Knicks Move On From Thibs

After the New York Knicks lost to the Indiana Pacers in last year's playoffs, I wrote that their future "looked bright." And it certainly appeared that way. A team decimated by injuries still managed to get to a game seven before finally succumbing to the inevitable. One could certainly be excused for being optimistic about the 2024-25 season. And with the offseason moves Leon Rose made, the consensus was that this franchise was on the verge of achieving something great; something it hadn't achieved since 1973: a title.

But even though this season's roster was more talented than last season's, the toughness and resiliency that had come to define past Tom Thibodeau teams was missing. The Knicks were among the worst teams in the NBA when it came to defending the perimeter. Opponents shot 36.7 percent from three against them. Only the Phoenix Suns (37 percent), Atlanta Hawks (37.7 percent), Philadelphia 76ers (37.8 percent) and Sacramento Kings (38.1 percent) were more porous from beyond the arc.

It was frustrating to watch a team as gifted offensively as the Knicks were be so inept defensively. Was it a matter of chemistry? Perhaps. After all, making two significant trades the way Rose did - the latter coming literally as training camp was beginning - could have upset the apple cart, I suppose. Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo were very popular players in that locker room; losing them no doubt hurt. Indeed, it looked as if this roster had been thrown together in the hopes it would somehow be able to figure it out.

And at times it appeared as though it had. The Knicks went 12-2 in the month of December to improve their record to 23-10. But only one of those wins came against a playoff team. In January and February, the Knicks went a collective 16-10, but were 0-4 against teams ahead of them in the standings. Further, the manner in which the Knicks lost those games was disconcerting, to say the least. They were competitive in only one of them. During the regular season, the Knicks went 0-10 versus the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Not a very good sign for a team with championship aspirations. Despite finishing 51-31, it was obvious to even the most casual observer that this was a flawed team.

Going into this year's playoffs, I thought the Knicks, at the very least, had to beat the Detroit Pistons for Thibs to keep his job. But when they upset the Celtics in six, I naturally assumed he was safe. Obviously, I was wrong. The fact is, despite their woeful record against Boston during the regular season, the Knicks were built with the expressed purpose of dethroning the champs. And that is precisely what happened. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns both had the series of a lifetime, especially Bridges who literally stole games one and two in Boston with his defense.

But against the Pacers, the Knicks were always a step behind, and not just physically. Throughout the series, Rick Carlisle thoroughly out-coached Thibs, who was late making adjustments, and at times reluctant to make substitutions. After dropping the first two games at the Garden, he finally tinkered with his lineup, inserting Landry Shamet and Delon Wright into the rotation. The result was a badly-needed win and a chance to get even in the series. But then Carlisle made his adjustments and just like that the Knicks were on the brink of elimination. They forced a game six, but couldn't will a game seven. In the end, Indiana exposed every flaw in their game. While Thibs was playing checkers, Carlisle was playing chess.

In the executive offices at 4 Penn Plaza, Rose clearly did not like what he saw. Either this team - the one he assembled through series of trades and signings - wasn't good enough or it simply wasn't being coached well enough. To quote Sherlock Holmes, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Rose knew it couldn't be the former, so he concluded it had to be the latter.

It is an axiom in sports that you coach the team you have, not the one you wish you had. It was clear from day one that the makeup of this roster clashed with the way Thibs preferred to coach. In short, this was never his team. And unless this is your first day on planet Earth, you have to know that whenever a coach and a GM butt heads over player personnel, it is always the coach who loses.

So now Rose, in addition to fortifying a roster he believes is a contender, will be looking for a new head coach. It won't be easy. Coaches that guide their teams to back-to-back 50 win seasons don't grow on trees. Whoever he picks will have the unenviable task of winning over a core that to a man loved Thibs. Jalen Brunson, in particular, will be a hard sale. I can't imagine Rose made this move without at least giving his captain a heads up.

One potential candidate is already on staff. Rick Brunson - Jalen's father - has been an assistant coach with the Knicks since the 2022-23 season. He knows the roster inside out, and from what little we know of him, he won't make the one mistake Thibs kept making over and over during his tenure: driving this team into the ground. The fact is Knick starters had considerably more minutes on the court than any other team this season. In the clincher against the Celtics, the Knicks were up 35 with less than six minutes to go and Thibs still hadn't put his bench players in. There is simply no excuse for that happening. None.

Now for the sixty-four thousand dollar question: What role, if any, did James Dolan play in this? While there's no evidence that he ordered the firing, it's inconceivable that he wasn't consulted on it, especially given that the Knicks will owe Thibs $30 million to NOT coach the team next season. You don't give away that much money without getting the owner's blessing.

