Captain Clutch Answers the Bell

What do Willis Reed and Jalen Brunson both have in common? Aside from wearing the same jersey and being captain of the team, they're the only Knicks to score 30 or more points in game one of the NBA finals. Reed scored 37 points on 16/30 shooting against the Los Angeles Lakers in 1970 while Brunson scored 30 on 12/31 shooting against the San Antonio Spurs. But it was what Brunson did in the fourth quarter that mattered the most.

Trailing 65-51 with 6:31 remaining in the third quarter, New York went on a 25-11 run to tie the score at 76 going into the fourth. That was when Captain Clutch took control. The Brunson Burner scored 13 points on 5/9 shooting, 1/1 from three to lead the Knicks to a 105-95 win and a 1-0 lead in the series.

We've seen this movie so many times before it's almost become routine. Whenever the Knicks have needed someone to step up and lead them to victory, Brunson has always answered the bell. His fourth-quarter playoff heroics since becoming a Knick are legendary. But this postseason, they have risen to unheard of heights. Compare the two slash lines below:

Brunson's career fourth-quarter playoff stats:
57 GP / 8.8 Pts / 49.5 FG% / 43.0 3P% / 84.6 FT% / +147

Brunson's 2026 fourth-quarter playoff stats:
15 GP / 9.8 Pts / 59.0 FG% / 61.5 3P% / 92.6 FT% / +58

Now check out the 2026 fourth-quarter playoff stats for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander:

15 GP / 6.3 Pts / 41.7 FG% / 25.0 3P% / 94.3 FT% / +37

Be honest. Which player would you rather have in the fourth quarter of a playoff game? Need more convincing? Since 2023, Brunson has more clutch points in the playoffs (144) than Gilgeous-Alexander (84). If you still prefer SGA, I seriously doubt your basketball acumen.

But lest we think Brunson was flying solo, he did have some help. Karl-Anthony Towns had probably his best playoff game as a Knick, The 7-0 center outplayed his 7-4 counterpart Victor Wembanyama, scoring 18 points and recording his 10th double-double of the postseason. And Josh Hart - everybody's favorite Swiss Army knife - grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, had six steals and led all players with a plus 22. 

The Knicks held the Spurs to 40 points in the second half - 19 in the fourth quarter - and under a hundred 100 for the game. The last time San Antonio was held to under 100 points was, ironically enough, against this very same Knicks team at the Garden on Match 1.

The win was New York's 12th in a row and improved their road record to 7-1, with all seven wins coming by double digits. Their point differential this postseason is an NBA record plus 281. To put that into perspective, the 2017 Golden State Warriors and the 2001 Lakers - generally acknowledged to be the two most dominant playoff teams of the last 50 years - are a plus 230 and 204 respectively.

We are witnessing something truly rare in sports; so rare, in fact, it's almost inconceivable, even for a fanbase that's old enough to remember the last time they saw their team win a title. For those not old enough, there's simply no reference point here.

The most remarkable thing about this run is how yeoman-like the Knicks have been throughout it. Not once have they gloated, pounded their chests or prematurely celebrated. They refuse to look past the next game. They are singularly focused on one thing: bringing a championship to New York. To that end, everyone is committed, from Brunson to Towns to Mikal Bridges to OG Anunoby, who had 19 points - 12 in the fourth quarter - to Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado, who had 13 and 7 points respectively. There are no small parts or insignificant contributions. Even Mitchell Robinson, who broke his right pinky finger a week ago and was listed as questionable before the game, had six rebounds and forced Wemby into a costly turnover in the closing minutes.

The Knicks poise is matched only by their sense of professionalism. As they left the court Wednesday night, you were hard-pressed to detect a modicum of self satisfaction in their faces. Indeed, their whole demeanor in the postgame presser was that of a team that knows it will need to improve their level of play in game two if they want to extend their winning streak to 13. When asked the following day if he was looking forward to going up 2-0 in the series, KAT simply replied it was 0-0 as far as he and his teammates were concerned. How typical.

