The Knicks face a staggeringly powerful juju curse. Ten warnings from The Abyss.

Our world exists to be discussed by twosomes. Vladimir and Estragon on the hill. Charlie Brown and Linus in the pumpkin patch. John and Suzyn in the booth... 

O, to be a fly in the MSG owner's box Monday night, as drooping eyelids and long, liquid breaths suddenly changed conversation into soliloquy.  

On that note, here's mine: Ten singular thoughts on the NYC condition, which now faces existential dread.

1. Soul-crushing Knicks owner James Dolan launched a massive curse Monday night, when he hosted Donald Trump. You don't invite the vampire into your house. This was a juju atomic bomb, from which the Knicks will not recover. In every game thus far, the Spurs have improved. Tonight, a blow-out.  

2. Gotta think the Yankees - watching NYC go bonkers over the Knicks - must imagine themselves riding down the Canyon of Heroes in a pandemonium of good cheer. If (and when) the Trump-stricken Knicks fail, the city will grow even more rabid for a world championship.

3. JM is right. (See below.) This cannot go on. Anthony Volpe is not hitting, and his defense grows shoddier by the day. This is Year Three of the Volpe experiment. It's not working. The guy plays hard, hustles, cheers his teammates: It's not a failure of character. But either Jose Caballero (or Max Schuemann) takes over at SS, or George Lombard Jr. should get the call. As for Volpe? I doubt he'll be a Yankee after July 31.

4. I just realized something scary: Next year, we will be watching the '27 Yankees.

5. Spencer Jones' massive HR last night, his first in MLB, did something rather rare: It scored two runs. Throughout his minor league career, Jones has been streaky. Could he start something? And could his HRs come with runners on base? 

6. Tampa won last night, maintaining their one game lead in the loss column. It's too early to play scoreboard. But until the Yankees pass the Rays, they're in the wild card ghetto. 

7. Jose Ramirez just kills us. Game after game. Guy is 33, he looks like a college dorm refrigerator, and he has 24 stolen bases. Twenty-four. Tied for the MLB lead. He hitting only .241, but no other MLB batter scares me more. Twenty-four SBs? WTF? 

8. Yankee bullpen held up heroically over the last two nights. But you can feel it burning out. Multi-inning saves in early June? That's how you develop Scott Proctors. Today, Carlos Rodon needs to go seven. But he's on a pitch count, too. We can't go on like this.

9. In June, Ben Rice is hitting .231 with one HR. He's pressing. I think Rice was benefiting from the Post-Judge Sigh Derangement Syndrome: The pitcher just faced the game's biggest slugger, so he relaxes. Rice jumped on mistakes. Now, he follows Trent Grisham. Aint the same.

10. Gerrit Cole's facial expressions last night were troubling. He looked genuinely concerned over his inability to secure strike three. You wonder if he has fully adjusted to his new, post-surgery reality.  He will. Eventually. I think. Maybe...