Just to be clear, the Knicks did not fire Red Auerbach; they fired a coach whose stubbornness walked hand-in-hand with his work ethic. Yes, he brought back a culture of winning, but this team was probably not going to win a championship under him. Rose did what he had to do.

So, the Tom Thibodeau era has officially come to an end in New York. 

Knicks fans await to see who his successor will be.

The Three Things Knicks Must Do To Get To a Game Seven

With their backs up against the wall and facing elimination, the New York Knicks took to the court Thursday night at Madison Square Garden, and in front of 19,812 screaming, loyal fans, played their best game of the postseason, dominating the Indian Pacers from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer, en route to a 111-94 victory.

Jalen Brunson - AKA, Mr. Clutch - led all scorers with 32 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns - playing with a bad knee - dominated in the paint with 24 points and 13 rebounds.

But just like in the fourth quarter of game three, there were plenty of heroes for the men in orange and blue, starting with the head coach. Tom Thibodeau went with an unprecedented ten-man rotation. This meant the starters weren't gassed in the closing minutes of the game. Not one Knick logged more than 36 minutes.

Landry Shamet and Delon Wright continued to impress coming off the bench, as did Precious Achiuwa, who has appeared in only nine of the Knicks 17 playoff games. All three were plusses on the night. 

But the biggest reason this series is going back to Indiana for a game six was the New York defense, which was, in a word, incredible. The Knicks forced the Pacers into a half-court offense, something they don't thrive in. Tyrese Haliburton, who had quite possibly his best game as a Pacer in game four, had a defender on him every time he touched the ball. Indeed, every Pacer was guarded closely throughout the game. It's the first time we've seen the Knicks this aggressive on defense all season, and it worked. 

Before the start of the Eastern Conference finals, I wrote that if this series became a track meet, the Knicks would lose; if it became more of a half-court series, the Knicks would win. Well the Knicks finally got the memo in game five.

So what do the Knicks have to do tonight to force a game seven back at the Garden?

1. Dictate the pace. Rick Carlisle will make adjustments, just as he has done throughout the series, but it still comes down to which team controls the tempo. The Pacers will want to run and gun; the Knicks must remain disciplined and not allow them to. Brian Windhorst of ESPN put it this way. If the score is 26-24 after one, regardless of who is ahead, that bodes well for the Knicks; if the score is 38-35, that bodes well for the Pacers. In other words, if it's a high-scoring game, the Knicks will likely be eliminated. 

2. Defend, defend, defend. The best way to control the tempo of this game is to make Indiana work for every basket it gets. That means that Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have to guard Haliburton and Pascal Siakam like their lives depend on it. No wide-open three-point attempts like the Pacers had in games one, two and four. Every shot has to be contested, no exceptions.

3. KAT has to continue to dominate in the paint. When Towns has played at his best, the Pacers have had no answers for him. Myles Turner tries, but he's badly outclassed. Indeed, it seems the only one capable of stopping Towns is Towns himself. With the Knicks leading 72-52 halfway through the third quarter in game five, KAT picked up his fourth foul, forcing Thibs to pull him, which led to a 12-2 run by Indiana. He has to be smarter than that in game six for the Knicks to survive.

Now it's entirely possible the Knicks could do all this and still lose the game. As I wrote in my preview, this is an excellent Pacers team. Since January 1, they have the fourth best record in the NBA. You don't accomplish that just by beating scrub teams.

But one thing is certain: if the Knicks fail to do the above, their season will be over.

You can take that to the bank.

Knicks Go From Cardiac Arrest To Cardiac Kids in Fourth Quarter

After blowing a 14 point lead with 2:51 to go in game one, and then following that up with a very lackluster second-half effort in game two, the New York Knicks were on the verge of falling behind 3-0 in their series against the Indian Pacers with 3:20 to go in the second quarter. At that point, the Pacers were ahead 55-35 and were in complete control of the game. The Knicks looked more like a team that was eager to get to the golf course than a team that was looking to capture its first title in 52 years.

But there were signs that the patient wasn't completely dead. The Knicks went on a 10-3 run to close out the half. And trailing 74-59 with 4:46 to go in the third quarter, the Knicks went on another run to get within ten heading into the fourth.

And that was when Karl-Anthony Towns decided to show up. Through three quarters, the 7-0 center had just four points. Let me repeat that. Towns had just FOUR FUCKING POINTS through three quarters! To put that in perspective, Mitchell Robinson had six. I already had the title for my next Knicks piece: "The Incredible Shrinking Center." It looked like Kitty KAT was phoning it in.