Compare and contrast that to what we heard come out of the Spurs locker room. To a man they seemed genuinely surprised they had lost the game. Many of the comments made in their postgame presser were eerily similar to those made by the Cavs and Sixers in their postgame pressers. It’s almost as if they’ve bought into the false narrative that this team is not legit. Gee, I wonder where they could've gotten that from.

The Hawks were supposed to give the Knicks a hard time; the Sixers were going to represent the East; the Cavs analytically won. For six weeks now we've heard every possible rationalization from the so-called experts that what we're seeing with our very own eyes isn't real; that it's only a mirage. Just wait until the Knicks face a real opponent from the West; then they'll come back down to Earth. There's been an astonishing lack of respect for what this team has accomplished so far during these playoffs.

Nowhere is that lack of respect more apparent than in the way Brunson has been treated. Despite the above stats, he didn't get a single first place vote for MVP this year. All this guy does is find ways to help his team win. And yet his detractors remain unconvinced. He's too small; he not a dude; he's not a 1A. It's worth noting that every player who finished ahead of him in the MVP voting, except for one, is watching the finals at home. Think about that.

The reality is that this Knicks team is not only legit; it's three wins away from winning its first NBA title since 1973. When that happens, the sight of Jalen Brunson hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy as Finals MVP will be the ultimate comeuppance for every self-anointed genius who questioned his bonafides.

I can hardly wait.

Knicks Playoff Preview (NBA Finals)

"As long as we're here, we might as well win. There's no guarantee we're going to be back."

 - Rangers captain Dave Maloney, prior to the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals. 

This is the first time since I started this blog that I will be doing a finals preview of the Knicks. Typically by June, I'm either writing about another failed postseason by the Rangers or speculating on when the Mets will fold. So this is special for me. It's also special for millions of long-suffering Knicks fans, some of whom weren't even born the last time they made the finals.

It's fitting that the Knicks will be facing the San Antonio Spurs in this series; 27 years ago they lost to the Spurs in five, in what would become the first of five NBA titles for San Antonio over a 15 year period. Contrary to what each team's respective fanbase is boasting, this will not be a short series. Indeed, I would be shocked if it didn't go at least six games.

Since Victor Wembanyama came into the league three years ago, each team has won three games on their home court. New York's win in the NBA Cup was on a neutral site. Aside from that Cup final game, the Knicks have had two significant and memorable wins against the Spurs: a 117-114 thriller on Christmas Day last season and a 114-89 rout March 1 this season; the latter one of only three losses the Spurs had from February 1 through the end of the regular season; the other two were against the Denver Nuggets.

This postseason, New York and San Antonio have the two best defensive ratings: the Knicks at 104.4 and the Spurs at 106.1; the Knicks are shooting 40 percent from three while the Spurs are shooting 36.5 percent from three; and the Knicks bench is averaging 31.3 points per game vs 32.6 points per game for the Spurs. These two team couldn't be more close if they shared a sleeping bag.

If there's one advantage the Knicks have going for them, it's that they've played four fewer games this postseason than the Spurs. In the history of the NBA playoffs, teams that are coming off a four-game sweep are 20-4 against teams that needed a full seven games; 5-3 in the finals. Since May 4, the Knicks have played a total of eight games - four in 23 days! - while the Spurs have played 13. The Knicks will be the more rested team in this series.

And they will need every bit of that rest in order to end their 53 year drought. The Spurs may not be the 2017 Golden State Warriors, but they are most definitely NOT the Cavs or the Sixers. They represent the toughest challenge the Knicks will face in these playoffs. Don't expect any 30 point blowouts. Every game is likely to go down to the wire. If you're a fan of hotly contested series, you're in for one helluva treat.

The prevailing sentiment among the so-called experts is that this series will come down to Wembanyama vs. Jalen Brunson. After all, those are the two best players on their respective teams. Far be it for me to disagree with the experts but in my opinion, this series will come down to the wings: Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart vs. Devin Vassell, De'Aaron Fox and Julian Champagne. Off the bench, Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride will have to hold their own against Keldon Johnson and Dylan Harper.

Even allowing for all that, here are the four keys to the Knicks winning their first title since 1973.

