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 was 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 is 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 against 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. 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. 

Time Was Always On the Knicks Side

In the end, the hotly contested series I predicted never materialized. The New York Knicks swept the Philadelphia 76ers four zip, with three of the games not remotely close; game four was ostensibly over at halftime. Knicks fans who showed up at Xfinity Mobile Arena - AKA, Madison Square Garden South - were absolutely beside themselves with glee.

It's the first time the orange and blue have swept an opponent since 1999, which, not coincidentally, was the last time they went to the finals. The team that was built to beat the Boston Celtics, dispensed with the Sixers as if they were a G-League squad.

How did they pull it off? Just like they had done in the previous round against the Atlanta Hawks, New York exploited mismatches with Philadelphia, most notably the inability of Joel Embiid to guard. The man was, for all intents and purposes, a statue on defense. The Sixers also had no bench; Nick Nurse was forced to play his starters longer than he would've preferred. That meant they were gassed by the fourth quarter.

What made this series so special was that two of the wins came without OG Anunoby, arguably their most "indispensable" player, who, prior to game three, was listed as day to day with a right hamstring injury sustained in game two. What we are seeing here is truly special, something rarely seen in New York sports. The Knicks, after dropping games two and three against the Hawks, have won a franchise record seven in a row. Six of those wins have been by double digits, and four have been by 25 points or more. 

New York's defensive rating of 105.7 is second best in the league. Overall, they have a net rating - the difference between offensive and defensive rating - of 20.3. To put that in perspective, the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks with Kareem Abdul Jabbar had a net rating of 13.6, and that team went 12-2 in the postseason. The Knicks +194 point differential through the first ten games is the best since the 2017 Golden State Warriors at +170.

Individually, the Knicks have been just as brilliant. In these playoffs, they have nine of the top ten plus / minus players in the Eastern Conference: 

1. Jalen Brunson: +162
2. Josh Hart: +145
3. Karl-Anthony Towns: +135
4. OG Anunoby: +118
5. Miles McBride: +112
6. Mikal Bridges: +101
7. Jordan Clarkson: +77
8. Mitchell Robinson: +66 

9. Cade Cunningham (Detroit) +57
10. Jose Avarado: +50

What's impressive about Anunoby's totals is that he missed the last two games and yet he's still in 4th place.

While defense is a team effort, one player in particular deserves a special shoutout. Mikal Bridges has been nothing short of spectacular. Last year, he was the reason the Knicks knocked off the Celtics; this year, he was the reason Tyrese Maxey didn't go off. Before the start of this series, this is what one so-called expert had to say about the Sixers guard:

"There's nothing the Knicks can do to stop Tyrese Maxey; he's going to get his points."

The so-called expert who wrote that was none other than yours truly. I told you to take my predictions with a grain of salt.

In this series, Maxey averaged 18 points per game, 10 under his regular season average. I can assure you wishful thinking had nothing to do with that. Whether you still feel that giving up five first round draft picks for him was an overpay, there's no denying Bridges is an elite defender. Without him, the Knicks would never have gotten to back-to-back conference finals. You can see why Leon Rose wanted him so badly, and why there's no way in hell, regardless of what happens in the next round, that he's trading him in the offseason, especially for you know who.

But defense wasn't the only secret sauce the Knicks had going for them. Karl-Anthony Towns has been reborn in these playoffs. For most of the regular season, KAT struggled to find an identity in Mike Brown's system. He seems to finally have found it, and in the most unlikely of ways. The 7-0 footer has now become a point center. 

In the playoffs, Towns is averaging a team-high 6.6 assists per game; 5.3 more than he averaged last postseason. And he's still averaging 10 rebounds and 17.4 points per game. In short, he has become the focal point of the Knicks offense, and that has allowed Jalen Brunson to play off the ball more, thus making it harder for defenses to double team him. Both the Hawks and Sixers were frustrated in their attempts to prevent New York from scoring almost at will. 

