[ESPN] – Fri, 03 May 2024 03:52:00 GMT
- Brunson, Hart clutch plays lift Knicks by Sixers in 6, into East semis
- Sixers’ playoff run over after Game 6 loss to Knicks
- NBA play-offs: New York Knicks to face Indiana Pacers in Eastern Conference semi-finals
- NBA playoffs: Knicks advance past Sixers as Jalen Brunson does something not seen since Michael Jordan
- Knicks bank on trio of Villanova stars to advance to 2nd round of East playoffs
[NBA.com] – Fri, 03 May 2024 00:18:58 GMT
New York Knicks vs Philadelphia 76ers May 2, 2024 Game – Scores, Stats & Highlights
[ESPN] – Thu, 02 May 2024 13:09:00 GMT
- 76ers owners buy Game 6 tickets to block Knicks fans
- Sixers owners give away more than 2,000 tickets for Game 6 vs. Knicks
- Knicks fans go wild after eliminating 76ers despite effort to keep them out of arena
- Sixers buy 2,000 tickets for own arena to shut out noisy Knicks fans
- Michael Rubin buys 2,000 tickets for Game 6: We cannot let Knicks fans take over our arena again
[New York Post] – Fri, 03 May 2024 04:35:00 GMT
- OG Anunoby’s electric dunk over Joel Embiid brought great calls from Mike Breen, Ian Eagle
- OG Anunoby’s aggressiveness on display in Knicks’ Game 6 win with ‘huge’ dunk, defense
- OG Anunoby Goes for 19 | Highlights and Live Video from Bleacher Report
- Achiuwa ‘Professional,’ Not Precious In Knicks’ Dominating Defensive Effort
- Atlantic Notes: Anunoby, Achiuwa, Knicks’ Rebounding, Lowry, Whitehead
[CBS Sports] – Fri, 03 May 2024 06:33:29 GMT
- Knicks vs. 76ers: Why nothing mattered until the final seconds of the closest possible NBA playoff series
- 76ers’ Nick Nurse Talks Close Games in Knicks Series: ‘I’ve Decided Nothing Matters’
- Live analysis: Sixers Joel Embiid faces Knicks in NBA playoffs Game 6
- Nick Nurse on matchup with Knicks: It doesn’t matter what happens during the game, it’s going down to the buzzer
- Sixers notes: Nick Nurse admires Knicks Nova trio but hes frustrated by them
[New York Post] – Thu, 02 May 2024 18:45:00 GMT
- Infamous referee Scott Foster, known as ‘The Extender,’ draws Game 6 in ominous Knicks sign
- Knicks-76ers Game 6 Referee Assignment Sparks Major Fan Controversy
- Fans React to Scott Foster Being Named Crew Chief for Knicks-Sixers Game 6
- Knicks dealt NBA Playoffs blow as infamous ref known as The Extender is assigned for Game 6 against Six…
- Game 6 Crew Chief is Scott The Extender Foster
[CBS Sports] – Thu, 02 May 2024 14:20:39 GMT
Knicks vs. 76ers: The pros and cons of double-teaming Joel Embiid as New York tries again to finish off Philly
[New York Post] – Thu, 02 May 2024 11:14:00 GMT
- The Knicks have a Tyrese Maxey problem and there’s no easy way to fix it
- Knicks Notes: Maxey, Blown Call, Hart, Bogdanovic, Mitchell, McBride
- Mark Medina: Clippers coach Ty Lue on Kawhi Leonard: We’re not sure when he’s coming back. It
- According to the NBAs player tracking dat
- Tyrese Maxey Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Knicks – NBA Playoffs Game 6, Thursday, May 2, 2024
[sny.tv] – Fri, 03 May 2024 07:43:10 GMT
After failing to seal Game 5, Josh Hart’s three helps Knicks advance to second round
[New York Post] – Fri, 03 May 2024 05:31:16 GMT
Knicks survive Buddy Hield’s 17-point first-half eruption for 76ers
[The Daily Beast] – Fri, 03 May 2024 04:18:10 GMT
These Knicks Prove You Don’t Need a MegastarJust Good Vibesto Win
[Sports Illustrated] – Thu, 02 May 2024 22:53:57 GMT
- Knicks Veteran Downgraded for Game 6 vs. Sixers
- Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson dealing with significant discomfort in left ankle
- Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson ruled out for Game 4 vs. 76ers with injury
- Knicks center Mitchell Robinson questionable for Game 4 vs. Sixers
- Fred Katz: Mitchell Robinson is listed as questionable for Game 6 in Philadelphia with the sprained
[New York Post] – Thu, 02 May 2024 22:42:00 GMT
- Knicks feeling absence of Julius Randle’s secondary scoring punch
- Knicks’ Julius Randle remains in touch with teammates during playoff run despite season-ending injury
- Knicks Notes: Julius Randle’s absence being felt in playoffs, Pistons considering New York’s former GM Scott Perry
- Knicks’ Josh Hart: Julius Randle missed even more in playoffs
- Why isnt Julius Randle playing for the Knicks against the Sixers in game 6?
[The Ringer] – Fri, 03 May 2024 06:26:55 GMT
The Knicks Survive, and Ant vs. Jokic With Rob Mahoney. Plus, Eddie Vedder and Jeff Ament on 34 Years of Pear
[NBA.com] – Fri, 03 May 2024 04:31:58 GMT
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks (May 2, 2024)
[New York Post] – Fri, 03 May 2024 05:32:00 GMT
Tobias Harris held scoreless in 76ers’ elimination loss to Knicks
[CBS Sports] – Thu, 02 May 2024 14:37:52 GMT
2024 NBA playoffs bracket, schedule, scores, games today: 76ers vs. Knicks, Pacers vs. Bucks on Thursday
[Hoops Habit] – Thu, 02 May 2024 12:00:05 GMT
A surprising report reveals why the Knicks haven’t been able to land a superstar.
[New York Post] – Thu, 02 May 2024 23:38:00 GMT
- Donte DiVincenzo’s Knicks struggles carrying on deeper into series
- Donte DiVincenzo busts out of 3-point shooting slump in big way in Knicks’ series clincher
- Former Golden State Warriors’ guard benched in late-game playoff meltdown
- Donte DiVincenzo Goes for 23 | Highlights and Live Video from Bleacher Report
- Knicks’ Donte DiVincenzo: Struggles with shot
[New York Post] – Fri, 03 May 2024 00:54:00 GMT
Knicks should heed lesson of Yankees’ 2004 failures
[New York Post] – Thu, 02 May 2024 11:55:00 GMT
NBA 2024 playoffs showcase new stars with Knicks right in middle
[Yahoo Sports] – Fri, 03 May 2024 09:51:02 GMT
New York Knicks 118 – Philadelphia 76ers 115: Final score, results, recap, box score, stats
162 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2024.05.03)”
I watched this morning, without knowing the score.
It was an incredible experience.
How many times this game was won?
And how many times it was lost?
I can’t quantify how “lighter” (and exausted) I felt at the end.
I love this team, even if they try to kill me every time.
– Fantastic start for out guys. J-Hart hit a three to extend the Knicks’ lead to 33-11 with 2:22 to play in the 1st qrt.
The 76ers stunned, the home crowd silenced, the Knicks fans made NOISE.
96 seconds later J-Hart made a brainless, momentum shifting turnover on which Cam Payne hit a three to cut the lead to 14.
Nick Batum couldn’t miss, dark clouds looms.
Knicks still up 14 at the end.
– The 2nd quarter was a nightmare. Buddy Hield went nuclear.
An Oubre three gave them the lead for the first time (PHI 49 NY 47), Brunson responded, Hield made 2 FTs and then…
Anunoby missed a fastbreak dunk (Ma che cazzo?!!?) Hield hit another 3 (5-7 3FG in the quarter), my sphincter started tightening, the Hart Foundation gave us a breather.
Phila up 54-51.
Side note: the Sixers were the first team in the last 25 years to trail by 20+ points in the 1st half and have the lead at halftime.
– 3rd Quarters. Bad omens everywere. We came close but couldn’t retake the lead, then Maxey capped a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer and gave them their first double digit lead (PHI 71 NY 61), but he missed the heat check dagger and Donte’s hit a bomb to throw us a lifeline.
We did bend but we didn’t break, OG corner three tied the game at 83 and the quarter end on a Whiny Queen missed three.