1. KAT needs to stay out of foul trouble. Regardless of how many minutes per game Mitchell Robinson plays in this series - and the assumption is he will dress - look for the Spurs to target Karl-Anthony Towns on defense. It will be up to KAT not to take stupid fouls. To be effective, he has to be on the court, not on the bench.

2. Knicks need to make their threes. As I stated above, the Knicks are shooting 40 percent from downtown in the playoffs. That must continue in this series. If they go cold, the Spurs will win. The best way to insure that doesn't happen is by moving the ball around. The Knicks were 43-11 during the regular season when they had 25 or more assists. 

3. Make Wemby work on offense and defense. Imagine a player with the physical attributes of Hakeem Olajuwon and the shooting prowess of Steph Curry. That's who Wembanyama is. But as great as he is, the Oklahoma City Thunder still managed to limit his impact. By using a combination of Anunoby, Hart and Robinson, the Knicks hope they can wear him out. And on the other end of the court, if KAT can pull Wemby away from the basket, that will improve the Knicks chances of scoring in the paint. He can't block what he can't get to.

4. Avoid costly turnovers. Of the four teams that advanced to the conference finals, only the Thunder averaged fewer turnovers per game than the Knicks. In what promises to be a tight series, New York can't afford to be careless with the ball.

After the Rangers finally won the Stanley Cup in 1994, Sam Rosen made the pronouncement that it would "last a lifetime." Knicks fans have waited more than a lifetime to celebrate another championship. Their waiting will soon be over.

27 years ago, the Spurs were the better team. That is not the case this time around. This is the most talented roster the Knicks have had since the glory days of Clyde and Willis. Despite the trolling of the anti-New York media, these players have earned their way to a finals berth; and in another two weeks, they will earn their way to an NBA title.

Knicks in six. 

Almost Home

The New York Knicks are in the finals!

The last time that happened I still had black hair, my wife and I were on an Alaskan cruise to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary, and Bill Clinton was in the White House. That was 27 years ago. To put that in perspective, Johnny Carson was on the air for 30.

They say time flies when you're having fun. Fun would be the last word fans of this franchise would use to describe the hell they've gone through. Between 2001 and 2020, New York made the playoffs five times, advancing to the second round once. Over that stretch, a litany of GMs from Isaiah Thomas to Phil Jackson have come and gone. 

But it wasn't until James Dolan hired Leon Rose in 2020 that things began to turn around. Rose immediately went to work rebuilding an organization that had become the laughingstock of the league. His first decision was to hire Tom Thibodeau as head coach that summer. In Thibs first season, the Knicks made the playoffs, losing in five to the Atlanta Hawks. Though it was a bitter defeat, a foundation had been laid.

Over the next few years, Rose made several significant moves. In the summer of 2022, he cleared enough cap space to sign Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million contract; a move that was widely criticized at the time as an overpay. Then at the '23 trade deadline, he acquired Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers for Cam Reddish. Over the summer, he signed Donte DiVencenzo.

But his boldest moves were yet to come. In December of '23, Rose traded RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa. Then in the summer of '24. he traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges. Like the Brunson signing, this too was considered an overpay. But the final piece of the puzzle came right before the start of the 2024-25 season. In a stunner, he traded Julius Randle and DiVencenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. Rose had coveted the 7-0 center for years and now, at last, he had his man.

The Knicks would have their best postseason in a quarter century, beating the reigning champion Boston Celtics in six to advance the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. But the manner in which they lost to the Indiana Pacers - blowing a late fourth quarter double-digit lead in game one - did not sit well with Rose. He fired Thiboadeau and replaced him with Mike Brown.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the Knicks displayed signs of a true contender. They won the NBA Cup in December, routed elite teams like the Denver Nuggets by 39 and the San Antonio Spurs by 25; the latter one of only three defeats the Spurs would suffer from February 1 through the end of the regular season. 

But there were also some bumps in the road. They barely beat a tanking Nets team and needed to come from behind to beat a Golden State Warriors team that was missing most of its starters. This dichotomy between greatness and underachievement was frustrating to watch, primarily because you never knew which Knicks team was going to show up. 

