More like Nightmare Week. Or Horror Week.

Tonight it’s the World Champion Celtics, and the good news is nobody from Boston likely to get more than 40 points in the Knicks’ third straight marquee loss. This one will probably be the most lop-sided because the opponent won’t have one guy trying to show off.

I think this week has been an embarrassment at the self-titled World’s Most Famous Arena, especially Monday when Kobe Bryant slapped up 61 points and was serenaded with chants of “MVP! MVP!”

Are you kidding me? In New York City? In mid-town Manhattan? What the heck ever happened to the passionate, sophisticated New York sports fan? When did New York turn into Kansas City, and MSG become Arco Arena?

I’ll actually tell you when. When the Knicks P.A. guys started screaming and singing (“Steph …..on….Mar…bur….eeeeeee”) and when they began to hand out Thundersticks. I distinctly remember Jeff Van Gundy returning to the Garden one night and saying it made him sick to see Thundersticks at MSG.

If you walk in the sixth floor concourse on the 34th Street side of the Garden you pass the press room, which has been named for John F.X. Condon. His name is on the door. He was the p.a. voice of the Knicks and Rangers forever and he was so great at it because he was so simplistic. He would make every announcement with the same enthusiasm (very little) and would never bark or sing or make a big deal out of a 10-foot jumper. And he would probably puke if he were alive today.

Anyway, Sam, I want to know how you feel about how Kobe’s 61 and LeBron James’ 52 were received this week at the World’s Most Overrated and Fraud-filled Arena. I have a few more thoughts I’ll share later on the actual greatness of the achievements.

I want to add, though, that this would never happen at a Rangers game. OK, at the end of a season the crowd once cheered Mario Lemieux because they were being derisive against a dreadful Rangers team and wanted everybody fired. But for years, not only did they curse and jeer and boo every visiting superstar, but they would cheer when a Lemieux or a Jagr or a Gretzky or a Bossy was announced as a scratch. They didn’t even want to see those guys. They just wanted their team to win. Which is the way it’s supposed to be in NYC. Not at Arco Arena.

10:36 p.m., Sam says:

I agree, Carp, that it’s disappointing to see the Garden fans cheering for big stars from other teams but I also think it’s a little unreasonable to compare how Knicks fans react to how Rangers fans are. I think you can fairly make the case that Knicks fans have endured more strife and insanity over the past 10 years than any other franchise in New York (and maybe in the entire country).

When you consider the long list of Isiah Thomas’ debacles – including the off-court stuff that made the Knicks a literal laughingstock – it’s not hard to see why Knicks fans might look elsewhere for basketball inspiration. As someone who has loved the team for a long, long time myself, I certainly found myself doing it, too. Watching the Knicks was just sickening – not only because of how bad they were, but because of what they were representing.

All that said, chanting MVP for Kobe was a little over the top. And while there were plenty of cheers for LeBron on Wednesday, the Garden did have its moments where it sounded like the old days when the Knicks were rallying and even in the lead in the second half. It was a tease – of what the future might look like if LeBron comes, and of what the Garden might sound like if the Knicks can actually build on what they’re doing right now.

In short, I wasn’t pleased by the past two games at MSG but I also wasn’t embarrassed. The fans were only reacting to what the franchise produced. Considering the disasters the Knicks have perpetrated, I think that’s only reasonable.

CARP SAYS:

That said, and I still think it’s pathetic, whether it’s warranted by the recent history of the Knicks or not, how difficult do you think it is for an NBA superstar to throw up a big number in a given game? And how selfish is it?

I mean, Kobe comes in here knowing the Knicks can’t and won’t defend him, knowing the Knicks will play a game that gives the Lakers (and Cavs and Celtics and Wizards) loads of possessions, and starts firing. He took 37 shots in 37 minutes (plus 20 free throws). He came in and started heaving, and when the ball started dropping, he kept on heaving. He was fantastic. Great. But was it selfish; did that style help the Knicks stay in the game? What if he didn’t shoot quite as well (22 of 37 including 3 of 6 on threes)?

I thought LeBron’s game was much more complete (40 shots in 44 minutes, but also 10 rebounds, 11 assists, two blocks whereas Kobe had only three assists, no rebounds, no steals).

My point is this: I think any great offensive NBA player, from Bernard King to Bob McAdoo, through Iverson and these current guys, and especially the Magic Johnsons and Michael Jordans, can throw up a big number on any given night. But that usually, or generally, or theoretically hurts their team. Maybe if Kobe actually got his teammates involved, the Lakers would have blown out the Knicks. It doesn’t surprise me at all that Bryant made it about him. Or that he was capable of having that huge night against that defense. I’m just not as impressed as a lot of people seem to be.

I don’t think Kevin Garnett will be as selfish tonight, and I’d bet that the Celtics will win by a larger margin than the Lakers or Cavs.

And you’re right Sam. It’s not fair to compare fans to Rangers fans. They’re totally unique in a mostly-fantastic way.

11:46 p.m., Sam says:

I mostly have zero problem with guys like Kobe or LeBron (or Jordan or Bird) putting up big numbers in a game. I take a pretty simple approach to things like that: If Kobe is your best player and best scorer (which he is), and he is in a groove on a given night (which he was) and he’s being relatively effective (which he was), then I’m happy with him taking a lot of shots (which he did).

If Manny Ramirez is your best hitter and you have a chance to bat him nine times in a row, wouldn’t you do that? I probably would. Or at least seven or eight times. Same thing with Kobe/LeBron. If they’re on and feeling good, I’ve got no problem with them shooting all night.

By the way, LeBron’s performance was significantly more impressive for me. If you add in his assists, he essentially affected more than 70 of his team’s points, plus shared the ball and played decent defense. That only Kareem and Wilt have gone for a 50-plus point triple double in the past makes it even more impressive.