But in the fourth quarter, he was a man possessed. He hit the first of three three-pointers just 20 seconds in, followed by a pair of driving layups in the first couple minutes and a thunderous dunk with 8:02 to go that evoked memories of another center who went by the nickname "Chocolate Thunder." In all, Towns had 20 points, eight rebounds, two assists and was a plus 14 in the quarter to help his team get back in the series. With the win - their sixth in seven games - New York now trails Indiana 2-1 and has a shot at getting even Tuesday night.

But as great as Towns was, he had help. Josh Hart, who had been benched by Tom Thibodaeu to start the game, and was a minus 16 in the first half, had four points, five rebounds and was a plus 16 in the fourth quarter. In fact, every Knick was a plus in that quarter, including Jalen Brunson, who once again got into foul trouble, but still managed to score six points.

Another unsung hero for the Knicks was their bench. In an uncharacteristic move, Thibs elected to go with a nine-man rotation. That meant that both Delon Wright and Landry Shamet played meaningful minutes and did not disappoint. For the game, the entire Knick bench was a plus, with Shamet (+12) leading the way. 

But it took four free throws - two by Brunson and two by Hart - in the closing seconds to seal the win for New York. After going 28-40 (70 percent) in game one, the Knicks have now shot a collective 45-51 (88 percent) from the foul line over the last two games.

So, after failing to even the series at one game a piece in game two, the Knicks now face another "must-win" situation in game four. A loss would mean they'd have to go 3-0 the rest of the way, and only 13 NBA teams have successfully come from 3-1 down in a best of seven series to win. Ironically, the Knicks (1997 against the Miami Heat) were one of them.

So, how do they do it? That's the question. First off, the starters have to play better at the start of the game. That means KAT can't go MIA for three quarters, and Brunson has to stay out of foul trouble. As these two players go, so go the Knicks. There is no path to a series win, much less an NBA championship, that doesn't include both players leading the way. They are an integral part of this team's success.

Secondly, it is incumbent that New York play defense for an entire 48 minutes. For most of this series, the Knicks have treated the Pacers like they were China dolls; delicate and not to be touched. That meant clean looks for Indiana from the three-point line. Last night, the Pacers went 1-8 from beyond the arc (12.5 percent) and didn't get a single offensive rebound in the fourth quarter. Now that's how you defend. 

And lastly, Thibodeau needs to continue with a nine-man rotation. It worked in game three and it can work in games four, five and beyond. Against a Pacers team that is deep and athletic, the Knicks have to get as many of their bench players involved as possible, even if it's only for a few minutes per game. Even an old dog like Thibs can learn a new trick once in a while.

Game four is Tuesday night. We will see if Sunday night was indeed the beginning of a comeback or if it was just an anomaly.

For the Knicks, the Shoe Was on the Other Foot

That there was another double-digit, fourth-quarter comeback in an NBA playoff game Wednesday night was hardly news. Going into the game between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, there had been six such comebacks this postseason, and the Knicks and Pacers were responsible for five of them.

Make that six now.

In a classic example of the shoe being on the other foot, it was the Knicks who were on the wrong end of a dramatic come-from-behind win this time around. Trailing 119-105 with 2:51 remaining in regulation, Indiana outscored New York 20-6 to force overtime, where they completed the comeback to take a 1-0 series lead.

It's hard to describe what a gut punch this was for the Knicks. Not only did they blow a fourteen point lead with less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, they actually blew a nine point lead with 58 seconds left. Since 1998, playoff teams were 0-1,414 when trailing by nine points or more with under a minute to go in the fourth quarter.

Make that 1-1,415.

This was a brutal loss for New York; far worse than the Reggie Miller "eight points in nine seconds" collapse. And that game has been seared into the collective consciousness of Knicks fans for literally thirty years. It's the principal reason why he is so despised; that and the choke sign he made after the win.

Why is this worse? Because in that Miller game, the Knicks were in complete control until the last nine seconds; in Wednesday night's game, the collapse actually began several minutes earlier.

Let's start with Jalen Brunson. In these playoffs, Brunson has been nothing short of brilliant; he's been by far the Knicks best player on the court. But in two games he has gotten into foul trouble. In game five against the Boston Celtics and game one against the Pacers. And in both instances, the Knicks have lost. 

When Brunson picked up his fifth foul with 10:05 to go in the fourth, Tom Thibodeau took him out of the game and inserted Josh Hart. At the time, the Knicks were ahead 94-92. They then went on a 14-0 run, thanks to OG Anunoby (7 pts), Karl-Anthony Towns (5 pts) and Deuce McBride (2 pts) to go up 108-92 with 7:24 left in the fourth.