Going into the postseason, I wrote "the Knicks are capable of going all the way to the finals; they're also capable of being ousted in the first round." And after a game three loss that put the Hawks up 2-1, it was beginning to look like the latter was a very real possibility. The "Fire Mike Brown" contingent was in full force.

It was at that point that the Knicks had a come to Jesus moment. They went on a tear, the likes of which have rarely been seen by any New York area team. They won the next three against the Hawks, blowing them out by 51 points in game six. They then swept the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Both closeout games were ostensibly over by halftime.

The numbers are staggering. Of the Knicks twelve wins, eleven have been by double digits and five have been by 25 or more points; they've held their opponents to under 100 points seven times; and their point differential of +271 is the highest through three rounds in NBA history. Their defensive rating of 104.4 leads all postseason teams.

Leon Rose has done a masterful job assembling this roster, and Mike Brown has done an equally masterful job coaching it. This is not meant as a knock on Thibs, but no way in hell this team gets this far with him as coach. So dominant have they been that even some of their harshest critics have been forced to grudgingly admit that they are legit; though they still maintain that they had an easy path to the finals. Oh, well, you can't fix stupid, but you can sure as shit block it. 

Which is what I've been mostly doing. Nobody is going to rain on this parade. I've waited 27 years for this moment and I'll be damned if I'm going to let the haters take away my joy. I haven't felt this way about a team I root for since the '86 Giants went through the NFL like shit through a goose.

I believe in these players, and I believe they have what it takes to go all the way, regardless of which team they face in the finals. As for who that might be, I'm done projecting. I wanted the Raptors in the first round; I got the Hawks. I wanted the Celtics in the second round; I got the Sixers. I wanted the Pistons in the conference finals; I got the Cavs. At this point, I could care less who they play.

The New York Knicks are in the finals! 

They are four wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973. 

That was 53 years ago. 

Knicks Are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NBA

We were told the East would go through Detroit. 

We were told once Jayson Tatum returned the Celtics were the team to beat.

We were told that the Hawks would beat the Knicks.

We were told that the Sixers, after they successfully came back against the Celtics, would come out of the Eastern Conference.

You know what all those teams have in common? They're all playing golf, that's what. Meanwhile the team nobody took seriously this postseason is one win away from its first trip to the finals since 1999.

It's time to face facts. The New York Knicks have become a juggernaut. They are 11-2 this postseason. Their point differential in those 11 wins is a plus 236; in the two losses, it's a minus two.

Since January 20, the Knicks have the third best record in the NBA (39-13), the number one net rating (12.5), the number one offensive rating (120.9) and the number one defensive rating (108.4).

In 13 playoff games, they've won by 25 points or more four times; held opponents to under 100 points six times; and allowed more than 110 points just once: the closeout game against the Sixers. 

And yet, despite that, they get all the respect of Rodney Dangerfield. Even now, the same geniuses who dismissed them during the regular season are now bending themselves into a pretzel trying to discount what they are doing in the postseason. You should hear some of them.

"They haven't beaten anyone in the playoffs."

"They've had the cheapest run to the finals in NBA history."

"Analytically we've won two out of three on the expected score."

That last gem came from Kenny Atkinson, who apparently doesn't know his team is trailing 3-0 in the series. From what we've seen on the court, his players are just as clueless.

Meanwhile in the Western Conference - you know, the supposedly superior one - the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have beaten the likes of the Phoenix Suns (4-0), the L.A. Lakers (4-0), the Portland Trailblazers (4-1) and Minnesota Timberwolves (4-2). None, except for maybe the T-Wolves, were considered legitimate contenders going into the season. Yet to hear it from the so-called "experts," either of those teams would wipe the floor with whomever comes out of the East. I swear if stupidity were an Olympic event, these bozos would win the gold. You can't make this shit up, even if you tried.

First of all, if the Knicks were to win the championship, they wouldn't be the first team to have a "cheap" run. In 2023, the Nuggets beat an 8th, 4th, 7th and 8th seed; in 2024, the Celtics beat an 8th, 4th, 6th and 5th seed; and in 2025, the Thunder beat an 8th, 4th, 6th and 4th seed. Not one of those teams had a 10-game win streak during their march to a title, or for that matter the highest margin of victory or highest point differential like the Knicks currently do.