– the 4th quarter was a long, seemingly endless, blinded walk over a tightrope between two skyscrapers…
Philly retook the lead for a moment but Deuce’s lone basket was a huge one (NY 95 PHI 93), the Little General hit back-to-back threes to widen the lead, then he did hit two midrange jumpers and when OG slammed a dunk with 2:43 to go the Knicks were up by 8 (NY 109 PHI 101).
That’s were PTSD from the previous game took control and rightly so.
We weren’t able to kill them (OG and JB missed FTs) and Maxey’s and-1 tied the game at 111 with 34 seconds to go.
Then at 00:25 J-Hart took maybe the boldest shot in Knicks history… AND DRAINED IT!
(side note: I screamed so loud my wife came running from another room thinking I have injured myself, and one of my neighbor asked from downstairs if everything was right).
The Free Throws Roulette started, both DDV and JB hit their shots (meanwhile we did let everyone know that we have learned the lesson from Game-5 and fouled Maxey before he could even try to shoot).
Hield’s 27-ft prayer went unanswered…
AND THE NEW YORK KNICKS ARE TRIUMPHANT.
What else can I say?
FUCK JOEL EMBIID (aka The Whiny Queen) AND HIS GUARANTEED WIN.
FUCK PHILADELPHIA AND HIS OWNER, SCARED BY THE KNICKS FANS.
Last but not least, A GIANT HAT TIP TO ENGLISH KNICK!
WELL DONE BLOKE!
Like several of you, the Game 5 collapse hit me as hard as any sporting event has in a long time. I stayed off Twitter. I stayed off here. I resolved that I was just not going to watch Game 6, because my nerves and my soul couldn’t take it. I watched The Simpsons with my kids. I watched all the fight scenes in Legend of Drunken Master. I read a book. I kept my phone on Do Not Disturb. I went to sleep at 11, knowing nothing.
My dreams are not often literal, but this night, I kept dreaming about looking at the score, and seeing that the Knicks won, or that they lost. Finally, when I got up at 4 to take a leak, I couldn’t resist checking my phone, assuring myself I would be at peace with either result. When I saw how close the score was, I told myself I had probably made the right call. And when I inevitably couldn’t get back to sleep and decided to put on the MSG rewind, I knew I had made the right call. Given how Game 5 ended, seeing this thing live would have killed me 17 different times. Instead, I got to experience all the extreme momentum swings with the reassurance that things would all end up okay.
I love this team, and can’t wait to see them against the Pacers, no matter how that series goes. I just… the previous game kind of broke me, and I needed to step away briefly. And I’m so happy things went well this time.
Alan really captured how I felt these last two days in the previous thread. The last time I had that feeling was when Croatia tied the game against Brazil in the second overtime of the World Cup quarterfinals. I couldn’t get online for a while. Except for Brazil I had to wait 4 years until the next WC, whereas the Knicks delivered the next game. I am so happy that the Maxey shots are now going to be just a footnote rather than the thing that defined this season (or even this team).
I can’t wait for Indiana and to talk about that series. I freaking love this team. I never doubted that they would be tough even after game 5, but I suppose I doubted my ability to not freak out again. As Max says, watching the game on replay, I was pretty happy with my choice, as losing that 8-pt lead in the last few minutes would have killed me in real time.
Fantastic series, probably one of the best 1st Round battle ever… even if at full roster strenght it would have been a Knicks’ sweep 😉
I don’t think we could go with a 7-men rotation against the Pacers, they’re too fast and too fresh.
Preciuos is athletic and quick, I think he deserves to play some minutes, at least against the Pacers bench.
But for now let’s enjoy the victory and the 3 days of rest…
P.S. Cyber and Marechal are right, thank heaven Game-5 is only a footnote now…
In addition to his offense, DeVo, playing 48 minutes played some excellent D on Maxey. Has any Knick made the kind of leap the JB has made since he joined the Knicks? He’s a savant.
I wasn’t going to watch – I took game 5 really hard and besides it was a 3am start for me. But for some reason I’ve been having trouble sleeping with some lower back pain etc and have been in the spare room so as not to wake my wife.
I woke up at like 3:30 something and made the mistake of checking in on the game just in time to see the Knicks destroying. So I settled down and watched and then, of course, the wheels fell off the bus… It felt like a cruel trap. I honestly have no idea how we were still tied after the 3rd.
I started to think about all the terrible losses I’ve sat through: The Charles Smith game, Starks game 7 final, Mariano in game 7, the Yankees 04 debacle, Zidane’s stupid head butt in 06, heck even Arsenal just losing games to Bayern and Aston Villa… and I started to wonder if the long pain of the losses outweighed the brief thrill of the wins.
Like people who don’t give a shit about sport maybe have it better than us fools. Like why have I wasted so many years lurking on this blog following an objectively terrible, uninteresting sports team? They’re not going to win. And they play so hard they’re destined to lose painfully at the end…
And then the 4th quarter and I take it all back… I love the Knicks 4ever!
The Pacers can be a tough match up, especially if Hali is hitting his shots, but I don’t think they realize what is about to happen to them. The Bucks defense was soft all year, let alone without Giannis. They couldn’t have had an easier first round opponent. I worry about whether the Knicks will hold up physically after the series they’ve just had, but I can’t wait to see how they try to bully Indiana.
Myles Turner presents some the challenges the Knicks have with spacing 5s, but after guarding Embiid for 6 games I think I-Hart is about to have a series.
Knicks (still) undefeated in games where they go up by 15+. 38-0. Insane.
Excruciating to watch. We just can’t do anything easy, but the guys who needed to step up, did so.
Repeat of stats posted last night:
The Villanova trio: 80 pts, 11/22 from three, 26 assists, 21 rebounds.
Divo played all 48 minutes. 23 pts, 7 assists, 4 boards, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 5-9 from three, and 2 clutch free throws down the stretch.
And Josh Hart. Really what to say. I thought he was limping and coming out of the game. Instead he lasts and hits the big shot. Crazy.
Add on from the Athletic:
“Knicks ended up outscoring Philadelphia by just one total point over the six games”
Well I was wrong about the sweep. I know some people thought I was doing some weird thing so I could kill the Knicks for not sweeping them. Really I just thought Joel would get knocked out after two games.
This was a fully available Sixers team for every game against a Knicks team missing Randle, sometimes Mitch, eventually Bojan. And the media repeatedly referred to them as injured.
I’m still incredibly glad we got this series and didn’t duck them for an easier opponent, even if it did cost us Bojan. We are going to be such a better team for having won this series.
Especially Josh Hart! You just hit the series-winning three. You won two playoff games by making them pay for not guarding you. You should never be afraid to take those shots again.
I think it was extremely cool that after losing the Miami series in large part because Brunson wouldn’t pass him the ball, Brunson showed no hesitation in the same exact spot this year. Game 6 on the road, he passed him the ball this time. And Josh buried it. You win now, Noble! I concede.
And now we get the opponent we would have gotten in round 1 if we’d tanked. You know what I like about this next series? There will probably be some games that are decided by 10 or more points!
Everyone outside of here talked about how much fun this series was. It wasn’t fun for me! Games 3 through 6 were excruciating. I want some blowouts.
Fititng that the Villanova boys closed it out — Hart with the 3, Donte and Jalen with the big FTs to close the door. What an effort by those 3. Crazy to think those guys have basically grown up together. Hart is a year older than DDV and Brunson – I am just imagining DDV and Brunson coming on a recruiting trip and Josh being the one to show them around as a couple 17 year olds. And now doing this together on the biggest stage – just an awesome story.
Fingers crossed that we can bring the same energy to the Pacers series. My hope is that the Pacers have a false sense of security after blowing through the Bucks who literally have 1 above average defender (Lopez) trying to cover up for a bunch of sieves on defense, and like Marechal said, are just a soft team especially without Giannis. Pacers just have a ton of shooting so our rotations have to be on point.
But great not to have to deal with Embiid and his foul grifting anymore. Myles Turner is always a problem for us but with Halliburton not quite himself, it’ll be way easier managing that PNP than Embiid/Maxey.
Strangely – the guy I fear most on that team is Andrew Nembhard. That guy is tough as nails.
