Philadelphia 76ers 48, Detroit Pistons 41, Minnesota Timberwolves 38, San Antonio Spurs 28, Cleveland Cavaliers 12, Los Angeles Lakers 10, Oklahoma City 0.
▪ No. 1 seed Thunder (0) vs. 4 Lakers (10); Game 1 Tuesday — OKC is reigning champ and favored to repeat. Boooo! Outside of Oklahomans, cheering for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to grow his dynasty is like hoping Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos win the Powerball. L.A. is nobody’s poor underdog (they won it all as recently as 2020), but pretty easy to root for 41-yearold LeBron James on a team missing Luka Doncic.
▪ 6 Timberwolves (38) vs. 2 Spurs (28); Game 1 Monday — The M.I. numbers are relatively close, but the rooting interest shouldn’t be. Spurs won it all as recently at 2014 and lucked to hit the lottery with Victor Wembanyama so we hate them. Plus they’re second favorite for title in betting odds after OKC. Long shot Minnesota has yet to win a championship (or even reach a Finals) in its 38 seasons.
▪ 1 Pistons (41) vs. 4 Cavaliers (12); Game 1 Tuesday — Cleveland won it all as recently at 2016. Detroit, though not typically seen as likable, hasn’t been NBA king since 2004 and before this season hadn’t even won a playoff series since ‘08. Cade Cunningham is fun and averaging 32.4 in the playoffs. Time to give Motown a lil’ love?
▪ 3 Knicks (55) vs. 7 76ers (48); Game 1 Monday — OK this is a conundrum. Misery Index says these are the two remaining NBA teams we should most be rooting for. But from a South Florida lens and Heat fans’ view, these are the two teams we most love to hate. Still, New York last cheered a champion in 1973 and Philly in ‘83! The lowest-seed-standing Sixers eliminated Boston. And the Knicks are third favorites in the odds. Holy Willis Reed could it actually happen!? I think I want Jalen Brunson and New York. (Please forgive me.)
▪ NHL: Buffalo Sabres 88, Philadelphia Flyers 63, Montreal Canadiens 39, Anaheim Ducks 36, Minnesota Wild 36, Carolina Hurricanes 22, Colorado Avalanche 7, Vegas Golden Knights 5.
▪ No. 1 seed Avalanche (7) vs. 3 Wild (36); Colorado leads 1-0, Game 2 Tuesday — Colorado just won (well, in 2022) and is the betting favorite to win again. Minnesota just won its first playoff series since 2015 and is looking for its first Stanley Cup in its 25-year franchise history. Unless you live in or around Denver or a wager is in play, if you’re not rooting for the Wild in this one you should be subject to arrest, or at least a stiff fine.
▪ 1 Golden Knights (5) vs. 3 Ducks (36); Game 1 Monday — Another easy call for a neutral observer casting for Rootability. Vegas has had a team about a minute and a half (since 2017) and already has reigned as champion in ‘23. Anaheim has taken 32 years to win one Cup (in 2007) and hadn’t won a playoff series before this year since 2017. Also, bonus points because this is the team that eliminated Edmonton and kept Connor McDavid “McOverrated.” Mighty tough not to root for the Ducks here.
▪ 1 Sabres (88) vs. 3 Canadiens (39); Game 1 Wednesday — Fun! A Misery Index dream. Buffalo is as feel-good a story as a top seed can ever be. Zero championships in 54 prior seasons; only reached the Finals in 1975 and ‘99. And Montreal last won it all in 1993, the last team from Canada to do so — and the last team from the Great White North still alive to maybe end that embarrassing drought. No, Canada! With a fan base long-suffering yet polite ... go Sabres!
▪ 1 Hurricanes (22) vs. 3 Flyers (63); Carolina leads 1-0, Game 2 Monday — Raleigh has only had hockey since 1997 and won a Stanley Cup in 2006. Let’s not get greedy. (Plus, y’all stole the University of Miami’s nickname.) Philadelphia last cheered its team on ice in a Cup-raising in 1975. Flyers are a real long shot this time; no real hope for Broadstreet Bullies II. The Flyers aren’t necessarily easy to like and embrace that, and Philly fans are proudly notorious. But tough not to root for the team skating with a 50-plus-years championship drought. Win one for Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent!
There you go. One state reigns. New York Knicks and Buffalo Sabres win it all.
Maybe not in real life. But on my couch.