Second of all, why is that even relevant? Where is it written that success in the postseason has to be qualified? History is replete with examples of lady luck shining on teams. You think Knicks fans care one iota that their team didn't have to face the Celtics or Pistons to get to the finals? Not in the least. You play the hand your dealt. Anything else is sour grapes.

If anything, I've been impressed with this team's discipline and demeanor. Not since the 1998 and 99 Yankees have we seen a New York area team dominate like these Knicks. They haven't once pounded their chests or counted their chickens before they're hatched. Even now, on the eve of what could be their greatest accomplishment in more than a quarter century, they are laser focused on the task ahead.

In 1994, the Rangers finally broke their 54 year drought and won the Stanley Cup. Who's to say this isn't the year the Knicks finally break their 53 year drought and win the championship?

Go, New York, Go, New York, Go!

Hart and Soul

Two up, two down. Fresh off a historic come-from-behind victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in game one of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks won their ninth playoff game in a row 109-93, and are now two wins away from their first finals appearance since 1999.

The Cavs, to their credit, showed no signs of a hangover. They did everything possible to even the series. They doubled-teamed Jalen Brunson, which left Josh Hart wide open. The thinking was if they were going to lose, it would not be at the hands of the best clutch player in the league. They even dominated the glass early, out rebounding New York 12-8 in the first quarter. And for their efforts, they took a 27-24 lead into the second. 

But the Knicks were just too good and too deep for them. They took a 53-49 lead into the half; they then went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter and never looked back. After missing his first three attempts from downtown, Hart went 5 for his next 8 and wound up with a game-high 26 points. Brunson, after being held to just two points in the first half, finished the game with 19 and recorded a career-high 14 assists. Mikal Bridges contributed 19 points of his own, while Karl-Anthony Towns picked up another double-double, his eighth in 12 postseason games.

But the night belonged to Hart. After being pulled in the fourth quarter of game one, the forward / guard was determined to redeem himself. Time and again his Villanova buddy saw him unguarded outside the key and got the ball to him. And Hart made the Cavs pay dearly for their disrespect.

Throughout this season, Mike Brown has had to walk a fine line between appreciating the intangibles Hart brings to the table while also acknowledging the limitations to his game. It was a needle Tom Thibodeau did not have the stomach to thread. As difficult as it was to bench him in game one, Brown knew he could count on him to bounce back in game two.

That's another difference between both coaches: Brown isn't afraid to pull his starters when they're not performing well. He has enough faith in his bench to know someone will come through. It could be Shamet - like it was in game one - or Deuce McBride or Jordan Clarkson or Jose Alvarado. There are no passengers on Brown's train. If you're wearing a Knicks jersey, you're expected to contribute when your number gets called. 

The results speak for themselves. The compete level of this team is off the charts. Yes, they've won nine in a row, but it's the way they're winning that's most impressive. During this stretch, the Knicks have outscored their opponents by 212 points; the best point differential over a nine-game span of any team - regular season or postseason - in NBA history. 

For those who continue to dismiss them, I don't know what more evidence you need. I have watched the Knicks for more than 50 years. Not even the 1992 through 2000 teams under Pat Riley and Jeff Van Gundy were this dominant. At this point, it isn't a question of if they beat Cleveland, but how many games it will take. 

At the risk of invoking - and paraphrasing - the lyrics to one of my favorite songs from the '80s, if things keep going like this, Knicks fans are going to be partying like it's 1999 pretty soon. 

Miracle on 33rd Street

With just under eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference finals, the New York Knicks were trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers 93-71. They were 4-24 from three, and it looked to all the world as if they were going to lose. ESPN analytics gave them a .1 percent chance of winning; not 1 percent, .1 percent.

The rust vs. rest debate had been settled decidedly in the rust camp's favor. Indeed, yours truly tweeted the title of my next piece: "Rust Never Sleeps," a pun on the classic Neil Young album from 1979. Oh well, I thought, at least they wouldn't blow a lead like they did a year ago to the Indiana Pacers. I still felt confident that the Knicks would win the series; it was just going to be a little more difficult now.

