The Knicks aren’t hiding from the reality that they’re in for a really completely different and much more daunting problem within the second spherical of the playoffs than the six-game battle they simply gutted out and survived towards Detroit.
“They’re the defending [NBA] champs for a purpose,” Karl-Anthony Cities stated after observe Saturday concerning the Celtics.
Certainly, Boston largely dominated the season collection between the groups, taking the primary three video games by a mixed 63 factors earlier than pulling out an extra time victory in April to finish a radical four-game sweep.
These information, after all, are cleaned as soon as a playoff collection commences, with this one set to tip off Monday night at TD Garden, the place the Knicks’ season started with a blowout loss through which the Celtics matched an NBA document with 29 made 3-pointers after a pregame ceremony to obtain their rings and lift their 2024 championship banner.
With each groups taking part in their full complement of rotation gamers on April 8 on the Backyard, the Knicks held a late three-point lead however did not foul and allowed Jayson Tatum to tie the rating with three seconds left within the fourth quarter earlier than the Celtics prevailed in OT.
“Clearly, [we have to] play higher than we did [against them] all through the common season,” Jalen Brunson stated. “Be higher, able to do it from the soar, figuring out it’s going to be a recreation of runs, figuring out that they’re able to doing quite a lot of nice issues.
“I really feel like we performed higher in that [fourth] recreation. We adjusted from the primary thrice we performed them, clearly nonetheless not getting it accomplished, however undoubtedly performed higher and competed higher than the primary three video games. In order that’s one thing we will take a look at and construct off of.”
Brunson, who already has a Nike billboard hanging exterior MSG depicting his series-clinching 3-pointer in Recreation 6 on Thursday evening towards the Pistons, stated the Knicks used Friday’s day off “to decompress, relaxation and get your thoughts prepared for the subsequent problem.”
Tatum, fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown, former Knicks unicorn Kristaps Porzingis and the remainder of the loaded and battle-tested Celtics pose the subsequent obstacle as Tom Thibodeau’s crew seems to be to advance to the Japanese Convention Finals for the primary time since 2000 after two consecutive second-round heartbreakers towards Miami and Indiana.
Brunson stated the Knicks’ heavy-underdog standing on this collection “is what it’s.”
The reigning champs closed the common season on a 19-3 roll after which dispatched the Magic in 5 video games within the opening spherical.
The Knicks had their hands full as it was with dynamic Cade Cunningham and the rumbling Pistons, however the Celtics are much more skilled, poised and proficient general, boasting an array of dogged defenders and succesful 3-point shooters underneath coach Joe Mazzulla.
“They discovered a method that works for them, it’s labored towards the entire total league, received them a chip,” Cities stated. “We simply gotta go on the market, execute and keep disciplined.
“If we execute the best way I do know we will, play basketball the best way I do know we will, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity each evening.”
Robust defensive play on the perimeter, particularly from OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges on Tatum and Brown, as soon as once more will probably be a key for the Knicks to be aggressive.
Apparently, the Celtics solely averaged 31.2 makes an attempt from 3-point distance towards the Magic after main the league at 48.2 per recreation in the course of the common season.
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“After all, you need to restrict their 3-point makes an attempt. It’s simpler stated than accomplished,” Cities stated. “You gotta go on the market and make it occur. You may’t simply speak about it.”
Simply because the time to speak concerning the first spherical is over, although pulling out so many shut video games within the collection towards the Pistons clearly has had a galvanizing effect on the Knicks as they transfer ahead.
“I really feel like when you’re going by way of a season and have completely different ups and downs and also you undergo quite a lot of issues, it tends to convey a crew collectively,” Brunson stated. “No matter how we gained [the Detroit] collection, we’re transferring on and we’re getting higher and we’ve got one other likelihood to proceed to get higher.”