And then there's the depth. This postseason, the Knicks bench is averaging 32.4 points per game, 5th in the NBA. Under Tom Thibodeau last postseason, it was 15th with 15.8 points per game. Now you know why Rose fired Thibs and hired Brown. 

For those who may be wondering where this team was hiding all season long and why it waited until the postseason began to reveal it self, I would submit that they've shown us glimpses of this all along. There was the 25 point blowout of the Spurs at the Garden and the 39 point humiliation of the Nuggets in Denver. It was never about whether they could play like this, but rather whether they could sustain it.

So now that the Sixers have been vanquished, the Knicks will sit back and await the outcome of the series between the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The earliest they will begin the conference finals is Sunday. Normally having that much time off is not a good thing, but in this case, the extra few days will allow Anunoby's hamstring to fully heal.

As for who they'll play, the last time I dipped my toe into that pond and expressed a preference, I ended up with egg on my face. This time around, I'll simply say that whoever New York plays will likely be a far tougher foe than Philly. But let's be honest, that's not exactly a high bar, is it?

As for my preview, I'll write that on Saturday. In the meantime, enjoy the week, people. I'm sure the Knicks will.

Knicks Dodge A Bullet

It was quite a night at "The World's Most Famous Arena." The New York Knicks, trailing 90-89 going into the fourth quarter, rallied to beat the Philadelphia 76ers 108-102. Jalen Brunson led the way with eight points - 26 in all - while Karl-Anthony Towns had 20 for the game, along with 10 rebounds, and finished just three assists shy of his third triple double of this postseason. 

But as good as Brunson and KAT were, it was the Knicks stifling defense that proved to be the difference. After giving up 90 points through three quarters, the orange and blue went into lock down mode in the fourth, holding the Sixers to 12 points on 4-19 shooting; 1-10 from three. It was the fifth straight playoff win for New York, one shy of the franchise record set in 1999. That team, if you recall, went to the finals.

The biggest story of the game, however, had nothing to do with the scoreboard. With approximately three minutes to go in the game, OG Anunoby appeared to injure his right hamstring after coming down awkwardly on a dunk attempt that was rejected by Paul George. Seconds later he was seen holding the back of his right leg and noticeably limping as he signaled to the bench to come out of the game. He would not return. 

For the remainder of the night and well into the following day, Knicks fans anxiously waited for word about the severity of OG's injury, and more importantly, how long he would be sidelined. Nothing was riding on it, of course, except the entire season and the fate of the free world.

Then at 1:44 P.M. yesterday, Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Anunoby had been diagnosed with a right hamstring strain and was listed as day to day. Millions of Knicks fans across the tri-state area breathe a sigh of relief. No tear; just a strain. The worst had been avoided. The Knicks dodged a bullet. 

It cannot be overstated just how invaluable Anunoby is to this team's playoff hopes. How invaluable? During the regular season, OG missed 15 games; during that stretch, the Knicks went 8-7. In the postseason, Anunoby is shooting a team-high 61.9 percent from the field; 53.8 percent from three. He leads the Knicks with a +6.2 offensive net impact; KAT is next at +2.0. Among players remaining in the playoffs, Anunoby is second behind between Chet Holmgren in total leverage, which tracks scoring, shot creation, shot-blocking, rebounding and defense. He's tied with Brunson with a league-best +118.

Last November, I wrote a piece in which I made the argument that Anunoby is the "most indispensable player" on the Knicks. I've seen nothing since then that has contradicted that argument. Put succinctly, this team has no chance of getting to the finals, much less winning a championship without him. Hearing he'll be back soon is like Christmas in July, or in this case May. 

As for when that is, I think we can rule out games three and four. Mike Brown would be nuts to risk further injury to his star forward. In fact, if the Knicks gain a split in Philly and go up 3-1, we might not see him for the remainder of the series. But if the Sixers should win both games, OG could return for game five.

As for the adjustments Brown will have to make to his lineup, he could turn to Landry Shamet and Deuce McBride to take some of Anunoby's minutes. Mohamed Diawara is also an option. Leon Rose assembled one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. Now it's time to find out just how good a job he did.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus; and he wears a Knicks jersey. 

