The city of New York has not seen a conference finals run since the year 2000. The enthusiastic fan base has been waiting over two decades. Now, the wait is over as Jalen Brunson and the team have risen to the occasion. The Knicks fell to the Indiana Pacers on May 31 in Game 6. The team struggled defensively, especially when stars Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson were in the paint. Coach Tom Thibodeau struggled with bringing in depth from the bench, keeping their starting lineup in for most of the minutes.
The Knicks entered the season with numerous changes to their roster. Center Karl-Anthony Towns was involved in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves for power forward Julius Randle and point guard Donte DiVincenzo. The addition of Towns gave the Knicks extra size and skill on the offensive side of the ball, despite losing two key starters from their starting rotation in DiVincenzo and Randle. Mikal Bridges went from the borough of Brooklyn to Manhattan for five first-round picks. With former players Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby in the lineup, the Knicks had to scheme a new game plan to incorporate their new additions. As the season progressed, many of their off-season moves proved to be integral in the successful regular season, earning themselves 51 wins.
The Knicks started the playoffs as the three-seed in the Eastern Conference, behind the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. They faced the Detroit Pistons in the first round and won the series in six games. During this series, fans realized that the Knicks could be a serious threat for the rest of the postseason. In the second round, the Knicks put up a fantastic fight against the Boston Celtics, upsetting the reigning champions in another six-game series. From there, they were able to clinch four wins and make it the furthest they have since 2000. Boston fans tried to degrade the Knicks’ win by saying that they beat an injured Celtics team, but New York showed up from the start, winning two games on the road with both games resulting in 20-point comebacks. Then, they battled against the Indiana Pacers, but fell short due to constant turnovers on the offensive side and weak game strategies on the defensive side. Tyrese Haliburton once again haunted the Knicks fan base, leading his small-market franchise to a finals appearance and Pascal Siakam was named the MVP.
Adding spice to NYC, celebrity row at the Knicks’ home arena, Madison Square Garden, was fired up. Film Director Spike Lee attended every home and away game, along with actor Ben Stiller and American-French actor Timothée Chalamet.
Regardless of the result, the Knicks accomplished a lot of success, going far into the playoffs and competing with top teams in the league. With that success comes pleasure and pressure from the fan base, but the Knicks this year have come close to satisfying most New Yorkers. Of course, many will still doubt and bash on the season, but it is undeniable that the Knicks have made substantial progress in recent years to become the threat they are now.
