Knicks try to extend their postseason to a Game 7 against Indiana
Knicks guard Jalen Brunson warms up before Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday in Indianapolis. Credit: AP/Michael Conroy
INDIANAPOLIS — It came down to one night in Indiana, a scene that the Knicks had played out in their history successfully in the past.
In 1994, when the Knicks were as close to a championship as they have been since 1973, they had to go into Indiana facing elimination in a Game 6. They survived behind a near-perfect game from John Starks, winning the series at Madison Square Garden two days later.
This is to tell you that these things happen and it happens in all kinds of ways.
The Knicks took the floor Saturday night for Game 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse trying to save their season, already having survived an elimination test at the Garden in Game 5 and hoping to find their way back for a Game 7 opportunity.
Whether they would or the season would end in the Eastern Conference finals in Indiana again, there is something to celebrate and something to learn. And maybe the most surprising part of the series is how much they pulled out all the stops in the postseason to try to reach the NBA Finals again.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau’s decision to switch the starting lineup in Game 3 was an unlikely event. He placed Mitchell Robinson at center and moved Josh Hart to the second unit. Thibodeau also brought Landry Shamet and Delon Wright back into the rotation for extended roles beginning in Game 4.
And as usual, the players were banged up and bruised. But throughout the playoffs, the Knicks found a way to get all of their players on the floor, ready to go and give whatever they could.
Karl-Anthony Towns was the latest one to have to overcome an injury that had him questionable for Game 5 Thursday. He managed to play and contribute 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win, showing something to his teammates, who have gone through this for years now.
“I knew that he was a player that was going to help us win,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s helped us get to this point. And so I think no matter what the situation is, he’s going to continue to do that. I mean, there are narratives with traded players on other teams. And when you get to the team, it’s ‘oh, that guy is not really like that.’ It’s just, that’s how narratives work. They’re usually probably false.
“I have the utmost respect for him and the way he’s been able to play throughout this entire season and playoffs. We’re all banged up but we’re all going to push through. I had faith that he was going to play last game.”
“I looked at the game and it said, ‘Game 5 do or die,’ ” Towns said after that game. “That was all I needed to see.”
Maybe the biggest risk for Thibodeau was adding Robinson next to Towns in the lineup, but it worked, giving the Knicks a spark and a matchup problem for the Pacers.
Robinson’s defense around the rim freed up the perimeter defenders to push up more aggressively, knowing that Robinson’s presence behind them would deter any drives to the basket. And offensively, even as they removed Hart, their most energetic player, Robinson’s presence on the offensive glass forced Indiana to put multiple bodies on him. That slowed down their usual efforts to rush the ball up the floor.
“He brings a lot,” Brunson said. “Obviously, having another 7-footer in there to just wreak havoc. The presence he has on both sides of the ball, it helps our team a lot. He just helps us a lot. We’re very happy that he’s been able to continue the way that he’s done.
“I mean, whenever you know that Mitch is by the rim or even on the court, you know he’s always lurking around. And so it definitely gives us the confidence to go out there and just pressure the ball and try stuff on the perimeter, just knowing the help that we have back there.”
Robinson and Towns played only 47 minutes together in the regular season after Robinson returned from rehabilitation from ankle surgery that cost him the first 58 games of the season. But in the postseason, they already had played 144 minutes together and the Knicks were plus-38 in that time.
After the injuries and trade rumors, just being here now is a bonus for Robinson. Asked about the pairing Saturday morning, he just said, “Great teammate.”
If it has opened up opportunities for Towns, that’s a bonus, and if he simply causes havoc, that was fine, too.
“I’m just happy he’s healthy and playing at that level,” Brunson said. “I think he pays attention to detail obviously at a better rate, just from what I’ve seen being teammates to now. It’s made him 10 times better. He has not changed one bit, to be honest with you, but he’s honestly one of the best teammates we have.”
It helped get them this far, already a step further than the franchise made it in the last 25 years. And with the surprises the playoffs have brought, they still were hoping for more.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
