Orange and Blue Skies: Knicks Punch Ticket to Eastern Conference Finals
This is no mirage, and you are not dreaming.
For the first time since 2000, your New York Knicks are heading into the conference finals to meet their old rival, the Indiana Pacers, starting Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks won big in game six against the reigning champion Boston Celtics by the score of 119-81. From the get-go, the Garden was rocking from tip-off to the final buzzer, and for the first time in 26 years, they were finally able to close out a series at home and head into the Eastern Conference Finals feeling good about their play.
This confidence will be needed as the Indiana Pacers dispatched the number one seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and won the series 4- 1.
The Knicks will secure home court advantage for the conference finals due to being the higher seed, and the atmosphere at MSG will be crucial for this team to continue defying expectations and work towards making the finals.
The Knicks did not need Captain Clutch to have one of his higher scoring games to keep them in late in the fourth, as this game was essentially over at halftime with the Knicks up 27. Boston put up a great effort in Game 5 without Jayson Tatum, but the Knicks did not let them get into a groove and kept the defensive pressure up throughout the game against the defending champs, resulting in Jaylen Brown fouling out in the third quarter. One criticism that could be made is that Coach Tom Thibodeau kept his starters in the game in the fourth quarter, despite being up so big. The thinking is that no matter who is playing or not, the Boston Celtics command that respect, even when down big, as their three-point shooting can get hot and erase a large deficit quickly.
After such a grueling series with Boston, a more challenging test awaits with Indiana, who are young and full of talent, ready to get past the Knicks for the second consecutive year. This series should have a different feel than last year, as Karl-Anthony Towns seemed to get the ball more in Game 6 and put that to use by hitting three-pointers, driving to the basket, and showing his dominance. The Knicks will need to play physical and avoid foul trouble against the Pacers, as they tend to drive to the basket and employ a fast-paced style of play. Defense will be crucial, and the Knicks will not be able to play lackluster defense, which has been a problem along with their shooting woes.
Additionally, they cannot fall behind as they did during the Boston series and expect to make a comeback. This will be a matchup between two great teams, two great coaches, and two franchises with a long history of facing each other in the playoffs. While it should be a tough series to win, I think the Knicks will be heading into the NBA finals once it’s all said and done.
Knicks fans have kept the faith through the good and bad times, and honestly, the Knicks have had some tough times.
It’s time to celebrate and enjoy this series win, as beating the defending champs always gives a team that extra little boost, one that feels different from just knocking any other opponent out of the playoffs.
New York has been battle-tested with physicality against the Detroit Pistons and has battled adversity against a high-scoring offense in Boston. Both times, New York came out on top, even when it didn’t look possible at times.
This team is resilient and has a lot of heart. It seems that they either don’t listen to the outside noise or, if they do, use it as motivation. Knicks fans have waited for this moment for a long 25 years, and fans should look forward to the Garden rocking come game one Wednesday.
This is the most realistic shot the Knicks have had at winning a championship since 1994.
All they need to do now is seize that opportunity and cash in, and New York will be celebrating like it’s 1973.
PHOTO: Brad Penner/Imagn Images
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