The Knicks Look to the Future with Optimism After Conference Finals Defeat
INDIANAPOLIS – The atmosphere was one of contained silence, similar to what is often experienced after a painful defeat at the end of the season. The Knicks suffered a tough 125-108 loss to the Indiana Pacers, a result that dashed their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals.Despite the sadness over the result, which meant a 4-2 series defeat in the Eastern Conference final, the team’s stars expressed optimism about the future.
Brunson pointed out that there were “a lot of people saying we couldn’t do a lot of things, a lot of negativity” surrounding the Knicks’ campaign, which began with high expectations after the trades of Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns during the offseason.“Maximum confidence, I am very confident, seriously. There isn’t a shred of doubt. I have a lot of confidence in this group.”
Jalen Brunson
The New York team got off to a good start, but their performance declined in the second half of the regular season. The starting lineup, the most used in the NBA, was outplayed by their rivals in the last three and a half months. The Knicks didn’t generate much confidence against the elite during that period, with a 0-10 record against the three teams with 60 wins in the league.
However, with four epic playoff victories, three after being down by 20 points and one after falling by 14, the Knicks convinced many of their critics by defeating the Detroit Pistons in a close first-round series, and then defeating the Boston Celtics, the defending champions, in six games as heavy underdogs.
The Knicks entered the Eastern Conference Finals against Indiana as favorites, but were outplayed in the first game after squandering a 14-point lead with less than three minutes remaining at Madison Square Garden. Tyrese Haliburton sent that game to overtime with a buzzer-beating shot that bounced high above the rim before going in. The Knicks soon found themselves down 2-0 in the series.
New York recovered, reducing the series deficit to 3-2.But the Knicks made too many mistakes in Game 6, including 18 turnovers that Indiana converted into 34 points, preventing them from having a real chance away from home.
It was an atypical performance for New York, but Indiana repeatedly sped up the pace of the Knicks during the game and the series.
“Obviously they played well and they played fast. The losses were tough for us.”
Josh Hart
There will be endless analysis in the offseason about this Knicks roster, which is undoubtedly very dependent on its stars. Approximately 93% of the team’s salary is committed to the six main rotation players: Brunson, Towns, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. No team had less scoring from the bench and fewer bench minutes than the Knicks during the regular season.
Both Towns and Brunson expressed that they felt they could build on their first season together as teammates.
“You see Jalen from afar in the West, and then you see what he has done for the city. It’s even more incredible in person. I don’t say it lightly: it’s a blessing and an honor to be able to play with Jalen Brunson.”
Karl-Anthony Towns
Players said the team’s high-level work ethic, as demanded by coach Tom Thibodeau, suggests the Knicks may be back in this postseason conversation in the coming years.
“Nobody sees the type of people we have, the workers we have,” Brunson said. “That’s what gives me confidence, and I agree with that. I don’t care what people think of us from the outside. I know what we have.”