And then something truly remarkable began to happen. The Knicks went on an 18-1 run over the next four minutes to pull within five before Kenny Atkinson finally called a timeout. They then outscored the Cavs 12-7 the rest of the fourth quarter, and 14-3 in overtime to complete one of the most improbable and unbelievable comebacks in NBA history. In all, New York outscored Cleveland 44-11 over the final 12:52, and won 115-104 to take a 1-0 lead in the series. 

In the play-by-play era - which goes back 30 years - teams trailing by 20 or more points in the fourth quarter of a playoff game were 1-594. That one win was by the L.A. Clippers, who overcame a 24 point deficit against the Memphis Grizzlies, April 29, 2012. Make that 2-594.

So how did the Knicks pull it off? Two words: Jalen Brunson. Captain Clutch scored 17 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and OT. He abused James Harden, who, true to form, had more turnovers (6) than field goals (5). Possession after possession, Brunson blew right past the 36 year old like he was standing still. Why on Earth Atkinson didn't pull him is a mystery. The Beard was utterly useless on both ends of the court down the stretch.

But then that wasn't the only brain fart the Cavs coach had. Apparently Atkinson didn't realize that he had four timeouts left, because at his post-game presser he said he wanted to save them for the last minute of what he felt would be a one-possession game. While it was a one possession game late in regulation, by not using two of his timeouts earlier - when it might've made a difference - he lost both of them. It is inconceivable that someone as experienced as Atkinson didn't know this.

But while Atkinson had arguably his worst game as a head coach, Mike Brown had one of his best. With 7:52 to go in regulation, he replaced Josh Hart, who was a minus 23 in 31 minutes, with Landry Shamet, who was a plus 25 in 17 minutes. That move gave the Knicks a lineup with five genuine scoring threats. The Cavs now had to defend five players instead of four. That meant they couldn't double team Brunson. 

It was no coincidence that right after the substitution, the whole demeanor of the game changed. The vaunted Knicks offense that we were waiting for suddenly appeared. In addition to Brunson's 17 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had two field goals, Mikal Bridges had a pair three pointers, and Shamet hit three from downtown. 

But the principal reason New York won this game was because Cleveland simply ran out of gas. As I wrote in my series preview, teams that are extended a full seven games in their first two rounds tend not to do so well in the next. Going into this postseason, their record was 1-4 in conference finals.

So now what? Well for starters, the Cavs are in deep trouble. They let a game they had well in hand slip away from them. Just ask the Knicks what that means; they never recovered from that catastrophic loss to the Pacers last year. And since it's unlikely New York will have another slow start like it did in game one, Cleveland has an almost impossible task ahead of it.

As for the men in orange and blue, they shouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth. They dodged a bullet that would've felled most teams. They need to come out from the opening tip off and remind the Cavs that they are the best team left standing in the East; that they've won a franchise-record eight games in a row; and that they have the deepest bench as well as the number one defensive rating among all teams in the postseason. 

Oh, and they also have the best clutch player in all of basketball. 

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Three)

For the second year in a row, the New York Knicks find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals. Their opponent, the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers, ousted the first-place Detroit Pistons in a thrilling seven-game series. And thanks to the seventh-place Philadelphia 76ers beating the second-place Boston Celtics in the first round, the Knicks are the first three seed or lower team to have home court advantage through the first three rounds since seeding began in 1984.

This matchup is ironic in that throughout most of the regular season, the prevailing sentiment was that the Pistons or Celtics would come out of the East. Instead, it'll be the Cavs and Knicks who will battle it out for the honor. Funny how that works. 

In the last round, I was guilty of giving the Sixers too much credit. I really thought they would give the Knicks all they could handle. About the only thing the Knicks handled were the brooms they used to sweep them out the playoffs. New York treated Philly like they were a bunch of G-Leaguers. Make no mistake about it: the Cavs are no G-League team. They are the toughest opponent the Knicks have faced so far in these playoffs. Conversely, the Knicks are the toughest opponent the Cavs have faced so far in these playoffs. 