After Pascal Siakam made a five footer to break the run, Towns then hit a three pointer to put the Knicks up 111-94 with 6:26 to go. The Pacers then hit two consecutive baskets to make it 111-98 with five minutes to go. At that point, Thibs called a timeout to put Brunson - five fouls and all - back in the game, even though New York had gone 17-6 with him on the bench and McBride was doing an outstanding job on defense.

With five fouls on him, Brunson was utterly useless on defense and the Pacers knew it. In fact, every Knick starter except Towns was a minus for the game, with Mikal Bridges the worst offender at minus 15. Indiana went up and down the court virtually unimpeded, with Aaron Nesmith hitting six(!) three pointers in the final 4:45 of regulation. It was like watching a pickup game.

But here's the thing: as putrid as the Knicks defense was, they still would've won had they hit all their free throws, but Towns and Anunoby each missed a critical free throw with less than 15 seconds left that would've iced the game. In all, New York was 28-40 (70 percent) from the free-throw line. If they had just gone 30-40 (75 percent) - the exact percentage Indiana finished at - the Knicks would now be up 1-0 instead of trailing 1-0.

So now what? How does a team put behind it the worst collapse in a postseason game in 27 years? By not repeating the same mistakes, that's how. The reality is for most of game one the Knicks were the better team. They out-rebounded the Pacers, outscored them in the paint, and - no pun intended - outpaced them. But as I tweeted at halftime with the Knicks up 69-62, "They're playing into Indiana's hands."

Put succinctly, the Knicks cannot keep up with a Pacers team that is built like a Roadrunner. I wrote at the start of this round that for New York to win they needed to make this a half-court series. If it turned into a track meet, Indiana would win. Guess what happened Wednesday night? The Pacers did pretty much what they wanted, and in the end, the Knicks simply ran out of gas. You can say they didn't close the game out, but that's just a polite way of saying they were gassed.

The fact is during the regular season, Indiana went 25-2 in games where they scored 120 points or more. In games where they were held to less than 120, they went 25-30. Quite a difference, wouldn't you say? Now you know why Pacers coach Rick Carlisle wasn't that concerned when his team was trailing by seven at half time, or fourteen with 2:51 to go, or nine with 58 seconds to go. He knew his team could make up the difference against a Knicks team that was, by that point, running on fumes.

That's why for the Knicks to even the series - indeed for them to win the series - they must control the tempo. Indiana will tempt them into a running game; they must resist. The higher the score in these games, the more likely it is that the Pacers will prevail and advance to the finals. The best scenario for New York would be a nice, low-scoring game: say 111-104 Knicks.

Another thing that has to happen for New York to even the series is for Brunson not to get into foul trouble. While he's never been known as a defensive stalwart, he needs to be smarter when Indiana has the ball. He can't be an easy target in clutch time like he was in game one. And if he does get into foul trouble in game two, Thibs has to have the courage to keep him on the bench. Against a Pacers team that isn't exactly known for its defense either, McBride and Cam Payne were surprisingly effective. The former had nine points in 25 minutes while the latter chipped in with six in just ten minutes. This might be one of those rare instances where the Knick bench plays a vital role in this series.

And finally, when the Knicks do go to the free throw line, they have to make their shots. No more 70 percent shooting nights. They're too good for that. The fact is if the Knicks had converted on their free-throw attempts in game one, we'd be taking about a close shave instead of an epic collapse. 

I hate saying this is a "Must Win" for New York. Frankly, it's the most overrated expression in sports. But in this case, it's appropriate. The Knicks must win tonight in order to have any shot of going to the finals for the first time since 1999. A loss would mean they'd have to go 4-1 the rest of the way against an opponent that only gets stronger as the series goes on.

And that isn't very likely.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Three)

With the Boston Celtics being dethroned, there will be a new NBA champion for the seventh year in a row. And if their fans have anything to say about it, that champion will be the New York Knicks.

For the first time in 25 years, New York finds itself in the Eastern Conference Finals. And their opponent is a familiar one. The Indiana Pacers have faced the Knicks three times in the conference finals, with the Knicks winning in 1994 and 1999, and the Pacers winning in 2000.

But it was their last meeting in the second round of last year's playoffs that is front and center now. The Knicks had beaten the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round and were seconds away from potentially taking a 3-0 lead on the Pacers when Andrew Nembhard hit a three pointer with 16 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give Indiana the win.