Knicks Send a Message

I've been watching the Knicks for more than 50 years and I've never seen anything like this. Neither has the NBA, apparently. Since losing game three to the Atlanta Hawks 109-108, this team has undergone a metamorphosis that would make David Banner proud. They beat the Hawks 114-98, 126-97 and 140-89 to advance to the second round. They then pummeled the Philadelphia 76ers 137-98 to take a 1-0 lead. Four games, four wins, three blowouts, with a total point differential of +135. 

New York shot 48, 57, 59 and 63 percent respectively from the field in those four games. This postseason, Karl-Anthony Towns has two triple doubles, two double doubles and is averaging six assists per game; Jalen Brunson is averaging 27.6 points and 5.7 assists per game; and O.G. Anunoby is averaging 7.9 rebounds and 21 points per game on 63.7 percent shooting; 59.4 percent from three.

But even more impressive than the offensive output has been the commitment to defense. During this four-game win streak, the Knicks have not allowed an opponent to score 100 points against them once. Since the playoffs began, they have the top five plus / minus players: Brunson (+111), Anunoby (+106), Josh Hart (+105), Towns (+103) and Miles McBride (+85); the top five net rating players: McBride (30.5), Towns (24.9), Hart (22.6), Brunson (22.3) and Anunoby (20.6); and the second-best team defensive rating at 103.6. Philadelphia, incidentally, is 14th at 117.4.

The Sixers and their fans can rationalize all they want about what happened Monday night at the Garden as simply being a hangover from their emotional win against the Celtics in game seven. And if that had been a one-off, I might tend to agree. Trouble is, it wasn't. The reality is game one of this series looked eerily similar to game six of the last series, and that isn't good news for the city of brotherly love.

The Knicks are sending a message loud and clear, not just to the Sixers, but to every so-called "expert" who doubted them. And that message is, "Dismiss us at your own peril." This team isn't just having an historic run; it's clearly the best team in the Eastern Conference. Hell, the way they're playing, they might even be the best team in the league.

Hyperbole? I think not. Compare what the Knicks have done in these playoffs with what other teams in their conference have done. The Detroit Pistons had to come from 3-1 down to beat the 8th seed Orlando Magic; the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 7th seed Sixers; and the Cleveland Cavaliers needed a full seven games to dispose of the 5th seed Toronto Raptors. All three of those teams, at one point or another during the regular season, had better odds of coming out of the East than the Knicks.

I thought going in that Philly would pose a huge matchup problem for New York, and just to be clear, this series is far from over;  they still could pose a matchup problem. But if game one is any indication, it's the Knicks that are posing the matchup problem for the Sixers. Joel Embiid is, without question, an offensive force in the paint. In the first half he drew three fouls a piece on Towns and Mitchell Robinson; a problem that coach Mike Brown said his team would need to address going forward. 

On the other end of the court, however, Embiid is about as useless as tits on a bull, and the Knicks know it. Brunson and KAT exposed his lack of mobility several times with the pick and roll. Look for that to continue as the series progresses. The more the Knicks make Embiid work defensively, the less effective he will be offensively. Did you see him at the end of the Boston series? The man looked gassed. And that's exactly what New York wants: a gassed and ineffective Embiid in the closing minutes of each game. 

Then there's the bench. I'll say it again: New York has the deepest roster of any team in the Eastern Conference. Embiid and Tyrese Maxey are undoubtedly superstars and deserving of praise, but the reason the Knicks have gone through their opponents like shit through a goose this postseason is because they're not a one or a two-man show. KAT and Brunson may garner most of the headlines, but Brown is getting contributions from every player in his lineup. This is not meant as a slight on Tom Thibodeau, but no way this team would be playing as well as it is if he were still coaching them. That should painfully obvious to all but the most ardent Thibs apologists.

