The Knicks walked off the court at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon with their shoulders slumped.
The energy that gripped the arena at the start of the game against Miami had dissolved into a mélange of people shuffling out, Heat fans boasting and a few Knicks fans shouting insults, mostly at the game officials and the Heat fans.
“I was horrific,” said Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, who scored 25 points but missed all seven of his 3-point attempts.
On Sunday, the Knicks lost to the Heat, 108-101, in Game 1 of the N.B.A.’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
But despite the dour mood that engulfed the Garden after the game, it would be unwise to bury the Knicks for their performance.