I do wonder whether we may have to dust off Burks for 10 minutes per game. I just don’t think it’s sustainable to ask Hart to play 48 minutes every game. Thibs just has to be very clear on what Burks is allowed to do on offense and what he’s not allowed to do. And I think/hope Precious is going to play a big role in this series, both as a backup 4 to give OG some rest, and also to do some switching on that Turner/Halliburton PNP.
Something to keep an eye on – for the season Indy was 25th in defensive rebounding, and somehow actually worse even after the Siakam trade (26th). Turner is not a good rebounder and Siakam is average at best. We have to beast on the offensive boards this series.
The happiest person in the world right now that we get to play the Pacers now is Isaiah Hartenstein’s agent.
The Daily Beast may want to check Brunson’s stats.
The Guardian praising Brunson has eluded our bot (I think).
“The 27-year-old isn’t merely turning the Knicks into a contender. He is fulfilling the dreams of generations of Knicks fans who have only known losing or forgotten what winning feels like.”
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/may/03/jalen-brunson-has-given-the-knicks-something-they-have-lacked-hope
That game 5 loss left deep scars (leaving MSG that night was like leaving a wake) and last night I kept waiting for the worst to happen.
Go up 6 late in the 4th quarter, Sixers tie. Go up 8, OG misses the and one, Sixers tie it up. I swear I almost expected that Hield fling to go in
But here we are. We didn’t dodge the Sixers and now we’ll be favored to win round 2
Love this team and love having this blog to lean on when times are at their bleakest!
I was pretty impressed Philadelphia figured out how to negate our rebounding advantage in games 5 & 6. That was some good coaching by Nurse.
And you know what else was good coaching by Nurse? We can talk about how annoying his whining was, but after his team had one of the biggest choke jobs ever he got every single one of them and the rest of the country to buy into the idea that no, his team didn’t choke, they were robbed.
I’ve come away from this series with begrudging respect for two people I really don’t like (Nurse and Embiid — he was a bitch but he played every game and he played Josh Hart minutes) and an absolute fear of someone who I do kinda like (Maxey).
(By the way I mentioned this last night but I found out exactly where Joel Embiid lives in New York City. I was going to share it with Knicks twitter but I don’t want that karma so I’m glad we moved on.)
Precious has to play against the Pacers. We can put iHart and Mitch on Siakam at times, but that would leave Myles Turner shooting over a 6’4″ defender, which is… not great, Bob.
And even with Thibs giving strict orders, Frank, I’m not sure we can trust Burks at all. Losing Bogey really sucks here, because we’re going up against a team that can really score the basketball.
Little Jalen with dad Rick is always worth another watch. I’m embarrassed to say I’m choked up.
https://youtube.com/shorts/RjkOUqv10UY?si=1JDC7iBynELdbpYx
And love seeing the three Nova guys talking about one another (with DDV as the jokester for once): https://x.com/sny_knicks/status/1786255002983379132
With Indy’s starting lineup, the Knicks do have a lot of defensive versatility. I think OG on Hali would be awesome given that Indy plays 5 out (so you can’t put him on an Oubre and let him roam). Hali is not as fast, and OG’s length would bother him more. Plus, if they switch the P&R, he can guard Turner. Where Thibs could get creative is to play Hart on Turner, for example, and the centers on Siakam, who plays closer to the basket anyway. That would in my view make it easier to defend the Hali-Turn two-man game.
Devo is another good option for Hali. His defense on Maxey was so good that maybe he can take the Hali assignment for big stretches so that OG can guard Siakam. But that exposes the centers to some extent.
As good as the Indy offense is, I don’t think the Hali-Turner duo poses as many problems as the Maxey-Embiid duo, and they managed to solve it a number of times this series.
I agree that Precious should play.
On offense, I hope the Knicks can revert to their more fluid ways from late season. Philly forced them to play mostly isos, but I don’t think Indy can do the same with their personnel.
I think we have to. At the very least in the first half of game 1. You can’t lose a series that early.
Cam Payne and Buddy Hield were hard to trust, too. Nurse found a way to get something out of them. Thibs has to do the same.
By the way, why did they not foul Hield on that last possession. I’m glad it worked, but after Game 5 they should never have let them get a shot off in that situation.
I thought Hield got into his shooting motion too quickly to foul him. In fact, fear of getting fouled seemed to be what made him rush his shot.
I’m not gonna lie at that point I had more faith in us defending against a three than winning a FT battle. After OG and Brunson both missed huge FTs I was shocked that Donte hit both of his.
That makes sense. I thought the Knicks should have fouled immediately, but these split second decisions can be tough. At that point, with 3 seconds left and no timeouts, they didn’t even need to make their free throws. Just taking the ball to the other side of the court would have likely won the game.
Deuce almost fouled Hield on his final shot, would be hilarious if the last 2 minute report says he was fouled.
My favorite line from the Thibs post-game presser was when he was asked if he was close to taking Josh Hart, who was in pain, out of the game. “Josh is never close to coming out. Ok. It was a passing thought, I let it pass.”
I had to miss game-5. From what I’ve been reading, it seem like that was good for my health.
Notice that setup is to make the story all about the Nova guys winning the game due to their special bond. But, at the end, Jalen pointedly contradicts that narrative and says the whole team has special communication. He was born for this.
The second best line was in response to “you guys came down here to a hostile arena” when he mockingly said “was it hostile?”
I seriously don’t know how we managed to get so many fans in there.
There really isn’t anything left to say about that series other than it was an epic, old school, 90’s style eastern conference series. One of the best ones I’ve watched in my lifetime. As much as I hated Philly, I have mad respect for them now. They did not quit. But we didn’t either.
I am so glad we closed this out last night though. I’m exhausted today, mentally and emotionally, so I can’t imagine how the players are feeling. Having to play another game tomorrow would have drained this team. Even if they won, no way they would be ready to play a rested Pacers who like to run and gun. It would have been just like in 2013 when we let the celtics get back into the series and then had to turn right around and face the pacers.
Now the players have three full days of rest and recovery in front of them and Thibs has time to actually get them prepared.
I don’t think they will be easy. But it’s going to be a very different series. They don’t have anyone as good as Embiid or Maxey. I’m confident we can play our game and if we do that, they won’t be prepared for our brand of ball.
But still…so fucking proud of this team. I think the last time I was this happy and proud as a knicks fan was in 1999.
One thing I’m looking forward to the next series: anecdotally, Carlisle complains way less than Nurse.
Precise number of complaints aside, I find Carlisle way more annoying than Nurse — most likely because of his ties to the Bird/Ainge Celtics, a whining team I detested beyond all limits of rationality.
Remember myself crying like a little girl while watching live being eliminated by the Hibbert-George Pacers.
During these Phi-Nyk series i wasn’t “killed” like many knicks fans mainly due to different approach.
Even the conspiracy theories about Extended series worked as a psychological safety blanket against wholehearted emotional investment.
Going with the Orthodox Easter Spirit The Truth is that as Nazareth sang: Love Hurts but as also Judas Priest sang: Love bites so…Let the good times Roll and just gimme a Painkiller!
Knicks now down to 11-1 to win it all. Most likely because of the elimination of two potential rivals, Philly and the potentially-healthy Bucks, Celtics are down to +105 even with the KP injury.
It’s ok for a close-out game, but Knicks need to lengthen the bench.
Yeah, same. Even Embiid.
For those of you who boycotted the internet after game 5, I pondered out loud whether LeBron’s celebration of Maxey might have been (either consciously or not) a signal of his intent.
And holy shit does it make a lot of basketball sense for him to go there. If he’s willing to do it for a reasonable cost (like $25-$30mm) they’ll have a super team as long as he’s kicking.
I wonder what is more important to LeBron: is it getting more rings, or banking an extra $150mm so he can become an owner?
You know how we all throw around the expression “that would be so Knicks-y” and “Dolans Razor”? Like losing game 5 in excruciating fashion and then going on to lose the series in 7?
I think we can put all that to bed now. This team is so mentally tough and a lot of that begins and ends with the Little General, who has just put this team on his back and taken us to the 2nd round without a second star. What a player.
When OG dunked late in the game I literally jumped out of my recliner in celebration, that was insane.
Ewing will always be my favorite Knick but I’ve never felt so confident watching a Knicks player take a shot and expect him to make it as I do with Brunson
Remember, after game 2, when we were wondering if the Sixers had figured out Brunson?
My God, what a performance. That stat about this being the first time since MJ that someone scores 39+ points per game was incredible.
