Patrick Ewing may have seen his minutes dwindle but not his confidence. Yesterday, Ewing proclaimed that Michael Jordan robbed him of two championship rings. It’s amazing the two still remain friends, considering. (In November, Jordan was a courtside guest of Ewing’s at the Garden).

Asked about the old Bulls’ rivalry, Ewing said: “It was fun. You think back and if it wasn’t for him, I probably would have had a couple of championships by now. We were one of the dominant teams in the East and they used to always beat us, especially when we had good teams here.”

Naturally, some Western Conference teams — as well as Indiana and Miami — might take issue with Ewing’s boast. The Bulls, who face the Knicks tonight at the Garden, ousted the Knicks four times in the 1990s — the last time 1995-96. So It wasn’t just Jordan that has prevented Ewing from his ring.