The loss was significant for New York. OG Anunoby suffered a groin injury in the closing minutes of game two and was unavailable the rest of the series; Mitchell Robinson sustained an ankle injury against the Sixers and appeared in only one game against the Pacers; Josh Hart would later pull an abdominal muscle in game six and was ineffective in game seven; Jalen Brunson broke his left hand in game seven and played only 29 minutes; and Julius Randle - their second-best player - had gone down with a dislocated right shoulder in January and was lost for the remainder of the season. The Pacers would eventually go on to win the series in seven against a Knicks team that looked more like a MASH unit than an NBA roster.

This time around, the Knicks are not only healthy, they're better. Just compare the starting five from last year's series to this year's:

2024: Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein.

2025: Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Hart, Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Bridges and KAT are vast improvements over DiVo and I-Hart respectively; and while this year's roster isn't as deep as last year's, we all know that, barring injuries, Tom Thibodeau typically goes with a seven-man rotation. That means that Deuce McBride and Mitchell Robison will get the bulk of the minutes coming off the bench. Squawk if you want, but this is how Thibs rolls. 

In each of their first two playoff rounds, the Knicks had to overcome challenges in order to win. In round one, they had to contend with a Detroit Pistons team that was nasty and physical. In round two, they had to contend with a Boston Celtics team that could shoot the ball like no one else's business. In this round, they will have to contend with an Indiana Pacers team that from January 1 had the third best record in the NBA and plays in fifth gear pretty much from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer.

There's no getting around it: Indiana will try to dictate the pace, no pun intended. It will be incumbent upon the Knicks to not let that happen. If this series becomes a track meet, the Knicks will lose; if it becomes more of a half-court series, the Knicks will win. Here are the keys:

KAT needs to dominate in the paint. With all due respect to Myles Turner, KAT is the better center; he must play like it. That means no disappearing acts and staying out of early foul trouble. He needs to replicate what he did against the Celtics in game six. The fact is the more involved he becomes in the Knick offense, the harder it will be for the Pacers to double team Brunson. When Towns plays up to his potential, there aren't many players in the league who can stop him.

Knicks must defend against the fast break. Few teams in the league can transition from defense to offense like the Pacers. Their speed will test the Knicks resolve. To thwart Indiana's fast-break game, New York will have to get back on defense quickly. That means no standing around to see if a shot goes in. This will take discipline on their part, but they'll have to do it in order to advance.

Brunson must continue to excel. Tyrese Haliburton is on a mission to prove to his critics that he's not overrated. But Jalen Brunson is on a mission of his own to prove to his critics that he's worthy of being called an elite player. Both statements are true. Haliburton is not overrated, but in this series, he will be the second-best point guard on the court. The fact is that what Brunson is doing in these playoffs is truly something to behold, and the only people who haven't acknowledged it are the ones who refuse to admit they were wrong about him in the first place. If Mr. Clutch continues to play as he has, the Pacers are in trouble.

Knicks have to distribute the ball. While Brunson will be the Knicks best player in this series, he can't be their only option offensively. New York is at its best when it distributes the ball; conversely, it struggles when it doesn't. It won't do any good if Brunson scores 35 points while Towns, Bridges and Anunoby collectively score 25. To win, all the kids have to play in the sandbox.

Bottom line, the Knicks are the better team; they're healthy and they have the home court. But the Pacers are hardly Swiss cheese. They knocked off the number one seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round and they've had the Knicks number the last three times they've met. This will be another close series, but the men in orange and blue should advance to the finals for the first time since 1999.  Knicks in six.

Western Conference Finals: 

Minnesota over Oklahoma City in seven. I know I picked the Thunder to win it all in my last preview, but frankly I like the Timberwolves in this series, and not just because KAT vs. Julius Randle would be a finals for the ages, but because OKC struggled at times against a Denver Nuggets team that was as thin as a piece of loose leaf paper. What will they do against a Timberwolves team that is bigger and just as athletic as they are? I'm guessing they won't do as well.

Knicks Half Way Home

In the end, it wasn’t close. The New York Knicks, who needed fourth quarter comebacks in games one, two and four, left nothing to chance in game six. They dominated the Boston Celtics pretty much from the opening tip-off, en-route to a series-clinching 119-81 victory Friday night at Madison Square Garden. It was, by far, their most complete game in these playoffs.

Every starter was in double digits, with Josh Hart recording a triple double. Jalen Brunson led all Knicks with 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 and grabbed a team-high twelve rebounds. The win catapulted New York into the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000; it was also the first time since 1999 that the Knicks clinched a best of seven series on their home court.

