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The Knicks recalled Cleanthony Early from the D-League

On April 1? Seriously?

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Please don't be a joke please don't be a joke please don't be a joke please don't be a joke:

DAMMIT KNICKS WHY COULDN'T YOU HAVE ANNOUNCED THIS AT 11:59 PM LAST NIGHT? NOW WE'LL NEVER KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS AN APRIL FOOL'S GAG!

Early has played five games for the Westchester Knicks in his return from that ghastly Dec. 30 shooting incident, averaging 32.1 minutes, 14.8 points (46.8 FG%, 29.4 3P%), 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game.

If indeed Cle has been recalled to the big club, will he get more than the 19 seconds of playing time he received during his first return to NBA action? Head coach Kurt Rambis recently pulled a public one-eighty from his earlier stance on playing youngsters ... though his hand was apparently forced by Carmelo Anthony and the other Knick veterans. Rambis is stubborn as hell, so we won't really know what kind of playing time he'll give Early until we're watching it happen live.

These final six games could be crucial for the relationship between Early and the Knicks. He'll be a restricted free agent after this season, and doesn't have much of an NBA track record. Perhaps he still has a chance to show the front office he can help the club in 2016-17.