News & Blogs
Jalen Brunson Gives Surprising Take on NBA ‘Star’ Status in Video Amid Knicks’ Playoff Run – BleacherReport
Knicks Bulletin: ‘I swear to you, he got this as a middle finger to me’ – Posting & Toasting
2026 NBA playoffs: Conference semifinals takeaways – ESPN
Do the Knicks match up better against the Pistons or the Cavaliers? – The New York Times
OG Anunoby returns to practice as Knicks gear up for Eastern Conference Finals – SNY
REPORT: Knicks’ OG Anunoby practices, expected back for ECF Game 1 – Posting & Toasting
Pistons or Cavaliers: Who do Knicks match up best with in Eastern Conference Finals? – SNY
Will OG Anunoby make an impact for Knicks in ECF? | The Putback with Ian Begley – Begley Putback
Pistons/Cavs Hate-Watch-A-Long – The Strickland
Knicks Nightcap | ECF HERE WE COME| Top Notch Louisville Whiskey – Knick of Time
Reacting To The WORST Knicks Takes Of The Playoffs 🤦♂️ | Stephen A Smith, Kendrick Perkins & More – Knicks Fan TV
Knicks vs 76ers Exit Interview w/ Trill Bro Dude | PREGAME POD | Knicks Film School – Knicks Film School
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20 replies on “Knicks Morning News (2026.05.14)”
Did last night’s game change anyone’s opinion on your preferred ECF opponent?
The Macri recording happened before I saw the Kolek/Glenn Close comment here, but I texted it to Jon after, and he was very amused.
“Did last night’s game change anyone’s opinion on your preferred ECF opponent?”
It made me even more sure than I already was that we can beat either of them. I have a slight preference for Cleveland because HCA.
Alan, I don’t really have a strong preference, there were pros and cons to both. I guess I’d probably lean Cavs for two main reasons. First, we would have Home court advantage, which I think is pretty important. Second, the pistons are more likely to try to physically rough us up, and although I think we would win if we stay healthy, I could see someone getting cheap shotted. But the Pistons really can’t shoot, and as good as their defense is, I don’t think they can really stop us the way we’re playing.
I’m getting *slightly* concerned about rustiness after what is an awful lot of time off in between. I know that it’s good for OG and our other less-banged up guys, but overall I would not be surprised to see some turnovers in the first 6 minutes of Game 1…….hopefully nothing that would put us behind the 8-ball. I guess I’m saying that it’s not always easy as humans to keep laser sharp focus after not needing it for a bit.
But still overall better than being utterly exhausted from a previous tough series just ending.
The conundrum is that you almost always want to play the team that loses, because that’s how you know they’re the worse team, so I guess I don’t really care.
I think I still prefer Cleveland bc of home court advantage.
But these playoffs have kind of driven home a couple of points for me.
Experience matters in the playoffs. And the regular season, once you get above winning 50 or so games, doesn’t matter too much. Teams like Detroit and Boston can stack wins if they try hard bc so many teams tank. Teams like us can spend the season figuring stuff out and leaving something in the gas tank for the playoffs.
Cleveland won 60 games last year and is now a “playoff tested team” that improved itself with the Harden trade. So thinking they’ll be easy bc they only won 50 games or whatever is a mistake.
That being said, I think we can take either team. But Cleveland would give us home court and they also will have played three games in three different cities in six days. That’s tough and would give us an edge in game 1.
https://x.com/KnickedupFan/status/2054657876040237413?s=20
My only preference is a game 7 so OG’s hamstring gets two more days of rest. I think that’s more important than HCA, and both of these teams are unimpressive.
That said, I think we’d sweep Detroit. Cleveland might steal a game or two with hot shooting.
This was my favorite post from yesterday, and I appreciate KFNINJ for doing the research:
Imagine watching the Cavs and Pistons flail against Toronto, Orlando, and each other and thinking “our series is the real ECF.” Hilarious.
Exactly. I’m leaning towards Detroit because they look hopeless. But if they win, they’ll likely have found something that works.
It’s the same with Cleveland. Watching them lose two in Detroit last week, someone here (JK? Marechal?) captured the feeling of the board when they said “my kingdom for a series against these Cavs.” Now that they’ve rallied, they look a little more dangerous.
But they aren’t win-the-series dangerous. They just look like they might be able to steal game 2 at the Garden and make it a competitive series.
The other thing about the Cavs is Harden will figure out how to Brunson in endless pick and rolls. That alone makes us a little weaker.
I think the Cavs are more dangerous too but think we’d have an advantage with home court and also they can’t just beat the shit out of us like Detroit will try to do.
Although someone did posit that Detroit might be better prepared for an OKC series.
I’d way rather play the Cavs and it’s not even close.
We struggled with the Pistons in the playoffs last year and were lucky to escape with the win.
They are clearly better and more experienced this year.
They killed us this year in the regular season.
They were better than the Cavs in the regular season this year.
They have a very physical lock down defense.
They have home court.
We have a record of success against the Cavs, did well against them this year and would have home court. They are also good, but for me it’s not close as to preference.
Honestly my take from this series is that nobody is winning, it’s just that one of them is losing less than the other.
Knicks are less likely to get injured against the Cavs in my view. Also think OG is somewhat less essential against the Cavs.
My instincts tell me that Detroit is more likely to win this thing, but then there is this:
“As of May 14, 2026, the Cleveland Cavaliers are heavily favored to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, holding -320 odds to win their second-round series against the Detroit Pistons after taking a 3-2 series lead. They are priced around +260 to +300 to win the Eastern Conference outright.”
I think Cavs winning this series vs Detroit will be similar to Philly beating Boston. That was the 76ers Finals, they were so emotionally satisfied with finally beating Boston they were nowhere near ready to deal with the Knicks intensity.
Cavs beating Detroit to finally reach the East Finals would be a huge achievement for them, they probably won’t be mentally prepared to deal with the increased intensity of playing the Knicks for a chance to reach the NBA Finals. Detroit on the other hand all season long have been waiting to play the Knicks in the playoffs, beating the Cavs to reach the East Finals probably won’t feel like a big accomplishment for them. Also Pistons are cocky enough that they truly think they’re better than the Knicks. I could see the Cavs going down easily in 5 cause they’ll just fold once they realize they’re fucked playing the Knicks.
Cavs have more guys who can get hot from 3 (Mitchell, Harden, Strus, Merrill) and that can lose you a game or two, but would still prefer them over Detroit, who are going to try and beat the shit out of us and probably injure somebody.
Underdiscussed thing is that Harden is pretty old, and at some point will not be able to sustain this playoff pace,
The stats on rested teams winning game 1 against teams coming right off their last series show that it’s a bigger advantage than home court.
Given that, I think not having home court would actually be advantageous for having a short series.
If you ride that advantage to a game 1 win in Detroit, you’re set up reasonably well for a 4 or 5 game series.
Against the Cavs it would make home court in game 1 redundant, and a simple steal of game 2 would set them up for 2-2 in game 5.
All signs point to Detroit being cooked, though. I don’t think they can win tomorrow. But I do think the Cavs can lose.
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