The off-season acquisitions of Mikal Bridges and Towns - often criticized during regular season - have given this franchise its best starting five since the Pat Riley / Jeff Van Gundy era.  If this is what Leon Rose envisioned over the summer when he gave up five first-round picks, Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, then he has been vindicated, at least for the moment.

But it was the return of Mitchell Robinson from a left ankle injury at the end of February that seems to have had the biggest impact on this team's fortunes. The 7-0 center has vastly improved the Knicks rim defense. Against the Celtics, New York was a plus 46 when Robinson was on the court versus a minus 43 when he was off. Imagine how many more regular season wins the Knicks might have had if Robinson had been healthy all year. Indeed, the best decision Rose appears to have made was not unloading him at the trade deadline for a depth scorer. Had he done so, the Knicks would probably be on the golf course right now.

I'd be lying if I said I saw this coming. My heart may have said Knicks in seven, but my head said Celtics in five. Given how many times my heart has been broken over the years, I had every reason to expect a quick and decisive loss for the men in orange and blue.

To quote a well-known scripture verse,  "O ye of little faith."

In my defense, though, I was hardly alone. Even an incurable optimist would've had a hard time believing the Knicks were capable of beating the Celtics in the playoffs, given they were 0-4 against them during the regular season, and only one of those losses was competitive. That most of the sports writers and talking heads had Boston winning in four or five games was less about an anti-New York bias than it was about an objective, sober analysis of where both teams were. The overwhelming view was that the Knicks were a very good team that was still a year or two away from challenging for the title.

But then a switch was thrown and logic went out the window. The fact is these are no longer the same Knicks who struggled during the regular season against the elite teams in the league. They have a swagger about them that is eerily familiar to those '90s teams. The resiliency that was missing most of the season, and which defined last year's team, is back with a vengeance. They believe in themselves, and they feel they are never out of a game, as evidenced by the fact that they've come-from-behind in six of their eight postseason wins.

And now they are eight wins away from their first NBA championship since 1973.

52 years! God, when you say it like that, it sounds like an eternity. That's because it is. Think about it: 90 percent of the fans who showed up outside the Garden to celebrate the Knicks win over the Celtics probably weren't alive in 1973. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if a third of them weren't around when they last went to the finals in '99. When I tell people I remember Clyde Frazier, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed and Dave DeBusschere, I'm not bragging; I'm just showing my gratitude for having had the opportunity to see such greatness in my lifetime.

And now all of us have the opportunity to see such greatness right before our very eyes. There is something special about this Tom Thibodeau-coached team; I can feel it. Every once in a while the basketball gods shower their favor upon a team. Don't get me wrong: I am not predicting a championship. Knowing my luck, that would be the kiss of death. What I am saying is that if the Knicks play the Indiana Pacers like they did the Celtics in game six, I like their chances. A lot.

This much is certain: the next time my head contradicts my heart, I'll tell it to go fuck itself!

The Future Looks Bright for the Knicks

In the end, time was never on the New York Knicks side. Once they blew that nine point, fourth-quarter lead in game three and lost to the Indiana Pacers, this series became a war of attrition. And wars of attrition never end well for the team that is shorthanded. Apart from game five, the Pacers were in total control the rest of the way. They won every matchup on both ends of the court. Not even the raucous Garden crowd could save their beloved team.

The list of the Knicks walking wounded could fill an NBA roster. Julius Randle (shoulder), Mitchell Robinson (ankle), OG Anunoby (hamstring), Bojan Bogdanovic (foot), Josh Hart (abdomen), and, yes, even their MVP, Jalen Brunson (hand). You can't keep saying "next man up" once you've run out of men. Brunson was the last straw. Once he went down, Tom Thibodeau was basically left with a five-man rotation. In other words, no bench.

It sucks, I know, that the season had to end this way, because let's be honest: if the above players had been healthy and available in this series, the Knicks would've won in five. You know; I know it; even Indiana knows it. But that doesn't change the facts on the ground. Injuries are a part of the game and always will be. Thibodeau, for his part, didn't blame his team's loss on injuries. Instead, he congratulated the Pacers and looked forward to what lies ahead for this team. And what lies ahead is very promising.

Think about it: the Knicks went 12-2 in the month of January with a roster that included Isaiah Hartenstein, Randle, Anunoby, Donte DiVincenzo, Hart, Precious Achiuwa and Deuce McBride. They beat teams like the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Philadelphia 76ers (with a healthy Joel Embiid) and the Miami Heat with that roster. Fully healthy, this is a team that can compete for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. And that's before Leon Rose uses one or more of his first round draft picks to land another scorer, which you gotta believe he will spend the bulk of the summer doing.