I’m gonna take a wild guess: $150 mil.
Cannot believe we won that with 7 guys last night. We will definitely need some Precious & Burks minutes against Indy. The Nova guys basically just need 2 minutes of rest per half… I think Thibs can figure that out.
The next round doesn’t have long delays between games – it’s a game every other day – so they definitely will need to play less.
Or maybe not? I’m done questioning this team.
Brunson has 100% become my favorite all-time Knick. He’s like a little Buddha out there. I love that he’s not some physical freak… just a regular guy / working-class hero.
E, I agree that in theory, Thibs needs to lengthen the bench. I’m just not sure what the options are besides Precious. Burks looked beyond cooked before he wound up in the dungeon. Bogey’s out, Randle’s out, Sims is pointless unless one or more of the current bigs are hurt (and even then, he usually stinks), and we’ve got a bunch of practice bodies on the end of the roster. (Which is a FO problem, not a Thibs problem.) I mean, I guess you could try playing Shake, but 1)he’s never been particularly good, and 2)it feels like even more flexible coaches would incorporate a stranger into their playoff rotation only in cases of absolute desperation. And we’re not desperate. Pat Riley likes to say that in the playoffs, you play 8 and trust 7. We can’t really afford to lose anyone else, but our guys other than Mitch are conditioned to play a lot, and I expect Deuce to get substantially more run in the upcoming games than he did last night.
I came out of the series with a lot of respect for Maxey, the kid is tough as hell, even though he obviously has to be feeling terrible about his game 6 performance. Embiid? Nah. He played through injuries, which a lot of players do at this stage, and proceeded to whine and flop and try to injure our players on numerous occasions. Fuck him. He’s Draymond Green with a lot more offensive talent.
Like many game 5 killed my spirit and I heavily debated watching the game or not, I eventually watched the 1st quarter, the beginning of the 2nd and turned it off as things went sour… then came back in the 4th and I’m glad I did.
I have a feeling the Pacers are going to be a hard as hell match-up. We have the pieces to dominate them, great rebounding, OG to stop Siakam and 3 guards to throw at Hali to give him different looks, but I feel the series is going to come down to winning both games at MSG to start. If we go to Indiana 1-1, it will become a very hard series.
I feel like we underplay his physical gifts because he’s not fast and can’t dunk. Brunson has insane body control, and he’s strong as hell. He’s not the hoops equivalent of a crafty junkball pitcher out there.
Minutes per game against the Sixers:
Hart: 46.4
Brunson: 43.8
OG: 41.6
Insane stuff from Hart and Brunson given his workload.
On the other hand, all other players were pretty well rested. DDV averaged 32, I-Hart 26, McBride 23, Mitch 20 (and missed a game).
If I had to guess, Thibs will up DDV and Deuce’s usage to rest Brunson and perhaps Hart more, and we’ll see a little more of Precious so that OG can take a breather. They don’t need to play Burks. Hart/Brunson/OG will still average 40 min or so, so it’s basically 12 minutes to be distributed around.
d-mar said it. 20 years of Dolan’s Razor, Knicksy outcomes, this felt cathartic. Can’t wait to talk about the next series’ narratives.
Carlisle all-time great coach, Pacers play with pace, score a bunch, deeper team, don’t fear Knicks: won 2 of 3 this season, Obi revenge narrative, doesn’t give big minutes to players as bad as Tobias Harris or Paul Reed, easier to be the underdog
vs
Pacers only beat Doc coached Bucks sans Giannis and not much Dame, Brunson best player of the series, Brunson facing ex-coach Carlisle, incredible team chemistry and hustle, don’t need huge scoring to win, MSG home court advantage, Thibs is getting better at making adjustments, 3 full days rest, Knicks have more experience, have had bigger wins. Also Jacob Tobbin.
Knicks in 6.
Hubie, I absolutely respect you for not publishing Embiid’s NYC location. But I’m still very impressed that you were able to find it—it doesn’t seem like that would be easy to ascertain, knowing how much and how good celebs are at protecting their privacy.
Jalen Brunson: July 12, 2022: Signed a multi-year contract with the New York Knicks.
Isaiah Hartenstein: July 12, 2022: Signed a multi-year contract with the New York Knicks.
Josh Hart: February 9, 2023: As part of a 4-team trade, traded by the Portland Trail Blazers with Dani Diez and Bojan Dubljevic to the New York Knicks; the Charlotte Hornets traded Jalen McDaniels and a 2024 2nd round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers; the New York Knicks traded Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk to the Charlotte Hornets; the New York Knicks traded Ryan Arcidiacono, Cam Reddish, Ante Tomic and a 2023 1st round draft pick (Kris Murray was later selected) to the Portland Trail Blazers; the Philadelphia 76ers traded a 2023 2nd round draft pick (Colby Jones was later selected) to the Charlotte Hornets; the Philadelphia 76ers traded Matisse Thybulle to the Portland Trail Blazers; the Portland Trail Blazers traded a 2027 2nd round draft pick to the Charlotte Hornets; and the Portland Trail Blazers traded a 2029 2nd round draft pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. Charlotte also received a trade exception More favorable 2023 2nd-rd pick ended up as CHO own 2027 2nd-rd pick is more favorable Philadelphia also received a trade exception 2024 2nd-rd pick is NYK own 2029 2nd-rd pick is POR own Portland also received a trade exception 2023 protected 1st-rd pick is NYK own.
Donte DiVincenzo: July 8, 2023: Signed a multi-year contract with the New York Knicks.
OG Anunoby: December 30, 2023: Traded by the Toronto Raptors with Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the New York Knicks for R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2024 2nd round draft pick. Toronto also received a trade exception 2024 2nd-rd pick is DET own New York also received a trade exception.
Can we lay off Leon, at least for the time being?
Brunson’s Humility and High Character is making everyone around him better and I’d dare to say even the fans.
He’s a Role Model Star on his way to Superstardom and NBA should start “protecting” him.
It’s not only Your game that matters. It’s also your whole attitude.
Awarding the good guys makes a difference.
last night was more like the exhausted relief from a benign medical diagnosis than actual sportsfun.
one thing that will stick me from this series is the OG on Maxey decision. from the start, it really seemed like a misuse of an elite defender toward his absolute nadir advantage. and it looked even worse one the actual court. but thibs stuck with it for so long, i started to wonder if maybe the counterfactual was scarier than i imagined. maybe be careful second guessing the guy with 200 years as defensive guru? but just when i figured we weren’t even going to get a taste of the alternative, did suddenly ditched it entirely and it pretty went as you would have hoped.
philly scored 125.6 pts / possession with OG on maxey and 101.5 pts / possession with either deuce or mcbride on him. you have to appreciate thibs being willing to make the change, but it’s a surprise that it took so long to try it. probably if we’d been losing games it would have come quicker.
i’ve read all the comments about us double teaming embiid too much. i largely don’t agree with them.
I watched the first quarter out after dinner and watching the lead evaporate on my phone stuck in traffick in a cab on the way home was torture. What a series.
philly scored 125.6 pts / possession with OG on maxey and 101.5 pts / possession with either deuce or mcbride
so many typos. deuce or divo.
Man, look at this photo of the OG dunk on the NY Post back page:
https://twitter.com/MikeVacc/status/1786378222902362403
It wasn’t just taking OG off Maxey, it was basically making him the rim protector that was a huge change. I read a stat earlier that I believe Philly shot 11 for 30 at the rim when being defended by OG, that is beyond elite rim protection.
Watching last night was terrifying outside of the first quarter when I naively thought we might win wire-to-wire, but at a certain point when we were tied in the 4th I turned to my friend and said “you know what, fuck it, this is why we watch sports.” Now, there’s no chance I would’ve been able to maintain that sanguine attitude had we lost, but it’s always good to remind yourself every now and then that this is supposed to be fun.
My respect for Maxey went up immensely, but I’m all the way out on Embiid. I would have a genuinely hard time rooting for him after this series. The dirty plays, the excuse making and whining…I’ll pass. Shoutout to Cam Payne for irrationally annoying the hell out of me too, fuck that guy and his stupid shot motion.
So, Indy. On one hand, it’s a relief they don’t have an Embiid-like megastar (Haliburton is great, but compromised and not at that level to begin with IMO). Being able to switch OG and Hart onto Turner without really having to worry about a post up threat will be a breath of fresh air. On the other, they’re a lot deeper than the Sixers. Won’t be a cakewalk at all.