I predicted before this series began that it would go seven games, and, who knows, it very well might. But the way New York is playing right now, I wouldn't be surprised if it gets wrapped up in six or five. Not because the Sixers are a bad team, but because the Knicks are that much better. 

That being said, some adjustments will have to be made before game two tonight, notably how they guard Embiid. Clearly Towns and Robinson are not the answer. The Knicks cannot afford to have their two big men in foul trouble by halftime, especially since it's unlikely that we'll see another blowout like we saw in game one. If I were Brown, I'd put Anunoby on Embiid. Two years ago, both he and Precious Achiuwa did a pretty effective job on him. The best way to prevent Embiid from being a one-man wrecking crew is to keep him on the perimeter. Waiting until he gets to the top of the key with the ball is too late.

If the Knicks can "contain Embiid," as I wrote in my preview, and if they continue to defend the way they've been doing so far in these playoffs, they'll advance to their second consecutive conference finals. It's just a matter of when, not if.

P.S.: Less than an hour after this piece was published, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that Joel Embiid has been ruled out for game two tonight at the Garden. There is absolutely no excuse for the Knicks not going up 2-0 in the series.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Two)

Before I get to the Knicks, I wanted to talk a little bit about the Boston Celtics. For the second season in a row, the darlings of the East were eliminated in a series they were favored in. Last year it was the Knicks; this year it was the Philadelphia 76ers. This loss was particularly egregious because Boston had a 3-1 lead. But like last year, the over-reliance on the three pointer proved to be their Waterloo. Over the last three games of the series, the Celtics shot under 30 percent from downtown. I've said it before and I'll say it again: this is a flawed team that is given way too much credit for a playoff run they had two years ago when everything went their way. Unless changes are made to their offensive approach they will never get to another conference final, much less win another title.

Now onto the Knicks. To say I was rooting for Boston would be putting it mildly. Leon Rose built this roster specifically to beat the Celtics, and while I think it is certainly capable of beating the Sixers, it will be more difficult. 

The keys for the Knicks will be as follows:

1. Contain Embiid. There's nothing the Knicks can do to stop Tyrese Maxey; he's going to get his points. But Maxey alone won't be enough for the Sixers to advance. That's where Joel Embiid comes in. Two years ago, he basically played on one leg and still managed to average 33 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. The Knicks have to find a way to contain him or they will lose this series.

2. KAT and Brunson have to lead the way. In the last three games of the Atlanta series, this duo finally found their stride, and the results spoke for themselves. Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 assists and two triple doubles while Jalen Brunson averaged 25 points primarily playing off the ball. Both will have to continue to lead this team for New York to advance.

3. Brown has to utilize his bench. Philly has an imposing starting five, but their bench consists of Quentin Grimes and three guys named Moe, Larry and Curley. So thin is the Sixers bench that Nick Nurse was forced to play Maxey, Paul George and VJ Edgecombe each more than 40 minutes in game seven against the Celtics. Even Embiid played 39 minutes. There is no way they can sustain that kind of usage, especially Embiid who was limited to 38 games this season. Unlike his predecessor Tom Thibodeau, Mike Brown will likely go with a ten-man rotation, which means his starters will be have plenty left in the tank late in games. I expect Jose Alvarado, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson will get significant playing time. The longer this series goes on, the more it favors the Knicks.

4. Don't throw away games. The Sixers are more than capable of winning games on their own merit. They don't need any help from a Knicks team that against the Hawks fell asleep in the fourth quarter of game two and got off to slow start in the first quarter of game three. Whatever switch this team flipped in game four needs to stay open. If they throw away any games in this series, they will be going home.

While the Knicks have the home-court advantage in this series, that might not mean as much as you think. That's because both teams closed out their respective series on the road and both are more than capable of winning in each other's buildings. Two years ago, the Knicks blew a chance to clinch at home and were forced to do so in Philly. Don't think for a minute if the shoe were on the other foot that the Sixers couldn't return the favor. This promises to be the most hotly contested series of the second round.