But who to get? There's Dejounte Murray. The shooting guard would make the ideal two. A backcourt of Brunson and Murray would be formidable. Atlanta will ask for the proverbial king's ransom for him. Mikal Bridges is another intriguing possibility. Though technically more a small forward than a guard, he did play with Brunson and Hart at Villanova, so there's a history between the three. Like Murray, he will not come cheap. Assuming the Brooklyn Nets are willing to part with their number one star, you'd have to think they'd be reluctant to trade him to a cross-town rival.

Then there are the usual suspects: Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Paul George. I'd pass on all three, especially Durant, who when he had the chance to sign with New York five years ago, chose Brooklyn instead because he thought the former was "not cool" to play for. Fuck him. As for Booker and George, neither has done much for their respective teams. The last thing Rose needs is to replicate his predecessors mistakes by bringing in high-priced mercenaries who have historically underperformed in the playoffs. The reason Knicks fans have fallen in love with this team is because they work their butts off. Whether they're up by ten or down by ten, they never stop hustling. Can you imagine KD running up and down the court the way Josh Hart does? Neither can I.

Which brings me to an issue that was brought up by Mike Greenberg on ESPN. Greenberg suggested that perhaps the reason the Knicks sustained so many injuries was because of the system Thibodeau employs. Let me put this to bed right now. Yes, Thibs demands a lot of his players; yes, it can take its toll. But, no, it had absolutely nothing to do with the injuries. Robinson broke his ankle against the Boston Celtics in December and then re-injured it because of a dirty play by Embiid in the Sixers series; Randle dislocated his right shoulder driving to the basket against the Miami Heat; Anunoby had bone spurs that required surgery and then pulled his hamstring reaching for an errant pass in the Pacers series; Bogdanovic stepped on an opposing players foot in the Sixers series; and Hart pulled an abdominal muscle reaching for a rebound in game six of the Pacers series. Every one of these injuries could just as well have occurred with a different coach employing a different coaching style.

And here's another bogus claim that needs to be put out of its misery. Thibs does not bury players on the bench; they bury themselves. Alec Burks was given multiple opportunities to earn playing time; he didn't capitalize on them. Yes, it was nice to see him contribute some in the playoffs, but for anybody who was watching this team during the regular season, the last player they wanted to see on the court was Burks. He was, for all intents and purposes, useless. Worse than that, he was a negative, meaning he cost his team valuable points.

But all that aside, I'm very bullish on the Knicks. It's been a very long time since I've been able to say that about this franchise; the 1990s, in fact. With Rose and Thibs at the helm, they are in good hands. 

The future looks bright for the men in orange and white.

Hey, that rhymes.

Knicks Running on Fumes in Indiana

The final outcome in game four of Eastern Conference semifinals was never in doubt. The Indiana Pacers routed the New York Knicks 121-89. They led by 20 after one, 28 at the half, 38 after three, and 42 early in the 4th quarter. The Knicks led once in this game: 2-0 in the opening minute. Here's all you needed to know about how bad things went for the Knicks: Alec Burks was their leading scorer at halftime with 11 points. The Nova triplets? They finished a combined 1-13 from downtown.

The series is now tied at two, with game five at the Garden Tuesday night. Just based on what we saw on Sunday, it could well be the last home game for the Knicks. Seriously, you'd have to be the world's most incurable optimist to believe this team will be able to summon the energy needed to extend this series to seven games, much less advance to the conference finals. Let's face it: they looked gassed out there against a healthier and much deeper Indiana team.

You could see this series starting to slip away in the 4th quarter of game three. The Knicks led 90-85 after the 3rd quarter, and 98-89 with 9:46 to go in the 4th. They would make only two more jumps shots the rest of the way, getting outscored 26-16 in the quarter and losing 111-106. For only the second time in these playoffs, the Knicks failed to close out a game in which they led in the 4th quarter. Think about that. A team that, sans game five of the Sixers series, has owned the 4th quarter, got owned.

And now this incredibly resilient team, which has lost half its roster and more closely resembles a walking MASH unit, has to pull a proverbial rabbit out of the hat in order to keep their postseason dreams alive. And just to be clear, if the Knicks lose game five, there will be no game seven. The Pacers will close it out in six.

This wasn't the way it was drawn up. After the trade with Toronto, the Knicks had a front court of Isaiah Hartenstein, Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, a back court of Jalen Brunson and Donte DiVencenzo, and a bench that included Josh Hart, Precious Achiuwa and Deuce McBride. Then Randle went down, followed by Anunoby. Leon Rose added two more pieces to the puzzle in Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic with the hope that Randle, Anunoby and maybe even Mitchell Robinson would return in time for the playoffs. On paper, this had the makings of a genuine championship contender; at the very least a conference finalist.

