The New York Knicks are back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years.
Back in the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000, head coach Tom Thibodeau is not satisfied and wants the New York Knicks to go all the way and win the championship.
The New York Knicks have not won the title since 1973. And just eight wins are needed to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The road back to the East Finals has been challenging for the New York Knicks.
They had to commence the 2025 Playoffs with a tough and highly physical matchup against rising superstar Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons. They eventually prevailed in six games thanks to Jalen Brunson’s clutch heroics.
In the second round the Knicks were underdogs when going up against the Boston Celtics. But in a stunning fashion, they defeated the Celtics on their home floor for the first two games of the series and proceeded to eliminate their back-to-back title hopes in a dominant Game 6 finish.
The Knicks will now face the Indiana Pacers, renewing their old rivalry from the 1990s.
And for Stephen A. Smith, he has significant concern about how New York will fare against Indiana in their looming matchup.
“Can you stop the Pacers from scoring? They’re a very well-rounded offensive team. No. 1 in field goal percentage, No. 1 in three-point field goal percentage.
“I mean, these brothers can put the ball in the hole and they don’t have a superstar,” Smith, a lifelong Knicks fan, stated in pregame of ESPN’s Western Conference Finals Game 1 coverage.
“Well, here’s the problem with that: when you don’t have a superstar, there’s a multitude of options that you have in terms of generating some offensive prowess. It’s [Andrew] Nembhard, it’s [Aaron] Nesmith, it’s [Tyrese] Haliburton, it’s [Myles] Turner.
“I mean, you turn around and everybody’s doing something for you. This is what the Indiana Pacers are capable of.”
The red-hot Pacers are the best offensive team in the NBA this postseason, topping the team stats averages in field goal shooting (50.1%), three-point rate (40.6%), and assists (29.7) while being ranked second in points (117.7).
They hold the No. 2 offensive rating at 117.3, just behind the Cleveland Cavaliers which they eliminated in the previous round.
From the fast-paced, high-octane offense that the Pacers will present, another challenge that the Knicks have to deal with is how they keep up amid Thibodeau’s polarizing minute distribution among his starters.
Paul George picked the Pacers to win this series simply because of how they can exhaust the Knicks.
But at the end of the day, Smith’s unwavering faith in the Knicks remains unshaken, as he believes they can reach the NBA Finals and outlast the Pacers.
“It’s an epic matchup. It’s something I can’t wait to see,” the ESPN expert added.
“I believe there will be a Game Seven at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Knicks will be within 48 minutes of getting back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. That’s what I’m anticipating.”
Game 1 between the Knicks and the Pacers is set for May 21 at Madison Square Garden.