In the end, the Knicks bench will be the determining factor in this series. Rose has constructed a solid roster that is as deep as it is talented. New York in seven. 

And now for the other series.

Eastern Conference:

Detroit over Cleveland in six. The Pistons were pushed to a seventh game by the Magic, but while the Cavs can score, their reluctance to play defense will be their undoing in this series.

Western Conference: 

Oklahoma City over Los Angeles in five. The Lakers took advantage of a flawed Rockets team in round one. The Thunder have no flaws.

San Antonio over Minnesota in six. If Anthony Edwards were available I might take the T-Wolves. Unfortunately he's not.

If the Knicks advance, I'll preview the third round. If not, my pick to win it all is OKC. 

Enjoy the ride, people.

Knicks Take Care of Business in Atlanta

Early in the first quarter of game six, the Atlanta Hawks, who were facing elimination, led the New York Knicks 9-5. If you were anything like me you were probably muttering to yourself, "Great, I guess we're going to have a game seven at Madison Square Garden after all."

Fortunately for us Debbie Downers, the Knicks had other plans. They outscored the Hawks 35-6 the rest of the quarter and 43-21 in the second to take a commanding 83-36 lead into the locker room. It was the most dominant half of playoff basketball in the history of the NBA. 

And the Knicks didn't stop there. They kept their foot on the gas in the second half and increased their lead to 117-64 going into the fourth. When it was all over, the Knicks routed the Hawks 140-89. It was the third largest margin of victory in a close out game in the play-by-play era.

To be honest, I thought New York would win this series in six, but never in my wildest dreams did I think they'd put that kind of ass whoopin' on them. The Knicks outscored the Hawks 380-284 over the last three games. The last time the city of Atlanta was that badly destroyed, Sherman set it on fire. 

So how did the Knicks do it? How did they go from losing games two and three by a single point to completely dominating games four, five and six? And make no mistake about it, this was domination in the strictest sense of the word. The Knicks margin of victory over the Hawks in this series was 105 points. To put that into perspective, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder's margin of victory over the Phoenix Suns was just 69 points. And the Thunder swept their series, mind you.

Defense was the key. In these playoffs, the Knicks have the second best defensive rating at 103.9. Only the Detroit Pistons, at 102.9, are better. This turnaround didn't begin once the postseason started; it began on January 21 with a 120-66 mauling of the Brooklyn Nets. Since then, New York's defensive rating has been the second best in the NBA.

But the biggest reason for the Knicks success lies with Mike Brown. After game three, he made the adjustments that finally unleashed this offense. Jalen Brunson got Karl-Anthony Towns involved and KAT, for his part, became the distributor in chief; a point center, if you will. Over the last three games, Towns had two triple doubles and 26 assists. Only Nicola Jokic averaged more assists, and his team was eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

I said this playoff series was a microcosm of the Knicks regular season, and it turned out to be that way. When their offense clicked, they looked like a team that couldn't be stopped; when it stalled, they looked like a team that couldn't get out of its own way. And therein lies the paradox, and the challenge. Whoever they play in the second round, they must remember what they did right in this series and carry it over into the next if they want to advance.

As for who they play, we'll know that soon enough. The Philadelphia 76ers forced a game seven against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden Saturday night. If the Sixers win, the Knicks will have home court; if the Celtics win, they'll open on the road.

If I were the Knicks, I'd much rather play Boston. With the Celtics you know what you're getting: a team that lives and dies with the three pointer. When they go in, they win; when they don't, they lose. In the three games the Celtics have won in this series they've shot over 35 percent from beyond the arc; in the three games they've lost, they shot under 30 percent from there.

Philadelphia, on the other hand, presents all kinds of matchup problems for New York, starting with their center Joel Embiid. The Sixers are 24-14 when Embiid plays; 21-23 when he doesn't. Two years ago when the Knicks beat the Sixers, Embiid, was injured and the Knicks still struggled to contain him. This postseason, he appears to be fully recovered after having surgery to remove his appendix. Playing alongside Tyrese Maxey, the most underrated guard in the league, Philly could definitely win.