How tough? Both teams combined to have the top 10 plus / minus Eastern Conference players in the postseason. Jalen Brunson leads the way with a plus 162, while Jarrett Allen of the Cavs brings up the rear with a plus 44. And that means we're in for one helluva conference finals. Anyone predicting a short series is sniffing something that would be illegal, even in Colorado. 

Before we get to the keys for the Knicks, a final thought on the Pistons. Watching these bullies get their comeuppance was truly gratifying. Detroit thought they could resurrect the Bad Boys of the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Instead, they earned themselves a trip to the golf course. Bottom line: It takes more than intimidation and hard fouls to win a championship in today's NBA; it takes talent. In the end, the Pistons didn't have enough of it.

Now for the keys. 

1. A healthy OG Anunoby. It goes without saying that Anunoby must be fully recovered from the right hamstring pull he sustained in game two of the Sixers series. The Knicks will need his elite-level defense. If he is not at full strength or - worse - re-injures himself, New York will have its hands full contending with Cleveland's backcourt.

2. Win the turnover battle. The Cavs have committed the second-most turnovers this postseason, averaging 16.6 per game, with James Harden the worst offender at 4.8 per game. Meanwhile, the Knicks have committed the fifth-fewest turnovers at 13.3 per game. That trend needs to continue, and the best way for that to happen is for New York to pressure both Donovan Mitchell and Harden whenever they have the ball. Expect Mikal Bridges to guard Mitchell, while Anunoby gets Harden.

3. Contain Mobley and Allen. Unlike Joel Embiid, who was, for all intents and purposes, useless, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen can score and defend. While not as physical as Jalen Duren and Tobias Harris, they can still cause trouble for New York in the paint. The best way to deal with them is for Karl-Anthony Towns to continue being the point center. That will force Kenny Atkinson to bring one of his big men out to the perimeter which is what the Sixers were forced to do in the last round. And that will free up Mitchell Robinson to grab as many offensive rebounds as he can. Expect Mike Brown to play both centers together at times in this series. It is the one matchup New York can truly exploit.

4. Hit the open threes. The Knicks are leading all NBA teams this postseason in three-point shooting at 40.8 percent. The Cavs are 7th at 34 percent. While Cleveland's defense has improved somewhat in the playoffs, they're still nowhere near elite level, meaning New York will get plenty of open looks from beyond the arc. They need to bury as many of them as possible. 

Last year, the Knicks blew a late fourth-quarter, double-digit lead against the Pacers and never recovered. I don't expect they will repeat that same mistake. In fact, I've been impressed with the level of maturity and poise this team has exhibited throughout these playoffs. After the Sixers series, there were no wild celebrations or chest thumping. It's as if they realize what the goal is and what they will have to do to achieve it. The only other past local-area teams that have displayed that much focus were the '86 Mets and Giants and the '94 Rangers.

Something to keep in mind: prior to this postseason, only five teams had advanced to the conference finals while being extended a full seven games through the first two rounds since the NBA went to a best of seven format in all four rounds in 2003. Their record was 1-4. The Celtics won in '08, while the Mavericks ('03), Suns ('06), Raptors ('10) and Nuggets ('20) all lost. The point is playing that many games that early in the playoffs takes a lot out of a team.

To sum up: this will be a long series. Both teams have multiple ways they can beat you, both teams have very good benches, and both teams are well coached. The difference is on defense, where the Knicks have the clear advantage. It's been 27 years since this team last made the finals. That streak comes to an end here. New York in six. 

And now for the Western Conference Finals.

San Antonio over Oklahoma City in six. I know I said OKC would repeat as champions in my last preview, but that was before I saw what Victor Wembanyama did to Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Put succinctly, the NBA has never seen anyone with Wemby's skillset in well over a generation. He's the equivalent of what baseball calls a five-tool player. Imagine a player who can defend like Bill Russell, block shots like Hakeem Olajuwon, rebound like Moses Malone, pass like John Stockton and shoot like Steph Curry. The last player to dominate his sport the way Wemby does was Wayne Gretzky. That's why I'm picking the Spurs to win this series and quite possibly the title.

As with my last three previews, if the Knicks advance, I'll preview the finals; if not, whoever wins the West will win the title.