It won’t happen, but I am firmly on team “dust off Burks.” It’s hardly a panacea, I just think it’s the only realistic option left post Bogey injury (which I’m still really upset about, god damn it, that guy was hitting some massive shots for us). I don’t think we can win another series regularly getting single digit points off the bench and playing the starters Wilt minutes.
Are you all ready for T.J. McConnell to annoy the shit out of everyone?
Come on, Alan. If you don’t want Vildoza jokes you can’t set yourself up like this!!
Seriously, though, you gotta try Burks. The playoffs are no time for dungeons. Just look what Buddy Hield did yesterday and Cam Payne in game 3.
Anybody got jumper cables? My heart is having a hard time getting started..sheeeeeesh
Everything in me wants to talk shit, but honesty I can’t. Look..I salute how hard Philly played us. They just wouldn’t die. Yeah they benefitted from some questionable officiating and largely played like a team that wasn’t used to playing physical so they got a little dirty, but that says alot about these Knicks to overcome that with only one true offensive threat. Also..I wanna make sure Nurse, Maxey(brilliant defensive scheme in the closeout game by Thibs btw), and Embiid gets their respect. Especially Embiid. I HATED his dirty tactics and him living at the line this series, but he reminded me so much of slightly older Ewing with the way he battled through every ailment and still put up big numbers. I can no longer question his heart and toughness. I just can’t. He was not supposed to last the whole series- much less play at an elite level throughout. I still prefer to keep our center tandem over trading for him, but not by much. I’d rather deal with our centers injury worries than Embiid’s. I think Nick Nurse coached his ass off and Maxey was incredible til Thibs’ scheme and the team’s grit put the clamps on him last night. Philly is gonna be hell next season. This was a really good series…easily the best of all the matchups so far.
Now on to our boys..
Wow..just..fuckin wow. These guys don’t let up. Brunson adjusted and went God mode. Thibs showed he’s still a great coach. Hartenstein looked like a different player- in a good way. Mitch showed he can also be a monster against a player like Embiid. He looked like the Cleveland series version, and he’s not all the way back yet. Nice to see. And what else can we say about Hart right now? I think last postseason put a fire in his belly and he has played like he couldn’t wait for the playoffs to start.
The Indy series is gonna be a different challenge. I’m anxious to see Anunoby on Siakam for a whole series, and also to see who’s gonna make the game tough for Haliburton and McConnell. I’m not gonna predict this series because they also have a brilliant coach and energy and athleticism on the bench. I wonder who they’re gonna use on Brunson. Brunson can and probably will cook whomever, but I hope they put Haliburton on him so he won’t have the energy to run that offense. If they put Nembhard on him, DiVincenzo has to be aggressive on offense to wear Haliburton down. This is gonna be a fun series too.
Like many of you the last few days have been a rollercoaster of emotions. The loss in game 5 hit me very hard. Being in my 40s, it was up there with a lot of the tough Knicks losses in the 80s and especially the 90s. Charles Smith, Reggie game, Ewing’s finger roll, and 2 non-Knicks MO’s game 7, and the 2004 losing when up 3-0 debacle.
I needed to separate myself after the game 5 loss. It brought back so much heartache. It is strange, you would think tough losses would negatively effect you less as you got older. This loss, in my 40s, was every bit as tough as those losses to the Bulls, Pacers, Heat, etc., when I was in my teens and 20s.
Being a Knicks fan is a like a positive cult. We have all endeared some very tough, emotional losses, but we persevere and still love this team. Whether it is tough losses in the playoffs, or 15 win seasons. I think Knicks fans are some of the best in any sport. We deeply love and care about this team.
Those losses when I was younger where so tough. So many years I thought, this is finally going to be the year we beat Michael and the Bulls. To only lose in heartbreaking fashion. That Reggie game was soul crushing. Then a few days ago, that game 5 loss, was devastating to me. I am from NJ and most of my family is from NY or NJ, and I have now lived in PA (about 20 miles from Philly) the past 15+ years, so I am constantly around Philly stuff. I just couldn’t take it and needed a few days off.
With that said, I did watch the game live last night, but tried to have a lot less emotion. When the Knicks went up. I didn’t celebrate. When the Knicks went down amazingly in the second quarter, I tried to not be so frustrated. But, that 4th quarter. I was into it. I sat on my lazy boy and had so many emotions as my wife was sleeping in the other room. Silent fist pumps, clenching my mouth/teeth, silently being elated and devastated as the teams traded baskets, going to the floor on my knees to watch the game a foot away, to standing up 10 feet away, to putting my fingers on my face.
What an experience. I am super happy we won, but glad it is over, and glad the players get 3 days offs, but also glad we the fans get 3 days off. Have a good, resting weekend everyone.
Go NY Go.
His apartment is all glass and my friend works across the street from it. He said his whole office can see him when he’s home. He showed me a picture of Joel on his balcony
with his cute little pup taken yesterday.
I was like “do you have a window I can throw things out of?”
Playing all of the starters insane minutes against Philly didn’t seem to have any downside. In fact I’m sure Thibs feels vindicated about playing his guys so many minutes. It wasn’t like those guys faded down the stretch of the key games.
You probably can’t keep getting away with that forever but I doubt Thibs is going to look at the results of the Philly series and say “I gotta get my guys more rest.”
So unlike Alan I didn’t hide (kidding, Alan!), but I admit I took almost the entire third quarter off and did the dishes because — well, because I was in utter turmoil, and just couldn’t. Forced myself to come back for the fourth, no matter what. Totally drained at the end.
Will say that the first quarter was possibly the most perfect Knicks quarter of play I’ve ever seen. I mean, it was just so beautiful in almost every way. If we could harness that I think we could beat the Celtics, maybe even the Nuggets, much less the Pacers.
Almost a shame they did it — now it’s like, just do that, more!
It’ll be interesting to see if this upcoming series lends itself to hate. I really came to despise the Sixers, sans Maxey. It made winning more wonderful, but also much more necessary — good should really triumph over evil. The Pacers seem kind of charming. Let’s see if that lasts.
Against Indy’s defense you might be able to get away with Precious at the 4.
If Donte broke out of his slump last night, then we might not need Burks.
I said it the other thread, but Burks started sucking around when the NBA cracked down on foul baiting. He may just suck under playoff foul rules.
That’s also when he got injured. He shot 40% from 3 on Detroit, 30% for us.
The guy’s got over 2,000 3PAs I doubt he lost his shot bc of whistles.
We’re talking about 12 minutes here. Just give it a shot.
I’m not sure on Burks because I feel he’s just washed, and Indiana plays at such a high pace that he might not be able to keep up with. But who knows, Lowry and Batum are also washed as hell and made contributions for the Sixers, so I’d like to see him get a chance in the first couple of games. I do agree with Precious, he feels like a guy who can make an impact in this series, we need to pound them on the boards like we did to Cleveland last year and he can help with that.
The reason I’m so emotional about this particular team — I can say it out loud, I think — is that we’re the Good Guys. From Brunson on down, our players really do bring to life all the clichés we were taught as kids:
— Work hard; it will pay off
— There’s no “i” in team
— David can beat Goliath
— Never cheat
— Be a good sport, always; it makes you better, not weak.
— Be humble in victory and gracious in defeat
— It’s what’s inside you that counts
These are all storybook Truths for little kids that too often don’t apply in our real lives as adults. And that can cause depression (for me at least). So when a sporting event MATCHES my storybook Ideals above, like with these Knicks, it feels restorative. It feels essential. It suggests Life can be Just, if only for a moment.
Now (of course) I’m just a whiny boy. Sport is always metaphor, and every fan thinks their team is The Good Guys. Indeed every person is a Good Guy, right? That’s how the mind works. But I’m not sure I would call Charles Oakley and Anthony Mason good guys. I definitely would not say that about Embiid, Kyrie, Doncic, and many more.
But these Knicks are def. the Good Guys. In the Storybook, they deserve to win.
I’m not a Burks-optimist, I just think we are truly out of options. We got 5 bench points last night. Sometimes Deuce will be better, even much better, and the problem will be alleviated to some extent, but last night we needed every single starter to have a good-to-great game and that doesn’t seem like a sustainable formula.
Buddy Hield looked dead in the water in games 1-5 and then damn near won game 6 for Philly. It can happen!