But Randle never did come back; and while Anunoby did, his injury in game two of the Pacers series, coupled with the injuries to Robinson and Bogdanovic in the Sixers series, has all but crippled this team. Coach Tom Thibodeau, facing a depleted bench, has been forced to play his starters 45 plus minutes per game. The wear and tear is finally taking its toll. All the perspiration in the world can't overcome exhaustion; and right now the Knicks look exhausted. To quote a passage out of the Bible, the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

The good news? Regardless of what happens in this series, the future of this franchise looks very promising. Randle will be back, as will Anunoby and Robinson. Rose still has all his first round draft picks that he can use to land a proven scorer who can be the third option - perhaps even the second option - to Brunson and Randle. That this team managed to win 50 games this season mostly on spit and polish is a testament to its work ethic. Fully healthy, they could easily win 55 to 60 games next season.

But for now they still have to contend with the Pacers for at least two more games. The Garden faithful will be in their corner Tuesday night, as they have pretty much all season. 

Will it be enough? We shall see.

Knicks Playoff Preview (Round Two)

Having disposed of the hobbled Philadelphia 76ers in six games, the New York Knicks face the fully healthy and quite deep Indiana Pacers. The Pacers beat a Milwaukee Bucks team that had to deal with injuries to Giannis Antetokoumpo and Damian Lillard in six games. Clearly, both teams benefited from their opponents inability to be at full strength.

In this series, the only injured player of consequence is Julius Randle, who went down with a dislocated right shoulder at the end of January and is out for the playoffs. Mitchell Robinson is still hampered by his surgically repaired ankle, but will be able to play. The Pacers appear fully healthy.

To say these teams have a history would be putting it mildly. Prior to this series, they've met a total of seven times in the playoffs with Indiana holding a 4-3 edge. The two most notable meetings were in 1995, where Reggie Miller's 8 points in 8.9 seconds in game one of the Eastern Conference semifinals helped propel the Pacers to a series win; and in 1999, where Larry Johnson's last-second four-point play won game three of the ECF and helped get the Knicks to what would be their last trip to the finals.

The three keys to the Knicks winning this series are as follows:

1. Play good defense. During the regular season, the Pacers went 2-1 against the Knicks. In their two losses, New York allowed Indiana to score 125 and 140 points; in their one win, New York held Indiana to just 105 points. For the Knicks to prevail, they cannot get into a track meet with the Pacers. They must play a half-court offense and slow down the tempo.

2. Control the boards. The Knicks are one of the best rebounding teams in the NBA; the Pacers are one of the worst. Isaiah Hartenstein, Robinson, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart, who Tom Thibodeau uses at the 4 in place of the injured Randle, averaged 6.5, 7.8, 6.8 and 12.3 rebounds respectively against the Sixers. They must continue their domination on the glass against Indiana.

3. Thibs must use his bench more. There's no way to sugar coat this. Indiana has a deep bench and they utilized it quite effectively against Milwaukee. Without Bojan Bogdanovic, Thibodeau basically went with a seven-man rotation. The exception was game four when Hartenstein got into foul trouble and Thibs was forced to use Precious Achiuwa in the 4th quarter. What that means is that Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVencenzo and Hart are all playing more than 40 minutes per game. That is unsustainable, especially against a team as athletic as the Pacers. Like it not, Thibs must use Achuwa and Deuce McBride more; and maybe even Alec Burks, even if it's only for a couple of minutes.

If the Knicks can contain the Pacers high-powered offense, if they can control the boards, and if Thibs plays his bench more, the Knicks should move on to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, if the Pacers are able to set the tempo and Thibs remains stubborn, the Pacers will be victorious. I'm going with the former here. Knicks in seven.

Here are my predictions for the rest of the second round:

Eastern Conference:

Boston over Cleveland in six. Cavs fans were chanting "We want Boston" in their series clincher against the Orlando Magic. The basketball gods heard them.

Western Conference:

Denver over Minnesota in seven. This presupposes Jamal Murray is relatively healthy. If he's not, the Timberwolves will take the series in six.

Oklahoma City over Dallas in seven. It is criminal the way a majority of the media in this sport ignored what the Thunder have quietly accomplished this season. They're about to get an education.

Like I wrote in my last preview, if the Knicks move on, I'll preview the next round. If not, here are the two teams I think will meet in the NBA Finals.

Boston over Denver in seven. Kristaps Porziņģis returns and gets his ring.