The New York Knicks find themselves at a pivotal moment in their quest for a championship. With a roster full of talent and skill, fans are eager to see their Knickerbockers surge into a deep playoff run. Nevertheless, many factors will play crucial roles in determining whether New York will get to the NBA Finals and win a championship. Each element, from player performance, team chemistry, and coaching strategies, will play a massive role in the Knicks’ playoff performance.
New York Knicks Playoff Performance So Far
New York survived a first-round dogfight with the Detroit Pistons, winning the series 4-2. They clawed through and escaped the physical fight of the Pistons battles. The Knicks had a hard time against the league’s best teams, and Boston blew them out three times. Despite facing challenges throughout the season, they ultimately finished with a record of 51-31. As a result, they secured third place in the Eastern Conference.
The team no longer holds underdog status after Games 1 and 2. All New York needs is two more wins to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If the Knicks successfully beat Boston, it will mark their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. In addition, All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson has been electrifying with his outstanding fourth-quarter play. It is unsurprising that he recently won the Clutch Player of the Year Award.
New York is halfway towards a semifinals series victory against the defending champion Boston Celtics. So far, New York has made two impressive comebacks against the defending champs on their home floor. Mikal Bridges made game-winning defensive stops in the last seconds of both games.
The Knicks found themselves down 20 in both games, but hit key shots and big stops in clutch time for both comeback wins. Also, Boston living and dying by the three played a role in New York’s victories in Games 1 and 2. Mitchell Robinson has emerged as a key player and an X-factor for New York. The team didn’t have a protector at the rim for much of the regular season, allowing the Celtics to attack with switches. With weak resistance down low, New York gave up easy points and picked up fouls, but that’s changed with Robinson back on the floor.
With Robinson on the court, head coach Tom Thibodeau can switch at will to help with weaker defenders. Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns have been outstanding in switches this series, forcing Boston to contested shots. Plus, Robinson has no issue defending a ball-handler away from the rim. So far, through two games, Thibodeau has pushed the right buttons to give the Knicks early momentum. Also, he has aggressively leveraged every mismatch between Brunson and Towns. Seeing Robinson’s value on the floor, Thibodeau has continued to use him.
Conclusion
The Knicks have all the momentum going into Game 3, which will be held at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks will look to keep up their momentum with crowd support at home against the defending champs. On the other hand, Boston will surely look to make some major game adjustments to change the course of the series, as they are the defending champions.
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