You’re only thinking of downside in terms of fatigue, though.
Bojan’s impact wasn’t providing rest, it was hitting threes. If we didn’t play him in games 1 & 2 we’re not up 2-0.
Cam Payne turned around game 3. Buddy Hield saved game 6 from being a route.
Sometimes you just need other options.
Precious doesn’t just spell guys, he has unique defensive capabilities (especially when combined with OG) that we might need to guard Siakim and Halliburton.
Burks is (or was) not healthy, the refs cutting down on calling fouls doesn’t make you incapable of shooting
Oh, I totally hid. No need to sugarcoat it.
It is a relief, though, to hear how tough the last few days were on so many of us. Not that I want anyone to feel as miserable and anxious as I did, but at least it’s good to know that my reaction wasn’t wildly out of step with others. I just took things to an extreme last night to avoid a repeat of it.
Indiana doesn’t rebound well on either side of the ball, but they were #1 in the NBA in offensive eFG%. So they represent a different kind of challenge.
They were a poor defensive team all year, below average in all four of the defensive Four Factors, and 30th in the league in defensive FT/FGA. We should be able to score against them. The trick is going to be shutting down their brutally effective 2PT shooting, limiting their transition opportunities, and keeping the pace of the game slow.
Very interesting matchup. They’ve been quite a good team since acquiring Siakam.
I don’t disagree. I think they should try to see if they can get Burks going. I’m just looking at this through Thibs-colored glasses. I don’t think he’s likely to play Burks even one minute, and I doubt he’ll play Precious either unless one of Mitch or Hartenstein can’t go.
I cannot decide for certain how I feel about throwing Burks out there, but I feel pretty certain that he shouldn’t get as many as 12 minutes right out of the gate. Put him on the floor for 5 minutes and see if he can get though that amount of time with one made field goal and/or zero turnovers first.
Precious? Yes, more Precious please.
#But these Knicks are def. the Good Guys. In the Storybook, they deserve to win.#
Yeap. We played hard and tough but never dirty against Philly. Despite our false fame as physical bullies. We were true gentlemen. Intimidating our opponents with our Team’s Power of Unity.
Writ large Embiid had a pretty good series, but look at his 4Q numbers for the series in total:
59.5 minutes
6/26 (!) from the field
Grifted 22/24 from the line
35 total points
5 total rebounds
9 total assists
5 turnovers
4 steals
3 blocks
on a per 36 basis that is:
21.2 points, 3 (!) rebounds, 5.4 assists, 3 turnovers, TS 47.9 on 33 usage.
Just a beyond awful set of 4th Q performances in a series in which basically every game came down to the 4th quarter.
Don’t. You. Dare.
Re: Precious – I definitely feel better about him in a switching scheme, which we might need to do if the Turner / Halliburton PNP is killing us.
I don’t think Burks fills a need. Deuce can fill all the backup minutes 1-3 and Mitch fills the backup 5 minutes. That just leaves backup minutes at the 4. I don’t think Burks or Deuce or Shake can effectively guard Siakam or Toppin. So I would either play Precious or Jeffries. I think some spot minutes for Jefferies might be the move. He stretches the floor better than Precious and is better defensively against anyone becides Siakam or a center.
I gained a ton of respect for Maxey, not only was he awesome, but he didn’t get pulled into the whining and took accountability when necessary. Nurse while annoying coached a hell of a series and I hope he grows out of the complaining I think it sometimes sets a bad culture for the team. But I respect him. Embiid on the other hand can go fuck the hell right off. His whining and foul baiting while annoying and frustrating can at least be dismissed as gamesmanship all though weak as hell. But his dirty play is unforgivable and the NBA needs to clean that shit up. I hope his knee explodes getting out of the bed.
Vildoza is in Athens btw!
Just like many OAKAAK ones!
😉
I’m not optimistic about Burks either but I also wouldn’t have expected Cam Payne be the savior in game 3. And I sure AF wouldn’t have counted on Buddy Hield to redeem himself and save the Sixers hides. Nurse dusted Payne off down 0-2. He took Hield out of the dungeon in an elimination game. That’s some cojones. We’re talking about game 1 here. If he fails his opportunity, bury him. But no fucking dungeons.
Knicks for the series had a 50% offensive reb rate in the 4th quarter, that’s pretty insane.
Per Tommy Beer twitter:
Over the final four games of the series, Brunson averaged :
41.8 points and 10.3 assists.
AVERAGED.
Per
@bball_ref
, here’s the complete list of all players in NBA history to score more than 165 points and dish out more than 40 assists in a 4-game span in the playoffs:
Jalen Brunson
— end of list —
IMHO there is an infinitely negative chance that Daquan Jefferies touches the court unless we are up 25 points with 30 seconds left in the game.
I think Precious is going to have to give some backup PF minutes – he’s a good Obi matchup in terms of guarding him and OG really shouldn’t play every single minute. Offense will grind to a halt with him though. Prob need to play him with Hartenstein and Brunson on the floor to even have a chance of scoring at an acceptable rate.
Burks just like Bogey are Iso machines.
You can use them to change the momentum of a game that you can’t score shit but you shouldn’t overuse them cause they’re D liabilities.
Throwing Burks at Suffocating Zone D could work but against Indy?
Doesn’t seem fitting
I’m with Frank. The only guys besides the main 7 who have a chance of playing in a non-blowout are Precious and mayyyyybe Alejandro Burrata. Thibs is not going to suddenly insert glorified G-Leaguers into his rotation, any more than he was going to do it with [REDACTED] in the playoffs a few years ago. Precious and Aloe Berry at least have played real minutes for this team this year — often very well in the case of Precious, almost entirely terrible for Alto Baritone.
This is one of those things that depends almost entirely on how Burks has looked at practice, so we’ll never know unless we see him on the court
The obvious key to the series seems like it’s: Controlling the Rhythm.
If we go for the offensive boards but miss getting back on their fast breaks then we’re probably screwed.
Seems like an easier series than Philly but it might get quite tricky.
One thing that will be nice in this series is that we have the unquestioned marquee star. Haliburton is a similar player to Brunson in terms of quality and impact, but Jalen is the guy with the star power and Indy fouls more than any team in the league. We might win this series at the stripe.
We all have to promise that if Brunson struggles in game 1, no one will say that Carlisle has figured out how to guard him
The missed And1 FTs by OG and Brunson were brutal but major props to DDV and Brunson for each hitting both of their FTs in the final seconds.
This quote from an article illuminates exactly the difference between a dilettante sports fan and a Knicks fan:
“It was a series I wished would never end”
There was nothing I wanted more than for that series to end.
My comment was lost at the end of the game thread, so here it is again:
“I really wanted to watch this one, but i fell asleep… it started at 2AM here.
Well, what matters is that we’re in the 2nd round and English Knick got to see the Knicks live and in such a high stakes game. That must have been amazing! 🧡💙
About game 5, i didn’t say it to not jinx game 6, but it would only be one of the worst losses of Knicks history if we lost the series… now it’s only a footnote, thank God! 😉”
And i disagree with someone that on the game thread placed Nurse 4th or 5th on the most annoying Sixers. He’s the clear 2nd right after the whiny queen. He complains about pretty much everything.
still can’t believe we almost blew that game at the end again and Josh Hart saved us
#“I really wanted to watch this one, but i fell asleep… it started at 2AM here.#
Me too!
It started at 4am here. I put the alarm clock next to my ear. Find it at the same spot at 8:00 am! Never heard shit!
Fortunately i fed my magic-cat chicken before falling asleep!!!
About Lowry, i didn’t find him annoying, just a little too much hollywoodesque sometimes. But he is a baller and a fighter. If he can keep this up (he’s 38), he’d be a great backup PG for us next season, for the vet min.
Here he is talking about fellow Nova guys:
https://twitter.com/sny_knicks/status/1786275520016978207
LOLOL! 😉
I agree, but i understand the feeling, it was an amazing series. One of the best i’ve ever seen.
This is what I’m thinking. On paper they are the easier opponent than Philly for sure but the high octane offense presents a totally different problem for us, one that we potentially might have a harder time with than beating another team that is “better” but plays a similar style than us.
If nothing else, I expect we can win the series but the games we lose we might lose by a lot. They will inevitably go on their runs. The test for us will be twofold. Can we limit the number of those runs where they just have insane offensive output and two, can we weather those runs when they happen and claw back into games if we get down big. We did show against philly that we can be down 10 to 14 and still come back but can we come back if we’re down 20 or 25?
