Twelve children enrolled in a East Harlem community center provided some good luck for the Knicks this season.

On Thursday, as part of a summer program initiative, they finished re-creating Madison Square Garden’s basketball court in their classroom. Then, a few of them played a 2-on-2 game (with their peers watching and a halftime dance routine) to celebrate their hard work. With two players wearing Knicks shirts and the other two representing the Miami Heat, the blue and orange prevailed 106-91.

Courtesy of Randy CruzAfter re-creating the Garden in their community classroom, the hard-working kids took to the court.

The development project was organized by East Harlem’s Union Settlement Association, which offers different educational programs all year round for children, ages 5 to 11, from low-income multicultural backgrounds and mostly single-parent homes. The programs range from art, music, dance and nature-related (for example, hiking and gardening).

Every summer, the association challenges each group of kids enrolled at the Washington Community Center (98th Street and Third Avenue) to turn their classroom into an exhibit that represents an overall theme. This year, it was historic New York City landmarks, and one of the groups — led by Randy Cruz, a Senior Activity Specialist who has been working for about five years at the center — picked the Garden. (The other three groups chose Central Park, The Apollo Theater and the Statue of Liberty).

via Jared Zwerling of ESPN New York