The way I see it, Leon Rose built this roster specifically to beat the Celtics. With OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges on the wing, New York would have the advantage over Boston. Against Philly, it's anybody's guess who would prevail.

Typically, I don't like projecting ahead. After all, the Hawks thought the Knicks would be an easier team to beat and look what happened to them. All I'm saying is when you look at both teams objectively, the Sixers scare me; the Celtics not so much.

Knicks Need To Treat This Game As a Must Win

Generally speaking, I hate the term must win; it's the most overused and abused term in sports. For the record, the only "must wins" are elimination games, when losing means your season is over. I'm making an exception in this case. Game five against the Atlanta Hawks is a must win for the New York Knicks.

No, the Knicks season will not be over if they lose tonight at the Garden, and yes, they are more than capable of beating the Hawks in Atlanta in game six and closing them out in their building in game seven. But why on Earth would the Knicks want to subject themselves to that kind of pressure?

To be clear, the Knicks have been the better team in this series. They've played a total of two bad quarters - the 4th in game two and the 1st in game three. But that was enough to lose both games by one point a piece. In the two wins, New York has outscored Atlanta by a combined 27 points. You could make the argument that had they not taken their foot off the gas in game two and not gotten off to such a slow start in game three, the Knicks would now be awaiting the winner of the Celtics / Sixers series. 

Unfortunately that didn't happen, and here we are tied at two. In many respects, this series has been a microcosm of the Knicks season. One minute hot, the next cold. It's amazing to think that the same team that routed the Nuggets in Denver barely beat the Nets in Brooklyn. They have been the ultimate enigma for a fanbase that has often times been frustrated by the lack of consistency on the court. 

And that is why it is absolutely imperative that the Knicks not fall behind 3-2 going back to Atlanta. Even with all their talent and resolve, there is no guarantee that they would force a game seven. And should they lose this series, it will be a very long offseason for this team, I can assure you. Mike Brown will almost certainly be fired and Leon Rose would be forced to make some drastic changes to the roster. To put it another way, the Knicks aren't just fighting to beat the Hawks; they're fighting to stay together as a core.

So how do they accomplish both? By remembering what they did right in game four. I wrote at the start of the series that the Knicks had to get Karl-Anthony Towns involved. They did so in game one and most of game two. But then they forgot about their big man in the 4th quarter of game two and the Hawks mounted a comeback. The Knicks recovered from a slow start in game three to take a three-point lead but couldn't hold it because, once again, they didn't go to KAT when it counted. Jalen Brunson turned the ball over in the closing seconds and that was that.

In game four, however, the Knicks put on a clinic. It was one of their better games of the season. They started strong and they finished strong. Towns was, by far, the best player on the court, recording the fourth playoff triple double in franchise history. He had plenty of help. O.G. Anunoby had a game-high 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Brunson and Deuce McBride chipped in 19 and 11 points respectively. As a team, the Knicks had 23 assists, and led for 94 percent of the game. But perhaps the most important stat was that New York did not allow Atlanta a single fast-break point through three quarters. 

The Knicks need to bottle that performance and bring it with them to the Garden tonight. Every chance they get they need to put the ball in KAT's hands and let him do his thing. Because when they've done that, when they've let KAT be KAT, the Hawks have had no answer for him. None. I've heard of mismatches, but this one takes the cake. Mike Brown has to make it abundantly clear to his captain that in this series, he needs to defer to his center. It doesn't mean Brunson can't contribute; he did, after all, have 19 points in the last game. But the fact is the Knicks offense is more fluid and diverse when he plays off the ball, and conversely, it grows stagnant when he hogs the ball.

So, to sum up. The Knicks need to get off to a fast start, they need to get the ball to their big guy, and they need to keep their foot on the accelerator. If they do those things, they'll be one step closer to a rematch with the Celtics; if they don't, they'll be one step closer to the most disappointing playoff defeat since the last time they lost to the Hawks in 2021.

We all remember how that felt.