LOL! True story. I’ll bet good money Josh Hart plays 48 mins of a game between game 1 and game 2. 😛
The Bulls/Knicks clashes in the 90’s were marred by constant whining about officiating by Phil Jackson and Pat Riley, with Phil usually getting the better of it. Phil was really committed to foul grubbing. Nick Nurse has clearly watched tapes of vintage Phil. He’s the consummate foul grubbing coach.
And one last thing… VILDOZA!!! 😀
I didn’t watch many of the Pacers’ games this postseason, but I’d assume their pace will inevitably have to be slower in a playoff, physical environment. This would benefit the Knicks, of course.
Here’s the other thing: in the first round, with the Knicks playing against a much tougher defense, their offensive ratings were not that different: 120 vs 117.
Remember this blog fully awakened during the Live Matches when we were still Melo or Kp or struggling!
Now that We seem to finding THE WAY one goes for a walk, other falls asleep, other cleans the chandelier or plays bingo!
Ma che cazzzo!!!!????
Are we getting old or feel like We did it and rest?
😉
Congrats to everyone on the series win.
I predicted Knicks in 5, so they win in 6. Now I’m calling Knicks in 6, FWIW.
This series will probably have a bunch of double digit margins. Pacers Bucks only had 1 game in single digits which was Indiana’s 3pt OT win. Pacers lost Game 5 by 23 with Bucks missing Dame and obviously Giannis.
I think this series will have the same outcome as vs Philly, Knicks in 6 but it’s gonna have a totally different feeling to it.
My response to all of you (well, you and Hubert) continuing to be the worst people in the world on this subject:
https://frinkiac.com/meme/S03E09/348914.jpg?b64lines=VmlsZG96YSEhISEh
If Burks goes down tho we could definitely use Vildoza on the bench!!!
Also if Knicks had Randle vs Indiana they win in 5 easily, they would just be way too physical for Indiana with Randle. A reporter asked Thibs after the game what it meant having Randle back on the bench and Thibs immediately smiled, say what you want about Randle but his teammates and coaches all clearly love and respect him.
Prior to this Phi-Nyk series the team seemed as it was missing one more serious player to start contending.
After these series i guess we’re missing Healthy Julius.
You can’t Underestimate the Power of Unity of this group.
I was glad Randle was there. It’s gotta be so hard for him to not be able to play with his teammates right now. I feel bad because no matter what there is going to be a very strong “we don’t need Randle” contigency.
I know. He was bad in the playoffs twice and we have no idea if he can be good. But he can. I know it. You know it. We all know it. A healthy Randle with this team could absolutely dominate in the playoffs.
Interesting, i predicted Knicks in 7 and now i’m predicting Knicks in 6 too. 😉
I honestly don’t think I was fully conscious while the collapse was happening.
First I remember thinking it was over when OG dunked on Embiid. I even thought maybe we’d go on a run and win by 12.
Then as soon as he missed the FT I developed a pit in my stomach.
Then Fucking Oubre (and if that’s not the name his mother gave him it is now) hit a 3 and I went catatonic.
I remember Brunson missing another free throw.
And I remember the goaltend review, but only bc it was really long and it gave me lots of time to ponder the life decisions that led me to caring about this so much.
At 111-111 I know I was thinking of booking a sensory deprivation tank for game 7.
And then Josh Hart of all people saved my soul. I’m so sorry, Josh. I love you.
Even when things go south i don’t recall these guys quitting, blaming each other or losing their faith.
Just acknowledging their mistakes and giving kudos to their teammates.
Seems like we’re Ready boys.
Waiting for Health.
Jalen’s stats for that series – and this includes the 2 stinkers in games 1 and 2 is truly insane.
35.5 ppg – leads the playoffs
47% from 2 pt range …
30% from 3 -> 10 ppts below his season avg – he wasn’t even hot from 3 during this tear
78% from FT -> 7 ppts below his season avg
Crazy he can play even better w/ these outrageous stats — If his threes start dropping again, and he gets back to his FT average, watch out!
#And I remember the whole time they were reviewing the goaltend I was questioning my decision to care about basketball for 30 years. #
I went philosophical too during that time span. Questioning my approach to the game. Those review timeouts give a more spiritual dimension to the game!
Just like 10m powernaps but in meditation style!
Thinking of our history with the Pacers….
’93 – Knicks in 4 (5 game series)
’94 – Knicks in 7
’95 – Pacers in 7
’97 – Pacers in 5
’99 – Knicks in 6
’00 – Pacers in 6
’13 – Pacers in 6
I’m actually surprised they’re up 4-3. I always thought we had the upper hand.
I’ll take Knicks in 5.
Knicks in 5 for me too
When we traded for Hart my initial reaction was where are we going to find minutes for him and now he just plays all of the minutes
It’s ok. He forgives you. He loves all of us.
Alan, “Burrata” is too good for Burks, try it (instead of mozzarella) in a “Caprese” with fresh tomatoes and basil*! 😉
* salt, pepper and EVO olive oil as needed
Question: would anyone be surprised next year to discover that Tyrese Maxie’s new backcourt partner were… Immanuel Quickley?
I would be. IQ is restricted, and I don’t think Philly has anything to trade that Masai would be willing to give him away in a trade.
Hi, I’m Donnie Pacers Fan.
I like what I’ve seen from some of these Knick players. But I’m feeling Haliburton is going to have his coming out party at MSG this series, à la a Pacer that came before him. The IST was a start, but the Vegas exhibition stage just wasn’t quite big enough for a true début.
Pacers in 7.
True, and probably right, but isn’t Daryl Morey the King of the Poison Pill?
More than anything it feels so good to not only have The Knicks be good again but for them to be good the way I fell in love with The Knicks in the first place.
When I was a real little kid in the 80’s, I first fell in love with NBA basketball watching the showtime Lakers. All during the 80s I would watch the Lakers, Celtics and then the Pistons in the playoffs. I was a fan of all of them because I liked the good teams.
But then my brother moved to NYC in 1990 and I started rooting for The Knicks when they hired Riley. The 92 finals team was probably the first NBA team that I was a “fan” of. All during that decade I rooted for them and I loved that they were this hard nosed, physical team that just outworked other teams.
Then I moved to NYC myself in January of 1999. I literally remember going to the bar below my apartment (the long closed Boo Radley’s) and watching the first Knicks game of that season after the lockout ended.
Then the 1999 playoff run happened and it was the most magical sports experience of my life up until that point. I watched EVERY game of the playoffs at various bars, cheering with absolute strangers. That was my team.
The next year they were still good but came up short against the Pacers. You could tell the 90’s era was coming to an end.
Then the wheels fell off. Right when I was entering adulthood and living on my own in the city for the first time. Year after year I’d get excited about the new season, a new coach, some new free agent, but it was the same old story. Just worse and worse and worse.
2010 came around and we got STAT and then Melo and it felt good. We were relevant again. And I loved the 54 win season.
But this? This is different. Even those 3 years in the 2010s when we were “good” and even during the great 54 win team, we were good but the team wasn’t really a throwback to the 90’s knicks that I fell in love with. Melo was the main attraction. Chandler played good D. They had some decent role players. The 54 win season was a blast especially the first half of the regular season. But the playoffs were a huge letdown. Even beating Boston felt anti-climatic and like a pyrrhic victory.
And then it was over and we had 7 more years of darkness.
And now here we are. Good again. But good in the way that the Knicks are supposed to be good. Physical. Smart. Tough. Playing together. Brunson is the star but every night there’s a different hero or heroes. And a coach who demands accountability and excellence. Who the players would die for. Outside of a championship, this is all I’ve ever wanted. I’ve never been more proud to be a Knicks fan than I am right now today.
3 players in league history have scored over 35 and dished out over 5 assists in 4 straight playoff games.
Michael Jordan
LeBron James
Jalen Brunson
Usually not a create a stat to make a narrative guy but that one impressed me.
How many games until it’s only Brunson?
Only surprising thing about this is that Redick is in contention. That would be fascinating to see.
Wondering why Phoenix hasn’t already performed a similar ritual sacrifice of Vogel.
Actually, now I’m wondering: which NBA podcaster, other than ones who have real NBA coaching experience, do you think would do the best job as an NBA head coach?
