Knicks Playoffs

As the playoffs continued, the Knicks were able to maintain a clinched spot throughout each series. As of May 16th, the Knicks led the second round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers 3-2. New York fans were optimistic that they could close this series and make it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 24 years. 

Despite their best season in a while, clinching the 2nd seed in the East, the Knicks have faced an excess amount of injuries that have prolonged into the Playoffs. Julius Randle, one of their top scorers, went down with a shoulder injury back in January and had to undergo surgery, ultimately ending his season. Although Knicks fans were devastated, Jalen Brunson has stepped up tremendously in the playoffs filling in the stats sheets averaging 23.9 points, 4.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds. Brunson has been a crucial player as he has had 5 40+ point games in the playoffs thus far. Although Brunson has been arguably the most important player, other players on the Knicks have had to fill in missing shoes and embody the “next-man up” attitude. Both OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, although hurt for most of the regular season, managed to stay healthy for the beginning of the playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers. However, Robinson went down with an ankle injury and OG has undergone a strained hamstring. Despite these treacherous roadblocks, each player on the Knicks has stepped up even more such as Isiah Hartenstein, Deuce McBride, and Alec Burks. These players did not originally start for the Knicks but have increased their role on the team and soothed many fans who were discouraged by injuries. 

The first round of the playoffs against the 76ers was definitely physical but the Knicks were able to win the series in 6. Many spectators prior to the series claimed that the 76ers were better than their record, as they were missing Joel Embid for most of their regular season, and viewed them as a tough match-up for the Knicks. Many even predicted that they were going to sweep the Knicks. However, New York managed to end the series in game 6 and would eventually face the Indiana Pacers. At the start of the series, many New York fans were optimistic as the Knicks were leading the series but eventually lost to the Pacers 4-3. New York has managed to win each home game of the series so far and only lost on the road. Their first loss was due to a long three made by Andrew Nembhard, however, they went down in game 4 losing by 31 points. Despite this bad loss, the Knicks bounced back in Game 5 and swept the Pacers by 30 points led by Jalen Brunson who had 44 of these points. Despite a valiant effort, the Knicks fell in the final game. Knicks fans were proud of them and their efforts!

Despite some injuries and not their best games, the Knicks have proven their talent not just in the regular season but in the playoffs as well. Their team has proven to be talented and a tough competitor for many of the teams in the league. New York fans are optimistic that the 2024-2025 will be just as successful as this season, with many optomositic for a championship as well!