Ahh, basketball cheerleaders. You gotta love 'em. They try just a little bit harder than their better known football counterparts. And the balmy climes of basketball arenas mean even skimpier outfits than in football.

The New York Knicks City Dancers are perhaps the best known of the basketball cheerleading squads and last Sunday they held auditions. Hundreds of dancers showed up to make their best moves at Madison Square Garden, but only a few dozen were chosen to move on to the next round.

Here are some most excellent photos from the auditions of girls getting hot and sweaty and dancing their butts off:

For more photos check out The Monitor.

photo credit: MSG