For the optimistic fan who isn’t ready to throw in the towel.
Well, this is it. The Knicks have been pushed to the brink.
For the first time this season, and just the fifth time in the last 12 years, the Knicks are going to play an elimination game on Thursday. In a painful series that has included an all-time choke and two frustrating close losses, the Knicks officially have no margin for error.
History is not on their side. A 3-1 comeback has only happened 13 times. It hasn’t happened since 2020. The Knicks have never done it, having only been able to force a Game 7 twice: in the 1951 NBA Finals and the infamous 1995 series against the Pacers, which ended with a missed layup by Patrick Ewing. Further, a team that lost the first two games at home has never come back to win without coming back home for Game 5 at 2-2.
Still, there’s a nagging feeling that the “season is over” dread we’re all feeling isn’t quite true yet. While the vibes are low and the feeling is hopeless, the lights haven’t gone out yet, and this delusional fan is gonna give you five reasons that their season can be salvaged:
1. Home Court
Now, unfortunately, the Knicks haven’t done a good job defending the Garden this postseason.
After a banner record of 9-3 at home across the previous two postseasons, the Knicks have lost five of their eight home playoff games in 2025, including both of their home games against Indiana so far. It’s clear these Pacers, who broke records in Game 7 to close out a shorthanded Knicks team at MSG last year, aren’t afraid of the bright lights.
But still. Backs are against the wall at home. The Knicks cannot go out sad at MSG. Two of the three remaining games are at home, and the Knicks are 6-2 on the road. If they figure out their MSG woes, it can happen.
2. The Bench (!?)
Hear me out. While the prevailing theme has been that Indiana’s depth is overwhelming the Knicks, it hasn’t been the players themselves.
Indiana’s depth allows them to mix and match useful lineups and gives them tremendous flexibility late in games. It also keeps their starters fresh.
But as for the players themselves? Here are the bench players from both teams ranked by plus-minus this series. Knicks players in bold:
Landry Shamet: +18
Obi Toppin: +16
Delon Wright: +11
Deuce McBride: +11
Ben Sheppard: +10
Tony Bradley: +9
Mitchell Robinson (off bench): +6
Josh Hart (off bench): +4
Cam Payne: -4
T.J. McConnell: -12
Thomas Bryant: -20
Bennedict Mathurin: -33
McConnell, who’s been super annoying all series, and Mathurin, who exploded for 20 in Game 4, have been clear negatives on the court. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Pacers are minus-17 in 45 minutes without Haliburton this series, and the Knicks have fared much better with the new Delon Wright-Landry Shamet duo off the bench. Could riding them for longer stretches work?
3. The Series Trend
The Knicks are down 3-1, but it’s a lot different than how the Timberwolves went down 3-1 to OKC before getting crushed in Game 5. Minnesota was not in any of their three losses late in the game, while the Knicks should’ve won Game 1 and were ultimately out-executed in competitive Games 2 and 4. They got a game-tying three-point attempt at the end of Game 2 and pulled to within six with under four minutes to go in Game 4.
The difference in these games has been execution. A ton of sloppy turnovers in the middle parts of the game killed the Knicks on Tuesday, while the inability to get the big stop killed them in Game 2. In Game 1, they beat themselves.
If you tone down the turnovers (15/G) and make some shots (OG is 6-for-23 on open/wide open threes, Deuce is 3-for-10), you can flip these close results and win three in a row. You’re not being dominated, you just need to execute.
4. Jalen Brunson
It hasn’t been the series he’s wanted. Despite averaging 33.3 points and 5.5 assists on 48.3% shooting, he hasn’t been his usual self. After turning it over 3+ times in just four games prior to this series, he’s done it in each of the first four games of this series.
He’s had some trouble with Aaron Nesmith, turning it over 10 times and going 1-for-7 from 3 when defended by him. He’s also been strangely human against Andrew Nembhard after obliterating him last year. Still, he’s dusted almost everyone else.
As much as Haliburton has stolen the show with his remarkable play this series (especially Game 4), Brunson is capable of doing the same over the next three games. He did everything he could to win the first two games, and I trust him more than anyone on earth in the situation the Knicks are in right now.
5. Resiliency
Finally, they’re resilient.
They’ve come back down 7 with 2:30 left, 11, 14, and 20 whole points on three separate occasions. They’ve overcome media perceptions of being too soft against Detroit, of being lucky against Boston. They avoided uncomfortable Game 7s against both of those teams and closed them out before the vultures of doubt started circling.
No matter what has been thrown their way this season, they’ve fought back. This is their biggest test yet. There’s no shame if they can’t do it. Nobody expects you to do it. But they can do it. It starts with taking care of business in Game 5 and defending home court.