I’d make this the Question of the Day, but we’ve got real Knicks stuff to talk about today.
I can’t wait to unleash my precious
Well, in these 4 games*, Brunson was not at 35 and 5, so i’m thinking the bar was set to include Jordan and Lebron, and not the other way around.
Brunson’s numbers -> 41.8 pts and 10.3 assists !! Wow!
* The 4 games after some KBers found out that Nurse had figured out Brunson, because of his subpar games in game1 and game2! Kind of funny to re-type it now, right? 😀
I don’t even know where to start on last night. The atmosphere was incredible – I’ve been to some decent sporting events in stadiums with 3 or 4 times the capacity of the arena last night but it was LOUD in there. The guy next to me was shouting BANG every time the sixers took a shot, and at times it felt like every one went in. I almost couldn’t believe sometimes when I looked at the board that we were still in the game. But as we turned it around in the third and into the fourth the Knicks fans in the building just took over and when Hart hit the three (sorry… ‘The Three’) the place went crazy. I ended up ina four-way hug with three New Yorkers at the buzzer – just a great, great experience.
Then this morning I had to get up and do a half-day academic conference at U-Penn including giving a talk on behavioural science lessons for retirement system design. Not the exact morning after experience I wanted and after I was a no-show at the dinner, I think the folks there wondered why I sounded so hoarse!!
Still, worth it in every possible way – and I was very honoured to be there representing the KB community.
What. A. Night.
Hubert – small correction. Pacers beat Knicks in 98 playoffs I believe. 97 was the loss to the heat after the suspensions
The Pacers are basically the 1999 Hawks following the Heat win in the first round. In that, okay, I guess they theoretically could beat the Knicks, but, well, come on, they’re not beating the Knicks. I’ll give them a pity game and say Knicks in five. I’ll do a new thread for that later.
Good call, Roger.
Yeah it went ’93, ’94, ’95… then ’98, ’99, ’00.
Maybe this is the start of another trilogy.
Re: the Lakers HC job – if I were an advisor to JJ Redick (which I am not), I would tell him to stay far away. No cap flexibility, few trade assets, aging superstars who had an outlier year in terms of good health this year, ridiculously high expectations, and a below average GM (IMO he basically can never recover from the Russ trade no matter whose idea that was or if LBJ signed off on it).
Re: the Pacers series – the main thing I am worried about is injury. It’s great that our guys have been able to play so many minutes, but if we lose one non-center to injury, we are basically cooked. One of the centers could go down and we’d still have Precious, but anyone else and it’s the Alveolus Burgdorferi show
I really want to say that the Knicks sweep, but my brain tells me that the Pacers will probably take a game due to their high-volatility style of play. That said, I am really unimpressed by them, though they did get materially better when Siakam came over. I’m still not convinced that Hali’s game and Indiana’s offense (I don’t think you can separate the two) are fit for a playoff environment. Their defense is horrible and they scraped by a play-in quality Bucks team. I just hope that TJ McConnell doesn’t destroy us, as is tradition. So, Knicks in 5.
Oh he’s definitely off the charts in terms of hand/eye/foot skills and desire. I just more meant that he looks like a regular guy: he’s not ridiculously tall, he can’t jump ridiculously high… he doesn’t even look particularly fit. He just wins.
Wait a second. Playoff Obadiah is a thing!!?
I literally just learned that Obi Friggin’ Toppin averaged 24/11/2 per 36 against the Bucks. Wow. If that happens against us, good lord will Thibs and Leon have egg on their faces.
Btw I don’t even know who is in charge of the Pacers (I know Pritchard is still there, not sure if he does day-to-day) but whoever it is has done a great job.
The Halliburton trade… the Siakim trade… the McConnell signing… turning Brogdon into Nesmith and Sheppard… they got Andrew Nembhard in the 2nd round… maybe they stole Obi (TBD)… man that’s some great work.
Not a podcaster, per se, but Caitlin Cooper, who covers the Pacers, is incredible.
Haliburton and Siakam have not been having great playoffs. They don’t really worry me. It’s guys like McConnell that could kill us, if we slough off of them too much (see Oubre, Kelly; Batum, Nicolas; and Hield, Buddy).
I hope Burks never plays for the singular reason that it will be less likely that people will use stupid names for him if he never sees the floor.
11 Waverly Pl. (between University & Broadway)
I’m expecting a huge Jalen Brunson series, mostly because the Pacers just don’t have the length to bother him like the Sixers did. They have a couple of guys they’ll probably try, like Nembhard, Nesmith and Sheppard, but they don’t have the length or the activity level of a guy like Oubre or old man strength like Batum.
If Brunson has a good series as he should have and we dominate the boards, I think we can win in 5, but I’m expecting 6 with a couple of great shooting nights from them stealing two games.
I think i’m turning my kid into a Knicks fan sooner than i expected. He started to pay attention to the NBA this season, he’s 17, and of course he’s a Nuggets fan because of Jokic. But i’m slowly winning my battle, first i turned him into a Knicks fan in the east. 🙂 But right now i’ve sent him Brunson’s numbers for the last 4 games, first he said i was misinterpreting the stats, it was total per game and not average. I said “ok, then Brunson did 39+ pts and 6+ assists, and maybe Lebron and Jordan did it too”. What did he do next? He went on to search if this is true and found out that only Brunson has a 4 game stretch of 39+ and 6+. Jordan had 2 at 35+ and 5+, but in one he has a 38 pts game and in the other he has a 5 assist game. Lebron is the reason for the 35+ and 5+ so he’s not close to Brunson’s numbers. My kid told me all this with such passion that i think either me or Brunson, or both, are turning him into a Knicks fan.
This is amazing, and one of the reasons i love sports so much. Sports unite people. 🙂
“Sports unite people.”
Or tears them apart (see Burps, Alectovich).
Oubre played a really excellent defensive series against Brunson. As Bruno said, I don’t see anyone on the Pacers capable of doing that. Tatum was pretty good on him too.
Yup, that was the first apartment I lived in. I lived there for a year in college in 1999. Shared a studio with a friend. Boo Radley’s was downstairs and we had a pizza place that sold 2 slices and a small soda for 2 bucks. Life didn’t get much better than that.
Lakers …. Becky Hammon?
An alien took over for Doogie! 😀
LOL
I used to love Becky, and i even wanted her instead of Thibs, but then she made that comment about Brunson… sorry, Becky, you’ve lost your nr 1 fan! 😀
I thought Ham did a pretty good job. The players played hard for him and AD had a monster season. They pushed the Nuggets harder than last year (there were a lot of close games). This is just management pretending they are doing something effective, but what they real need are more good players. The coach wasn’t the problem. He was competent.
I agree with Frank. Coaches should stay away from theater job for all the reasons he mentioned.
We are going to hear about the Hibbert block all week, so let’s get the record straight from the beginning. Melo’s dunk would have put the Knicks up 4 with over 5 minutes to go. In no way did it decide the game.
Woodson’s decision not to go small was far more consequential!
whatcha doing g-man – seeing as how you had to take the day off today after yesterday’s game…
mmmmmmmm pizza…and soda…
From Macri, to continue the dred bit about many of us wondering if there’s playing time (or should be playing time) for him:
“In this series, Josh Hart became the sixth player in the last half century to score at least 100 points, grab 70 boards, dish 25 assists and hit 15 or more threes over a six-game span in the playoffs, joining three MVP’s and a couple other All-NBA first teamers:”
(Tatum, James, Jokic, Kawhi, Westbrook… and Hart).
What’s up Geo? I’m here just basking in this win. My heart was pounding so hard last night that it was a little scary for me. I took a gummy this morning and have just been chilling. I have been checking the blog throughout the day as usual. I don’t have much to add. I definitely would like to see Alike Buds, get another shot. I think we will need another wing as we get deeper into the playoffs. I think Precious may be a better big to use against the Pacers, especially if they are able to get out and run against us. Overall, I think we are the better team and should win in five.
A really nice side note is these last couple of years have really rekindled my oldest daughter’s interest in the team. I had forgotten how big of a fan she was in the Sprewell/Houston era. It’s a lot of fun being able to chat with her about the games. She even told me she and her husband were going to try to drive down from Chicago to Indy for a game.
very cool g-man…
ha, seems like not too long ago we were all lamenting the fact our kids might turn out to be a knicks fan…