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While few expect the Knicks to win a championship this year, contention talk has run rampant throughout the newly renovated Madison Square Garden. Such talk is premature, though.

Was New York's victory over Boston impressive? Definitely, but this team has a longer way to go than first realized to enter the realm of legitimate contention.

Last season, the Knicks would have caved under the pressure of the occasion and handed the Celtics the game in the final minutes. While New York did anything but fall apart this time around, the team is not the dominant specimen many are making them out to be. Not yet anyway.

The Knicks led by as many 17 points, but they allowed the Celtics to claw their way back and take the lead. Watching New York build such a lead validated the notion that the Knicks were one of the top teams in the East. That being said, while there was no shortage of accolades on New York's behalf, the team is still in limbo.

No one expected the Knicks not to struggle, but with a star-studded roster, it was believed New York would finally start to put teams away.

The Knicks are more exciting than ever to watch, but as Boston nearly proved, that's not enough.



You can follow Dan Favale on Twitter here @Dan_Favale.