Some die-hard New York Knicks fans with a superstitious streak will be pulling out the big guns – and putting away their jerseys and even TV sets – for Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference Finals Game 1.
“I had success with not watching the second half, if the Knicks are down double digits, and instead playing Earth Defense Force 5 and checking the score intermittently,” one Reddit user posted on Friday. “Guess I’ll [be] doing this, if needed.”
Other Reddit users noted they would skip watching the game in part or entirely in a bizarre good luck stance: “I’m one of those guys, will not be watching and I will not be checking the score,” another user said.
“I’ve worn zero Knicks gear since the series … started, and now I refuse to wear anything Knicks related until this series is finished,” another added.
At McMahon’s Public House in Park Slope, Brooklyn, bartender Colette Reilly claimed she’s the New York team’s secret lucky charm — and believes that, just by showing up to work, she’ll be helping the team cinch a win.
“Whenever I don’t work they lose,” Reilly, 35, told The Post in a recent interview. “So now they’re all superstitious, so I was getting text messages from regulars saying, ‘you better be here on Friday or we’ll kill you.’”
One regular at the Knicks fan-filled bar said another barfly uses the same straw every game.
“He carries it around and sits in the same seat every time,” Reilly said. “He also promised to shave his beard off if I came into work and they won … and he did it on Saturday.”
Outside Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, 22-year-old Danny said he’ll be wearing his Jalen Brunson jersey in what has become a faithful tradition for the fan.
“I try to wear the Brunson jersey [for good luck],” he said. “Sadly I have to work, but if I didn’t I would be [outside MSG], or at one of the parks.”
“I just hope they pull it off,” he added. “Even if they lose the first game — we’re the comeback kids!”
But not all Knicks fans are good- or bad luck charm believers.
Doug Berns, 37, who has penned a musical parody of each Knicks game since Nov. 13, told The Post he doesn’t believe in the superstitions – and that some tricks even penalize other fans.
“To genuinely be locked in and paying attention is all a fan needs to be doing,” the Brooklynite and lifelong fan said, pointing to one “unfair” trend of cancelling watch parties in fear of the gatherings being “unlucky.”
“Different Knicks fan groups would have watch parties, and a lot of those were on Fridays against really good teams, so a lot of games this year resulted in losses – and people started a ‘watch party curse,’” he lamented. “What, we’re not allowed to hang out with our friends and watch the game together anymore?”
But Berns admitted that there are still some minor superstitions he’ll uphold.
“I have like, ‘oh, we won the last game while I was wearing this T-shirt, I’ll wear it again,’ stuff like that,” he added.
Will Z. said he doesn’t have any superstitions to ensure a win because he believes Game 1 is already “in the bag.”
“I’m going to go hang out with my friends and watch it with my friends,” Will said nonchalantly. “Too bad I can’t watch it [at MSG] because the tickets are outrageous.
“We got it in the bag,” Will added. “Game 1, we got it.”
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